When I was drafted in to the Danish army in the early 70'ies I became a machine gunner and this is the gun we used. You could reliably hit larger targets at 600M but it was a good idea to strap an old tin can just outside the feed port to smooth out the belt feed to prevent hang ups. It was a bit tricky to shoot if you were not lying down but they did teach us to use it in a walking stance for close combat. You had to grip the forward legs with your left hand and jam the butt very tight in towards your body. If you did not hold it tight enough the recoil would not reload the gun and it would stop. It came standard with two barrels, a cooling tray and an asbestos glove to change them with. They got real hot in a hurry. Pretty sure I could still field strip and assemble this one blindfolded. A bonus was that the cooling ports on the left side of the barrel shroud worked great as a beer bottle opener. Take the bottle in your left hand and stick the cap in while you flick the pistol grip with your right hand and Viola!... Yes that was in the days before screw top beer bottles :-)
Screw top beer bottles? What kind of atrocity is this? Usually you have to taste beer to judge it, but if it comes in a bottle like this, you immediatly know it will be pisswater :D
@@yoshisaurusrex3767 Actually, I've seen local breweries here in Quebec use screw tops while still having a good product. I can't imagine it'd last very long that way though.
A little note for the reassembly: I used the MG-74 in austrian army, it’s literally the same as the MG-42. When you reassemble the gun, you can easily make a very fatal error. When you throw the bolt assembly into the receiver without installing the charging handle before, the bolt locks into the barrel and the supply officer (he is in charge of the arsenal) has the fun of his life to get the bolt out there. You get a sharp rebuke and can help the supply officer with every shit for the next 3 days. We were specially taught not to forget the charge handle during assembly.
Wait but ours has a slow (600rpm iirc) rate of fire right. I'm not sure since I was trained on the Browning M2 during my mandatory service. Meanwhile the Germans have their MG-3 with 1200 rpm.
@@heinrichrahm1531 yep, and other differences: -Reduced the rate of fire to 850 rounds / minute. -The firing frequency can be varied by changing the bolt assembly if necessary. -Plastic buttstock to save weight (MG 42: wooden buttstock). -Adjustment of the visor horizontally 35 °, vertically 15 °. -Winter trigger that enables single fires -Use of the standard NATO caliber copied and translated from german Wikipedia ( de.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_74 )
@Right Round I think you misunderstood me I meant to say that our modernized MG-42 is slower shooting than the original MG-42 and the German MG-3. I only added the M2 to my comment because I remember hearing something about the rate of fire during training but I wasn't sure since it was not the gun I was trained on. Hope that clears it up
@Junkman van Death I expierenced this problem first hand, too. But there is a very easy fix to this: You take the recoil amplifier (Rückstoßverstärker) off the gun, it just screws off easily. Now the end of the barrel (actually the Rohrführungshülse, but i dont know how to explain this properly) is sticking out a bit in front of the gun. Now you point the barrel upwards and slam your hand really hard on the barrel. This will cause the bolt assemply to unlock and it can be removed easily. What you are doing is essentially simulating the recoil of a shot being fired. A very senior member of my unit showed me this very neat trick!
Well the Galactic Empire is a sci fi analogue of the Nazi SS. Stormtrooper itself is an obvious reference. That's why all the blasters in star wars are different WW2 guns mocked up to sort of look like laser guns.
In 4th or 5th grade a classmate, a girl, insisted her dad had machineguns in their garage. Nobody believed her and we let her know that. One day she took us home and produced an MG-42 and MP-40. We played soldier with them for a couple years.
@@beargillium2369 I mean, not really. After WW2 a lot of American GIs brought home German and Japanese weapons as trophies. My great-uncle Dean was a 155mm or Long Tom gunner in WW2, and he brought home a German army helmet and a STG-44. He took them off a German soldier that had died trying to assault his artillery position in late 1944.
@@drunkswithguns4124 the fact that OP said "4th or 5th grade" instead of "4th or 5th year" or "in primary school" is a pretty good indicator that they're American. The words and phrases a person uses can tell you a lot about someone.
As a former german soldier (KFOR) the MG3 / MG42 is a pleasure to shoot, esp. from lafette/carriage. The MG42 was constructed by a german engineer (who would later be a college prof. for agriculture) near my hometown in saxony.
the same man said later that he considered it an industrial problem, not a military one. He inspected industrial feed machines in factories to see how they processed multiple units per minute, such as cigarette machines and machines that made bolts.
@@hakeemzahardi9207 he considered the task of how the gun accepted cartridges from a belt,, took them from the belt and then fed, fired, ejected the empty cases and links and then recocked itself, as an industrial process rather than a gunnery process. He was burdened by traditional concepts of gun design.
What is your perspective on the mg4 and mg5 machineguns? It would be interesting to have your opinion on the matter, since most of us have only seen them on shotshow
My Uncle was big and strong enough to fire his Bonesaw or “Kauluzāģis” in Latvian, from the hip while fighting Russians in WW2. He survived both the war and his free trip to Siberia afterwards. Great video.
as an engineer I appreciate the time, the efforts, and the ideas of German weapons arsenals and makers, stamped sheet metal was out of box solution as it's cheaper, yet that rollers pouncing idea to load the bullet firing between bolt and muzzle not to weak receiver structure was really brilliant... thank you Ian, appreciate that you explain professionally the whole mechanical thing
@@honkhonkler7732 i shot with this gun in my service time back in 2006 . The new version of this gun is called MG 3 btw. and its not shooting 24/sec anymore if i remember it corretly.
@@ogburnher Yea the mg3 has a fire rate of about 800 rounds per minute to 1000 rounds per minute for better recoil control. While the mg42 had a fire rate of 1200 rounds per minute to 1500 rounds I like the mg42 more than the mg3 still because you gotta admire how fast the mg42 shoots.
One of my favorite weapons of all time for the simple fact of it was like the first weapon to make America go oh shit,and it was JUST a machine gun,not a cannon,bomb,ect
If you think about it, the rollers are actually significantly less "material mass" that needs to move to lock the gun, than most other guns with an entire rotating bolt head have.
In all fairnes, I probably wouldn't see much practical difference between 7, 15 or 24 rounds per second when those rounds are flying towards me. I'd be suppressed well enough with either.
There big full power rifle rounds the Germans still use em just chambered in 7.62 nato instead of the bad boy 7.92 mauser that sucker holds 1000ftlb at 600m so basically the same energy as a .44 magnum poin blank or an m4 at 50 yards lol and as the rate of rounds it puts down the recoil pattern makes it work like a shotgun like u spray a bunch of folks ur hiting various places un like say the bar or especially the bren the bren will put all the mag into a 4inch hole no pattern so if u spray in ambush u may hit 2 or 3 the 43 will hit the lot of em
Perhaps it may have to do with accuracy. If you shoot more rounds down range in the general direction of a target, you'll be more likely to hit them with 24 rounds per second than 7.
I’ve heard the MG-42 called “Hitler’s Zipper”, presumably because it would open a persons body like a zipper, or it sounded like one…not completely sure. Either way, I do know from old Wartime documentaries it scared the poop out of our troops because whenever they heard it fire, they immediately went to ground and took cover then called up a tank or air support. The Nazis were infamous tho for placing these guns at very good vantage points that made them hard to get to without a tank or plane. Would NOT have wanted to face one in combat.
Absolutely, I remember seeing a US training film that was basically dedicated to the noise of a MG42 firing and it claimed "it's bark is worse than it's bite" or something along that line.
@Robertino Tanos Just saying mate.... you needed to have balls to try taking out a position that is defended by one of these.... We still have them in Reserve Inventory in case of war, Designation M53 LMG
I have served in spanish army from the late 80 till now. We had plenty of this wonderful machines, most of them still with the marks of wermacht or even SS. Most of them are still in service. I have tracked several of them till the very early production. Coming mostly from Spanish Blue Division. Chapter apart to mention…
@@TheLesserWeevil I'm guessing other guns gutted for spares, or otherwise gotten from Mg3's which I think are nearly fully comparable (just fire slightly slower)
The key innovation about changing the barrel is that the assistant gunner could remove and replace the barrel while lying flat on the ground, thus limiting exposure to enemy fire. The American machine gunners had to exchange the barrel while kneeling.
I got to run out an entire belt on one mounted in the Lafayette mount, week before Xmas 2002. We had a beat all to hell 1980's Buick down range a little under 100 yards.She absolutely cut that damn car into pieces in no time. It was epic, never fell harder&faster for a firearm! I've loved\lusted over the MG42 ever since! Also shot a full auto USAS-12 that day and it was a huge letdown, 400rpm 12 gauge ain't nothing after 1500 rpm of 8mm.
