MG42

The MG42 (German: Maschinengewehr 42) is a German, light (universal) 7.92 mm machine gun from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this weapon were made in 1939, and serial production began in 1941 and lasted until 1945. The initial velocity of the projectile fired from this weapon was up to 740 m / s, and the theoretical rate of fire - up to 1,200 rounds per minute. The effective range of the shot from the weapon based on the bipod was up to 2000 meters, and the maximum range - up to 4700 meters! The weight of the weapon without a base or tripod is 11.6 kilograms. The MG42 machine gun was, in essence, a modernized version of the MG34 rifle introduced into service in 1934. Compared to its predecessor, it was characterized by a significantly simplified design, which allowed for faster and cheaper mass production. A large technological innovation was also used in the production process through the use of the so-called deep drawing technology. At the same time, the reliability of the new weapon was significantly improved. It is assumed that the MG42 was less susceptible to dirt or weather conditions than the MG34. At the same time, despite the simplification of the design, the MG42 retained virtually all the features of the MG34 - great ballistic properties, very high (or even higher!) Theoretical and practical rate of fire, as well as power supply from ammunition belts. All these elements made the MG42 one of the best rifles in its class during World War II. During the war, about 370,000 were produced. pieces of this weapon. It is worth adding that the MG42 became the prototype for the later West German MG1 and MG3. You can also often hear the opinion that the MG42 has become a kind of ancestor of modern universal machine guns.