MG-3: Germany Modernizes the Classic MG-42
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
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When the Bundeswehr was formed, it chose to simply continue using the MG42 as its standard GPMG. This was initially done by converting older MG42s to 7.62x51mm NATO as the MG1 (adopted in 1958), but progressed to production of a brand new version of the gun by Rheinmetall (adopted in 1968). The MG3 included improvements to the belt feed system, added integral antiaircraft sights, and allowed a rate of fire between 700 and 1300 rpm depending on the choice in bolt, buffer and booster. It was the standard German MG until finally being replaced by the MG5 in 2012 - and it is/was in use by nearly 4 dozen other countries as well. Today we are going to compare this transferrable, C&R MG3 to an original MG42 to see the improvements that were made.
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Love the MG-3. Used it for about 10 years in the Norwegian military. Had it with me to Afghanistan, twice. Never failed me. I have seen it with a bolt head sheared in half and it still functioned flawlessly. We did not even notice the bolt head was broken until we swapped the bolt assembly after about a thousand rounds.
As someone who has trained alongside and against MG3s (in training battles) i can say that the psychological effect being downrange of an MG3 is EXCEPTIONAL when you experience it for the first time. You can grow accustomed to it later on but while the populous FN MAG variants in the world might be easier to shoot with - they wont keep your opponents heads down when they first witness you and your firepower. It really is a shock weapon.
Used it in _førstegangstjenesten_ and the home guard, and I'm glad it's being retired. Last year we brought 12 MG3s to the range and left with 4 or 5. They were so worn down they just died.
@@imfrommanndame please donate all worn down mg3s to the american import market. we will make them run again. we have no other choice.
*starts chanting necromancy magic while rewelding the receiver and putting new custom order parts in that would make luxury car owners run in fear at the price*
I trained whit it in the Argentinian navy (the Marines have some and they are used for light weapons training) Man it is fun to shoot
@@mrmors1344 they will have been destroyed, as were the AG3s sadly. Some have been left in storage as far as I know, but not many.
I'm convinced Ian's lap is a portal into an infinitely large gun case
IRL FPS character
Ian is the original FPS character.
His purse is a bag of holding containing all of the worlds guns
Is that a Carcano in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Somehow he got hold of Hermione Granger's handbag.
Him picking up that mg42 was the most videogame sounding gun equip sound I've ever heard in real life.
Yeah, very original-Doom sounding.
I know right?
I was thinking "I bet he's got a WW2 MG42 under the table", and lo and behold, he did
2:14
@@Seb-Storm not all niggas are black
Serving as a Unteroffizier in the german army in the 1990s i once witnessed a recruit disassemply an MG3 after a day long anti aircraft shooting at the shooting range Todendorf. The bolt head was splitt in two along the lengh achses of the bolt and it was clear due to smoke marks on the surface of the break that the gun had still performed with the bolt head being splitt in two. A real testament to the regidness of the disign.
Someone else commented about the exact same thing happening for them too, still working and everything
wouldn't be better not splitting in the first place?
Todendorf? That name sparks some memories. I was there four times back in 86 - 87. Todendorf was the range where towed Vulcans (M167) held their semi-annual live fire practice for arial targets (ground live fire was done at Putlos). Is the Oasis still there?
Hohoho Todendorf, went there as Gun Mech with our Gepards for Gepard Target Training from Staufenberg Kaserne...
2nd story like this. I think we just discovered a manufacturing issue.
Half our units MG3 were MG XX 3... the XX covered the numbers 42.
This was back in 2010... Not long ago
Where?
13 years is a long time in politics...
@@ivangarcia1327 Alrighty then...
Those were probably conversion though so the important bits got changed but why throw away a good chassis?
The ones that had 42 crossed out and 3 stamped over it were commisioned in 1959 so by the time you got your hands on them they were over 50 years old.
Fired over 30 000 rounds with my MG3 during my year in the army.. loved that the firing-rate increased during shooting, the recoil shroud at the muzzle would get dirty and thus increase the pressure and higher RPM. You could hear it when it started to speed up!!! Oiling it was super-important as many here comment about. If you give it some love it will perform!!! The biggest gun-love of my life. Will always miss you. I dissassemble you still in my mind. A soldier never forget.
Could do the same with "my" G3. I've only served as a conscript 1990/91 and I still know my PK number. Reminds me of my own birthday 😁. I'd also probably still be able to change a Leo 1 engine pack. Long live the TDV !
I`m living in Switzerland...A colleague in the local gun club bought a MG51 (swiss version) of the MG3/MG 42 for himself. He had to go to the "Gemeinde Sicherheits Dep." (community) himself and had to answer questions for 10 min.
30000 Round? Which army?
It's a shame they didn't give you an original mg-42. Instead of spending a year, you could have fired those 30,000 rounds in 20 minutes and gone home!
