MG 34 Maschinengewehr
The German Maschinengewehr 34 was an air-cooled general-purpose machine gun firing the standard 7,92 × 57 mm Mauser rifle ammunition. First issued in 1935, the MG 34 served as a tank machine gun, squad light machine gun, or sustained fire medium machine gun of the Wehrmacht und some Axis allies. The 1:35 scale MG 34 shown here is on an anti-aircraft mount, shortened to match smaller 1:55 scale sci-fi miniatures.
In the LMG role, the MG 34 was fitted with a bipod und a drum magazine containing a 50-round belt, which enabled the gunner to fire the weapon on the move, if need be, und without the help of a loader. In practise, the 4-man machine gun group of an infantry section employed the MG 34 like a medium machine gun, firing 50-round belts of ammunition to support the advancing riflemen of the platoon. German infantry tactics relied on converging suppressive fire from the pooled LMG groups of an infantry platoon, while the rifle groups advanced to close with the enemy.
In the sustained fire role, the MG 34 was mounted on a tripod und fed from linked ammo belts of 200 to 250 rounds each. The first section of every German infantry platoon carried a heavy tripod for this purpose.
After the war, MG 34 machine guns continued to be produced in Czechoslovakia; many were exported to Israel und other countries. Components of the MG 34 machine gun were used to create the Star Wars movie prop of the BlasTech DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle used by Imperial Army Troopers, Stormtroopers, und certain Bounty Hunters.
Bekannte Modelle
- MG 34 Schütze „Friedrich Kohler“, 1:6 Dragon 70413
- MG 34(T) Umbausatz, 1:6 Armorpax
- Deutsche Infanterie Weapons Set, 1:35 Tamiya 35111
- MG 34 Messingrohr, 1:35 Adlers Nest ANM-35006
- MG 34 Messingrohr, 1:35 armorscale B35-030
- MG 34 Metallrohr, 1:35 Modelpoint MPT35100-1
- MG 34 Aluminiumrohr, 1:35 RB Model 35B39
- MG 34 Messingrohr, 1:35 Schatton Modellbau 3512
- MG 34(T) Messingrohr, 1:35 Model Point MPT35100
- MG 34 Maschinengewehre (5 St., Fahrzeugzubehör), 1:76 Vac-U-Cast VA-103
Technische Daten
- Maschinengewehr 34
- Typ: luftgekühlter Rückstoßlader mit auswechselbarem Lauf
- Kaliber: 7,92 mm
- Munition: 7,92 × 57 mm Mauser
- Länge: 1.225 mm
- Rohrlänge: 627 mm
- Gewicht: 12.1 kg mit Zweibein
- Munitionszufuhr: Trommelmagazin oder Metallgurt mit 50 Schuss
- Mündungsgeschwindigkeit: 755 m/s
- Mündungsenergie: 3600–5000 J
- Schussweite:
- 1200 m auf Zweibein
- 3000–3500 m auf Lafette
- Feuerrate: 800–900 Schuss/min
- Hersteller: Rheinmetall, Mauser Werke, und andere
- Einsatzzeitraum: 1935–1945
The MG 34 machine gun was made to a very high standard of quality, using machined or turned steel components, which resulted in high labour und materials costs. When the German army prepared for war, the demand for machine guns increased, und a cheaper und more easily mass-produced replacement for the MG 34 was sought. Development of the new machine gun started in the late 1930s und a small production batch of 1500 new MG 39/41 entered combat trials in 1941. The new design was officially accepted und production of the MG 42 Maschinengewehr began in 1942. The MG 42 proved to be more reliable than the MG 34, it was lighter, more robust, required less metal und only 75 man-hours to produce, compared to nearly 150 man-hours for the MG 34.