With the rapid development of technology, new high-precision and cutting-edge weapons such as precision guided ammunition, intelligent ammunition, and electromagnetic weapons are constantly increasing, giving people a feeling of being "dazzling". Under the dazzling halo of these weapons and equipment, the development of light machine guns seems somewhat dormant. However, silence does not mean stopping, and light machine guns are also quietly changing. In March of this year, some US troops began to switch to the next generation of team weapons. The caliber of the light machine gun in the next generation of team weapons will be reduced to 6.8 millimeters. With the help of new technology, the barrel wall of the Russian RPK-16 class light machine gun is thicker and its range is longer. Many countries also have light machine guns that are both internally and externally repaired, especially by installing electronic sights such as infrared sights and laser indicators, further improving shooting accuracy. So what are the specific characteristics of the development and changes of light machine guns? Please refer to the interpretation in this issue. The light machine gun is quietly changing the RPK-16 class light machine gun. Material image MG5 general-purpose machine gun. In the field of weapons, there are many weapons and equipment that have emerged to fill certain gaps in the pursuit of better firepower sustainability, and light machine guns are one of them. Its initial appearance was to fill the firepower gap between rifles and heavy machine guns. From this perspective, the weight, range, firing rate, and hit rate of a light machine gun are all important. The performance of these aspects is closely related to both the materials used and the level of craftsmanship, as well as the design of the light machine gun. Achieving "bullets like rain" is the foundation for ensuring the power of machine guns. It can be said that exploration and practice have been ongoing since the emergence of machine guns. The continuous firing power of traditional machine guns is usually gunpowder gas, while the continuous firing power of some new machine guns also includes electricity. Taking the XM556 Minigun as an example, it is driven by a 24 volt direct current, which not only further increases the firing rate, but also reduces the weight of the gun and compresses its volume. With sufficient ammunition and continuous power supply, this machine gun can be used for close range urban operations and special operations to deal with living targets within 500 meters. The quantity and quality of ammunition directly affect the power of a light machine gun. How to carry and supply more ammunition for light machine guns is also a focus of research and development in various countries. Some European countries have proposed that in the future, new machine guns will fire buried or caseless rounds, which is largely an exploration in this regard. Compared to common machine gun bullets, the advantage of a buried head bullet is that it is lighter in weight, occupies less space, has a more regular shape, is easy to carry in large quantities, and can ensure sustained firepower. Due to the bullet being surrounded by a casing, the probability of collision between the bullet and the interior of the barrel is low, which can avoid deformation of the bullet and improve shooting accuracy. In this regard, some arms manufacturing companies in some countries have also adopted a different approach - developing composite material machine gun ammunition, such as the 6.8mm TVCM publicly displayed by a US company in 2021. Compared with machine gun shells made of metal materials, machine gun shells made of composite materials have a lighter weight, which is beneficial for reducing the battlefield burden on users. Moreover, composite material machine gun bullets can reduce the heat inside the barrel, thereby reducing the failure rate of related components and extending the service life of the machine gun. The feeding mechanism of light machine guns is also undergoing changes. Some countries are