CODE – 04-040-934

NAME – MG 34

NAME (NATIVE) – Einheitsmaschinengewehr MG 34 [Universal machine gun Maschinengewehr 34)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1934

CALIBER – 7.92x57mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 122.4 cm (48.2 in)

OVERALL LENGTH (WITHOUT STOCK) – 111.6 cm (43.9 in)

STOCK LENGTH (UNMOUNTED) – 18.4 cm (7.24 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 59.7 cm (23.5 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4-Grooves, Right-hand twist, 1 turn in 24 cm (9.45 in)

LOAD – s.S. Pointed (Spitzer) Full Metal jacket

BULLET DIAMETER – 8.20 mm (0.323 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 12.83 g (198 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 766 m/s (2513 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 3765 j (2777 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 10.95 kg (24 lb 2 oz) with stock

STOCK WEIGHT (Bakelite) – 0.51 kg (1 lb 2 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 13.21 kg (29 lb 2 oz) loaded with 50 rounds in belt drum

WEIGHT (MOUNTED) – 14.26 kg (31 lb 7 oz) with bipod, loaded with 50 rounds in belt drum

TYPE OF MOUNT – Folding bipod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 1.05 kg (2 lb 5 oz)

TYPE OF MOUNT – Lafette 34 tripod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 21 kg (46 lb 5 oz)

TYPE OF MOUNT – AA Leg for Lafette 34 tripod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 1.87 kg (4 lb 2 oz)

TYPE OF MOUNT – Dreiben 34 AA tripod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 8.89 kg (19 lb 10 oz)

WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL – 2.04 kg (4 lb 8 oz)

WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL CARRIER – 1.22 kg (2 lb 11 oz)

SIGHTS – Open, iron, adjustable, Front sight – Folding blade, Rear sight – V-notch on folding tangent, Adjustable from 200 to 2000 m in 100m increments (219 to 2187 yards in 109 yard increments

OPTICAL SIGHT – MG Zieleinrichtung 34 (MG.Z 34)

OPTICAL SIGHT WEIGHT – 1.95 kg (4 lb 5 oz)

OPTICAL SIGHT MAGNIFICATION – 3 Power

OPTICAL SIGHT FIELD OF VIEW – 13 degrees – 22.75 m @ 100 m (68.25 ft @100 yds)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 600 m (656 yards) bipod mounted, 2,000 m (2,187 yards) tripod mounted w/optical sight

OPERATION – Recoil with muzzle gas booster, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Select fire, Semi and Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 60 rpm Semi, 200 rpm full automatic

CYCLIC ROF – 900 rpm

FEED DEVICE – Gurt 33 and Gurt 34 nondisintegrating metallic link belts in 50 rd lengths, 50-round belt drum (Gurttrommel 34)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 50 rd Gurt 33/34 – 0.18 kg (6.4 oz), Gurttrommel 34 – 0.76 kg (1 lb 11 oz)

Patronenkasten 34/42 Ammunition Can – 2.45 kg (5 lb 6 oz)

Gurttrommelträger [carrier for two 50 rd drums] (EMPTY) – 1.56 kg (3 lb 7 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 50 rd Belt – 1.50 kg (3 lb 5 oz), 250 rd Belt – 7.5 kg (16 lb 9 oz), Gurttrommel 34 with 50 rd belt – 2.26 kg (5 lb)

 Patronenkasten Ammunition Can with loaded 250 rd belt – 9.95 kg (21 lb 15 oz)

Gurttrommelträger with Two Gurttrommel 34 Drums (100 rounds) – 6.08 kg (13 lb 7 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Nine – 250-round belts in ammunition cans (2250 rounds)

Seven – 50 round belts in drums (with carriers) for AA use (350 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – Ammunition in cans – 89.55 kg (197 lb 7 oz)

LOAD WEIGHT – Ammunition in drums w/carriers – 18.24 kg (40 lb 3 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Rheinmetall-Borsig AG, Düsseldorf, Germany – 1938 moved to Berlin, Germany

STATUS – Obsolescent

SERVICE – German military, postwar use worldwide

Redesigned in 1937 to use metallic belts

Patronentrommel 34 – 75-round spring loaded drum, Manufactured until 1938 weight 2.02 kg empty

Trigger marking E-top – Einzelfeuer [Single fire], D-lower – Dauerfeuer [Sustained fire]

The stock alone may be easily removed by pressing in a lever underneath the wrist of the stock and rotating the assembly 90⁰. This unlocks the stock from the receiver and it is drawn off to the rear. Without the stock the weapon can be used, usually in a variety of vehicular antiaircraft mounts, without difficulty.