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MG 42
Adopted by Germany in 1942, in an effort to reduce the machining time and cost inherent in the production of the MG34, the MG42 (MG standing for Maschinengewehr, literally "Automatic Rifle") is perhaps the deadliest machine gun used during the war. Geared for mass production above all else, it was designed to take full advantage of modern production techniques such as replacing machined components with stamped ones; one of the key figures in the project, Ernst Grunow, had no prior experience in firearm design whatsoever and worked for Großfuß AG, a company that normally made sheet-metal lanterns.
The result was a weapon that took 50% fewer man hours to build than the MG34 and cost 24% less. Light weight and great reliability made it one of the first true modern general purpose machine guns, able to be used in the light machine gun role on a bipod or the medium machine gun role on a tripod. The light weight of operating components make the MG42 one of the fastest-firing single-barrel guns which does not require an external power source; with a cyclic rate of 1200 rounds per minute, individual shots are mostly indiscernible. The rate is so fast that even a trained operator has trouble firing a single shot from the full-auto only gun. The distinctive sound led to nicknames such as "Hitler's buzzsaw." The MG42 also features an extremely fast barrel change system, allowing sustained fire even with the extremely high fire rate.
The weapon was issued in the light machine gun role with an ammo drum containing a 50-round belt (the same one used on the MG34), while in the medium role the MG42 typically used 250-round belts. The gun is chambered in the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge (also known as 8mm Mauser), the same cartridge used in the well known K98k infantry rifles, and ammunition is interchangeable (though Kar 98 ammunition was not issued in belts, making this of limited use in practical terms). Machine gun ammunition was slightly more powerful in order to avoid jams and run the mechanism more reliably.
MG42
Specifications
- Caliber: 7.92x57mm Mauser
- Length: 48 in (121.9 cm)
- Barrel Length: 20.2 in (51.3 cm)
- Weight: 25.5 lbs (11.6 kg)
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,475 feet per second
- Maximum range: 3,800 yards
- Maximum effective range: 1,000 yards
- Cyclic rate of fire: 1200-1350 rounds per minute
The MG 42 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zigmund Kolosovskiy | A Polish partisan | 1946 | ||
| Wolves' Lairs (Vlcie diery) | Germans soldiers and Slovak partisans | 1948 | ||
| The Silent Barricade | Czech insurgents | 1949 | ||
| Attention! Bandits! (Achtung! Banditi!) | German soldiers and Italian partisans | 1951 | ||
| Go for Broke! | German soldiers | 1951 | ||
| Go for Broke! | Lane Nakano | Sam | 1951 | |
| The Unforgettable Year 1919 (Nezabyvaemyy 1919 god) | On tripod; seen in Whites headquarters | 1951 | ||
| To Hell and Back | Audie Murphy | Audie Murphy | 1955 | |
| To Hell and Back | German Soldiers | 1955 | ||
| The Tank Brigade | German soldiers | 1955 | ||
| Soldiers (Soldaty) | German Soldiers | 1956 | ||
| Canal (Kanal) | Polish insurgents | 1957 | ||
| The Young Lions | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| At That Time, at Christmas... (Tenkrát o vánocích) | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| Carve Her Name With Pride | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| Darby's Rangers | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| Ice Cold in Alex | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| Captain Dabac | German soldiers | 1959 | ||
| Fortress on Wheels (Krepost na kolesah) | Soviet partisans | 1960 | ||
| Taxi for Tobruk (Un taxi pour Tobrouk) | Germán Cobos | Jean Ramirez | Mounted on jeep | 1961 |
| The Four Days of Naples | German soldiers | 1962 | ||
| The Great Escape | German prison guards | 1963 | ||
| The Longest Day | German soldiers | 1963 | ||
| Monsieur Gangster | Horst Frank | Theo | 1963 | |