@@phant0m233 You scored.
I was in the German Army Infantry for eight years. I always loved having the MG3 with me, the sound was unforgettable and you can't deny the psychological effect on every enemy. But it was most important to take a shit ton of oil with you haha
i had the pleasure of using the thing in the german military, and the displeasure of not having to carry it everywhere (with is they made the rule that whoever sucked the worst at shooting it, has to carry that heavy ass thing)
it was fun to shoot, but also a pain in the god damn ass to clean.
i also appreciate the mg-3s more realistic idea on effective range, under real circumstances, the only thing you'd kill with an mg-42 at 2000m is a really shit supply truck that is probably gonna break down within the next two hours anyway, even if you don't fire at it.
@@theaccountant666 *in the knee
@@windhelmguard5295 ich auch, seid gegrüßt, Kameraden!
Is a Bundeswere infantry section the same multi-legged pack mule for the section MGs that a Wehrmacht infantry section used to be?
@@Ulani101 Basically yes, you have two guys in a MG team. The first guy carries and fires the MG3, the second guy is the team leader and carries the ammunition and the other barrel. Same with the new MG5. The only exception is the MG4 LMG with just the gunner, but it's 5.56mm of course, so the ammunition is much lighter and easier to carry for the gunner himself.
That integrated AA sight still has a role to play in modern and future wars. It won't be shooting down Migs, Sukhois or any Mi-24s anytime soon, but it is more than a match for drones and loitering munitions
Heck, if you see a helo cross over a ridge and have black-tips, that flip up AA sight starts to seem pretty handy.
Don't be too sure about that. Modern miniature drones are usually very hard to spot with the naked eye.
also useful again small boats from ships
@Ruhrpottpatriot ok? But it still happens. Ukraine shoots down tons of drones especially when they are massed in large infrastructure attacks like Russia has been doing. I'm sure the Russians shoot down their fair share of small comercial drones too.
@Ruhrpottpatriot I'm not pulling that out from my rear end, there are many documented cases of drones being brought down by small arms fire in Ukraine, including Iranian kamikaze drones
My dad was an MG-42 gunner in the Yugoslav army back in the mid-fifties. He said the group commander was handing out weapon assignments to the troops. He saw my dad's broad back from carrying haybales out on the farm and said "You - take the 42!" I wonder if that gun is still sitting in a armory somewhere in the old country. Miss you Dad - RIP Tata!
M-53?
Armies seem to be all the same :) I was in german Bundeswehr mid-90s and I was designated group machinegunner in infantry training not because I was the best shot with it but I was the only one deemed strong enough to carry that thing around :)
Well, that kinda stinks: being singled out to carry the SAW. Did the Yugoslav military assign him a "mule" to carry the ammo? 7.62mm belts are NOT lightweight at all! In the US military, three or four people are picked to carry an extra belt for a SAW (in our case the FN 249/240) but we use 5.56x45mm NATO, which is substantially lighter.
During my military service, in the late 90s, I walked through a village with my MG3. An old man saw me, pointed to the MG, laughed and asked me, "Do you still use this old stuff?"
I just nodded and replied, "Of course, as long as it hits."
I used five different machine guns in the Australian Army, MG 3, 50 cal, 30 cal, M60, Mag 58. The MG 3 was the only one that didn’t fail when called upon.
You must have been in the era of the ADF when they still had the Leopard AS1s. I joined in 2012.. too late to use the MG3s 😢
@@aussieblackhawk123100% mate. They make a good MBT those Germans.
Never had a problem with the .30 cal in my T50 turret. Only time had a problem with my .50 cal M2HB was my own fault. As I screwed in the barrel prior to target shooting from Spectator Hill Pucka, I overlooked retracting the slide handle slightly to screw it in all the way! One shot and stoppage, separated cartridge case! The only time I hace seen a separated cartridge case (about 20mm above base), carried out IA and stoppage drill and away again. 30 cal needed a bit of oil on the bolt occasionally, open feed cover, couple of squirts and would keep chugging away!
I love how they designed it to look just like the storm troopers guns in Star Wars.
That's called retro-futurism.
lol
Actually that gun was an older MG-34 I believe. But all the guns in Star Wars were visually modified versions of real, working firearms. It certainly gave them a cool, functional look that had been missing from most sci fi weapons before that.
I can't believe Star Wars ripped off Darth Vader's helmet design from the Iraqi Army. How Lazy!
but stormtroopers couldn't hit anything. MG3 is very accurate.
Remembered Weapons !!!
