MG42 (Germany)
| Length | 122cm / 48in |
| Weight | 11.5kg / 25.4lb |
| Muzzle velocity | 750m / 2,475ft per second |
| Cartridge | 7.92mm |
| Magazine | 50-round belt |
| Rate of fire | 1,550 rounds per minute |
The MG34, though quite outstanding, was expensive to produce and as the war took its toll on national resources the MG42 came about as Germany’s answer to a simpler, mass-production machine gun. The emphasis was put on pressed-steel parts (like the MP40 sub-machine gun) rather than the highly engineered and machined construction of the MG34.
What emerged from the design shops was a remarkable weapon. Far from a cheap cousin to the ’34, the MG42 became the weapon of choice for frontline troops.
Equally as reliable as its partner, this machine gun also possessed an astounding rate of fire. Nearly three times as fast as any other machine gun on the battlefield, the sound it made was something akin to a chain saw.
