KMG556
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 7.80 kg
- Introduced
- 2021
About
What it is, and why it matters
The KMG556 is a Turkish 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun developed by Kale Kalip as a clone of the FN Minimi (M249). It is a gas-operated, belt-fed weapon firing from an open bolt, fed from 50, 100, or 200-round disintegrating metallic-link belts, and uses a quick-change barrel. Unlike the original Minimi, it feeds only from belts and not from STANAG magazines. The KMG556 features newly designed polymer furniture including an adjustable buttstock and forend, and was Turkey's first NATO-qualified domestic 5.56mm light machine gun.
First documented in combat in Ukraine in mid-2024 with the National Police's Lyut Brigade, the KMG556 became one of the more visible Turkish-made support weapons of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Marketed as the first and only Turkish-made 5.56x45mm light machine gun qualified to NATO test standards. Standard barrel is 16 inches (406 mm), with 14.5-inch and 18-inch barrel options offered.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kale Kalip
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Türkiye
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2021
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 1000 mm
- Weight, empty
- 7.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 200
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 915 m/s
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Quick change barrel
Adjustable polymer buttstock
Polymer forend
Bipod
Picatinny rail
Linked belt feed
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 27 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 7.80 kg | 6.35 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 1000 mm | 1020 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 406 mm | 465 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 200 | 200 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the KMG556
How much does the KMG556 weigh?
The KMG556 weighs 7.80 kg (17.20 lb) empty.
What caliber is the KMG556?
The KMG556 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the KMG556 hold?
The KMG556 holds 200 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the KMG556?
The KMG556 is 1000 mm (39.4 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the KMG556?
The KMG556 is made by Kale Kalip (Türkiye). It was designed by Kale Kalip.
When was the KMG556 introduced?
The KMG556 was introduced in 2021.
How does the KMG556 operate?
The KMG556 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Turkish Armed Forces
- Türkiye
- National Police of Ukraine (Lyut Brigade)
- 2024
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/mke-kmg556' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mke-kmg556", "name": "KMG556", "manufacturer": { "id": "kale-kalip", "name": "Kale Kalip", "countryCode": "TR", "foundedYear": 1973, "website": "https://www.kalekalip.com.tr", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "aebafdfe0b2fc291eb6152234f9c533fd017e18aeae62d11e078669f66144f6d" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "TR", "year_introduced": 2021, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 7800, "action_type": "gas_operated"}