CODE – 04-132-931
NAME – Colt MG 38BT
NAME (NATIVE) – Colt Automatic Tank Machine Gun – Rifle Caliber MG 38BT
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – USA
DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1931
CALIBER – 7.62x63mm (30-06) *
OVERALL LENGTH – 87.6 cm (34.5 in)
BARREL LENGTH – 45.7 cm (18 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 – 770 m/s (2527 fps)
MUZZLE ENERGY – 3365 j (2482 m/s)
WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 12.70 kg (28 lb)
WEIGHT (LOADED) –14.3 kg (31 lb 8 oz) loaded with 50 rounds on fabric belt
WEIGHT (LOADED) – 18 kg (39 lb 11 oz) with feed spool bracket, cartridge feed-in chute, loaded with 125-round belt on feed spool
WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL – 2.15 kg (4 lb 12 oz)
WEIGHT OF FEED SPOOL BRACKET – 0.51 kg (1 lb 2 oz)
WEIGHT OF CARTRIDGE FEED-IN CHUTE – 0.11 kg (4 oz)
SIGHTS – None
EFFECTIVE RANGE – 549 m (600 yards)
OPERATION – Recoil with gas booster, fires from closed bolt
TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic
RATE OF FIRE – 100 rpm
CYCLIC ROF – 500 to 650 rpm
FEED DEVICE – 50 or 125 round fabric (canvas) belt
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 50-rd Fabric belt – 0.042 kg (1.5 oz), 125-rd Fabric belt – 0.11 kg (4 oz)
Wooden Ammunition Box (EMPTY) – 3.40 kg (7 lb 8 oz)
Ammunition Feed Spool (EMPTY) – 0.68 kg (1 lb 8 oz)
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 50-rd Fabric belt – 1.60 kg (3 lb 8 oz), 125-rd Fabric belt – 4 (8 lb 13 oz)
Wooden Ammunition Box (LOADED) – Four – 50-rd fabric belt in Ammunition box – 9.8 kg (21 lb 10 oz)
Wooden Ammunition Box (LOADED) – Two – 125-round fabric belt in Ammunition box – 11.40 kg (25 lb 2 oz)
Ammunition Spool (LOADED) – 4.68 kg (10 lb 5 oz) loaded with 125-rd fabric belt
BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – Four 125 rd belts (500 rounds)
LOAD WEIGHT – Fabric belts in boxes – 19.40 kg (42 lb 12 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.
