German MG-42 Machine Gun

By Crusader1307

Designed by Werner Gruner in 1942 fir The German War effort, The MG 42 was one of the most effective squad automatic weapons deployed during The War. Using a 7.92mm Mauser round, The MG 42 was the principle weapon of both The Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. Weighing 25 pounds with a 50 inch barrel, it was capable of a cyclic rate of 1,200 to 1,500 rounds per minute. The MG 42 had an impressive maximum effective range of 5,000 yards, and required no tripod system (utilizing a bipod forward mounted component). This allowed The MG 42 to be carried and used by a single soldier. Thus weapon was comparable to The US Browning Automatic Rifle. Robust and reliable enough, The MG 42 was also incorporated in many Panzer Tank Models as a secondary anti-personnel weapon. Over 400,000 MG 42 were produced between 1942 and 1945. The weapon continued after The War (and still does), in 5 different variants - throughout The World.