Vektor Mini-SS
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 513 mm
- Weight, empty
- 8.26 kg
- Introduced
- 1994
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Vektor Mini-SS is a 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun developed by South Africa's Denel (Lyttelton Engineering Works) as a lighter derivative of the 7.62mm SS-77 general-purpose machine gun. Introduced in 1994, it is gas-operated, fires from an open bolt and feeds from a disintegrating M27 link belt, typically via a 100-round assault pack. It retains roughly 70% parts commonality with the SS-77 and can be converted back to 7.62x51mm by swapping a small group of components, giving units a single platform for both the LMG and SAW roles.
Born of an arms embargo, the Mini-SS was engineered so a unit could field both a 5.56mm light machine gun and a 7.62mm general-purpose gun from largely the same parts kit, swapping only a handful of components to change calibre.
Developed under the arms embargo of the apartheid era, when South Africa was forced to design domestic small arms. The Mini-SS folds a bipod and uses a fixed buttstock; cyclic rate is around 800 rpm.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works)
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- South Africa
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1994
- Variant of
- Light machine gun
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 513 mm
- Overall length
- 1000 mm
- Weight, empty
- 8.26 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 100
- 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
- 969 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1887 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Rate of fire
- 800 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.
Folding bipod
Quick change barrel
Carrying handle
Fixed buttstock- Caliber convertible to 762
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 | 8.26 kg | 6.35 kg | Among the heaviest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 1000 mm | 1020 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 513 mm | 465 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 100 | 200 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Vektor Mini-SS
How much does the Vektor Mini-SS weigh?
The Vektor Mini-SS weighs 8.26 kg (18.21 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Vektor Mini-SS?
The Vektor Mini-SS is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Vektor Mini-SS hold?
The Vektor Mini-SS holds 100 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the Vektor Mini-SS?
The Vektor Mini-SS is 1000 mm (39.4 in) long overall, with a 513 mm (20.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Vektor Mini-SS?
The Vektor Mini-SS is made by Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works) (South Africa). It was designed by Richard Joseph Smith and Laszlo Soregi.
When was the Vektor Mini-SS introduced?
The Vektor Mini-SS was introduced in 1994.
How does the Vektor Mini-SS operate?
The Vektor Mini-SS uses a gas operated short stroke 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
- South African National Defence Force
- 1994
- Armed Forces of the Philippines
- Philippines
- Malaysian Armed Forces
- Malaysia
- Jordanian Armed Forces
- Jordan
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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/vektor-mini-ss' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vektor-mini-ss", "name": "Vektor Mini-SS", "manufacturer": { "id": "denel-land-systems", "name": "Denel Land Systems (formerly Lyttelton Engineering Works)", "countryCode": "ZA", "foundedYear": 1992, "website": "https://www.denellandsystems.co.za", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "452eaadaccf0ec2ec9abbef8c1ca7623b60cf62f7e5c6c1060d489b45dc6d200" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "ZA", "year_introduced": 1994, "barrel_length_mm": 513, "weight_empty_g": 8260, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}