Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the general purpose machine guns (gpmg) category.
01 / Overview
M73 machine gun
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1950–1970
Quantity
984
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG) · EARLY COLD WAR
20
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
45
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the general purpose machine guns (gpmg) category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General7MOD.7
- First Production Year1950
- Service Entry Year1959
- DesignerRock Island Arsenal
- Weight (Empty)14.4 kg
- Weight (Loaded)13.5 kg
- Currently In ServiceNo
- Notable UsersU.S. and NATO-aligned countries
◈Cartridge & Calibre7MOD.7
- Cartridge7.62×51mm NATO
- Calibre7.62 mm
- Case Length51 mm
- Calibre Class7.62mm NATO
- Bullet Weight9.33 g
- RimfireNo
- Caseless AmmunitionNo
▣Operation5MOD.5
- Action TypeShort Recoil
- Fire Modesautomatic
- Select FireNo
- Feed SystemBelt
- Cyclic Rate of Fire500
◇Ballistics3MOD.3
- Muzzle Velocity853 m/s
- Effective Range (point)900 m
- Maximum Range3,657 m
◆Barrel & Sights4MOD.4
- Barrel Length1,219 mm
- Optic RailNo
- Iron SightsNo
- Threaded BarrelNo
▤Construction3MOD.3
⬢Features5MOD.5
▲Production & Cost3MOD.3
- Production Start1950
- Production End1970
- Variants3
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1945First deployment: Cold War
- 1950Production started
- 1970Production ended
76
years in service
20
years in production
984
units produced
1
countries operating
ⓘ 10 countries retired it.
04 / Conflicts
M73 MACHINE GUN · CONFLICTS SERVED IN100% win
Total Conflicts
1
Victories
1
Ongoing
0
Losses
0
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
05 / Operators
Operator Countries11country
06 / MASS Score
GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG) RANKING General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) · Early Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
85GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)20EARLY COLD WAR · GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)1317UNITED STATES · ALL WEAPONS125PERFORMANCE/PRICE · GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)
ⓘ Rankings are within theGeneral Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG)category.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE3terms
A firearm feed system where ammunition is stored in a flexible or rigid container (magazine) inserted into the grip or attached externally, feeding rounds into the chamber via a spring or follower.
Short recoil is a firearm operating mechanism where the barrel and slide move together for a short distance after firing, then separate to complete extraction, ejection, and chambering.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources