Gunmaker Sig Sauer says it has delivered a number of its MG 338 machine guns to U.S. Special Operations Command, along with sound suppressors and ammunition for them, after the weapons passed an important safety certification. Two years ago the Command, in cooperation with the U.S. Marine Corps, first announced it was looking to buy new machine guns chambered for the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge, typically used in sniper rifles, to fill a gap in capability between existing 7.62mm and .50 caliber types.

Sig Sauer announced that the MG 338 had successfully met U.S. Special Operations Command's (SOCOM) safety requirements on Jan. 15, 2020. In May 2019, SOCOM said it would begin a limited user evaluation of prospective .338 Norma Magnum machine guns in October of that year. That testing, which may include limited combat trials, is supposed run through May of this year, after which the command will make a formal decision about whether it wants to proceed with the program, which it has officially dubbed the Lightweight Machine Gun-Medium, or LMG-M. SOCOM has also begun acquiring new "assault" machine guns in the 6.5mm Creedmoor caliber that will meet a similar requirement for a weapon better suited to engaging targets beyond the range of existing 5.56mm types and traditional 7.62mm designs.