Having fired the MG42 at a few opportunities and its modern MG3 variant I feel that the high rate of fire also makes you through sheer amount of bullets per burst to hit difficult targets at range.
The Russian WW2 infantry veterans called MG-42 a "Hitler's bonesaw" due to incredible fire rate. I have tried two of them in the shooting range - most handy gun with pretty light recoil. Thanks for rewiew!
Yes, but an established industrial engineer. He just looked at it as a mechanical problem, using his manufacturing process engineering experience as a basis. I think Ian's comparison to Gaston Glock is quite apt. Both came into the gun design game without any formal training in weapons design, but with a very good understanding of mechanical engineering and material science (polymers in the case of Glock, steel stamping in the case of Gruner). That allowed them to approach issues without a preconceived notion of how they should be done in a gun and come up with unconventional, but very effective, solutions.
The MG-42 is and has been my absolute favorite gun ever since i was a kid. Its fast fire rate, stamp steel, huge intimidating frame, fast barrel exchange system, whats not to love about the gun?
But last produced in 1977. The gun has to be replaced because there are no parts for replacement left. And the MG3 doesn't really fit as a squad automatic weapon, the idea of universal machine gun became obsolete. Different caliber then G36 and 2 man crew is mandatory. With MG4 in german service the squad got two machine guns instead of one.
I have a mg 42 or mg50 per seller .it is an exact replica using many ordinal parts but converted to semi auto. 8mm. Bought tons of surplus ammo years ago. Great fun to shoot.
At the beginning of this year I got to take a look at one of these earlier Mg42s, got taught how to do the combat engagement drill (readying the gun for firing), was really cool to learn about
@@fritzkuhne2055 He knows they exist... and as a point British troops did call them Spandau's (as was the MG36 as well as 08s), as can be read in personal diaries and memoirs.
I read somewhere, that this excellent light machine gun could be configured into a heavy machine gun. Part of that reconfiguration was to rig the weapon for a higher rate of fire. I believe it was the best mass production light machine gun produced in WW2. Thanks Ian, for this video.
Even without rpm changes, the effective role of the MG changes depending on mount. On a fully anchored tripod with tons of extra ammo and barrels? Heavy machinery gun. On a bipod being manned by two people? Light machine gun
You know it's a good gun when it's mentioned in the same breath as m249s and 240Bs in terms of effective squad weapons, and Maxim and M2 brownings in terms of moral effect and sheer destruction.
I looked up Gaston Glock after you mentioned him not having previous firearms experience, very neat story. Especially the bit about him clobbering his would-be assassin.
@EnricoAwsome I been into cars after being into guns xD I was a noob could only tell the models, engine types and that's it, now I understand further mechanics on various automobiles.
@@GunsNGames1Over the years I've noticed a certain type of people frequent channels like this. Whether it be cars, electronics, firearms, and on a more fundamental level physics; we crave learning how things work and the history behind it. Engineers at heart. I've noticed that one hobby or interest usually spawns a following similar fascination. I gain happiness by simply learning how something operates, and I'm sure there are many others like me that watch this channel. There's nothing like a great example of engineering to occupy ones mind. I remember binge watching How it's Made as a kid. I was no older than 10 and already fascinated by humans capacity for creativity and ingenuity. I imagine that the people in this comment section and I would have many more shared interests than just firearms and vehicles.
My brother has worked with cars and boats, wood, metal and guns. My granddad was a ship mechanic and auto body repair specialist. My mom taught wood and metal work. I am a clumsy oaf, but I am interested in how things work. I also like building Lego. I'm 32.
A friend of mine served in the Bundeswehr and when they trained on the newer version of the MG42, the MG3, they were required to get 3 bursts of fire out of a belt of ammo with only 15 rounds on it, in an attempt to learn how not to eat up all their ammo immediately.
@@sawyere2496 but very important to do, because it eats a lot of ammo if you don't. And there's nothing worse than having enemies left at the end of the ammo!
Hey Ian, My grandfather said it was the scariest sound he had ever heard. When he landed on omaha beach armed with only his M1 he made it to tell the tale.
@@glibglob8755 don't see why it's hard to believe. Most people who are adults or nearing adulthood now had grandparents who fought in WW2. It literally had a draft.
Great Vid Ian. As an amateur firearm historian (no where near as well studied as you are), I appreciate all of your videos, even those of modern era firearms. I find the period from around 1840 to the early 1920s, a fascinating one to study. The amount of firearm innovations and the transition to nitrocellulose based powders and cartridges,, is flat out exciting to study all the changes in a relatively short period of 80 odd years. Keep up the great work Sir.
Fireing 200 round belts as a part of a „Sturmabwehrschiessen“ in Putlos with a MG3 as a German Panzergrenadier in the year 2001 was one of the gun highlights of my life. Perfect universal machine gun.
putlos in winter86..firing from the hip-one hand straightdown for absorbing recoil..under gasmask..whole group attacking...earth-defender of the luftwaffe
I'm gonna get one of these next. I just got an MG34 and I want to round off my collection with a 42. After that I will need an MP40, and if possible an STG-44 and MG-15 though I'll get around to those last two whenever I do.
@@Canukles Don't forget the weird, vaguely far right political asides. Something I appreciate about Ian is that he's focused strictly on the history and mechanisms, not on bitching about gun rights or how ultracool the Nazis and their flashy uniforms were as many, many gun nuts are wont to do.
@@tidypog3272 Well when you are taking barrel changes into account the round count will be much lower as well. Wikipedia lists the effective fire rate as 154rpm when taking into account barrel changes. So if this video is considered 34,800 rounds long, then the corresponding barrel count would be 1 melted barrel.
Brings back fond memories of cleaning this thing, and cleaning this thing, and cleaning this thing, schlepping this thing through the forrest… did I mention the cleaning?
One of the deadliest weapons ever created and probably the most scary thing to ever be on the other end of. All this makes it the most badass weapon ever.
Yes properly one of the most feared weapons for any allied soldier, along with the Tiger and Stuka Dive Bomber , and the later multi launch rockets. My late Grandad told me about been under fire from such weapons , and he survived been in the BEF then the Dunkirk evacuations , then the whole North Africa campaign and Italy until the end of the war . though wounded at both Dunkirk and again late in the war in Italy he lived until 2018 , 99 years old. he said the sound alone of a MG42 was hated by Soldiers and something you could never forget once you heard it. My Grandad Father was a very understanding person and never held any hatred towards the Germans who were once is foe's after the war ended he was a guard at a camp in Italy were German POW were been processed to be sent back to Germany. He struck up several friendship's in return they made him Toys and other items . Much later back in Civilian life he had a German exchange student staying with his Family. even later than that he was the first person to come and visit my Then new German Girlfriend when she visited my for the first time. Has I type now from Hamburg Germany my home since 2009 still with the same Woman. He even came to stay with us over Christmas in Germany at the age of almost 91. The person who tough me to never hate people to be open minded and to forgive because hate just bread more hatred . a great person who I miss one daily basis. thanks again for a great video
@@garymitchell5899 can u give me a link? Because he said in his vid. that he hasn´t done one and i never saw one. I dont count the vid. about the american conversion. Because he is talking about a diferent gun and he´s not showing the gun.
I've fired the next generation after this, the MG-3 and it's an absolute beast. I recollect our officers in the army telling us that the germans used 3 years to educate a MG team and it really shows. They were deadly with those guns.
What might be interesting is that the Bundeswehr is still using a modified version of the mg42. It is called mg3. Rheinmetall still does maintenance and repairs on the mg3 and some of them still have the Hakenkreuz on them
German high command: "We want you to design a gun with these exact features and systems" German engineers: *design weapons that make seemingly incompatible tech work but are fragile as a result* German high command: "Eh we only wanna see if we can make a stamped gun" German engineers: *design weapon of legendary reputation whose direct descendant is still in service 80 years later*
@@alanwatts8239 LOL, ever own / work on a Porsche? I'll take a Ford any day. everything about Porsches is over-engineered and pitifully frail... and expensive... as in $400 fuel pump heating up and melting a $300 cheap plastic housing.
When the German Bundeswehr was formed in 1955, there was a need for a new machinegun (among many other types of firearms). After thorough testing, it was concluded that the MG42 (now chambered in 7.62 NATO) was still the best machinegun around. I even got to shoot one during my military service back in the mid 90's, and it is STILL in use (designated MG3).
