CODE – 04-132-931

NAME – Colt MG 38

NAME (NATIVE) – Colt Automatic Machine Gun – Rifle Caliber MG 38

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1931

CALIBER – 7.62x63mm (30-06) *

OVERALL LENGTH – 94 cm (37 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 61 cm (24 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4 Grooves, Right-hand twist, 1 turn in 25.4 cm (10 in)

LOAD – M1 Full jacketed Pointed Spitzer

BULLET DIAMETER – 7.82 mm (0.308 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 11.34 g (175 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 807 m/s (2647 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 3692 j (2723 m/s)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 16.10 kg (35 lb 8 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 24.09 kg (53 lb 2 oz) loaded with 250-rd fabric belt

WEIGHT (LOADED & WITH WATER) – 27.15 kg (59 lb 12 oz) with 3.19 L (6.75 pts) water, loaded with 250-rd fabric belt

WEIGHT (MOUNTED & WITH WATER) – 68.65 kg (151 lb 6 oz) with M35 mount, steam hose, water box (full), 26.96 kg (59 lb 7 oz) filled with 3.19 L (6.75 pts) water, loaded with 250-rd fabric belt in ammunition box

TYPE OF MOUNT – M35 Tripod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 30.84 kg (68 lb)

WEIGHT OF WATER – 3.19 L (6.75 Pts) – 3.06 kg (6 lb 12 ox)

WEIGHT OF STEAM HOSE – 0.91 kg (2 lb)

WEIGHT OF WATER BOX – 3.35 kg (7 lb 6 oz)

WEIGHT OF WATER BOX WITH WATER – 6.62 L (14 pints) – 6.35 kg (14 lbs)

WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL – 1.36 kg (3 lb)

SIGHTS – Open, iron, adjustable, Front sight – Blade, adjustable for windage for zero, Rear sight – Tangent with notch, adjustable from 91 to 1,829 meters in 23 meter increments (100 to 2000 yards in 25 yards increments), adjustable for windage. **

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 2,286 m (2,500 yards)

OPERATION – Recoil, fires from closed bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 120 rpm

CYCLIC ROF – 400 to 650 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 250 round fabric (canvas) belt or M1 disintegrating metallic link belt

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 250 rd Fabric belt – 0.21 kg (7.5 oz), 250 rd metallic link belt – 1.13 kg (2 lb 8 oz)

Wooden Ammunition Box (EMPTY) – 3.40 kg (7 lb 8 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 250-rd Fabric belt – 7.99 kg (17 lb 10 oz), 250-rd Metallic link belt – 9.12 kg (20 lb 2 oz)

Wooden Ammunition Box (LOADED) – 250-rd fabric belt in Ammunition box – 11.39 kg (25 lb 2 oz)

Wooden Ammunition Box (LOADED) – 250-round metallic belt in Ammunition box – 12.52 kg (27 lb 10 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Four 250 rd belts (1000 rounds), or Two 250-rd belts (500) metallic links (500 rds)

LOAD WEIGHT – Fabric belts in boxes – 45.56 kg (100 lb 7 oz), Metallic belts in boxes – 25.04 kg (55 lb 3 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Commercial sales

*For specification ballistics. Weapon was available commercially in many calibers.

** Weapons were available with sights graduated in meters.