Light machine gun

A light machine gun (LMG) is a categorization type, or class of machine guns that are generally lighter than other of machine guns of its period, and usually designed to be carried by an individual soldier, but sometimes with an assistant. In practice, they are either automatic rifles (machine rifles) or medium machine guns with a bipod, a stock, and sometimes a pistol grip. Modern light machine guns are often lighter caliber, in addition to being lighter weight.

Usually an LMG, or LMG version of a firearm is intended to act as a support weapon in that it can generate a greater volume of continuous fire than the usual firearms carried by infantry soldiers, but at the cost of greater weight and higher ammunition consumption.