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.