| Where is the General? (Gdzie jest general?) | German soldiers | 1964 | ||
| The Assassination (Atentát) | German soldiers | 1964 | ||
| The Train | German soldiers | 1964 | ||
| The Bells Toll for the Barefooted (Zvony pre bosých) | German soldiers | 1965 | ||
| Check Passed: No Mines (Provereno nema mina) | Yugoslavian soldier | 1965 | ||
| The Big Runaround | Michel Modo | German Soldier Who Squints | 1966 | |
| Is Paris Burning? | German soldiers | 1966 | ||
| How I Won the War | German soldiers | German tank mounted | 1967 | |
| Shock Troops (Un homme de trop) | German troops | Infantry and mounted on M24 Chaffee tank and Sd.Kfz. 251 APC | 1967 | |
| The Devil's Brigade | German soldiers | 1968 | ||
| Where Eagles Dare | German soldiers | 1968 | ||
| The Marathon (Maratón) | German soldiers | 1968 | ||
| The Man Who Lies | A German soldier | 1968 | ||
| Castle Keep | Peter Falk | Sgt. Rossi | 1969 | |
| The Bridge at Remagen | German soldiers | 1969 | ||
| Liberation: Breakthrough | Italian soldier | 1969 | ||
| Play Dirty | German soldiers | 1969 | ||
| The Battle of Neretva | Yul Brynner | Vlado | 1969 | |
| The Battle of Neretva | Velimir 'Bata' Zivojinovic | Stole | 1969 | |
| The Battle of Neretva | Ljubisa Samardzic | Novak | 1969 | |
| The Battle of Neretva | Boris Dvornik | Stipe | 1969 | |
| The Battle of Neretva | German troops and partisans | 1969 | ||
| Five for Hell | Aldo Canti | Nick Amadori | 1969 | |
| Five for Hell | German soldiers | 1969 | ||
| On the way to Berlin (Na puti v Berlin) | German soldiers | 1969 | ||
| Treasures of the Flaming Cliffs (Sokrovishcha pylayushchikh skal) | Mercenaries | 1969 | ||
| The Bridge (Most) | Velimir 'Bata' Zivojinovic | Major "Tiger" | 1969 | |
| Boro Begovic | "Tihi" | |||
| Jovan Janicijevic-Burdus | Mane Svercer | |||
| Sibina Mijatovic | Jelena | |||
| German soldiers | ||||
| One Chance in One Thousand (Odin shans iz tysyachi) | German soldiers | 1969 | ||
| Hornets' Nest | Rock Hudson | Capt. Turner | 1970 | |
| Hornets' Nest | Mark Colleano | Aldo | 1970 | |
| Hornets' Nest | SS soldiers | 1970 | ||
| Duck, You Sucker! | James Coburn | John Mallory | stock removed | 1971 |
| Legend of the Living Dead (Legenda o živých mrtvých) | German soldiers and partisans | 1971 | ||
| Walter Defends Sarajevo (Valter brani Sarajevo) | Velimir 'Bata' Zivojinovic | Walter | 1972 | |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Poem of Kovpak: Alarm (Duma o Kovpake: Nabat) | German soldiers | 1973 | ||
| Massacre in Rome | German soldiers | 1973 | ||
| The Last Four Days | German soldiers | 1974 | ||
| Sky Riders | Greek soldiers | 1976 | ||
| A Bridge Too Far | German soldiers | 1977 | ||
| I Am the Law (Il prefetto di ferro) | Italian Carabinieri | mocked up as Perino machine gun | 1977 | |
| Soldier of Orange | German soldiers and paratroopers | 1977 | ||
| The Inglorious Bastards | German troops and French Resistance members | 1978 | ||
| Force 10 from Navarone | German troops and Yugoslavian resistance members | 1978 | ||
| The Passage | German soldiers | 1979 | ||
| Go and Don't Say Goodbye (Chod a nelúc sa) | German soldiers | 1979 | ||
| From Hell to Victory | German soldiers | On tripod | 1979 | |
| Escape to Athena | German soldiers | 1979 | ||
| From the Bug to the Vistula (Ot Buga do Visly) | German soldiers | 1980 | ||
| The Fall of Italy (Pad Italije) | SS soldiers and partisans | 1981 | ||
| A Captain's Honor (L'Honneur d'un capitaine) | Seen in Capt. Caron's headquarters | 1982 | ||
| Uncommon Valor | Randall "Tex" Cobb | Sailor | In the Huey helicopter | 1983 |
| Death Wish 3 | Martin Balsam | Bennett | 1985 | |
| Plenty | German soldiers | 1985 | ||
| The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission | Sonny Landham | Sam Sixkiller | 1985 | |
| The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission | German Soldiers | 1985 | ||
| The Park is Mine | Tommy Lee Jones | Mitch Garnett | 1985 | |
| Aliens | Jenette Goldstein | PFC J. Vasquez | Mocked up as M56 Smart Gun | 1986 |