Alex K, I have been 1961 in Luftwaffe (AA-FlugzeugFührer-Schule) Landsberg/Lech-Bavaria, as we had had also do #Exercises with Army; shooting with waeapons like M G42; upgraded Cal.7,62x51 Nato- Amazing, interesting recognizing to see - All of them Made in WW2, stamped (very littel) w/ Hakenkreuz. Sometimes I thought ... if this MG .. could speak,,,,and what's happened with this Soldiers had had in Hands...and Enemies...
I was telling people about that that's why I love Germans it works so they kept it I bet its a savage with a modern caliber like 7.62 the 7.92 is still nuts but I've put just bog standard fmj federal match 7.62 rounds through a iron manhole cover at 800m 5 shots blew it in half that was with a Rimington 700 but a real us marine sniper rifle a guy had for f class competition at my old range and it was a tack driver it was out shooting feinwerkbaus but a dude had a Enfield the one in 7.62 it was used by the British army up to when the acuracy International was born but they are still used as it's in 7.62 and there just fantastic that outshone the rem 700 big time the rem had a better scope but the Enfield had a old German Post and it was super accurate and so powerful I don't think people realise a 7.62 nato will go through a house a car and still drop someone lol
@@weirdsciencethe2nd205 7.92mm Mauser is a bit more powerful than 7.62 NATO in its original military loads (still available from European ammo manufacturers). US manufacturers grossly download their 7.92 mauser for some reason....
@@Bravo-Too-Much Didn't you hear him say this one probably came out of the Afrika Korps? No Russians were harmed in the making of this video, but a bunch of Brits instead.
I like seeing the German eagle markings. I love my mosin because of the hammer and sickle insignia and harsh tooling mark as a reminder that they couldn't make them fast enough. A time capsule of sorts.
This LMG is extensively manufectured and used in Pakistan Army under the name LMG 1A3. Every gunner is given 2 bolts....one light for sheer rate of fire and second is bit heavy and slows down rate of fire. I was a member of para team and number 1 gunner. I usually amazed the comrades when i used to fire just single bullet because at one time triger pull gun fires at least 2 bullets or 3. Love to see the video. Respects from Pakistan.
Greetings From USA!!! Quick question. Have you or anyone you know been in formation for the birder opening/closing ceremony? I always thought it was cool watching it and seeing the two men at the gate shaking hands.
I used a similar machine gun in the Norwegian army in the late 80's. It was the MG-3. It came with a profiled scrape for cleaning propellant residue from the inside of the muzzle. If the holes around the muzzle got clogged, the rate of fire would increase as the gases would meet greater resistance exiting through the holes. Thus pushing harder and faster on the front of the barrel.
Fun fact: In german it would be "Großfuß" (even with the new grammar rules), only in some german speaking countries like switzerland or lichtenstein it might be "Grossfuss".
I mean, same as with the M2 in the US - if the design is solid, and it does everything you need it to, there's nothing wrong with keeping what works around for a century.
I was a machine gunner and carried a M240b. It's amazing how similar in a lot of respects it is with the 42 and to a lesser extent the 34. Always thought it was a excellent testament to a very excellent and effective design.
I carried the M-60 and that looks a lot closer and still prefer the 60 over the 240. I like the slower rate of fire. I could keep it on target at 1000 meters during qual
@@maddogmaz1576 I joined an '05 and never got to mess with the 60. But I had absolutely zero problems hitting the 1 km Target with a three round burst every time with iron sights so.
My grandfather marched all the way from Normandy to the Rheine in WWII. He told me that he always thought that hearing an MG42 firing in the distance sounded like tearing cloth.
My grandpa was using the MG42 in Africa with the Wehrmacht. Funny how things have changed since then. Their grandchildren talking about the weapon design while watching gun Jesus telling us all the interesting facts
I just discovered this channel. It is by far my most liked now. His videos are highly informative and I like his relaxed, dry sense of humor. He has a loyal new viewer!
@@AJ-qs7oj Hes right. Its absolute insanity. Tyranny is coming back right now. Too many people don't understand their history. Vaccine passport please!
I got to work an M60 range with our Mech Infantry counterparts in the German Army who were training with us at Ft Indiantown Gap. I got to speak at length with a Panzergrenadier guy about the M60 and the MG3 and send hundreds of tracer/ball downrange. Our grandfathers trained to fight each other a half century before yet there we were, sharing a laugh as brother infantrymen. It was surreal and very cool.
When i was serving in the Norwegian airforce,we had the MG-3,and it was a fantastic machine gun!!The rate of fire was between 900-1100 rpm,so the rate is reduced on the MG-3.
Never knew that the 3 wire springs were actually better than a single wire spring. I thought it was just because the Germans and Soviets were cheap and these were easier/cheaper to make than a proper 1 wire spring. The more you know. This is why I love this Channel. Keep it up Ian!!
Geissele actually makes buffer springs for ar platforms based on the mg42 design. They claim that this design primarily increases the service life and reliability of the spring. And is much quieter as well.
for real tho. ian's always showing us guns that actually put bullets into charlie or jerry or ivan and you can see the materials, components, and wear patterns of that use. and then there's the engineering and history lessons as he disassembles the weapon :D
@@fuzzy1dk the video isnt as good as other videos he made from shooting other guns and the weapon itself has (like mentioned in the video) a modified bolt so its not the original rate of fire
He noted in the video 17:30 the guns without rebounce preventer are dangerous because of possible case rupture. I doubt he will shoot this particular one.
The anti-bolt bounce device was developed by Mauser prior to the end of the war. Many MG-42's were issued one, but many in service were used without it, which entails some risk. Most MG-42's I have seen use the postwar version of that same part.
My aunt was machineguner during the military service (spanish army) with a development of this machine gun (mostly to make it lighter) and as i know it is still in service in many armys here in europe
Finally I understand how the MG42 and it's roller-lock recoil actually worked.. I'm glad this video came out, and now I walk away knowing how and why the MG42 is easily the most recognizable machine gun of WWII.. Cheers!
Person reviewing proyect: we need a new machine gun Engineers: we made this cheap sexy gun Proyect reviewer: nice and what is the fire rate? Mg42 clears throat: yes
@@albnoel more like 6 barrels a minute - recommended cyclus is to change after each 250 shots in 'rapid succession'. If we, for arguments sake, put the rate of fire at 1500 (a bit lower than actual) and you link enough ammunition together to fire 1500 rounds - no not continuous - long bursts of 15-20, you'll go through all the spare barrels of an entire platoon and the first barrel you used will still be too hot to use when you are done shooting. How do I know this? I've done it - albeit with an MG62 (MG42 rechambered for 7.62 NATO). By the way, hot barrels can be cooled in water or snow but must be fully submerged/covered so as not to bend/warp. If that is not possible, they should be placed in the 'spare barrel carrier' to cool, rather than directly on the ground. Fun fact: It takes about 200 blanks to heat a barrel enough that you can make a cup of cocoa on it - just don't use a plastic cup.
Hi, Ian. In Call of Duty, there is a scene where the player has to pay attention to the moment when the M42 barrel was being changed. Trying to cross the field of fire at any other time ended your progress. Thanks for providing such a huge library of videos. This one was very informative. Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
Info requested - mg42 =1500-1550 rpm ( 25/26 rnds a sec) , mg3 = 1200 rpm ( 20 rnds a sec ). mg3 is a slowed down for nato standards version of the 42 in 762.nato. m53 = 960 rpm ( 16-18 rnds a sec ) produced by Yugoslavia after the war using german tooling left behind . besides the heavier bolt introduced for the mg1 later mg3 the rpm is regulated by the the exit hole in the muzzle cone booster ,the smaller the exit the higher rpm. A m53 which is highly passed and mistaken for a 42 can have its rpm raised to war time rpm with a smaller exit hole ,a 42 blank firing cone can be drilled out to the appropriate size of 10.5 or 11 mm.
During basic training in the german mountain forces, I was the designated mg gunner. I still remember the stamping on the receiver said "mg42" with the 42 crossed out and a 3 added (mg 3). It wad manufactured 1944. Quite the feeling to hold history in your hands. This was 2008.
Fake. MG 3 has another caliber (7,62 × 51) and was produced between 1966 and 1977 in Germany. 21 years after world war 2. Rheinmetall was the manufacturer. So there wasn't a "stamping on the reciever said mg 42" and it wasn't produced in 1944. Greetings from Tom who was really a mg 3 gunner and not an internet fake like you.
@@GoMrTom Hey Tom, just go to english wikipedia MG3 article and look at the third picture on the page: a relabelled MG42 Dont call someone a liar if you dont even check the worst of sources...
