CODE – 04-040-942
NAME – MG 42
NAME (NATIVE) – Maschinengewehr 42
COMMON NAMES – Hitlersäge [Hitler’s Saw]
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany
DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1942
CALIBER – 7.92×57
OVERALL LENGTH – 123 cm (48.43 in) with buttstock, 108 cm (42.52 in) without buttstock
BARREL LENGTH – 53 cm (20.87 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 – 752 m/s (2466 fps)
MUZZLE ENERGY – 3626 j (2674 ft/lb/)
WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 10.6 kg (23 lb 6 oz)
WEIGHT (LOADED) – 12.86 kg (28 lb 6 oz) loaded with 50 rounds in belt drum
WEIGHT (MOUNTED) – 13.86 kg (30 lb 6 oz) with bipod, loaded with 50 rounds in belt drum
TYPE OF MOUNT – Folding bipod
WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 1.0 kg (2 lb 3 oz)
TYPE OF MOUNT – Lafette 42 Tripod
WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 21 kg (46 lb 5 oz)
TYPE OF MOUNT – AA Extension for Lafette 42 Tripod
WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 1.81 kg (4 lb)
TYPE OF MOUNT – Dreibein 40 with 42 Mounting (AA Tripod)
WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 8.57 kg (18 lb 14 oz)
WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL – 1.77 kg (3 lb 14 oz)
WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL CARRIER – 1.07 kg (2 lb 6 oz)
SIGHTS – Open, iron, adjustable, Front sight – Folding blade, Rear sight – Tangent sight with V-notch, adjustable for range from 100 to 2,000 meters in 100 meter increments (109 to 2187 yards in 109 yard increments
OPTICAL SIGHT – MG Zieleinrichtung 40 (MG.Z 40)
OPTICAL SIGHT WEIGHT – 2.02 kg
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 – Short recoil with muzzle gas booster, fires from open bolt
TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic
RATE OF FIRE – 150-200 rpm
CYCLIC ROF – 1100-1200 rpm
FEED DEVICE – Patronengurt 34 or 34/41 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 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 – Eight – 250 round belts in ammunition cans, (2,000 rounds)
Seven – 50 round belts in drums (with carriers) for AA use (350 rounds)
LOAD WEIGHT – Ammunition in cans – 79.6 kg (175 lb 8 oz)
LOAD WEIGHT – Ammunition in drums w/carriers – 18.24 kg (40 lb 3 oz)
MANUFACTURER – Rheinmetall-Borsig AG, Berlin, Germany
STATUS – In Service (in modernized version)
SERVICE – German military, widespread use post-WWII
