MG 34
The MG 34 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 34, or "machine gun 34") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It introduced an entirely new concept in automatic firepower – the Einheitsmaschinengewehr (Universal machine gun) – and is generally considered the world's first general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). Both the MG 34 and MG 42 were erroneously nicknamed "Spandau" by Allied troops, a carryover from the World War I nickname for the MG 08, which was produced at the Spandau Arsenal.
| Maschinengewehr 34 | |
|---|---|
MG 34 in the Swedish Army Museum. | |
| Type | General-purpose machine gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1936–1945 (officially, German military) 1936–present (other armies) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Spanish Civil War World War II Guerrilla war in the Baltic states Greek Civil War Chinese Civil War First Indochina War 1948 Arab–Israeli war Korean War Portuguese Colonial Wars Algerian War Cuban Revolution Suez Crisis Biafran War Vietnam War Rhodesian Bush War Angolan Civil War Six-Day War The Troubles Yugoslav Wars Syrian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Heinrich Vollmer |
| Designed | 1934 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall-Borsig AG Soemmerda, Mauserwerke AG, Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Waffenwerke Brünn |
| Unit cost | 312 ℛ︁ℳ︁ (1944) 1260 EUR current equivalent |
| Produced | 1935–1945 |
| No. built | 577,120 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12.1 kg (26.7 lb) 32 kg (70.5 lb) (with tripod) |
| Length | 1,219 mm (48.0 in) |
| Barrel length | 627 mm (24.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser |
| Action | Recoil-operated, opened rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 800–900 rounds/min Early versions: 600–1,000 rounds/min selectable on pistol grip MG 34"S": 1,500 rounds/min. MG 34/41: 1,200 rounds/min. Practical: 150 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 765 m/s (2,510 ft/s) (s.S. Patrone) |
| Effective firing range | 200–2,000 m (219–2,187 yd) sight adjustments 3,500 m (3,828 yd) with tripod and telescopic sight |
| Maximum firing range | 4,700 m (5,140 yd) |
| Feed system | 50/250-round Patronengurt 33, 34, or 34/41 model belt, 50-round drum, or 75-round drum magazine with modification |
| Sights | Iron sights, antiaircraft sight or telescopic sights |
The versatile MG 34 was chambered for the fully-powered 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle cartridge and was arguably the most advanced machine gun in the world at the time of its deployment. The MG 34 was envisaged and well-developed to provide portable light and medium machine gun infantry cover, anti-aircraft coverage, and even sniping ability. Its combination of exceptional mobility – being light enough to be carried by one man – and high rate of fire (of up to 900 rounds per minute) was unmatched. It entered service in great numbers from 1939. Nonetheless, the design proved to be rather complex for mass production and was supplemented by the cheaper and simpler MG 42, though both remained in service and production until the end of the war.