No no no. Not since the Wizards of Smart like Ted O’Baxter started calling any long gun larger than 22LR a “Heavy Weapon”.
5.56mm and .223 now qualify as (Gasp) heavy weapons.
Next on the agenda is to move the bar down to 17 caliber.
Damn, there goes my .177 pellet rifle.
No no no. Not since the Wizards of Smart like Ted O’Baxter started calling any long gun larger than 22LR a “Heavy Weapon”. 5.56mm and .223 now qualify as (Gasp) heavy weapons. Next on the agenda is to move the bar down to 17 caliber. Damn, there goes my .177 pellet rifle.
I believe "heavy" weapons originally meant belt-fed automatic machine guns which required, at least, 2 infantrymen to break down, carry (along with the ammo boxes), and assemble/ operate in the field. Think of the WWII M1919 Browning cal. 30-06 and M2 Browning cal. .50. Don't really know what today's infantry equivalent is, e.g.,the SAW.
Mortars, bazookas (or whatever equivalent missile launcher infantrymen use today), and RPGs, while "heavy" are classified as close-in support explosive ordinances.