Ha! That could be a whole second channel or maybe a special of some kind. Im down!
its more like Never Forgotten Weapons
I mean. To be fair, Poor old Ian here has probably run out of weapons that are "forgotten" since there are only so many surviving examples of many of these old and rare firearms. I don't really blame him for rolling back up to more common and modern weaponry
Currently serving in the german army. The MG3 is very much still around here and i doubt that will change anytime soon. The MG5 is going to replace it but only partially, mainly in infantry squads. The MG3 will however remain the standart MG used by vehicles
Im in a jäger unit we still have some mg3s
I had one on my SPz Marder in the mid 90s, I really hope you have something better by now.
At least it was easy to clean.
@@larsmenken2679 the mg3 isnt that bad a lot of people prefer it over the mg3
I've always been curious. With a weapon with such a high rate of fire how do you manage to conserve ammo? Do you hold the trigger for only a guick second for each burst?
@@Nandrall18-25 yeah you do quick bursts
As a former Bundeswehr soldier I'm always wondering how similar or different are MG3 and MG42. Thanks a lot!
Gruss aus Naehe Frankfurt Bro.
Being a U.S.Soldier in Germany who carried the M-60 machine gun,my day at the German Army range was a real eye opener when firing the MG-3.Hard to go back to my M-60
I will never tire of seeing Ian materialize historic firearms from nowhere
I really loved the MG3 during my service in the german army. I am a bit sad, that they are slowly replacing all MG3's with the more modern MG5 which is also nice but not as cool to shoot. For it's age I still think it's a great weapon and if you keep it oiled up it will just work like charm.
Ich auch! Me too! 84/85 as a Jäger machine gunner. Best ever, the MG5 is unreliable.
Das MG3 bleibt aber das MG für die meisten Fahrzeuge. Das MG5 ersetzt nur das MG3 als leichtes Maschinengewehr
@@Gravity_studioss Nein, das stimmt so nicht. Das MG5 ersetzt perspektivisch die MG3 und MG4 auf allen Fahrzeugen der BW.
@@macstone9719 Funny, for me it was the other way around. I couldn't even shoot a full 200 round belt from the MG3 without a stoppage.
MG6
Brings me back to spring 1981 in PO school in Flensburg, Germany. The MG3 wasn't widely used in the German Navy then but training was required for POs and higher ranks.
Our hand gun trainer was a 2nd Lieutenant from the naval infantry and when we where about to go to the range he advised us to take our gloves with us since we'd need them. Some of us didn't see the sense in this on a nice and warm spring day and then found out why one might want to wear gloves when changing the barrel on a MG3 :)
I can absolutly confirm that (even tough I was in the army). The changing barrel came in a container with a piece of rag. That piece is absolutly insufficent to handle the barrel securly. Maybe the biggest weakpoint of the whole weapon is that small piece of rag.
@@walterbar3118 Attaching a welding glove or oven mitt to your right sleeve with some string may get you some funny looks initially, but people see the wisdom in it on the range or during field training.
@@christopherthomsen5809 didn't you guys get the standard asbestos glove that comes with the spare barrel kit?
@@nateriver5114 according to the inventory list, the spare barrel canister comes with a rag. You could requisition a new one when it was lost or proved insufficient, but there was no official glove that I ever saw.
Little brotip:
If you don't watch your assembly steps and put in the bolt before the charging handle, it locks in the forward position and you can't take it out again just like that (you do using the charging handle like Ian showed here). But you need to because you also can't put in the handle after the bolt.
If that happens, fear not. Simply unscrew the recoil booster and push the barrel backwards with some force. Voilà, out comes the bolt again.
been there. done that.
This guy could talk about a water bottle and disasemble it for and hour and it would still be interesting
"Samuel Colt had a patent on this cap design."
This is really interesting to see the WWII version and the post war version side by side. You can tell the little changes made by later engineers and wonder whether the original engineers had to make those compromises because of war time manufacturing or if they didn't know until it was used in the field.
I'd guess for the Germans in WW2 it was "Get it designed, get it built, get it out! We can take care of the bugs later. A good gun now is a lot better than a perfect one later!"
Speaking as a Mechanical Engineer, these changes are clearly the result of lessons learned and incremental improvements. The engineers who made the changes were intelligent enough not to fix things that weren't broken as well, and made only truly beneficial changes for improved reliability, flexibility, and ease of use. You don't see that as much these days unfortunately.
Keep in mind it is an evolution from the MG34 so i imagine there are incremental improvements from there
@@12what34the The MG34 has very little to do with the MG42 which was basically a blank sheet design.
The only thing they had in common was the calibre while most of the internal parts are exchangeable between MG42 and MG3.
This is a great example of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." All the tweaks revolve around reliability and QoL improvements, everything else is left 'as is'.
Even though 80+ years have passed, this is a machine gun you do _not_ want to be downrange of.
I don't think I want to be downrange of *any* machine gun...no matter how old it is!
@@jmjedi923Yeah, even the Madsen was pretty deadly.
@@jmjedi923 ehhhh, I'd hang out in front of a M1909 Benet-Mercie, that seems like a pretty safe bet.