| Aliens | Mark Rolston | Private M. Drake | Mocked up as M56 Smart Gun | 1986 |
| The Sicilian | Italian soldiers | 1987 | ||
| Escape from Sobibor | Guards | 1987 | ||
| Let Sleeping Cops Lie (Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort) | Men from "Loyalty to the police" | Twin mounting | 1988 | |
| Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops | Yoshikatsu Fujiki | Inui | 1991 | |
| Stalingrad | German soldiers | 1993 | ||
| Beyond Rangoon | Karen insurgents | 1995 | ||
| When Trumpets Fade | German soldiers | 1998 | ||
| Saving Private Ryan | German soldiers | 1998 | ||
| Medicopter 117 - Jedes Leben zählt - film | Bandit | 1998 | ||
| Uprising | SS troops, Jewish insurgents | 2001 | ||
| El Alamein - The Line of Fire | German soldiers | 2002 | ||
| Sweat | Police | equipped with a monitor for aiming | 2002 | |
| The Cuckoo | German soldiers | 2002 | ||
| Black Book | 2006 | |||
| Joy Division | German paratrooper | 2006 | ||
| Days of Glory | German soldiers | 2006 | ||
| Intimate Enemies | Fellaghas | 2007 | ||
| The Bridge | Toni Deutsch | Karl Baermann | 2008 | |
| The Bridge | German soldiers | 2008 | ||
| Flame and Citron | German soldiers | 2008 | ||
| Miracle at St. Anna | German soldiers | 2008 | ||
| Valkyrie | German soldier | 2008 | ||
| Crossfire (Les Insoumis) | In the warehouse of weapons | 2008 | ||
| Hitler's Kaput! (Gitler kaput!) | Pavel Derevyanko | Aleksandr Isaevich Osechkin | 2008 | |
| Battle of Local Importance (Boi mestnogo znacheniya) | Sergey Shekhovtsov | Starshina Mokhov | 2008 | |
| Brother's War | German and Soviet soldiers | 2009 | ||
| Spoils of War | German soldiers | 2009 | ||
| Sniper: Weapons of Retaliation | German soldiers | 2009 | ||
| New Kids Turbo | Flip van der Kuil | Barry | 2010 | |
| Memorial Day | German soldiers | Man-portable, mounted on Kubelwagen, SdKfz 251 Halftrack | 2011 | |
| Beyond the Border | German soldier | 2011 | ||
| My Best Enemy | Polish partisan | 2011 | ||
| My Way | Dong-gun Jang | Kim Jun-Shik | 2011 | |
| My Way | Joe Odagiri | Tatsuo Hasegawa | 2011 | |
| My Way | Wehrmacht soldiers | 2011 | ||
| Machine Gun Preacher | LRA troops | 2011 | ||
| Hans Kloss. Stawka wieksza niz smierc | Adam Woronowicz | Lau | 2012 | |
| Hans Kloss. Stawka wieksza niz smierc | German soldiers | 2012 | ||
| Cockneys vs. Zombies | German soldiers | 2012 | ||
| Stalingrad | German soldiers | 2013 | ||
| City 44 | Grzegorz Daukszewicz | "Miki" | 2014 | |
| Fury (2014) | German soldiers | 2014 | ||
| 1944 | Estonian SS and German soldiers | 2015 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note /Episode | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat! | German Soldiers | 1962 - 1967 | ||
| The Rat Patrol | German Soldiers | 1966 - 1968 | ||
| Stawka wieksza niz zycie | German soldiers and Polish partisans | 1966-68 | ||
| Czterej pancerni i pies | German soldiers | 1966-70 | ||
| Czterej pancerni i pies | Janusz Gajos | Cpl. Janek Kos | 1966-70 | |
| Czterej pancerni i pies | Wlodzimierz Press | Sgt. Gregoriy Saakashvili | 1966-70 | |
| Band of Brothers | German Soldiers | 2001 | ||
| CSI: NY | "Yahrezit" (S05E22) | 2004 - Present | ||
| Ultimate Force | Jamie Michie | Cpl. Finn Younger | 2006 | |
| Our Mothers, Our Fathers | Lukas Gregorowicz | Jerzy | 2013 | |
| Our Mothers, Our Fathers | German soldiers | 2013 | ||
| Foyle's War - Season 8 | German soldiers | "Sunflower" (S8E3) | 2013 | |
| Days of Honour. Uprising (Czas honoru. Powstanie) | German soldiers, Polish insurgents | 2014 | ||
| The Man in the High Castle | Greater Nazi Reich soldiers | 2015 |
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WWII G.I. | 1999 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Underground | Mounted | 2000 | |
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein | Mounted | 2001 | |
| Battlefield: 1942 | Mounted | 2002 | |
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | Mounted | 2002 | |
| Medal of Honor: Frontline | 2002 | ||
| Call of Duty | 2003 | ||
| Commandos 3: Destination Berlin | Man-portable | 2003 | |