I was in german army in 2000 and we used the MG3 but it was only a renamed MG 42 and had a bit lower firerate but was the same gun withe the same parts you show.
Monster weapon. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for allied soldiers to hear the roar of these buzzsaws belching out thousands of rounds
What was not mentioned was the fear factor brought onto the battlefield. GIs would say that the sound of the 'zipper' when the MG42 was in use was a source of terror. This was a sound never forgotten and the 'star' of many post-war nightmares. A distant relative faced MG42s in Europe after the Battle of the Bulge. He talked about the sound until the end of his life. A PSTS (Post-traumatic stress syndrome) victim, he jumped from the 5th floor of a veterans hospital in 1960. Remember the movie PATTON where he talks about 'your best friend's head turned into goo?' Think MG42!
When I was drafted in to the Danish army in the early 70'ies I became a machine gunner and this is the gun we used. You could reliably hit larger targets at 600M but it was a good idea to strap an old tin can just outside the feed port to smooth out the belt feed to prevent hang ups. It was a bit tricky to shoot if you were not lying down but they did teach us to use it in a walking stance for close combat. You had to grip the forward legs with your left hand and jam the butt very tight in towards your body. If you did not hold it tight enough the recoil would not reload the gun and it would stop. It came standard with two barrels, a cooling tray and an asbestos glove to change them with. They got real hot in a hurry. Pretty sure I could still field strip and assemble this one blindfolded. A bonus was that the cooling ports on the left side of the barrel shroud worked great as a beer bottle opener. Take the bottle in your left hand and stick the cap in while you flick the pistol grip with your right hand and Viola!... Yes that was in the days before screw top beer bottles :-)
You have screw top beer bottles in dennmark?
@@thebaumfaeller1477 Nah but I now live in Canada and it comes with weenie US beer
Screw top beer bottles? What kind of atrocity is this? Usually you have to taste beer to judge it, but if it comes in a bottle like this, you immediatly know it will be pisswater :D
@@yoshisaurusrex3767 Actually, I've seen local breweries here in Quebec use screw tops while still having a good product. I can't imagine it'd last very long that way though.
@@asweknowit123 Though a champagne cork rather than screw top Unibroue's Maudite gets my vote
A little note for the reassembly:
I used the MG-74 in austrian army, it’s literally the same as the MG-42. When you reassemble the gun, you can easily make a very fatal error. When you throw the bolt assembly into the receiver without installing the charging handle before, the bolt locks into the barrel and the supply officer (he is in charge of the arsenal) has the fun of his life to get the bolt out there.
You get a sharp rebuke and can help the supply officer with every shit for the next 3 days.
We were specially taught not to forget the charge handle during assembly.
Wait but ours has a slow (600rpm iirc) rate of fire right. I'm not sure since I was trained on the Browning M2 during my mandatory service. Meanwhile the Germans have their MG-3 with 1200 rpm.
@@heinrichrahm1531 yep, and other differences:
-Reduced the rate of fire to 850 rounds / minute.
-The firing frequency can be varied by changing the bolt assembly if necessary.
-Plastic buttstock to save weight (MG 42: wooden buttstock).
-Adjustment of the visor horizontally 35 °, vertically 15 °.
-Winter trigger that enables single fires
-Use of the standard NATO caliber
copied and translated from german Wikipedia ( de.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_74 )
@Right Round I think you misunderstood me I meant to say that our modernized MG-42 is slower shooting than the original MG-42 and the German MG-3. I only added the M2 to my comment because I remember hearing something about the rate of fire during training but I wasn't sure since it was not the gun I was trained on. Hope that clears it up
@@Junkman122 thanks for the quick answer
@Junkman van Death I expierenced this problem first hand, too. But there is a very easy fix to this: You take the recoil amplifier (Rückstoßverstärker) off the gun, it just screws off easily. Now the end of the barrel (actually the Rohrführungshülse, but i dont know how to explain this properly) is sticking out a bit in front of the gun. Now you point the barrel upwards and slam your hand really hard on the barrel. This will cause the bolt assemply to unlock and it can be removed easily. What you are doing is essentially simulating the recoil of a shot being fired. A very senior member of my unit showed me this very neat trick!
It was also adopted and modified by the Galactic Empire 😎
And the Colonial Marines...
And the Brotherhood of Steel
Hahaha, and the Stormtroopers still couldn't hit anything, LOL!
and, with little modifications, was brought to the german army as MG 3. The MG42 was also named "Hitlers Säge" = Hitlers Saw. Greetings from germany
Well the Galactic Empire is a sci fi analogue of the Nazi SS. Stormtrooper itself is an obvious reference. That's why all the blasters in star wars are different WW2 guns mocked up to sort of look like laser guns.
In 4th or 5th grade a classmate, a girl, insisted her dad had machineguns in their garage. Nobody believed her and we let her know that. One day she took us home and produced an MG-42 and MP-40. We played soldier with them for a couple years.
So her grandpa brought those home? That's cool as hell.
@@neyoid that's a lot of assumption 😆
@@beargillium2369 I mean, not really. After WW2 a lot of American GIs brought home German and Japanese weapons as trophies. My great-uncle Dean was a 155mm or Long Tom gunner in WW2, and he brought home a German army helmet and a STG-44. He took them off a German soldier that had died trying to assault his artillery position in late 1944.
@@SkunkApe407 Thats assuming the people in the story are American lol
@@drunkswithguns4124 the fact that OP said "4th or 5th grade" instead of "4th or 5th year" or "in primary school" is a pretty good indicator that they're American. The words and phrases a person uses can tell you a lot about someone.
"Would cause the gun to basically explode... Not a particularly huge issue."
Total war is a hell of a drug.
So is meth
@@toomuchdamnyogurt5449 I sure hope nobody mixes the two!
@@j0ndav1s someone has I'm sure
@@evanneyen6131 Which army didn't? US Army still do.
Bring another one Hans
As a former german soldier (KFOR) the MG3 / MG42 is a pleasure to shoot, esp. from lafette/carriage. The MG42 was constructed by a german engineer (who would later be a college prof. for agriculture) near my hometown in saxony.
the same man said later that he considered it an industrial problem, not a military one. He inspected industrial feed machines in factories to see how they processed multiple units per minute, such as cigarette machines and machines that made bolts.
As a danish soldier, and former light machine gunner... I LOVED it! :) fantastic weapon :)
@@michaelbevan3285 interesting story. Can you tell more details about it?
@@hakeemzahardi9207 he considered the task of how the gun accepted cartridges from a belt,, took them from the belt and then fed, fired, ejected the empty cases and links and then recocked itself, as an industrial process rather than a gunnery process. He was burdened by traditional concepts of gun design.
What is your perspective on the mg4 and mg5 machineguns? It would be interesting to have your opinion on the matter, since most of us have only seen them on shotshow
My Uncle was big and strong enough to fire his Bonesaw or “Kauluzāģis” in Latvian, from the hip while fighting Russians in WW2. He survived both the war and his free trip to Siberia afterwards. Great video.
What faction was your uncle?
@@commanderfoxtroti believe he was an electrician ⚡⚡
Not a plot twist: His uncle was a nazi
@@pank3354 His Uncle fell off a guard tower.
Дядя Петя служил в сс.Но суко вы ещё нам ответите. Мы идём
as an engineer I appreciate the time, the efforts, and the ideas of German weapons arsenals and makers, stamped sheet metal was out of box solution as it's cheaper, yet that rollers pouncing idea to load the bullet firing between bolt and muzzle not to weak receiver structure was really brilliant... thank you Ian, appreciate that you explain professionally the whole mechanical thing
Let's be honest
No one forgot this weapon but it just had to make an appearance eventually
Realshit
When the same design is still in military use today with not much more than a re-chambering, it's definitely hard to call it forgotten.
@@honkhonkler7732 i shot with this gun in my service time back in 2006 . The new version of this gun is called MG 3 btw. and its not shooting 24/sec anymore if i remember it corretly.
@@ogburnher Yea the mg3 has a fire rate of about 800 rounds per minute to 1000 rounds per minute for better recoil control. While the mg42 had a fire rate of 1200 rounds per minute to 1500 rounds I like the mg42 more than the mg3 still because you gotta admire how fast the mg42 shoots.
One of my favorite weapons of all time for the simple fact of it was like the first weapon to make America go oh shit,and it was JUST a machine gun,not a cannon,bomb,ect
It BLOWS MY MIND that those rollers can move fast enough with the barrel extension for that rate of fire and work properly.
