The MG 42 - Maschinengewehr 42:

• Entered service with the Wehrmacht (German army) in 1942.
• The MG 42 has proven reliability, durability, simplicity, and ease of operation.
• Most notable fact: A stunning volume of suppressive fire, between 1,200 and 1,500 rounds per minute.
• The MG 42's belt-feed and quick-change barrel system allowed for more prolonged firing in comparison to all other machine guns.

The MG 42: Hitlersäge ("Hitler's Saw")

The high rate of fire resulted in a distinctive muzzle report.
At such a high rate of fire the human ear cannot easily discern the sound of individual bullets being fired, and in use the gun makes a sound described as "like ripping cloth" and so giving rise to the nickname Hitler's Saw.
The gun was sometimes called "Spandau" by British troops from the manufacturer's plates noting the district of Berlin where some were produced.

Revolutionary design features:

• Reliability, durability, simplicity, and ease of operation
• Bolt closed and locked with a unique recoil-operated roller locking mechanism
• Made out of stamped metal, it was much easier to produce than other machine guns, it took 75 man hours to complete as opposed to 150 man hours for the MG 34
• It only cost 250 Reichmarks (a 24% reduction compared with the MG34)

MG 42 Machine Gun Crew:

The original crew consisted of Six Men:

• The gun commander
• The No.1 who fired the gun
• The No.2 who carried the tripod
• Numbers 3, 4, and 5 who carried ammunition, spare barrels, entrenching tools, and other items

Later War Measures reduced the crew to just Three Men:

• The Gunner
• The Loader (also barrel carrier)
• The spotter

MG42 Disadvantages:

The high rate of fire of the MG 42 sometimes proved to be a liability:
While the weapon could be used to devastating effect, it would quickly exhaust its ammunition supply.
The Handbook of the German Army forbade the firing of more than 250 rounds in a single burst (5 x 50 round belts – taking 13 seconds) to minimize barrel wear and over-heating.

MG42 Lineage

The MG 42's ? MG1 (MG 42/59) ? MG1A3 ? MG3. The MG3 remains in use today with the German Army.

The MG42 design principles were used in the Swiss MG 51, the SIG MG 710-3, the Austrian MG 74, the Spanish 5.56mm Ameli light machine gun, the American M60 and the Belgian MAG.