| Day of Defeat | Man-portable, with deployable bipod | 2003 | |
| Forgotten Hope | Man-portable, mounted on M2 tripod, bunkers and machine gun nests, Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind", Stug III Ausf. G, M4A1 and M4A3E2 "Jumbo" Shermans, Sherman IV and "Firefly", Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 Bombers | 2003 | |
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | 2003 | ||
| Medal of Honor: Infiltrator | Mounted, with infinite ammo, and capable of destroying tanks | 2003 | |
| Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory | Man-portable and mounted | 2003 | |
| Call of Duty: United Offensive | 2004 | ||
| Call of Duty 2 | 2005 | ||
| Day of Defeat: Source | Man-portable, with deployable bipod | 2005 | |
| Sniper Elite | 2005 | ||
| Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood | 2005 | ||
| Call of Duty 3 | 2006 | ||
| Commandos: Strike Force | 2006 | ||
| Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 | Man-portable, mounted on SdKfz 234/1 and 234/2 "Puma" Armored Cars and Jagdpanther IV tank destroyers | 2006 | |
| Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 | 2006 | ||
| Time Crisis IV | With DShK grips | 2006 | |
| ÜberSoldier | Mounted and man-portable with 50-round drum | 2006 | |
| Medal of Honor: Vanguard | Mounted | 2007 | |
| Medal of Honor: Airborne | Mounted | 2007 | |
| Clive Barker's Jericho | Demonically-possessed and unusable | 2007 | |
| Call of Duty: World at War | Mounted | 2008 | |
| Death to Spies: Moment of Truth | Mounted | 2008 | |
| The Royal Marines Commando | Mounted | 2008 | |
| Operation Thunderstorm | Mounted | 2008 | |
| Wolfenstein | Mounted; stock is part of Particle Cannon and Liechenfaust 43 | 2009 | |
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | 2010 | ||
| Mafia II | Only used in one mission | 2010 | |
| Karma Online | 2011 | ||
| Rage | Skeletal with barrel shroud and recoil booster | 2011 | |
| Sniper Elite V2 | 2012 | ||
| Payday 2 | "Buzzsaw 42" | Man-portable, with various modifications | 2013 |
| Project Reality: Normandy | 2013 | ||
| Enemy Front | Mounted | 2014 | |
| Far Cry 4 | Man-portable | 2014 | |
| Sniper Elite III | 2014 | ||
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 | ||
| Heroes & Generals | 2016 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro | 1979 | ||
| New Dominion Tank Police | bank robber | 1993 | |
| Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade | Kerberos Squad members | 1998 | |
| Kino's Journey: Life Goes On | Kino | 2003 | |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa | Thule members | 2005 | |
| Black Lagoon | Neo-Nazis | 2006 | |
| Strike Witches | 501st JFW members | loads MG34 double drum magazines | 2008 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion | Homura Akemi | w/ Doppeltrommel magazines | 2013 |
MG3
The MG3 is the modern rendition of the MG42 machine gun. Changes include a chrome-lined barrel, a new friction ring buffer, an improved feeding mechanism, recalibrated sights and NATO compatibility. Some versions feature a heavier bolt to reduce the rate of fire, allowing the MG3 to be fired from the shoulder more easily. The MG3 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
Specifications
- Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
- Length: 48.22 inches
- Barrel Length: 22.24 inches
- Weight:
- Gun: 25 pounds (11.36 kg)
- Tripod: 36 pounds (16.36 kg)
- Total: 61 pounds (27.73 kg)
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,690 feet per second
- Maximum range: 3,500 meters
- Maximum effective range: 1,200 meters
- Cyclic rate of fire: 700-800 or 1100-1200 rounds per minute depending on the Booster and Bolt
The MG3 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| We Want the Colonels (Vogliamo i colonnelli) | Top-mounted on tank, in documentary footage | 1973 | ||
| Illustrious Corpses (Cadaveri eccellenti) | Hull-mounted on Italian Bergepanzer 2 ARV; maybe MG42/59 | 1976 | ||
| The Living Daylights | Czech soldiers | Mounted on vehicle | 1987 | |
