| ALFA M44 machine gun | |
| Origin: | Spain |
| Type: | Medium machine gun |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Used By: | Spain Egypt Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Manufacturer: | Fabrica de Armas de Oviedo |
| Production Date: | 1944–1962 |
| Weight: | 132NaN2 |
| Length: | 14501NaN1 |
| Part Length: | 750mm |
| Cartridge: | 7.62×51mm NATO 7.92×57mm Mauser |
| Action: | Gas-Operated; Automatic Fire Only |
| Rate: | 780 rounds/min |
| Velocity: | 760m/s |
| Feed: | belt |
| Sights: | rear aperture, front notch[2] |
The Alfa M44 was a Spanish machine gun developed during World War II. At this time, stocks of machine guns ran low and no outside source was available. Non-combatant nations found that the belligerent nations were unable to supply as they were preoccupied with meeting their own wartime production needs. It complimented the ZB-26 light machine gun, and replaced the aging Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun. Originally chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser, in 1955 an updated version chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO was introduced, and was subsequently issued to Spanish troops, sometimes referred to as the M55. Along with Spain, the M44 was also prominently used by Egypt, whose army had standardised on the 7.92×57mm Mauser round. Also in the early 1960s, the Congo government bought a batch of weapons from Spain, including Alfa machine guns, to combat the Simba.
