MG 42
general-purpose machine gun / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") was a general-purpose machine gun. It was created in Nazi Germany. It began being used by the Wehrmacht in 1942. It was used with (and sometimes replaced) the MG 34 machine gun in the German Armed Forces. Both weapons were made and used until the end of the war.[2]
MG 42 | |
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Type | General-purpose machine gun |
Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1942-1968 |
Wars | World War II, Portuguese Colonial War[1] |
Production history | |
Designed | 1942–1959 |
Manufacturer | Mauser Werke AG Wilhelm-Gustloff-Stiftung Steyr-Daimler-Puch, Großfuß AG, MAGET (Maschinenbau und Gerätebau GmbH, Berlin-Tegel) |
Produced | 1942–1945 (Nazi Germany) |
No. built | 400,000+ |
Variants | MG 45/MG 42V, MG 1, MG 2, Rheinmetall MG 3, M53, MG 74 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 11.5 kg (25.35 lb) (with bipod)[2] |
Length | 1,220 mm (48 in)[2] |
Barrel length | 533 mm (21.0 in) |
Cartridge | 7.92 x 57mm Mauser |
Rate of fire | 1,200-1,500 rounds/min |
Muzzle velocity | 755 m/s (2,477 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 1000 m |
Feed system | 50 or 250-round belt |
The MG 42 was known for being reliable, simple and easy to use. However, it is best known for its very high rate of fire so the Germans called it "Hitlersäge", or "Hitler's saw". There were other automatic weapon designs with similar firepower. Some examples of these are the French Darne, the Hungarian-Gebauer, the Russian 7.62mm ShKAS and the British Vickers K machine gun. However, because the MG 42 got its ammunition from a belt and its barrel was easy to change, it could fire for longer periods of time than these weapons.
The MG 42 was used to create new weapons after Nazi Germany surrendered. The MG1 (MG 42/59) was nearly exactly the same as the MG 42. The MG1 became the MG1A3, which in turn became the MG 3. The Swiss MG 51, SIG MG 710-3, Austrian MG 74, and the Spanish 5.56mm Ameli light machine gun were all designed from the MG 42. The M60 and Belgian MAG also copied some features. The MG 42 was still used by many armed groups after the war.