And the fact it's slinging .308 at the same rate of fire as a mac-10 makes it a really impressive piece of kit. I hope he posts a shooting vid. I wanna hear it. The sound it makes is both horrifying and incredible
yes, as a Mechanical Engineer myself, and a combat veteran, this video proves as a Perfect example of skilled engineers understanding their role and not ruining something by changing things that didn't need to be changed. All of their changes were well thought out. Far too rare these days.
Germany: modernizes the classic MG-42
The entire world: nervous sweating
Why would you be nervous? Did you do Germany dirty or something? Something you're paranoid they might take revenge for?
@@kruggmichaels8958 annex konigsberg
@@gloverfox9135 even If u take it it will only be an exclave unless you attack Poland.
@@ushikiii I’m not saying my country annexed konnigsberg, unless the US somehow swindled the Russians out of it lol.
@@ushikiii Doesn't matter. Both Germany and Poland are in the EUs Schengen area and therefore there is no perceivable border between Poland and Germany.
Thanks for that Video. I served with a MG3 as a gunner in the German Army for some years. In my opinion one of the best LMGs , but they are old and worn out by the time, so they will be replaced with the MG5 step by step now. Not all MG3s had the Magazine attachment button / set on it. We had lots of MG3`s without that.
I think the Ukraine would love to get their hands on those surplus MG-3's ..... they'll probably would accept MG-42's as well. They don't mind using old school, reliable machine guns. Hell....... I've seen videos of them using MG-08 water cooled Maxim's HMG. It starts to look as a clash of the classics out there with the Ukraine also using T-34's as decoys and The Russians fielding the AN-2 biplane and T-55 tank.
@@roykliffen9674 MG3s are already in ukraine. Saw some videos of them firing it.
@@roykliffen9674 There is news articles about Germany delivering MG3 to Ukraine from March, that is March 2022 not 2023. There is lots of videos and image of the too from Ukraine. The have alos got Beretta MG42/59 made in ITaly and Zastava M53 makde in Yogoslaiva that is locally produced variant of the MG42/MG3
I love how casually Ian had a MG 42 sitting on his lap during the whole introduction.
Imagine how spot on the design was, that 80 years later, it’s still the benchmark…
it is THE Machine gun. no design have ever been as iconic besides the orlicons(?)
@@presidenteden6498 kudos that the old warhorse still works, i thought it had been taken to the museum by now too, a very iconic weapon too, and also one i really wanna try shooting if i ever get the chance.
Oh hell yeah. MG3 time. One day I will have one of these.
"You can't just refurbish and reuse old guns." Ma Deuce over there sweating
Ma Deuce is the exception that proves the rule!
M2 Browning first build in 1937 and still in service over a million rounds later- just let me die already
ofc the m2 will work indefinitely when its a huge block of steel that shoots, not unlike the maxim
Well, look at the way the MG3 (and it's predecessor the MG42) are made, mostly sheet steel stampings and not machined steel parts. While the stamped parts more than get the job done and certainly expedite production they're just not going to last as long as machined steel parts.
There's no real right ot wrong here, just different solutions. It all depends on what you want and what your requirements are.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 ...the sheet metal parts have no bearing on the bolt failures mentioned. Sheet metal or ....like we have found with modern pistols.... even plastic parts.... can be used as the "frame" or support structure without compromising reliability. The bolt shearing issues is due to machine gun firing rates....and the sheet metal "housing" has absolutely zero influence on this whole thing. The pressure-holding pieces will always be high-grade steel.
11:00 The Bundeswehr hasn't replaced the MG3 yet, at least not fully. While the MG5 is indeed replacing it, it is still very much in the process to do so. MG3s are still in widespread use in the Bundeswehr today, as it takes time to produce enough MG5s to fully replace them.
I think the MG3 is still going to be used as a vehicle mounted gun and IIRC it's the Coaxial MG on the Leopard 2.
@@WastelandWanderer1216 Indeed, the MG5 can't replace the MG3 on the Leopard MBTs (and remaining Marder IFVs) as easily, as they don quite fit into the coax mounts.
@@realQuiGon and its not realy nesseary to replace those guns there lengh and weight are not that much of an issue when they are tank mounted
@@gehtdichnixan3200 The issue is, that the German MG3s are pretty old by now and get really worn out.
@@realQuiGon that is the reason why they will get replaced but as long as they function they are great coaxial or mounted guns i guess the mounts will be fitted to newer modells when they upgrade the tanks again but untill then the guns are fine
there is no reason for haste in tthose cases ... but its ok when they get new infantrie mgs
in the Bundeswehr the instructor told us:
"The MG3 is basicly the MG42, they justed removed the swastika."
Loved that gun. What amazed me, was how precise it was. No problem hitting target out to about 500 meters.