The firing pin holder shoves them out of the way(into their recess) as it is moving forward, its not like they are spring loaded
If you think about it, the rollers are actually significantly less "material mass" that needs to move to lock the gun, than most other guns with an entire rotating bolt head have.
16:10 Well. They didn't -_-
Your mind propably wasn't the only one blown by this gun.
Timing is everything :D
If the enemy creates training films in order to make its solders less afraid of one of your weapons, you know you're on to a winner.
In all fairnes, I probably wouldn't see much practical difference between 7, 15 or 24 rounds per second when those rounds are flying towards me. I'd be suppressed well enough with either.
True, but you really start to lose efficiency when firing into large masses of Soviets...
@@xs-1b415 all about that efficiency with german guns, hm?
There big full power rifle rounds the Germans still use em just chambered in 7.62 nato instead of the bad boy 7.92 mauser that sucker holds 1000ftlb at 600m so basically the same energy as a .44 magnum poin blank or an m4 at 50 yards lol and as the rate of rounds it puts down the recoil pattern makes it work like a shotgun like u spray a bunch of folks ur hiting various places un like say the bar or especially the bren the bren will put all the mag into a 4inch hole no pattern so if u spray in ambush u may hit 2 or 3 the 43 will hit the lot of em
Perhaps it may have to do with accuracy. If you shoot more rounds down range in the general direction of a target, you'll be more likely to hit them with 24 rounds per second than 7.
I’ve heard the MG-42 called “Hitler’s Zipper”, presumably because it would open a persons body like a zipper, or it sounded like one…not completely sure. Either way, I do know from old Wartime documentaries it scared the poop out of our troops because whenever they heard it fire, they immediately went to ground and took cover then called up a tank or air support. The Nazis were infamous tho for placing these guns at very good vantage points that made them hard to get to without a tank or plane. Would NOT have wanted to face one in combat.
Not only could it provide suppressing fire, it provided oppressing fire. The sound alone was enough to wear away at morale.
Absolutely, I remember seeing a US training film that was basically dedicated to the noise of a MG42 firing and it claimed "it's bark is worse than it's bite" or something along that line.
Could be extremely wasteful of ammunition if carelessly used ? Those supply chaps had arms like gorillas!
@@chrisjones6002 Yep that was the quote.... And it was just the opposite of that.... the US soldiers did not call it Hitlers Buzzsaw for no reason
@@tomicbranislav3 yah but they wanted to give the troops confidence to attack them still.
@Robertino Tanos Just saying mate.... you needed to have balls to try taking out a position that is defended by one of these.... We still have them in Reserve Inventory in case of war, Designation M53 LMG
The Russians are red
My fingers are blue
We're all stuck in Stalingrad
Hans, get the MG42
Whats that from?
Nice
@@packlesswolf1 my good guess is Company of heros 2. But I haven't played that game in a long time so I could be wrong.
Stalingrad was already over!
When we're out of ammo it's the gulag for you
I have served in spanish army from the late 80 till now. We had plenty of this wonderful machines, most of them still with the marks of wermacht or even SS. Most of them are still in service. I have tracked several of them till the very early production. Coming mostly from Spanish Blue Division. Chapter apart to mention…
That's fascinating. Where are spare parts sourced from? Does Spain produce them themselves?
@@TheLesserWeevil I'm guessing other guns gutted for spares, or otherwise gotten from Mg3's which I think are nearly fully comparable (just fire slightly slower)
The key innovation about changing the barrel is that the assistant gunner could remove and replace the barrel while lying flat on the ground, thus limiting exposure to enemy fire. The American machine gunners had to exchange the barrel while kneeling.
I got to put 40 rounds through one of these a few years back. Best two seconds of my life.
I’m guessing 3/4 that time was spent squeezing the trigger :)
It took you that long? Were you firing bursts?
I.K.R !
I got to run out an entire belt on one mounted in the Lafayette mount, week before Xmas 2002. We had a beat all to hell 1980's Buick down range a little under 100 yards.She absolutely cut that damn car into pieces in no time. It was epic, never fell harder&faster for a firearm! I've loved\lusted over the MG42 ever since!
Also shot a full auto USAS-12 that day and it was a huge letdown, 400rpm 12 gauge ain't nothing after 1500 rpm of 8mm.
@@r.shanethompson7933 holy shit what an experience! I wish I could shoot more than a bolt action while serving my time.
Having fired the MG42 at a few opportunities and its modern MG3 variant I feel that the high rate of fire also makes you through sheer amount of bullets per burst to hit difficult targets at range.
The Russian WW2 infantry veterans called MG-42 a "Hitler's bonesaw" due to incredible fire rate. I have tried two of them in the shooting range - most handy gun with pretty light recoil. Thanks for rewiew!
Я имею в наличии мг34. Да и я русский
@@sashabaha9485vodka bear 🐻 🇷🇺 how are y’all likeing our tank
Ian: “of only around 1000 rpm”
Everyone: ONLY
WHAT?!
*EET EES WUD EET EES*
was looking for this comment thanks
There are varints of the MG42 that are around 1400-1600 rpm
@@LordCybot seems german
@Modern Zombie It's high for the 1930s
So, the feed system used in the MG42 and now many other machine guns was designed by a newcomer to gun design. Neat.
Like the AK
Made by a tank designer
Like a Glock although Glock guy had a few smart ones from the Styer.
@@azmanabdula Tank *crewman Kalashnikov did not design tanks
Yes, but an established industrial engineer. He just looked at it as a mechanical problem, using his manufacturing process engineering experience as a basis. I think Ian's comparison to Gaston Glock is quite apt. Both came into the gun design game without any formal training in weapons design, but with a very good understanding of mechanical engineering and material science (polymers in the case of Glock, steel stamping in the case of Gruner). That allowed them to approach issues without a preconceived notion of how they should be done in a gun and come up with unconventional, but very effective, solutions.
yeah! just like the L85... er...
The MG-42 is and has been my absolute favorite gun ever since i was a kid. Its fast fire rate, stamp steel, huge intimidating frame, fast barrel exchange system, whats not to love about the gun?
One thing, is for sure: This weapon, is not forgotten...!
Unbelievable to think this is still effectively in service as the MG3 in 2020
Consider the Ma Deuce.
@@ADUSN
The MG3 is the MG42 renamed to avoid political embarrassment. Early MG3s were in 8x57mm.
Can't take out a good design lol
@@zoiders
The first batch of MG3s built for the Bundeswehr were in 8mm also known as 8x57mm. Possibly it was to hide the WWII built guns they used.
But last produced in 1977. The gun has to be replaced because there are no parts for replacement left.
And the MG3 doesn't really fit as a squad automatic weapon, the idea of universal machine gun became obsolete. Different caliber then G36 and 2 man crew is mandatory. With MG4 in german service the squad got two machine guns instead of one.
Hah! I was wondering when you were going to do a dedicated MG42 video like this!
@@A_Nice_Guy. Fully automatic, and so clicky it's deafening!
yea his Mg34 and MG42 video was almost his most watched video. This probably is the most anticipated FW video.
@@A_Nice_Guy. Beamsprings, tall order. Those are the tits. MX blue, probably :p .
Man I'd like to fire an MG42 someday xD .
Welp, I did definitely not expect to meet you here •_•
Best machinegun ever.
I have a mg 42 or mg50 per seller .it is an exact replica using many ordinal parts but converted to semi auto. 8mm. Bought tons of surplus ammo years ago. Great fun to shoot.
At the beginning of this year I got to take a look at one of these earlier Mg42s, got taught how to do the combat engagement drill (readying the gun for firing), was really cool to learn about
The MG42 is probably the most aesthetically pleasing machine gun I've ever seen
Not me Bergman pistols tickle my Fancy
Aye, true that.
The cetme ameli is cool looking to
They're quite pleasing to look upon. Much like a 1911, the MG-42 is a work of art imho.
Was it the MG42 or MG34 that was used for making heavy blasters in Star Wars? Sorry, your avatar makes me assume you’d be the guy to ask.
Probably the least forgotten weapon ever produced.
It is definitely Iconic but not even close to the most well known gun
you should tell that lindy beige
TrAffic probably the ar-15 or the ak 47
@@fritzkuhne2055 He knows they exist... and as a point British troops did call them Spandau's (as was the MG36 as well as 08s), as can be read in personal diaries and memoirs.
This particular video should be on "Unforgettable Weapons"
I read somewhere, that this excellent light machine gun could be configured into a heavy machine gun. Part of that reconfiguration was to rig the weapon for a higher rate of fire.
