| (Fallschirmjägergewehr 42) | |
|---|---|
 FG42 Model I |
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| Type | Automatic rifle |
| Place of origin |  Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942-1945 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Louis Stange |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Number built | 2000 (Model I) 4,397 (Army) |
| Variants | Model I, Model II, Model III |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4. Automatic rifle is a term generally used to describe a Self-loading rifle chambered for a rifle cartridge capable of delivering both semi Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 5 kg (9. 9 lb) (Model I) 4. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 9 kg (10. 8 lb) (Model II) |
| Length | 937 mm (36. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 9 in) (Model I) 1,060 mm (41. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 7 in)(Model II) |
| Barrel length | 502 mm (19. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. For the fictional characters see Gunbarrel (Transformers. A gun barrel is the tube usually Metal, through which a controlled Explosion The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 8 in) |
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| Cartridge | 7.92x57mm Mauser |
| Action | Gas operated |
| Rate of fire | 900 rounds/min (Model I) 600 rounds/min (Model II) |
| Muzzle velocity | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 10 or 20-round detachable box magazine) |
| Sights | Diopter open sights all models; ZFG42 scope (Model I and II); ZF4 Scope (Model III) |
The Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (FG42) was an automatic rifle produced in Nazi Germany during World War II. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. A cartridge (also known as a "round" packages the Bullet, Gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the The 792x57mm cartridge was designed by the German Gewehr-Prüfungskommission (G In Firearms terminology an action is the system of operation used to load rounds and/or seal the Breech. Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate Autoloading firearms Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific Weapon can fire or launch its projectiles A gun's muzzle velocity is the speed at which the Projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun The foot per second (plural feet per second) is a unit of both Speed (scalar and Velocity (vector quantity which includes direction A magazine is an Ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating Firearm. The term iron sights refers to the open unmagnified system used to assist the aiming of a variety of devices usually those intended to launch Projectiles such as Firearms Automatic rifle is a term generally used to describe a Self-loading rifle chambered for a rifle cartridge capable of delivering both semi Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The weapon was developed specifically for the use by paratroopers, who wanted a suitable gun after their experiences in the invasion of Crete. (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from the German Fallschirm "parachute" and Jäger, "hunter The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II As a result, the FG42 was developed. It could fire single shots semi-automatically, but also serve as a light support weapon. Its development was authorized by Hermann Göring. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member The FG42 was manufactured and deployed only in small numbers.
Contents |
Development
At the time of Battle of Crete, the German doctrine was to let Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers) jump carrying only pistols, submachine guns and hand grenades. The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II A submachine gun (SMG is a Firearm that combines the automatic fire of a Machine gun with the cartridge of a Pistol, and is The German parachute harness, with a single strap attached to the body making the paratrooper land on his hands and knees in a forward roll, did not allow for heavier equipment such as rifles and machine guns to be safely jumped with, so those weapons were dropped in separate containers. At Crete, long-range rifle-fire from Greek and British defenders decimated the outgunned German paratroopers in the early stages of battle as they were trying to retrieve those containers scattered all over the battlefield. A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls The heavy losses suffered by the paratroopers during the battle of Crete demonstrated the need for a suitable weapon to jump with.
Hermann Göring, at the time the commander of the German air force (Luftwaffe), insisted that his paratroopers be supplied with an advanced self-loading rifle. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Friction with the army led to an independent development by the Luftwaffe as the paratroopers were part of the air force and not of the army. The so-called LC-6 specifications mentioned amongst others that the weapon should not exceed one metre in length, should not be significantly heavier than the K98 bolt action rifle, should be able to fire semi-automatic from a closed bolt, and full-automatic from an open bolt from 10 round or 30 round magazines. The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a Bolt-action Rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the In spite of the development of the promising 7. 92x33mm cartridge (that led eventually to Sturmgewehr 44, the first assault rifle) the full power standard 7.92x57mm Mauser round, used in the K98 bolt-action rifle and the machineguns, was retained. The 792x57mm cartridge was designed by the German Gewehr-Prüfungskommission (G
Six manufacturers were given contracts but only a few prototypes are known to have been submitted. The design by Rheinmetall-Borsig's Louis Stange was accepted for mass production by Heinrich Krieghoff of Suhl and L. O. Dietrich of Altenburg. However, due to design faults, the weapon had to be modified twice, increasing its serviceability but also its weight and cost.
Field testing
The FG42 was intended to fill a key niche in Nazi Germany's arsenal but was produced only in small numbers. It was somewhat well-received by paratroopers when tested, but it did have its drawbacks. The FG42 had a 20, or sometimes 10, round magazine that was mounted on the left side of the rifle. Though a side-mounted magazine was common in submachine guns, the larger magazine with heavier ammunition of a full-powered rifle tended to unbalance the weapon. In addition, muzzle rise with automatic fire was substantial and controllable bursts were difficult. This made full-automatic fire only marginally useful. The FG42 used a fairly sophisticated muzzle device that did help with recoil and muzzle flash, but made blast and noise much greater than on other similar weapons. A flash Suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, or flash cone, is a device attached to a Rifle or other gun that The US M14 rifle had similar problems and attempts were made to upgrade that rifle the same way with an in-line stock and muzzle device.
The FG42 fired in semi-automatic mode from a closed bolt; the short lock-time, and little movement in the action during firing meant greater accuracy. A semi or Fully-automatic Firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where when ready to fire a round is in the chamber and the When firing in the automatic mode, the gun utilized an open bolt system. A semi or fully automatic Firearm is said to fire from an open bolt if when ready to fire the bolt and working parts are held to the rear This had the advantage of preventing a phenomenon known as "cook off" where the heat of repeated rounds being fired causes a chambered round to overheat and prematurely ignite the powder or primer. Cooking off (or thermally induced firing) refers to Ammunition exploding prematurely due to heat in the surrounding environment
Some features, such as the details of the gas-operated bolt selection process, were studied by US Army engineers after the war. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. These, along with some aspects of the MG42, are commonly reported to have been incorporated in the similarly troubled M60. The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "Machine Gun 42" is a Machine gun that was developed for and entered The M60 (formally the United States Machine Gun Caliber 762 mm M60) is a family of American General purpose machine guns firing 7
The American M41 Johnson LMG has many parallels with the contemporary FG42. The M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun was an American recoil-operated Light machine gun designed in the late 1930s by Melvin Johnson. Both had in-line stocks, fed from the left side, and both fired from the open bolt in automatic mode and closed bolt in semi-automatic mode. Despite these similarities, there is no evidence that either weapon had any effect on the design of the other. They were both seeking to solve similar problems.
Deployment
After approximately 2000 FG42s had been produced by Krieghoff, supplies of the manganese steel from which the receivers were forged were diverted to other needs; this meant a redesign was required to use stamped sheet metal in its place. Field reports were also requesting minor improvements, such as: relocating the bipod from the front of the handguard to the muzzle to reduce shot dispersion; changing the pistol grip angle to near vertical; enlarging the handguard and changing the stock from stamped steel to wood to minimize overheating.
Bibliography
Dugelby, Thomas B. and Stevens, R. Blake Death from Above – The German FG42 Paratroop Rifle, ISBN 0-88935-096-5 Bishop, Chris (1998), The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, New York: Orbis Publiishing Ltd, ISBN 0-7607-1022-8
See also
External links
- The German FG42 Archive
- Modern Firearms
- U.S WWII Intelligence Report on FG42
- FG42
- Springfield Armory Collection: GERMAN RIFLE FG42
- Springfield Armory Collection: U.S. MACHINE GUN T44
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