Have a scar on the back of my hand, as a reminder of how hot the booster gets. Lifted the gun, and slung it over my shoulder, to move to a new posistion. Back of my hand made contakt with the booster, and I now have a nice scar there to remind me of that 😀
Ah, happy memories of my time in the Bundeswehr!
In basic training I was assistant gunner for a while and during BIWAK (military camping) we tried out sleeping with our guns, I with the G36 and the MG gunner with all 11kg of metal MG3. It was not a good idea. xD
Later on an exercise I was gunner all day, shooting from a truck, then in position, so much ammo got dumped, it was amazing, but I also bruised my shoulder from all the reloading.
My fav was during another exercise where we did a convoy mission. I was gunner on the first truck. First thing was a "civilian" shooting into the air as we drove past. COnvoy before us gunned him down, failing, I just kicked the drive in the shoulder, had my gun hot and was aiming, but didn't fire. Later was a road block and someone ran down the roadblock, shooting at us, I returned fire. We had to drive the convoy backwards through the forest and up a small hill, then drive the other direction.
Suddenly ambush! Smoke bombs on the road and shooters from all directions! If it was real, I'd be dead instantly, but since it was blanks I just turned left and right and front and shot into the woods! My assistant gunner yelled at me, punched me in the knee because the casings rained down, some got into his collar, leaving some marks on his neck! Eventually it ended and we drove to the end. There our ambushers came out, all in full camo and ghilli suits and what not, yelling "Who was the gunner on the first truck!? I was staring down his barrel the whole time!" From all 3 guys! Somehow, over the noise of my gun and the guns of my platoon and the ambush, past my ear plugs and the helmet I managed to pin them down. One of my proudest moments!
I've served years the military in my younger days I've used the MG3. What surprised me the most wasn't the chainsaw rate of fire - but you could fire single shots and be hitting targets in a very controlled manner. In my experience it was pretty accurate. You can use it as a powerful rifle at relative small targets +1500 feet away. That's a huge part of making it a legend. Controlled fire is the hallmark of the MG3. It's a nice tool in the toolbox.
I love that gun. I fired one for the Schutzenschner badge in 1987. Insane rate of fire!
Brings back memories. In 1990 I was a Cadet in Military School (officer school) in Chile. In those days we finnished the last 2 years of High School in Military School. A confidence test was crawling under barbed wire, in CS gas and under fire from MG-3 (they shot way up for safety). In Chile we call it the F.A. ( Fusil Ametrallador/ Automatic rifle), basically an obsolete name, more fitting for the Bren or Bar.
I left military school but later jouned the Army Reserve. Was an infantryman for 10 years. I was a rifleman, but we all had to learn to dissasemble the MG-3. Quite tricky to get the hang of it(we had to do it against the clock). I cut my hand trying to open the dam cover.
Our F.A.s were made in Spain, by Santa Bárbara if I recall correctly. At least one Regiment upgraded their guns with Picantiny Rails for optics including lasers and night vision, but I never saw any upgraded gun. It probably was an experiment.
Today the gun is partially replaced by the Minimi in 5,56 in a configuration with rails all over, meaning you better not loose your gloves.
The bad thing about machine guns is obviously the weight, and that the gunner has to flank his squad, meaning more running!
Thanks for the video.
If you treat the first round and the subsequent two rounds in the charge bay a liberal amount of oil (like a good tablespoon or such) right before closing the belt retarder lid; it will smoke a bit, but it really helps with chamber extraction and keeps you brrrrrtttt for longer :) I absolutely love this weapon, mostly because I am not in a situation where I have to carry this any distance at all. It puts smiles on everyones faces as soon as you hear the sound; We once did an excercise in Denmark with german troops (and they had dropped the MG3 some years before, sadly). The grin and smile on the faces of our german colleagues when they heard the MG3 go brrrrrttt once again, was the best thing I remember from that day :) Thanks Ian for yet another instructional video.
As a Norwegian homeguard/nationalguard MG3 instructor (about to be changed out but we still use it) I would like to point out that the head not going on the wrong way is a must if you ask me.
Cus then the only problem is people putting the bolt inn before the charging handle and locking it inn,something you need to keep an eye out for cus most people will not ask for help and start bashing the back of the gun against the ground to get it out.
Thats bad for the frame in the long run,just screw of the muzzle device and slap your hand on hte end of the barrel and the bolt comes out.
"Look at me like Ian looks at a transferrable MG3"
2:10 - haha i love that Ian had a hidden MG42 on his lap. So much brrrrrt
Does this mean range day tomorrow?
;)
@@ForgottenWeapons YES
@@ForgottenWeapons Ian will also use the sights out to 1200m, with a 1m grouping.
Such a cool machine, quite a forward thinking design for its time
Fun Fact: the designer / creator of the MG-42 spent a fair amount of time talking with veteran MG-34 crews, and actually _listened_ to their complaints and suggestions.