I believe it was the best mass production light machine gun produced in WW2. Thanks Ian, for this video.
Even without rpm changes, the effective role of the MG changes depending on mount. On a fully anchored tripod with tons of extra ammo and barrels? Heavy machinery gun. On a bipod being manned by two people? Light machine gun
You know it's a good gun when it's mentioned in the same breath as m249s and 240Bs in terms of effective squad weapons, and Maxim and M2 brownings in terms of moral effect and sheer destruction.
I looked up Gaston Glock after you mentioned him not having previous firearms experience, very neat story. Especially the bit about him clobbering his would-be assassin.
@EnricoAwsome I been into cars after being into guns xD I was a noob could only tell the models, engine types and that's it, now I understand further mechanics on various automobiles.
@@GunsNGames1Over the years I've noticed a certain type of people frequent channels like this. Whether it be cars, electronics, firearms, and on a more fundamental level physics; we crave learning how things work and the history behind it. Engineers at heart.
I've noticed that one hobby or interest usually spawns a following similar fascination. I gain happiness by simply learning how something operates, and I'm sure there are many others like me that watch this channel. There's nothing like a great example of engineering to occupy ones mind. I remember binge watching How it's Made as a kid. I was no older than 10 and already fascinated by humans capacity for creativity and ingenuity.
I imagine that the people in this comment section and I would have many more shared interests than just firearms and vehicles.
My brother has worked with cars and boats, wood, metal and guns.
My granddad was a ship mechanic and auto body repair specialist.
My mom taught wood and metal work.
I am a clumsy oaf, but I am interested in how things work.
I also like building Lego.
I'm 32.
A friend of mine served in the Bundeswehr and when they trained on the newer version of the MG42, the MG3, they were required to get 3 bursts of fire out of a belt of ammo with only 15 rounds on it, in an attempt to learn how not to eat up all their ammo immediately.
That sounds very difficult to do
Who can resist the brrrrt
For some reason I had a vision of the CZ-61 holster from a while back, with the 10-round magazine - but on a much larger scale.
@@AshleyPomeroy finally a suitable ccw
@@sawyere2496 but very important to do, because it eats a lot of ammo if you don't. And there's nothing worse than having enemies left at the end of the ammo!
Hey Ian, My grandfather said it was the scariest sound he had ever heard. When he landed on omaha beach armed with only his M1 he made it to tell the tale.
Liar
@@Grease7 liar? Tons of people's grandparents served in WW2 lol. It's almost more rare for them to have not served
No he didn’t
M1?
Carbine, Garand, Thompson
@@glibglob8755 don't see why it's hard to believe. Most people who are adults or nearing adulthood now had grandparents who fought in WW2. It literally had a draft.
Great Vid Ian. As an amateur firearm historian (no where near as well studied as you are), I appreciate all of your videos, even those of modern era firearms. I find the period from around 1840 to the early 1920s, a fascinating one to study. The amount of firearm innovations and the transition to nitrocellulose based powders and cartridges,, is flat out exciting to study all the changes in a relatively short period of 80 odd years.
Keep up the great work Sir.
Hell yeah!
Fireing 200 round belts as a part of a „Sturmabwehrschiessen“ in Putlos with a MG3 as a German Panzergrenadier in the year 2001 was one of the gun highlights of my life. Perfect universal machine gun.
putlos in winter86..firing from the hip-one hand straightdown for absorbing recoil..under gasmask..whole group attacking...earth-defender of the luftwaffe
I hear ya, I hear ya... But perfect? Or even best? I don't know man.
@OS Arktis The role of the MG42 in WWII was to do all the work. Everybody else was just carrying ammo for it - until the arrival of the Stgw44.
"Sturmabwehrschießen" ... Gefällt mir :D
@@derekakaderek Why would you miss with it? It's as accurate as any MG
MG42, one early piece and 23 minutes video. Blessed.
Now the math question: How many rounds could that thing shoot during the video
@@HappyBeezerStudios if my math is correct you could fire 34800 rounds continously if you look past barrel changes
@go away mostly due to seo
@@hardstyle3878 and how many barrel changes would be needed?
@@Martinlegend changing barrel every 250 rounds. 139 times
In my Basic Training in the Bundeswehr Back in 2007 i had a MG 3 with a crossed 42 and an added 3. To my information my MG3 was an converted 42.
I'm gonna get one of these next. I just got an MG34 and I want to round off my collection with a 42. After that I will need an MP40, and if possible an STG-44 and MG-15 though I'll get around to those last two whenever I do.
I love this vid, no bullshit. No silly musick no silly people, just clean and just the facts. Simply superb.
Welcome to Forgotten Weapons. Enjoy your stay. :D
But where's our flashy intro and tacticool montage set to royalty free 'rock' music?
Silly people hier! 🤡👻💩👽🕳️😂
No long begging for thumbs up and subscribe
@@Canukles Don't forget the weird, vaguely far right political asides. Something I appreciate about Ian is that he's focused strictly on the history and mechanisms, not on bitching about gun rights or how ultracool the Nazis and their flashy uniforms were as many, many gun nuts are wont to do.
Using the MG42 cyclic rate this video is 34,800 rounds long.
How many barrels
@@tidypog3272 Well when you are taking barrel changes into account the round count will be much lower as well. Wikipedia lists the effective fire rate as 154rpm when taking into account barrel changes. So if this video is considered 34,800 rounds long, then the corresponding barrel count would be 1 melted barrel.
nice
Underrated comment of the year so far.
You legit deserve mad likes for that
Brings back fond memories of cleaning this thing, and cleaning this thing, and cleaning this thing, schlepping this thing through the forrest… did I mention the cleaning?
One of the deadliest weapons ever created and probably the most scary thing to ever be on the other end of. All this makes it the most badass weapon ever.
Yes properly one of the most feared weapons for any allied soldier, along with the Tiger and Stuka Dive Bomber , and the later multi launch rockets. My late Grandad told me about been under fire from such weapons , and he survived been in the BEF then the Dunkirk evacuations , then the whole North Africa campaign and Italy until the end of the war . though wounded at both Dunkirk and again late in the war in Italy he lived until 2018 , 99 years old.
he said the sound alone of a MG42 was hated by Soldiers and something you could never forget once you heard it.
My Grandad Father was a very understanding person and never held any hatred towards the Germans who were once is foe's
after the war ended he was a guard at a camp in Italy were German POW were been processed to be sent back to Germany.
He struck up several friendship's in return they made him Toys and other items .
Much later back in Civilian life he had a German exchange student staying with his Family. even later than that he was the first person to come and visit my Then new German Girlfriend when she visited my for the first time.
Has I type now from Hamburg Germany my home since 2009 still with the same Woman.
He even came to stay with us over Christmas in Germany at the age of almost 91.
The person who tough me to never hate people to be open minded and to forgive because hate just bread more hatred .
a great person who I miss one daily basis.
thanks again for a great video
@@jspoons6619 That was wonderful. Thanks for sharing. :)
Lest we forget
Kar98k was probably more deadly but yeah this gun is lmg perfection from its time.
Due to the fact that your channel exists since 9 years and you never covered this “weapon” it can truly be called a “forgotten weapon” as well!
@@garymitchell5899 He never made a dedicated mg42 vid.
@@garymitchell5899 can u give me a link? Because he said in his vid. that he hasn´t done one and i never saw one. I dont count the vid. about the american conversion. Because he is talking about a diferent gun and he´s not showing the gun.
@@niklas2021able I know he did a vid on the 30-06 MG42s but I don’t think he ever did one on the regular 8mm Mauser one.
@@Fire_truck_man Yeah as i said i dont count the american conversion cause its verry different and he does not show the weapon.
@@niklas2021able true
I loved to shoot the MG3 in my time at the German army in 1992 .... especially, I didn’t have to pay the ammo 😎
Nice! Did you been part of the german army?
Didn´t the MG3 have bit slower rof?
Sure you didnt drive a Tiger 1 in Cologne?
@@Taistelukalkkuna MG3 have reduced rate of fire of 900 rpm, but it's still very fast compared to other machine gun of that caliber
@@rain_f rate of fire is actually around 1200
I've fired the next generation after this, the MG-3 and it's an absolute beast. I recollect our officers in the army telling us that the germans used 3 years to educate a MG team and it really shows. They were deadly with those guns.
