MG-3
Summary
| Country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Technical specifications
| MG-3 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 1.2 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 7,62 x 51 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | belt of 50 à 250 rounds |
| Length | 1225 mm (48.2 in) |
| Weight | 11.5 kg (25.4 lb) |
| Range | 600 m (1969 ft) |
Description
The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, derived from the World War II era MG 42. Original MG 42 technical drawings were captured by the Soviets. Rheinmetall reverse-engineered the first postwar machine guns from an original MG 42. Production of the first postwar variant, the 7.62×51mm NATO chambered MG 1, began in 1958 at the Rheinmetall factory. It was subsequently modified into:
- the MG 1A1, with calibrated sights and a chrome-lined barrel
* the MG 1A2, featuring a heavier bolt and new buffer for a slower cyclic rate and adapted to use different belt types.
Further improvements led to the MG 1A3. Wartime MG 42s converted to 7.62×51mm NATO were designated MG 2. The MG 3, an improved MG 1A3 variant with enhanced feeding and an anti-aircraft sight, was introduced in 1968. Rheinmetall produced MG 3s until 1979, with later German production by Heckler & Koch.
The MG 3 is an automatic, air-cooled, belt-fed, short recoil-operated firearm, using a roller locked bolt mechanism, and fires from an open bolt with an automatic-only trigger. The cyclic rate can be changed by swapping bolts and recoil springs of different weights. It feeds from the left side using metal, 50-round connectable DM1 belts or disintegrating M13 or DM6 belts via a push-through mechanism, and spent casings are ejected downwards. For the light machine gun role, it features a synthetic polymer stock and folding bipod, often used with a 100 or 120-round drum attached. The MG 3 has a quick-change, chrome-lined barrel, weighing 1.7 kg. The open iron sights include a height-adjustable front sight and a leaf rear sight graduated from 200 to 1,200 meters, plus a flip-up anti-aircraft sight. For a stationary, heavy machine gun role, it can be mounted on a Feldlafette tripod, which can accommodate optical sights.
Several variants and derivatives exist, including the MG 1 series (MG 1, MG 1A1 (MG 42/58), MG 1A2 (MG 42/59), MG 1A3, MG 1A4 for fixed mount armor use, and MG 1A5 (MG 1A3s converted to MG1A4)). MG 2 is the designation for wartime MG 42s rechambered to 7.62×51mm NATO. MG 3E is a reduced-weight variant tested in the late 1970s NATO trials, and the MG 3A1 is a fixed mount version. The MG 3KWS was a stop-gap development by Rheinmetall and Tactics Group. Licensed variants include the Italian MG 42/59, with a heavier bolt and slower rate, produced by Beretta, Whitehead Motofides, and Franchi. Sweden uses the Ksp m/94 as secondary armament. A double barrel variant called the MG14z exists. Rheinmetall is developing a triple barrel rotary variant called the RMG 7.62 as a vehicle weapon.
The MG 3 was adopted by the Bundeswehr in the late 1950s and continues in service as a squad support weapon and vehicle-mounted machine gun. It is used as a secondary weapon on armored vehicles such as the Leopard 2, and as a primary weapon on light vehicles. It serves as an infantry weapon with bipods and tripods. Bundeswehr soldiers are trained to fire short bursts in the light machine gun role and both short and longer bursts from a tripod, changing barrels after 150 live rounds of sustained fire.
The weapon and its derivatives have been acquired by over 40 countries, and production rights were sold to various nations including Italy, Pakistan, Greece, Iran, Sudan, and Turkey. The German Armed Forces began supplementing the MG 3 with the Heckler & Koch MG5 in 2015.
The MG 3 is utilized by numerous armed forces globally, including Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Australia (on Leopard AS1 MBT), Austria (as MG 74), Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada (on certain Leopard 2s), Cape Verde, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (as M/62), Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (as MGA3), Kurdistan Peshmerga, Italy (as MG 42/59), Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Mexico, Myanmar (as MA 15 clones), Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan (as Karar), Sweden (as KSP m/94), Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Yemen. Non-state users have included ISIL and the Provisional IRA.