User feedback _does_ matter...if you truly bother to listen.
@@ironwolfF1 Another fun fact: The designers of the MG42 had no previous experience in gun design of any kind. The company specialized in stamped steel products, mostly lanterns.
Memories ❤ Used the M/62 (Danish designation of the MG-3) when I was in the Danish Army and later the Home Guard.
The Quick Barrel Change on this is kind of awesome!
When I was in the Bundeswehr in the late 90s I also had one with a stamped out 42 on the receiver.
Loved that thing. Hauling it around also wasn't that terrible, because you had your assistant gunner buddy who had to carry around all that spare ammo, barrel, asbestos glove and stuff for you...😅
same here. mine had x3 written on it after the original writing was cut out.
7:00: There IS a notable change in the design of the flash hider/booster between the MG42 and MG3. On the MG42, the external part is just the flash hider, and inside the flash hider is a separate booster cone.
On the MG3, the Booster Cone was incorporated into the Flash Hider, so now it's a single piece.
Ian, you forgot to mention that the MG 3 has a friction brake on the feed cover holding it in place when it is lifted up. On the 42 the gunner has to hold it. 😉
But at 00:52, you can see that it is assembled wrong. the protruding part needs to lock into the receiver.
@@alexanderm.5457 it is there, he just did not mention it
New production MG-42 in 7,62x51 is MG-1.
Old MG-42 converted to 7,62x51 is MG-2.
And updated version is MG-3
I don't know why but lately your videos are the only kind of videos I have motivation watching. They're interesting well presented and not filled with bs. So thank you for making them
Ian sitting there for 20 min secretly with an MG-42 in his lap, legs going numb and all, to get the casual reveal 2min in 🤣..appreciated.
Durante el servicio militar en mi pais,una MG-3 fue mia durante 4 meses,un placer haber disfrutado de semejante maquina.
There's a lot to be said for improving an existing design as opposed to adopting a new one. It certainly simplifies training when the basic platform is already familiar to the troops.
I was privileged to qualify for the Schutzenschnur when I was stationed at Lindsy AS with the USAF in the early '80s. The course of fire for the MG3 was three targets which needed to receive at least one hit each to qualify - and this was accomplished with a 15 round belt.
You could tell the US Army guys who were used to the M60 as they would fire the entire belt in one burst. That beastie is FAST.
I remember (BW 72-74) we had a 16 round belt and had to target 5 aims on a cardbord. Most of the soldiers were able to fire 5 times 3 rounds an 1 round at the end of shooting.
@@seibelstein You had 16? We only had 15!😁
Loved this weapon. Never found it too heavy either, especially when just marching with it, carrying it across my shoulders. All my stoppages were my own fault. Also, just downright fun to use and take apart.
My only complaint is that somehow the ammo belts would always seem to get too short too quickly.
Earlier versions were the MG-1 series and the MG-2 was the MG-42 converted from 8mm Mauser to 7.62mm NATO. I think the MG-3 was adopted in 1968. So this MG-3 is an early production gun.
The MG3 was adopted in 1959 hence the Italians call their licensed version MG42/59.
First time someone really good explained the differences. Thanks Mate, great job!
Das MG3 ist ein schönes Eisenschwein. Hatte nie Probleme gehabt mit diesem MG, in meiner mehrjährigen Dienstzeit bei der Bundeswehr. Eine tolle Waffe und ein super Video
Allerdings, es ist einfach nur massiv und sieht dennoch so filigran aus.
Allzeit Glück ab!
Was halten Sie vom MG5?
@@Gravity_studioss MG5 ist zwar gut für die Infanterie, aber das MG3 ist und bleibt das Sinnbild eines MG'S. Deshalb bleibt es auch für Fahrzeuge beibehalten. Egal ob Rad oder Kettenfahrzeug.
Ist dir auch aufgefallen, dass das MG3 im Video nicht richtig zusammengesetzt (Deckelbremse nicht in der entsprechenden Aussparung) ist?
@@littlegrabbiZZ9PZA bei dem MG42 ist das Gurtzuführ Oberteil( so hieß es damals bei uns) nicht richtig in Position, das der Haltestift nicht richtig drin ist. Oder habe ich da was übersehen? Obwohl das MG3 mich Jahre begleitet hat, bin ich auch älter geworden. Korrigiere mich bitte, falls ich falsch liege😊
Used the MG3 first in the Danish Home Guard and later on as an Combat Engineer, it is a very impressive weapon..
We called it "the remote saw" because the rate and accuracy made it split targets in half if you figured out how to move it across at the right speed, even with what seemed like a short burst.
I know politics, both military and civilian had a role in the failure of the MG42 being trialed by the US as a GPMG, but when you look at how much better the MG42/MG3 was than the M60, it is sad that politics beat providing a better weapon to troops. That really was an incredible machine gun.
