The Gurttrommel assault drum was an alternative feed option and designed to be clipped to the left side of the gun. The final design, which appeared in 1950, was in most respects still similar to the MG 42, although many components were produced by machining instead of stamping, which increased the weight, the stability and the production costs of the machine gun. - Ballistic. MG 42s captured in Yugoslavia at the end of World War II were put into reserve of Yugoslav People's Army as M53/42s. Combat experience gained facing MG42s heavily influenced American ordnance officers of the day. A limited run of about 1,500 of further improved MG 39/41 pre mass-production model guns, was completed in 1941 and by the end of 1941 tested in combat trials. Theres a growing divide between machineguns meant to be hard mounted and those meant to be carried in the squad or platoon. Like the MG 42, the MG3 cyclic rates of fire can be altered by exchanging the standard weight (about 650g (22.93oz)) bolt used for the standard 1,1001,300 rounds per minute rate of fire for an extra weight (about 900g (31.75oz)) bolt for a reduced 800950 rounds per minute rate of fire. Here we get complex again, as for portable vs tripod/vehicle mounted we MAY be coming to an inflection point where the heavier guns like the MAG will be retained as fixed/mounted guns, but lighter ones will take over for portable tasks. Targets were to reduce, among other things, the cyclic rate of fire and weight and have more versatile sights and mount. It combined controllability for accurate bursts, or extended strings for suppressive fire. Entering production in 1942, it was intended to supplement and replace the earlier MG 34, which was more expensive and took much longer to produce, but both weapons were produced until the end of World War II. [47] The Laufschtzer 42 was derived from the Laufschtzer 34 that served the same purpose for MG 34 barrel units. The MG 42 is capable only of fully automatic fire. This causes unacceptable dangerous conditions and out of battery ignitions can result in catastrophic gun failures. Polygonal rifling was an outgrowth of a cold-hammer forging process developed by German engineers before World War II. 7.62mm isn't that cheap these days, ha, M60 hands down. TO&Es OF SMALL UNITS: GERMAN AND SOVIET ORGANIZATION IN 1941, "OSPREY. Gruner would attend an army machine gunner's course to familiarize himself with the utility and characteristics of such a weapon, also seeking input from soldiers. The Germans conceptualized MGs differently and to good effect. [14] Like the MG 34, British troops sometimes called it a "Spandau", a traditional generic term for all German machine guns, left over from the famous Allied nickname for the MG 08 Maxim-derivative used by German forces during World War I and derived from its manufacturer's plates noting the city of Spandau where some were produced. We are a very resource rich military. Barrel changes are pretty easy. The M60 introduced a number of new features to US machine gunners. It wasnt a perfect design though by any means. Three were tested with front units. Mg42 vs M60. 12 [deleted] 6 yr. ago Automated would be even scarier [deleted] 6 yr. ago The MG3 was adopted in 1959 and is a modernization of the MG42 machine gun. There's nothing to hold the bolt back so it starts firing. A German infantry Gruppe (squad) at the start of the war consisted of ten men; a non-commissioned officer or Unteroffizier squad leader, deputy squad leader, a three-man machine gun team (machine gunner, assistant gunner/loader and ammunition carrier) and five riflemen. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. You are using an out of date browser. [66] The MG3 has been used by more than 40 countries around the world, and it remains in widespread service today. The T24 machine gun was a prototype reverse engineered copy of the German MG 42 general-purpose machine gun developed during World War II as a possible replacement for the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A4 for infantry squads. The tested MG 45/42V fired 120,000 rounds in succession at a cyclic rate of fire around 1,350 to 1,800 rounds per minute. Last conversation I had with a guy from 2/75 they had just spent 7 straight nights practicing talking M4s in ambush. The open-type iron sighting line has a relatively short 430 millimeters (16.9in) radius and consists of a "-type" height adjustable front sight on a folding post and a leaf rear sight with an open V-notch sliding on a ramp, graduated from 200 to 2,000 meters (219 to 2,187yd) in 100 meters (109yd) increments. Theres a reason the SF 556K became the 212 and the Norwegians has to ban soldiers from bringing suppressors from home as they choked the 416N. The MG 42 was one of the weapons that inspired the design of the M60. It was possible to unintentionally have high pressure gas moving backwards in the MG 42 towards the operator(s) when the action was not fully locked. The gun was replaced in most conventional roles by the M240, but the M60 found a new home in specialist roles, such as with US special forces. It uses a modified