The Madsen Light Machine Gun,Developed from an earlier attempt at an automatic rifle in 1896, the Ma

The Madsen Light Machine Gun,Developed from an earlier attempt at an automatic rifle in 1896, the Madsen LMG would be the staple light machine gun of the Danish military for over 70 years and has the honor of being the first light machine gun produced.  It was fed from a 20-45 round magazine placed vertically into the breech, much like the later Bren gun.  The force of the recoil of each shot would throw back a breechblock, ejecting a spent cartridge and loading a new cartridge from the magazine. Because Denmark was neutral during World War I and surrendered at the beginning of World War II, few Madsen’s were ever used in combat in Danish hands.  However many were produced and exported to other nations, especially Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Japan, China, and many South American nations.  As a result they were produced in a wide variety of calibers.  They also saw action in a wide variety of conflicts around the world.  By the 1970’s Denmark began to phase out the Madsen in favor of other more modern designs. -- source link

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