Our Hauptfeldwebel manipulated the gun, that it fired over 1200 rounds per minute. At least he told us so, that it's pretty easy to do. I wonder if that's really possible.
And if I'm not mistaken, the MG-3 was only replaced in the infantry. On the vehicles the MG-3 is still in service.
I shot one of these for the Schützenschnur when I stationed in Germany. Probably some of the most fun I've had with a machinegun. It was one of those moments that really planted my interests in firearms.
And let’s keep the gun episodes on full auto as we’re waiting for the FN Minimi episode, which is my personal buzzsaw gun.
MG5 only replaced the ones used as a squad support machine gun. On vehicles the MG3 is still in use, also as a coaxial machine gun in the Leopard tanks 1 and 2, in addition to the roof mounted MG3 in the gun carriage on the turret of the tank. The direct predecessor version of the MG3 was the MG1A3.
MG1: Newly built MG 42 in NATO caliber. MG2: Wartime era MG 42 converted to NATO ammunition.
The MG3, everybody wanted to use it, but no one wanted to carry it. Especially not on long marches.
Next, you should get your hands on the CETME Ameli, which is basically a 5.56 NATO version of an MG42, though its design is more in common with the MG45(Last ditch machine guns of WW2) and the MG3.
Ameli is roller locked, only has MG42 external desing.
If there's one in the US...
The Italians made a conversion kit to 5.56NATO for their MG3 which they built under license and call MG42/59.
@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 the Ameli is 12lbs/5.5kg
@@ScottKenny1978 And?
Danish NG gunner... Our MG3 was sort of an amalgam, we didn't have AA sights or spring loaded ammo box fittings, and we used the MG42 style recoil booster on at least some of our guns. It also only took German connected-link belts. I don't remember the anti-slip arm on the feed tray, but that may just be me :) Looong time ago! Great gun, though! Bipod or "tripod" (ours was made by DISA, and had 4 legs), it just did the job, all day every day. Especially pleasant to shoot with rifle-issued ammo (the MG-issue ammo had stiffer loads and gave higher RoF). Had one of these literally under my bed for 5 years :)
I was also a MG3 gunner, Airborne Brigade 26, for a few years. The lack of night fighting ability was always a massive problem. Once my MG3 almost killed me when I suddenly had it between my legs while fastroping 😂
I must also add that the MG5 completely replaced the MG3 AFTER 2020. I even saw many in 2021 at my last exercise. The German armaments industry needs many many years to completely replace a gun.
It is *totally* possible to add Picatinny rail and a night-vision or thermal sight to an MG3. In fact, this is standard issue where I'm from. And it is awesome.
@@christopherthomsen5809 Yes, it is. but not allowed in the german army.special forces excluded.
..I got the opportunity to shoot one 50 years ago in Germany...our unit 4/35 Armor was partnered with a Bundeswehr reserve unit
..when shot their weapons and they, ours..we got each other's awards..I got the bronze schutzenschnur and they loved our Iron Cross looking medals...still have that Schutzenschnur..
Excellent video. Have to say I have been consuming your videos at a frightening rate over the last two weeks covering the last 10 years of content...and you never seem to age! I'm guessing there's a painting in your attic that looks pretty rough... :)
Oh, that sound of racking out the bolt returned me instantly to my 20 year old former self, can almost smell it. ❤
I've only ever seen one mechanical issue with it, the crosspin safety not working, any other failures have been operator errors, a classic being when death gripping the stock and accidently pressing in the disassembly button and have the whole stock and spring coil eject out the back of the gun and usually straight down a puddle of mud. Ah, the memories.
So, it's like Operation Paperclip...but for guns.
Just another day casually reviewing two crazy expensive guns.
Not all MG3s are new production, some are retrofitted MG42s (MG42 markings Xed-out.)
MG3 has some enhancements to MG1 or MG2 as new recoil-booster or AA-sight being standard.
Last 2 weeks I've carried an MG3 with 42 xx-overmarked and 3 behind. Shoots so good, for a 80year old grandma. I just love our MG. Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
the MG3 is the second love of my life and it still feels like the first day since 1999. Maybe you could demonstrate a barrel change, because that's her specialty and also how to take out the rolls from the roller-block
Ian casually whipping out a WWII vintage MG42 is the greatest gun nerd flex ever.
Just gonna go check my coin jar to see if I have $500,000 in there
I was a range master for US Army Augsburg 77-79. This range was also used by the Bavarian State Police and units from a local Luftwaffe base. I saw a Bundeswehr medical unit from Lager Lehfeldt AB doing annual familiarization. They had HK G3s and MG42s with a 7.62x51 barrel. The receiver even had the wing spread German eagle with a swastika in a wreath next to the serial number.