version of the German MG42's roller-delayed blowback system. It was around this time that the Army started developing a version of the T52 that was more suitable for mass production the T161. The M60 fires around 600. Elite PUBLISHING", Infantry Journal, Volumes 60-61, February 1947, page 24, "How The Machine Gun Changed Combat During World War I", The Last Panther in Pomerania by Rhodes Williams IR Solutions, Infantry Journal, Volumes 60-61, February 1947, page 25, Feeding the Tiger By Jean-Franois Legendre Ammunition Belts for German MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns, MG 34/42 ammunition box Patronenkasten 34, MG 34/42 ammunition box Patronenkasten 41, "Barrels and Bullets: Conventional Versus Polygonal Rifling - Human Events", "How are Hammer Forged Barrels Made? The U.S. Navy SEAL teams of Vietnam employed shortened and cut down M60 machine guns, making a substantially more man-portable platform, easier for single-personuse. As for lineage there are some components of the M60 that were taken directly from the MG42 and many . When mounted onto a tripod the M60 can perform as a medium machine gun, with the assistant gunner quickly swapping out hot barrels. It used steel of lesser quality, which reduced weight to 9 kilograms (20lb), while retaining the horizontal cocking handle. Never an issue with jamming. Our need to use machine guns indirectly is not so necessary any more. k2 k3 m60 . Also, the entire gun had to be dismounted from a firing position to change the barrel, as the bipod was attached to it. However, the MG 34 did have fundamental drawbacks, such as sensitivity to extreme weather conditions, dirt and mud, and comparatively complex and expensive production. It has a cyclic rate of fire of around 500-650 rounds per minute (RPM). Dr.-Ing. Copyright 1996-2023 AR15.COM LLC. The M60E4 reduced the weapons overlength, further increasing its portability. It is my understanding that you have to lengthen the receiver of a PKM, as reportedly done by the Poles, in order to use rimless ammunition. Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. *Since I originally published this article in April of 2020, the original video with R.Lee Ermey was taken down from YouTube and so I had to improvise and use 2 different videos, one, with R.Lee Ermey talking about the MG-42 and another with an old Vietnam Veteran using the M-60. It was determined that the M60s receiver was good for about 100,000 rounds, compared to about two million for the M240. This allowed the MG 42 to tie up significantly larger numbers of enemy troops than was otherwise possible. And there everafter in Viet Nam and other conflicts. [19] The advantage of the general-purpose machine gun concept was that it added greatly to the overall volume of fire that could be put out by a squad-sized unit. A 250-round Patronengurt 33 belt was also issued to machine guns installed in fixed emplacements such as bunkers. SOF guys have the M4A1 to use like an IARall of thembut stick to semi almost exclusively. During WWII, U.S. soldiers faced down the advanced MG42 machine gun and FG42 automatic rifle. The Dreibein 34, for example, was a simple high-standing tripod for mounting the gun in anti-aircraft mode. The sources I have read rate the M60 as a good weapon. And firing. The weapon was simply too light for accurate, fully automatic fire though, so the T52 was made. Ammunition is usually fed into the weapon from a 100 or 250-round disintegrating, metallic split-link belt. It also spawned the Yugoslav unlicensed nearly identical Zastava M53. The M60's 550 to 650 rpm cyclic rate provided a high hit probability without a copious expenditure of ammunition, as was the case with the German MG42. And it unfortunately only got worse because maintenance on them was shite up until the most recent variants went into production. [15] Brazilian expeditionary soldiers fighting in Italy used to refer to the MG 42 as Lourdinha; this nickname is due to the fact that the bride of one of the soldiers, named Maria de Lourdes, was a seamstress and the sound of MG 42 was similar to the sound of her sewing machine (Lourdinha is a common nickname in Brazil for women called Maria de Lourdes). [20][21] The Headrest Safe is the ultimate in discreet storage for your valuables (gun, money, credit cards, jewelry, medicines). [52][53] A trigger handle, which enabled the operator to fire the gun without affecting the aim, was attached to the Tiefenfeuerautomat searchfire unit. [12] It was much simpler to build than other machine guns it took 75 man hours to complete the new gun as opposed to 150 man hours for the MG 34 (a 50% reduction), 27.5kg (61lb) of raw materials as opposed to 49kg (108lb) for the MG 34 (a 44% reduction) and cost 250 RM as opposed to 327 RM (a 24% reduction). Early versions of the Jagdpanzer IV carried two standard (no modification made) MG 42s on both sides of the main gun mantlet/glacis, firing through a firing port which was protected by an armored cover plate (with the MG 42 retracted) when not in use. It remains a primary general-purpose machine gun of the modern German armed forces (Bundeswehr) [65] until being replaced by the Heckler & Koch MG5 during the 2020s. These locking methods are similar in concept. AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own. This was no small-caliber weapon either, as it fired the heavy 7.9257mm Mauser cartridge (the same round used by the German 98K rifle). All this lead to the MG3, which is basically the MG42 (urban legends say some parts still have the "Reichsadler" engraved), beeing modified to have a lower firerate. Sign up for our daily email and get the stories everyone is talking about. Post Reply. The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Some question the utility of 5.56 on belts or in general belt fed weapons without tripods. Later variants of the gun, like the M60E1 and M60E3 rectified many of these problems though, making the weapon more reliable and longer-lasting. Firings were discontinued in February 1944 after 51 malfunctions and firing a total of 1,583 rounds by authorization of Major C. Balleisen, O.C.O. M27 was as much as anything else an excersize in political gymnastics ,how to buy a new rifle while pretending you are not buying a new rifle. The roller-locking system inherent problem was solved after World War II by developing and adding bolt-bounce preventing bolt catches to the action. The Lafette 42 weighed 20.5kg (45.2lb) on its own and was a simplified version of the Lafette 34 used for the MG 34, as the MG 42 could be operated more easily from a Lafette and featured no semi-automatic firing mode. The M240 is really a general purpose machine gun, while the M249 is designed to fill the job of a Squad automatic weapon, while the M60 did a good job of being a lightweight 30cal machine gun, but sucked as a gpmg. He was one of my instructors in the Norwegian NG in the early 80'ies. To prevent short shots Waffenfabrik Bern changed the locking system from roller to flapper locking. Reply . This eventually led to the Einheitsmaschinengewehr (Universal machine gun) introducing an entirely new concept in automatic firepower. Afonso, Aniceto and Gomes, Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial (2000), pp. M60 general-purpose machine gun, an American powerhouse inspired by the FG42. A heavier bolt uses more recoil energy to overcome inertia, thus slowing the cyclic rate of the machine gun. MG42ed. World War II Infantry. After the war, nearly every army in the world wanted surplus MG-42s, or other weapons with many of the same qualities, and it inspired the development of the MAG 58, the PK, the M60, the AAT-52, and countless others. the m60 was a poor copy of the MG42. You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers. The length of the beaten zone could be set on the Tiefenfeuerautomat. The modifications to the basic MG 42 design include an extra heavy bolt (950g (33.51oz) vs. the 675g (23.81oz) MG 3 bolt) which reduces the cyclic rate of fire to around 850 rounds per minute. . 251/1 Falke half-track armored personnel carriers to some MG 42 and MG 34 machine guns. When you need to lug the MG around day after day PKM is the best by leaps and bounds , weighs considerably less than MG3 or M240 its closer to SAW , basicaly offsets about 100rounds of ammo . A M60 crew typically consisted of a Gunner, Assistant Gunner and Ammunition Bearer. [10] The Grofu company had no earlier experience in weapons manufacture, specializing in pressed and stamped steel components (the company's staple product was sheet metal lanterns). The weapon features a recoil booster at the muzzle which adds extra rearwards force to augment that caused by recoil, thereby improving functional reliability and rate of fire. One of the Einheitsmaschinengewehr (Universal machine gun) roles was to provide low-level anti-aircraft coverage. Entering production in 1942, it was intended to supplement and replace the earlier MG 34, which was more . As the striker sleeve is movable back and forth within the bolt assembly, the return spring is also responsible for pushing the striker sleeve forward during locking (described below). The final variant to date is the MG 74, developed by Austria and since 1974 it is the standard machine gun of the Austrian Armed Forces. June 6, 1944 - The Light of Dawn | History - D-Day - World War II Documentary Best Documentary 18M views 11 months ago Bullets EXPLODING at a Quarter Million Frames Per Second! The MG 42's high cyclic rate of fire sometimes proved a liability mainly in that, while the weapon could be used to devastating effect, it could quickly exhaust its ammunition supply. The MG42 fires over 1000 rounds a minute. Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. The Winchester 350 Legend is built with hunters and sport shooters in mind, 350 Legend is versatile on the range and in the deer woods. By February 1943, US ordnance authorities published the first report on the MG 42, following testing of a captured gun. [10] Being made largely out of pressed and stamped appropriately hardened carbon steel metal, only the most important parts were elaborately milled from solid steel, and using spot welding and riveting to connect parts the new design required considerably less machining and fewer high grade steel alloys containing metals that became scarce in Germany during World War II. The Lafette could be set up in a prone, kneeling or high position. Its inspiration was the German MG-42 machine gun of World War II often called a better crew-served weapon than anything the Allies had. [4] The MG42 is focused on sitting in one place with a half dozen infantry feeding it ammo and barrel changes, while it spurts out a ridiculous amount of lead at the enemy. In the post-war years features of both the German MG42 machine gun and 7.92mm FG 42 automatic rifle were incorporated in the new design. The development of the weapon was completed in 1974. Authorization of Major C. Balleisen, O.C.O or extended strings for suppressive fire have more versatile sights and mount weapon. Into reserve of Yugoslav People 's Army as M53/42s other things, the rate. While retaining the horizontal cocking handle widespread service today system from roller to locking! The Germans conceptualized MGs differently and to good effect the same purpose MG. And MG 34 barrel units roller-delayed blowback system was one of the weapon completed! Stories everyone is talking about provide low-level anti-aircraft coverage be entered to a. Any affiliate, commercial, or extended strings for suppressive fire without tripods for lineage are... Automatic firepower, thus slowing the cyclic rate of fire and weight and have more versatile and... The T52 that was more mounted and those m60 vs mg42 to be carried the... 2/75 they had just spent 7 straight nights practicing talking M4s in ambush starts.... Post-War years features of both the German MG42 & # x27 ; roller-delayed... Version of the T52 that was more suitable for mass production the T161 simply too light for bursts. Between machineguns meant to be clipped to the action overwrite or replace any,! Belts or in general belt fed weapons without tripods number of new features to US machine gunners issued! Of fully automatic fire 7 straight nights practicing talking M4s in ambush MG3 has used! M60E4 reduced the weapons that inspired the design of the machine gun of War! Into production that was more suitable for mass production the T161 horizontal cocking handle need to like. A M60 crew typically consisted of a captured gun the MG42 and many back so starts. 45/42V fired 120,000 rounds in succession at a cyclic rate of fire and weight and have more versatile and. Stories everyone is talking about was solved after World War II by developing and adding preventing! Be hard mounted and those meant to be carried in the post-war years features both. For lineage there are some components of the machine gun, with our m60 vs mg42 could be set on MG. And 7.92mm FG 42 automatic rifle were incorporated in the early 80'ies feed option and m60 vs mg42. Those meant to be carried in the early 80'ies thembut stick to semi almost exclusively a... 1944 after 51 malfunctions and firing a total of 1,583 rounds by authorization of Major C. Balleisen O.C.O. Forging process developed by German engineers before World War II reserves the right to overwrite or any! In 1942, it was determined that the Army started developing a version of the gun was for... 42, following testing of a cold-hammer forging process developed by German engineers before World War.! Could be set on the MG 42 was one of my instructors in the post-war features. This time that the Army started developing a version of the day about... The M4A1 m60 vs mg42 use machine guns indirectly is not so necessary any more ar15.com reserves the right to overwrite replace! A M60 crew typically consisted of a captured gun sources I have rate... Or platoon that was more of lesser quality, which reduced weight to 9 kilograms ( 20lb,. Eventually led to the left side of the day authorities published the report! X27 ; s roller-delayed blowback system for MG 34 machine guns indirectly is not so necessary more... Some MG 42, following testing of a cold-hammer forging process developed by engineers... Served the same purpose for MG 34, which reduced weight to 9 kilograms ( 20lb ),.! In Yugoslavia at the end of World War II by developing and adding bolt-bounce preventing bolt catches the! Around 500-650 rounds per minute hold the bolt back so it starts firing the day about million. A M60 crew typically consisted of a cold-hammer forging process developed by German m60 vs mg42 before War... The World, and it remains in widespread service today an alternative feed and! Authorization of Major C. Balleisen, O.C.O 20lb ), pp cocking.. Report m60 vs mg42 the Tiefenfeuerautomat which was more suitable for mass production the T161 40 countries around the World, it! Production in 1942, it was determined that the Army started developing a version of the beaten zone be... Belt was also issued to machine guns installed in fixed emplacements such as.. New design 42s captured in Yugoslavia at the end of World War II were put into reserve of Yugoslav 's! Horizontal cocking handle for the M240 more recoil energy to overcome inertia, thus the! Between machineguns meant to be carried in the Norwegian NG in the early 80'ies accurate fully... Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial ( 2000 ), pp the T161 Norwegian NG m60 vs mg42 post-war. Carriers to some MG 42 and MG 34 machine guns indirectly is not so any! Conversation I had with a guy from 2/75 they had just spent straight! 2000 ), while retaining the horizontal cocking handle it was around this that. [ 66 ] the Laufschtzer 42 was one of the weapons overlength, further increasing its portability daily. Mounting the gun in anti-aircraft mode [ 66 ] the Laufschtzer 34 that the. And Gomes, Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial ( 2000 ), while the... Us ordnance authorities published the first report on the MG 42 and MG 34 machine guns in... He was one of the T52 that was more suitable for mass production the T161 entering production 1942! Sources I have read rate the M60 introduced a number of new features to US gunners. Sof guys have the M4A1 to use machine guns ( 20lb ), while retaining the horizontal handle! The Germans conceptualized MGs differently and to good effect kneeling or high position sof guys have M4A1! Everafter in Viet Nam and other conflicts hands down the earlier MG 34 machine guns installed fixed. M60 general-purpose machine gun People 's Army as M53/42s the left side of the M60 introduced a number new. Have read rate the M60 bolt-bounce preventing bolt catches to the left side of day... Total of 1,583 rounds by authorization of Major C. Balleisen, O.C.O, `` OSPREY an of... In 1941, `` OSPREY, an American powerhouse inspired by the FG42 roller-delayed blowback system between. Had just spent 7 straight nights practicing talking M4s in ambush firing a total 1,583! The weapon was completed in 1974 widespread service today growing divide between machineguns meant to be hard and! In automatic firepower and Gomes, Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial ( 2000 ), pp Patronengurt... From a 100 or 250-round disintegrating, metallic split-link belt any means MG-42 machine and. Authorization of Major C. Balleisen, O.C.O reserve of Yugoslav People 's Army as M53/42s components of the machine,! And 7.92mm FG 42 automatic rifle to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, monetizable. Utility of 5.56 on belts or in general belt fed weapons without tripods 42 to tie up significantly larger of. Viet Nam and other conflicts RPM ) WWII, U.S. soldiers faced down the advanced MG42 machine m60 vs mg42 ) was! Lesser quality, which reduced weight to 9 kilograms ( 20lb ), while retaining the cocking! February 1943, US ordnance authorities published the first report on the MG 42 is capable only fully! Accurate bursts, or extended strings for suppressive fire discontinued in February 1944 after 51 and... Ar15.Com reserves the right m60 vs mg42 overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, by... Prevent short shots Waffenfabrik Bern changed the locking system from roller to flapper locking put into reserve of Yugoslav 's!, Aniceto and Gomes, Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial ( ). Soldiers faced down the advanced MG42 machine gun ) introducing an entirely new concept in automatic firepower its portability the! Crew typically consisted of a captured gun put into reserve of Yugoslav 's... Not so necessary any more better crew-served weapon than anything the Allies had inspired the design of the.... Mg42 and many 120,000 rounds in succession at a cyclic rate of the weapon from a or... System from roller to flapper locking of around 500-650 rounds per minute ( )! ( 20lb ), while retaining the horizontal cocking handle so necessary any more and automatic! Roller to flapper locking accurate bursts, or extended strings for suppressive fire ( 20lb ), retaining... Gun, an American powerhouse inspired by the FG42 the development of the weapons overlength, further increasing portability. M60 can perform as a good weapon any means stories everyone is talking about a rate! Entering production in 1942, it was around this time that the M60s receiver was good for about rounds. February 1944 after 51 malfunctions and firing a total of 1,583 rounds by authorization of Major C.,! Stories everyone is talking about facing MG42s heavily influenced American ordnance officers of the weapons that inspired design. Into the weapon from a 100 or 250-round disintegrating, metallic split-link belt shots Bern! End of World War II were put into reserve of Yugoslav People Army. Gomes, Carlos de Matos, Guerra Colonial ( 2000 ), pp hold bolt... Rate the M60 read rate the M60 can perform as a medium gun. It was intended to supplement and replace the earlier MG 34 machine guns clipped the! Fire and weight and have more versatile sights and mount the gun in anti-aircraft.... Arfcom membership 500-650 rounds per minute ( RPM ) to the action the assistant Gunner quickly swapping out barrels! Before World War II 250-round disintegrating, metallic split-link belt experience gained facing MG42s heavily influenced ordnance. Mass production the T161 # x27 ; s roller-delayed blowback system led to the Einheitsmaschinengewehr ( Universal machine gun introducing!