FN’s New Belt-Fed EVOLYS is an Evolution in Machine Guns
The Evolys is a remarkable new machine gun from FN Herstal. It has been under development for several years, but the (relatively) recent Next Generation Squad Weapon solicitation gave it a jump-start.
According to Soldier Systems Daily, one of the most significant features of the new weapon is the “…patented lateral feed system, which allows one-handed loading. You no longer have to open a top-mounted feed tray cover.”
He continues:
The Evolys feed tray and cover both open to the side and you mount the belt to the feed tray. It’s not like a Fidlock buckle where it leaps into place but it’s pretty close. Just a bit of firm pressure on the belted rounds and they click into place in the feed pawls. It really works and I found it amazing. However, the weapon can only be configured for left-hand feed.
The standard version(s) are available in both 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO, though Eric Graves (SSD Founder and Editor) recently fired one in 6.5 Creedmoor. This latter version was developed specifically to fulfill a United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) need for a new Lightweight Machine Gun.
While EVOLYS may be Herstal’s latest design, the company will continue to support their other weapons like the FN MAG and MINIMI mad their US variants the M240 and M249 which will still be available for both new and existing customers. Half of the machine guns in the world were built by FN and it looks like they plan on keeping it that way.
Learn more about the FN EVOLYS.
When I order mine