The MG 17 is a German aircraft machine gun, developed as the fixed-mount sibling to the MG 15 flexible-mount machine gun. The MG 17 was the standard rifle-calibre armament of Luftwaffe aircraft during most of the 1930s and into mid-WWII, being phased out before the end of the war in favour of the 13mm MG 131. Two major changes from the MG 15 are conversion from open bolt to closed bolt firing, allowing for synchronized fire through the propeller arc, as well as converting from magazines to belt-feed. Despite these changes, like the MG 15 many were converted to infantry weapons after being withdrawn from aircraft service.