| April Captains (Capitães de Abril) | Portuguese marines | 2000 | ||
| The Rundown | Jon Gries | Harvey | Mounted on a dune buggy | 2003 |
| Hotel Rwanda | . | French soldiers | Mounted on Jeeps | 2004 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Wings of Eagles | Revolutionaries | 1986 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Recon | MG3 | 2001 | ||
| Battlefield Play4Free | With optional EOTech red dot sight or M145 MGO scope | 2011 | ||
| Söldner: Secret Wars | 2004 | |||
| 7.62 High Calibre | 2008 | |||
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | With optional C-More red dot sight or ACOG | 2010 | ||
| Battlefield: Bad Company | 2008 | |||
| Counter-Strike Online | MG3 | "Christmas Special," Gold finishes | 2008 | |
| Battlefield 2 | MG3A1, coaxial mounting | Mounted on Leopard 2A6 tanks | 2005 | |
| Project Reality | Hand-held & fixed defensive mounting, with optional ELCAN scope, EOTech red dot sight, & 75-round ammo drum & 200-round ammo box | 2005 | ||
| Project Reality | MG3A1, vehicle mounting | Mounted on Leopard 2A6 tanks | 2005 | |
| Devil May Cry 2 | Mounted on "Infested Tank" (Leopard 2A5) | 2003 | ||
| Steel Beasts | MG3A1 | Mounted on Leopard 2A4 tanks | 2000 | |
| Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker | MG3 | 2010 | ||
| Alliance of Valiant Arms | MG3A1 | Mounted on Leopard 2A6 tank | 2007 | |
| World in Conflict | MG3A1 | Mounted on Leopard 2 tanks | 2007 | |
| Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 | 2013 | |||
| Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex First Assault | MG33-A | w/ various attachments | Added via the "Renewal" update - shares default iron sights with the Seburo C-30 | 2015 |
| Ironsight | MG3 | 75-round drum magazine | 2018 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino | Rico | 2008 | |
| Canaan | Daedala forces | 2009 | |
| Hayate the Combat Butler | Hayate Ayasaki | 2009 | |
| Angel Beats! | Matsushita | 2010 | |
| Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky | 2010 |
Zastava M53
After WWII, this MG 42 variant was built in Yugoslavia as the M53 machine gun using original German machinery, retaining the 7.92x57mm Mauser caliber. Because of this, the original weapon's design features were retained, making the M53 a near exact copy of the German MG 42. The only major difference is a slower rate of fire.
Specifications
- Caliber: 7.92x57mm Mauser
- Length: 48 inches
- Barrel Length: 20.18 inches
- Weight: Gun: 25.50 pounds
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,475 feet per second
- Maximum range: 3,800 yards
- Maximum effective range: 1,000 yards
- Cyclic rate of fire: 800 – 1050 rounds per minute
The Zastava M53 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savior | seen in machine gun nest | 1998 | ||
| The Hunting Party | Somali irregulars | 2007 |
CETME Ameli
A Spanish-made light machine gun externally based off the MG42/MG3, designed by CETME (Centre for Technical Studies of Military Equipment), chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO. It is basically a miniaturized version of the the full sized MG42/MG3 with some modern design changes.
It has been in service from 1982 to the present day. Despite its very close external resemblance to the German MGs, the weapon operates using a roller-locked delayed-blowback mechanism as opposed to the more simple roller-locked system, similar to the the vast majority of Heckler & Koch weapons.
Specifications
- Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
- Length: 38.2 inches
- Barrel Length: 15.75 inches
- Weight: Gun: 14 pounds
- Cyclic rate of fire: 850 or 1200 rounds per minute
The CETME Ameli and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliders | 1995-2000 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs | AMELI | 2011 | ||
| Call of Duty: Ghosts | Ameli | With MG42/MG3 style vertical charging handle | 2013 | |
| Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | Ameli | 2014 | ||
| Rainbow Six Siege | ALDA 5.56 | Various Attachments | added in operation Para Bellum | 2015 |