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.

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, …

Oct 22, 2017 · The MG42 was useful to German armed forces during WWII, but the real measure of its success is in the weaponry that has followed. As German and international manufacturers saw how effective it was, they adapted its technology into derivative guns.

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.

Feb 6, 2025 · As World War II ended, the MG42 endured, eventually evolving into the West German MG3, the Swiss MG51 and the Yugoslavian M53, as well as providing significant influence in the design of...

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.

German machine gun MG42, the deadliest infantry weapon of WW2. History, development, service, specifications, statistics, pictures, video and 3D model. MG42 Type: light or heavy machine gun. A German mountain troops MG42 gunner is engaging a …

—The M.G. 42 is a combination short-recoil blowback weapon. Instead of the rotating bolt action of the M.G. 34, 12 the bolt is locked to the barrel by means of two movable locking studs, located in the bolt head, and operating on two locking cams on the barrel extension.

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.