WPC Weapon focus MG42--M60

I have decided to start a weapon focus WPC style. Here we go i will start it off with the MG42.

A brief story of the MG 42

The story of the MG42 starts with it's predecessor, the MG 34.

The comparably complicated construction of the MG 34 restricted mass production, therefore the numbers demanded by the wehrmacht could never be met. It was soon obvious that a simpler model was needed.

The new machine gun was to be manufactured from pressed and punched steel parts. Three companies were requested to construct a new machinegun using sheet metal stampings. The proposed construction of the company Metall- und Lackierwarenfabrik Johannes Grossfuss AG in Döbeln looked promising from the very start. It's inventor was Dr Werner Gruner who was a specialist in the technique of punching and pressing steel. He was sent into the regular training for machine gunners in the wehrmacht to find out what a machine gun's characteristics were to be and then went on to design the MG 42. The MG 34 and the MG 42 are easily discerned even at a quick glance by their barrel housings: while the MG 34 has a round housing with many round cooling holes, the MG 42 has a square housing with oval cooling openings at the left and top side, and a large slit on the right side for barrel exchange.
The first prototype designated MG 39 was accepted for troop trials in February 1939; it was refined into the fifth and final prototype, the MG39/41, and sent into a large combat evaluation involving 1,500 MG 39/41. After small detail improvements, mass production was started and the weapon was introduced into the wehrmacht as the MG 42. Total production of the MG 42 for the German wehrmacht during WW II was 414,964. The weapon was produced by the companies Mauser AG Werke Borsigwalde, Gustloff-Werke in Suhl, Grossfuss in Döbeln, Maget in Berlin and Steyr in Vienna.
The weapon was air-cooled and recoil-operated with a short barrel recoil; the recoil mechanism based on a newly invented- construction of a breech with rollers. The belted Mauser 7.92 mm ammunition was fed from the left.
The unmatched simplicity, functionality and effectiveness of the design not only resulted in a an astonishing ruggedness and immunity to the conditions of front use, it also decreased the amount of resources and raw material necessary to produce one MG 42 to 27.5 kg; it took only 75 work hours to complete a MG 42 as opposed to the 150 necessary for the MG 34; the MG 42 cost only 250 Reichsmark. Even today it is still regarded by many experts as the best machine gun construction ever.

It had an overall length of 122.0 cm, a barrel of 53.0 cm and weighed 11.6 kg in the role as a light machine gun equipped with the bipod. The bipod, the same as on the Mg 34, could be mounted to the front or the center of the gun. In the role as a heavy machine gun it utilized the newly developed Lafette 42 ("mount") that weighed 20.5 kg. The MG42's nominal rate of fire was 1500/min; reportedly, this rate varied to a degree with individual weapons; furthermore, the rate slightly increased in prolonged bursts. The higher rate of fire led to a decreased barrel life expectancy when compared with the MG34: the barrel was only good for between 3,500 to 4,000 rounds. Later, barrels were chrome-plated which lengthened life expectancy a bit; still, the barrel became hot rather fast and had to be changed often; the MG42 accounted for this with an even further simplified barrel change mechanism.
Because of the ruggedness of the MG 42, it was preferred to issue this weapon to the infantry and rather use the MG 34 in vehicle mounts where the MG 34 was less exposed to dirt and damage.


Now for weapn focus #2 M60

M60 7.62mm Machine Gun
The M60 Machine Gun was type classified in 1957 by the U.S. Army. It fires the standard NATO 7.62 mm round and is used as a general support crew-served weapon. It has a removable barrel which can be easily changed to prevent overheating. The weapon has an integral, folding bipod and can also be mounted on a folding tripod.


Length: 42.4 inches (107.70 centimeters)
Weight: 18.75 pounds (8.51 kilograms)
Bore diameter: 7.62mm (.308 inches)
Maximum effective range: 3609.1 feet (1100 meters)
Maximum range: 2.3 miles (3725 meters)
Muzzle velocity: 2800 feet (853 meters) per second
Rates of fire:
Cyclic: 550 rounds per minute
Rapid: 100 rounds per minute*
Sustained: 100 rounds per minute*
(* with barrel changes at each 100 rounds)
Unit Replacement Cost: $6,000


The M60E3 7.62mm machine gun is a lightweight, air-cooled, disintegrating metallic link-belt fed, portable or tripod mounted machine gun designed for ground operations like its predecessor, the M60. It is gas operated with fixed headspace and timing which permits rapid changing of barrels. (Associated components: mount, tripod, machine gun, 7.62mm, M122). Slightly different from its "parent," the M60, the M60E3 has a receiver-attached bipod which easily deploys for stability. It has an ambidextrous safety, universal sling attachments, a carrying handle on the barrel, and a simplified gas system that does not require safety wire to prevent loosening. However, the light weight barrel is not safe for overhead fire and is not capable of sustaining a rapid rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute without catastrophic failure of the barrel.


The M60E3 (light weight version of the parent M60) was fielded with the intention to reduce the load carried by the gunner. However, the reduction in weight resulted in firing limitations and a loss of reliability that severely restricts the use of the weapon in the Fleet Marine Force. Consequently, troop acceptance of the E3 has been very poor. This gun will be replaced by the M240G.

And that ends this months WPC weapon focus. (from Pr0sKii)

Weapons Specialist.
Pr0sKii.

https://weplaycod.forumotion.com/general-discussion-f6/the-tdi-kriss-super-v-t186.htm
https://weplaycod.forumotion.com/general-discussion-f6/the-aa-12-in-mw2-t166.htm

I just didn't call it Weapon focus.

thankx

good read and - on the history channel they just did a MG show and actually focused on both these beasts ... MG42 for me - just sounds mean and like a buzz saw

Im going to do another one of these so any ideas?

I think you guys should have your own sub section for these ... i liked reading them and getting the different takes on them form other users - what would be cool is if you tie into the game ... with some in-game stats on them -

Maybe due some of the rifles ... next -

Good post, some cool info