MG34 machine gun

Reproduction of the heavy machine gun, made of metal, wood and plastic, with its simulating fire loading mechanism and mobile bipod. The cover does not open and it is therefore necessary to use ingenuity to insert a tape. Tutorials are easily available on the internet.

The MG 34 (Maschinengewehr 34) is a German machine gun with recoil reloading and air-cooled, created in 1934. It is considered as the best machine gun of the time (light, easy to implement with its bipod, accessory it can be loaded on a tripod). It has a high firing capacity. It was in service from 1936 to 1956.

The MG 34 was designed by Heinrich Vollmer of the Mauserwerke, which was based on a model by Louis Stange of Rheinmetall, a company based in Solothurn, Switzerland in the 1930s.

The MG 34 can use drum magazines from 50 to 75 rounds, as well as ammunition belts from 50 to 250 rounds. The caliber of the latter is 7.92 x 57 Mauser, its effective range in combat could be increased to 1200 m and from 3000 to 3500 m on tripod. With a rate of fire of 800 to 900 shots per minute, it was much higher than the British machine guns (Bren) or American (Browning) which did not exceed 600 shots per minute.

Germany had succeeded in manufacturing what would probably become the best machine gun of the Second World War. All the army corps used it, mainly by the infantry and with some modifications for the air force, as well as the armored cavalry. Due to their high cost and laborious and careful manufacture, only 350,000 units were produced.

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