Machine guns fire projectiles as long as the trigger is released again, the ammunition supply is interrupted or a fault occurs. The automatic charging mechanism is realized either by the gas pressure of the relaxing powder gases, by the repulsive force, or by an external drive such as an electric motor. MGs are considered as war weapons in the Federal Republic of Germany. The trade and possession of machine guns are accordingly regulated in Germany by the Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz (War War Weapons Control Law).