What might be interesting is that the Bundeswehr is still using a modified version of the mg42. It is called mg3. Rheinmetall still does maintenance and repairs on the mg3 and some of them still have the Hakenkreuz on them
Based
German high command: "We want you to design a gun with these exact features and systems"
German engineers: *design weapons that make seemingly incompatible tech work but are fragile as a result*
German high command: "Eh we only wanna see if we can make a stamped gun"
German engineers: *design weapon of legendary reputation whose direct descendant is still in service 80 years later*
I've heard people talk about MG3s coming in with parts that have WWII Markings on them. shows something of the reliability and the longevity.
@@sawyerawr5783 Like scratched out swastikas? Yes, those did exist. 😀
Over engineered and fragile. Bmw Merc audi
@@janquantrill9585 Ford, dodge...
@@alanwatts8239 LOL, ever own / work on a Porsche? I'll take a Ford any day. everything about Porsches is over-engineered and pitifully frail... and expensive... as in $400 fuel pump heating up and melting a $300 cheap plastic housing.
When the German Bundeswehr was formed in 1955, there was a need for a new machinegun (among many other types of firearms). After thorough testing, it was concluded that the MG42 (now chambered in 7.62 NATO) was still the best machinegun around. I even got to shoot one during my military service back in the mid 90's, and it is STILL in use (designated MG3).
Alex K, I have been 1961 in Luftwaffe (AA-FlugzeugFührer-Schule)
Landsberg/Lech-Bavaria, as we had had also do #Exercises
with Army; shooting with waeapons like M G42; upgraded Cal.7,62x51
Nato- Amazing, interesting recognizing to see - All of them
Made in WW2, stamped (very littel) w/ Hakenkreuz. Sometimes
I thought ... if this MG .. could speak,,,,and what's happened with this Soldiers had had in Hands...and Enemies...
I was telling people about that that's why I love Germans it works so they kept it I bet its a savage with a modern caliber like 7.62 the 7.92 is still nuts but I've put just bog standard fmj federal match 7.62 rounds through a iron manhole cover at 800m 5 shots blew it in half that was with a Rimington 700 but a real us marine sniper rifle a guy had for f class competition at my old range and it was a tack driver it was out shooting feinwerkbaus but a dude had a Enfield the one in 7.62 it was used by the British army up to when the acuracy International was born but they are still used as it's in 7.62 and there just fantastic that outshone the rem 700 big time the rem had a better scope but the Enfield had a old German Post and it was super accurate and so powerful I don't think people realise a 7.62 nato will go through a house a car and still drop someone lol
@@weirdsciencethe2nd205 7.92mm Mauser is a bit more powerful than 7.62 NATO in its original military loads (still available from European ammo manufacturers). US manufacturers grossly download their 7.92 mauser for some reason....
well yes but the MG3 has a downgraded firerate
@@animalm4st3r MG3's firerate is still plenty compared to other guns. There's good reason why it's still in use...
It's insane to think that this ACTUAL gun that he's sitting behind murdered God knows how many men.
More like it’s awesome to think this mowed down many a Bolshevik with no regard to the safety of their internal organs.
It's a war, so technically not murder.
@@Bravo-Too-Much Didn't you hear him say this one probably came out of the Afrika Korps? No Russians were harmed in the making of this video, but a bunch of Brits instead.
@@averhan even better
@@WeebLord69 bri'sh
I like seeing the German eagle markings. I love my mosin because of the hammer and sickle insignia and harsh tooling mark as a reminder that they couldn't make them fast enough. A time capsule of sorts.
This LMG is extensively manufectured and used in Pakistan Army under the name LMG 1A3. Every gunner is given 2 bolts....one light for sheer rate of fire and second is bit heavy and slows down rate of fire.
I was a member of para team and number 1 gunner. I usually amazed the comrades when i used to fire just single bullet because at one time triger pull gun fires at least 2 bullets or 3.
Love to see the video. Respects from Pakistan.
I did these one-shot-thing in my service time aswell! (MG3). But i am sure with an original one it was a little bit...😁
That’s really cool
@@jorgschimmer8213
Sure!
Greetings From USA!!! Quick question. Have you or anyone you know been in formation for the birder opening/closing ceremony? I always thought it was cool watching it and seeing the two men at the gate shaking hands.
@@doomermeme9975 . Sorry i was to young
This is one of the few guns where you can say it 'only' had a fire rate of 1000rpm before if was increased 😆
I used a similar machine gun in the Norwegian army in the late 80's. It was the MG-3. It came with a profiled scrape for cleaning propellant residue from the inside of the muzzle. If the holes around the muzzle got clogged, the rate of fire would increase as the gases would meet greater resistance exiting through the holes. Thus pushing harder and faster on the front of the barrel.
The engineering that goes into stuff like this is very cool. Just found this channel and it’s awesome to learn about guns like these.
Fun fact: Grossfuss literally means Bigfoot.
Yeah, see everyone? They found that fuckin' thing yeeeaaars ago. Even then, big-foot wouldn't stand a chance against this bad-boy.
@@AdamBorseti You got that wrong, man, Bigfoot _invented_ this gun!
Grootvoet in Flemish.
Fun fact: In german it would be "Großfuß" (even with the new grammar rules), only in some german speaking countries like switzerland or lichtenstein it might be "Grossfuss".
@@hochminus-iy7ro bin auch Anhänger der alten Rechtschreibung normalerweise ;-)
In my service at the "Bundeswehr" in 2008 the MG3 was still the standard infantry LMG. It was a really awesome gun to shoot ^^
same in Turkish Armed Forces. i made my military service in 2008 and used mg3 too😁
I mean, same as with the M2 in the US - if the design is solid, and it does everything you need it to, there's nothing wrong with keeping what works around for a century.
Big thumbs up. You are my go to for in depth firearms history.
Greetings from Holland.
MG 34 and 42 were the best squad support guns as I've seen.
I was a machine gunner and carried a M240b. It's amazing how similar in a lot of respects it is with the 42 and to a lesser extent the 34. Always thought it was a excellent testament to a very excellent and effective design.
The irony is that the MG34 basically still has the best barrel change mechanism for vehicle mounted use..and noone copied that
If it ain't broke dont fix it
The MG42 is recoil operated gun..the M240 is gas operated.
I carried the M-60 and that looks a lot closer and still prefer the 60 over the 240. I like the slower rate of fire. I could keep it on target at 1000 meters during qual
@@maddogmaz1576 I joined an '05 and never got to mess with the 60. But I had absolutely zero problems hitting the 1 km Target with a three round burst every time with iron sights so.
My grandfather marched all the way from Normandy to the Rheine in WWII. He told me that he always thought that hearing an MG42 firing in the distance sounded like tearing cloth.
My grandpa was using the MG42 in Africa with the Wehrmacht. Funny how things have changed since then. Their grandchildren talking about the weapon design while watching gun Jesus telling us all the interesting facts
I just discovered this channel. It is by far my most liked now. His videos are highly informative and I like his relaxed, dry sense of humor. He has a loyal new viewer!
Imagine having to blur out the swastica in a historic, informative video. What a world of digital book burning we live in
Oh, shut up.
@@AJ-qs7oj Hes right. Its absolute insanity.
Tyranny is coming back right now. Too many people don't understand their history.
Vaccine passport please!
I got to work an M60 range with our Mech Infantry counterparts in the German Army who were training with us at Ft Indiantown Gap. I got to speak at length with a Panzergrenadier guy about the M60 and the MG3 and send hundreds of tracer/ball downrange. Our grandfathers trained to fight each other a half century before yet there we were, sharing a laugh as brother infantrymen. It was surreal and very cool.
2:48 you are actually pronouncing the names quite good :)
Greetings from Germany
Yepp - Grossfuss is pretty spot on!
+1
Ze Germanz
Mein Deutscher bruder
When you need to cut some trees but your gas powered chainsaw broke and your only option is the gun powder powered one :)
When i was serving in the Norwegian airforce,we had the MG-3,and it was a fantastic machine gun!!The rate of fire was between 900-1100 rpm,so the rate is reduced on the MG-3.
Never knew that the 3 wire springs were actually better than a single wire spring. I thought it was just because the Germans and Soviets were cheap and these were easier/cheaper to make than a proper 1 wire spring. The more you know. This is why I love this Channel. Keep it up Ian!!
I'm guessing they did it to overcome their inferior metal.
Materials and strength over length
@@AllahDoesNotExist all springs will fail. Having the gun go "click" when you expected a "bang" is the start of a very bad day.
Geissele actually makes buffer springs for ar platforms based on the mg42 design. They claim that this design primarily increases the service life and reliability of the spring. And is much quieter as well.
Actually these springs are more expensive. You need more steps to produce.