Always great to see guns I've actually used.
Imagine making a gun so good that it's used even 75 years in the future. What a beautiful piece of Engineering.
I really liked the mg3 too. I shot it for 2 years. The only downside is having to march with it.
My primary weapon as an LMG gunner in a Recon unit in the Danish Army. Loved it to bits, especially the sound, a very distinct rapid DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA that is instantly recognizable. Didn't love it as much when marching or cleaning after shooting a few thousand rounds... so many more nooks and crannies for dirt gunpowder residue to hide than with my buddies' HK G3 Assault Rifles.
A blaster version of this is even still used by stormtroopers in a galaxy far far away.
Ah good memories shooting that :D The bad was carrying it around and the cleaning after a day on the range...
This one is bound to get heaps of comments and views!
Used it myself in the late 90’s. Loads of fun to fire. Loads of ammo to carry…
I fired an MG3 when my Reserve unit trained with German Reservists. That high rate of fire makes it hard to control for those used to the M-60. But if crews are properly trained you can put the same amount of fire on target much faster.
That thing is pure beauty.
Loved firing it in basic training, it was dead accurate and so easy to aim. But... I hated carrying it. Slight nitpick... The holder is not just for the 50 round drum mags, but also for the 120 round box mags, which are plastic boxes about half the size of a standard 7.62 metal ammo box. Mostly used on vehicles when on the AA mount.
The ones I fired during national sevice in Denmark used 7.62x51 mm Nato ammunition, but everything in this video indicates it was an MG42: Flash suppressor with fewer, wider cut-outs for the locking mechanism, the bolt, the sights (although there was no AA sight at all). Then again, we also had a single old field telephone with the phonetic alphabet in German inside the lid (in addition to several more modern models), so maybe they were left behind when Germany capitulated.
I would argue that this weapon is entirely gas operated, because reloading requires the barrel to move backwards under gas pressure, releasing the bolt head rollers and imparting a rearward motion upon the bolt assembly. The barrel and bolt are fixed to the frame by the rollers until the projectile leaves the barrel and gas is released into the short barrel jacket at the tip, turning the entire barrel into a gas piston.
Yet another fantastic video by Mr. Iain McCallum. Keep up the good work sir and wishing you all the best with your future projects🙏
The classic "If it ain't broke don't fix it. Just make it even better."
Now I understand why they say Ian will never need Viagra. He has an MG-3 on the table and MG-42 sitting on his lap, Bada Bing - Bada Boom.
Ein wundervolles Stück😍
Fun fact, we still had a mg42 that was converted to a mg1 and later to a mg3 in our unit and it still fired fine for a 80 year old gun
Had some Estonians attached to our unit in Iraq. They used these things and were very happy with them.
you are so awesome ian! thank you so much for sharing you knowledge with us. the part where you just pulled out the mg42 from under the table made my day!
Barrel changing the MG3/42 is the most satisfying thing you can do to a firearm. I wish you showed it here.
Certainly I enjoyed your video Ian.
As a conscript in the Danish Army in 1987 I believe we had something in-between the MG-3 and the MG-42🤔
Of course I don't remember all details in the gun, but I'm very certain that we had no sight for arial targets and the booster was that of the MG-42.
I know for sure the ammunition was 7.62 mm.
The lock I think was that of the '42 as well.
Could it be it was an MG-2 we had in 1987?
Maybe. I've heard stories of guns that had the 42 stamped out with a 3, along with obvious spots on them where it was clear they tried to get rid of or cover up the spicy insignia. And those stories are from the 2000s and early 2010s. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the gun you handled was a WWII veteran.
No , i think you got a MG 1 ....... the former MG42 with Nato Cartridge
The mg3/mg42 doesn't have a trunnion. It does have a cam piece, but the bolt rollers don't lock into that, they lock into the barrel extension on the rear of the barrel. The US M60 has a trunnion, the MG42 does not.
The drum basket for the MG42 does not slide into the hooks of the feed tray, it clips onto the hooks. No sliding down from the top or up from the bottom is involved.
Swiss MG51 Review please
That takes me back to my army times. I served at the right time to experience the G 3, MG 3, P 1 as well as the G 36 and P 8, the MG 3 always being the most fun to shoot.
P1 is another excellent WW2 German weapon "slightly improved" for modern use. I have two.
My father served in Italian Army in the early '70s as a 120mm mortar squad member, armed with an M1 Garand in 30.06. Even if they were to use primarily the mortar, they were still classified as assault troops, so everybody in the company also received at least a short training with the MG3, which they friendly called Maria Grazia 😁.
Mio papà ha fatto la leva a fine anni 70 e pure loro usarono il garand, però mi son sempre chiesto come mai visto che c'era già fa un pezzo il bm59
Now this is a wonderful nickname for the MG3. Thanks for sharing.