The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II.

In spite of its tendency to overheat, the MG-42 was an excellent weapon that was light-years of ahead of the US counterpart, the Browning M-1919A4 machine gun. Germany produced roughly 400,000 MG-42s during the war, some of which are still in active service.

The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") was a general-purpose machine gun. It was created in Nazi Germany . It began being used by the Wehrmacht in 1942.

Oct 3, 2022 · With the need for a cheaper machine gun, the Germans developed the MG-42. Learn about its use during WWII and the weapons it inspired.

The MG 42 was the Third Reich’s preferred general purpose machine gun in the second half of World War II. The MG 42 could also be used with a heavyduty tripod, the Lafette 42, to create a powerful sustained firing platform.

Jan 10, 2025 · MG42, German general-purpose machine gun, used as a standard weapon by many armies around the world. The MG42 was designed in Germany in 1938, and it was placed in action on all fronts by mid-1942. Its original calibre was 7.92 mm, but when West Germany entered the North Atlantic Treaty.

Aug 14, 2024 · From the beaches of Normandy to the baking sands of North Africa, the MG-42 was ubiquitous from 1942 to the end of the Second World War. Its reputation was well earned, lauded by its many Axis users, Allied forces, and partisans who trialed it for their uses.

Oct 22, 2017 · The German Maschinengewehr 42, or MG42, was one of the best machine-guns of the war, both in combat and in ease of production. It set the standard for machine-guns in the years that followed, and as such was the most important machine-gun of the war.

Sep 19, 2017 · The MG 42 was quicker and cheaper to make, fired faster, was mechanically robust, and its interchangeable barrels could be swapped out in seconds. More than 400,000 MG 42s were made during the war, and they literally changed the nature of infantry warfare on all fronts in the West.

During World War II, the MG42 machine gun was a reliable and powerful symbol of German engineering. This article takes an in-depth look at this iconic firearm, covering its design, historical significance, operational capabilities, and its lasting impact on modern warfare.