I am a 3D modeller, and I have always found this channel super useful when looking for reference
Yo same!
for real tho. ian's always showing us guns that actually put bullets into charlie or jerry or ivan and you can see the materials, components, and wear patterns of that use. and then there's the engineering and history lessons as he disassembles the weapon :D
The engineering is really interesting, as are your descriptions, thank you.
This machine gun is so good that even the imperial storm troopers used it in Star Wars.
They use the MG34
Of course it was going to be roller locked...
Just be happy it wasn't designed by that one dude with the toggle lock fetish.
@@theofficialsikris *Toggle-locked MG08 Intensifies*
@@or-what Comes with toggle locked knife and toggle locked naval gun
Because obviously your machine gun needs to have sniper rifle accuracy duhhhh
It was roller locked before roller locks were kool
This was kind of a trip down memory lane. The last time I had the pleasure to work with its successor was in my time with the bundeswehr.
What an amazingly thought out machine gun. That barrel removal is amazing
When you lifted that top cover and were showing the feed system. Thought I was looking at an M60 there for a minute. Basically I was. LOL
First thought: Wonder how many people this thing has killed. Second: When's Ian going to shoot it?
He did shoot it once
will thins do ? ruclips.net/video/GfJkU4Sah8I/видео.html
@@fuzzy1dk the video isnt as good as other videos he made from shooting other guns and the weapon itself has (like mentioned in the video) a modified bolt so its not the original rate of fire
He noted in the video 17:30 the guns without rebounce preventer are dangerous because of possible case rupture. I doubt he will shoot this particular one.
@@DrKlausTrophobie but not with the cracked buttstock
Ah yes...
The German electric toothbrush :D
That definitely (and permanently) would solve someone's dental issues..........
@@lycossurfer8851 this gun can solve a lot more problems not only dental ones
The anti-bolt bounce device was developed by Mauser prior to the end of the war. Many MG-42's were issued one, but many in service were used without it, which entails some risk. Most MG-42's I have seen use the postwar version of that same part.
My aunt was machineguner during the military service (spanish army) with a development of this machine gun (mostly to make it lighter) and as i know it is still in service in many armys here in europe
5:42 After you hit guns no no no no a suffix would be added...
I immediately heard the Hitler clip from the movie Downfall when he said 999.
Thank you. I was hoping someone heard that as "NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN!"
I was hoping for someone to get it
Finally I understand how the MG42 and it's roller-lock recoil actually worked.. I'm glad this video came out, and now I walk away knowing how and why the MG42 is easily the most recognizable machine gun of WWII.. Cheers!
' Until the eye's shut ' is an autobiography of a young German MG 42 machine gunner on the eastern front. Well worth listening to.
I didn't realize they were still in use until I saw the Estonian Army using them 2 years ago good to know they still use these beautiful machines
Not really probable that these were MG42 in active use. The MG3 looks nearly the same.
Person reviewing proyect: we need a new machine gun
Engineers: we made this cheap sexy gun
Proyect reviewer: nice and what is the fire rate?
Mg42 clears throat: yes
Engineers: Ehm, all of it.
Mg42 goes Brrrrrrr......
*MG 42 clears throat: JAWOHL!
Fire rate is one barrel per 30sec
Very original.
@@albnoel more like 6 barrels a minute - recommended cyclus is to change after each 250 shots in 'rapid succession'. If we, for arguments sake, put the rate of fire at 1500 (a bit lower than actual) and you link enough ammunition together to fire 1500 rounds - no not continuous - long bursts of 15-20, you'll go through all the spare barrels of an entire platoon and the first barrel you used will still be too hot to use when you are done shooting.
How do I know this? I've done it - albeit with an MG62 (MG42 rechambered for 7.62 NATO).
By the way, hot barrels can be cooled in water or snow but must be fully submerged/covered so as not to bend/warp. If that is not possible, they should be placed in the 'spare barrel carrier' to cool, rather than directly on the ground.
Fun fact: It takes about 200 blanks to heat a barrel enough that you can make a cup of cocoa on it - just don't use a plastic cup.
Hi, Ian. In Call of Duty, there is a scene where the player has to pay attention to the moment when the M42 barrel was being changed. Trying to cross the field of fire at any other time ended your progress. Thanks for providing such a huge library of videos. This one was very informative. Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
Info requested -
mg42 =1500-1550 rpm ( 25/26 rnds a sec) ,
mg3 = 1200 rpm ( 20 rnds a sec ). mg3 is a slowed down for nato standards version of the 42 in 762.nato.
m53 = 960 rpm ( 16-18 rnds a sec ) produced by Yugoslavia after the war using german tooling left behind .
besides the heavier bolt introduced for the mg1 later mg3 the rpm is regulated by the the exit hole in the muzzle cone booster ,the smaller the exit the higher rpm. A m53 which is highly passed and mistaken for a 42 can have its rpm raised to war time rpm with a smaller exit hole ,a 42 blank firing cone can be drilled out to the appropriate size of 10.5 or 11 mm.
I like your videos. Just the facts, no flash, no music and a focus on the history.
I'm actually kinda surprised that it took this long to feature a gun that's as popular and common as the MG42.
Well you can't eat the desert before the main dish. You have to keep the best for later
@CIA BETA Wing most of the weapons here aren't forgotten
@@Slimboy025 a lot of them are one off prototypes or non mass manufactured guns.
@@JTawesome92 but still not many are forgotten
@@Slimboy025 not to us 😊
During basic training in the german mountain forces, I was the designated mg gunner. I still remember the stamping on the receiver said "mg42" with the 42 crossed out and a 3 added (mg 3). It wad manufactured 1944. Quite the feeling to hold history in your hands. This was 2008.
Fake. MG 3 has another caliber (7,62 × 51) and was produced between 1966 and 1977 in Germany. 21 years after world war 2. Rheinmetall was the manufacturer. So there wasn't a "stamping on the reciever said mg 42" and it wasn't produced in 1944. Greetings from Tom who was really a mg 3 gunner and not an internet fake like you.
I really hate this constantly faking on the internet. Why can't you be honest? We need a world with honest people. Not with dishonest fakes.
@@GoMrTom yup. Really sad
@@GoMrTom Hey Tom, just go to english wikipedia MG3 article and look at the third picture on the page: a relabelled MG42 Dont call someone a liar if you dont even check the worst of sources...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MG42_zu_MG3_umgelabelt.jpg#/media/File:MG42_zu_MG3_umgelabelt.jpg
I shot the MG3 during my service as well, and now 20 years later I was happy to see your video and disassembly of it.
I was in german army in 2000 and we used the MG3 but it was only a renamed MG 42 and had a bit lower firerate but was the same gun withe the same parts you show.
Nice early example. One MG that I've always wanted but have never seemed to pick one up.
@Matt is that all?
Yeah but your invention by Eugene Stoner makes up for it.
"IT'S A MACHINE GUN!"
"HAHA.....ok"
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
Okay
Auf der einen blüt ein kleines blümelein
😅
@OS Arktis Thaks i have a big German tank
THE TIGER
@OS Arktis this is a joke😂😂😂
@OS Arktis 😂
@Gulf Relay hm yes good idea
Monster weapon. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for allied soldiers to hear the roar of these buzzsaws belching out thousands of rounds
A German machine Gunner that was able to handle it... could cut some troops down quickly.
War is Hell!!!☮️🇺🇸
It hurts to see that the MG42 shown is an early one that no longer has the original bipod.
Hardly forgotten, by friend and foe alike. Glad to see it.
I dig your SCP profile pic. Also another way this weapon is not forgotten: it was one of the templates for an imperial gun in Star Wars.
What was not mentioned was the fear factor brought onto the battlefield. GIs would say that the sound of the 'zipper' when the MG42 was in use was a source of terror. This was a sound never forgotten and the 'star' of many post-war nightmares. A distant relative faced MG42s in Europe after the Battle of the Bulge. He talked about the sound until the end of his life. A PSTS (Post-traumatic stress syndrome) victim, he jumped from the 5th floor of a veterans hospital in 1960. Remember the movie PATTON where he talks about 'your best friend's head turned into goo?' Think MG42!
12:13 I believe Giessele sells the same type of spring for the AR15'S buffer tube, you must use their proprietary buffer that's slightly thinner.
Fantastic ! I was a masjeengunner in the South African Weermag. We used the FN Browning masjeengun; 7,62 mm cal.
Can confirm about the twisted wire springs. I've put them into AR's and solved issues more than once. Its lovely.
Love the Super42’s! Run them when I’m not running SilentCapture’s