Shooting the MG-34 and MG-42

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 10 тра 2014
  • Cool Forgotten Weapons Merch! shop.bbtv.com/collections/forg...
    Theme music by Dylan Benson - dbproductioncompany.webs.com
    The MG-34 and MG-42 machine guns were the mainstay of German infantry (and vehicle) firepower during World War II, and it will take several videos to properly cover them. For now, we are shooting them both, and explaining how to load, unload, and operate them (including changing barrels on the MG42). Enjoy!

КОМЕНТАРІ • 7 тис.

  • @DavidM-um2uk
    @DavidM-um2uk 4 роки тому +11663

    Nice of him to film this with WWII in the background for historical accuracy.

  • @TomD1999
    @TomD1999 3 роки тому +9463

    My Dad was a platoon commander with the 101st who was nailed by a MG42 in Normandy. He survived but without the use of his right leg. All of this worked out well for me because he met my mother during his years in various hospitals. I literally owe my existence to a MG42.

    • @maverickkanav
      @maverickkanav 3 роки тому +138

      😁

    • @maverickkanav
      @maverickkanav 3 роки тому +718

      Dont you owe your existence to the Serbian person who assasinated crown Prince of Austria Hungary empire...🤔?

    • @pfcreiben5244
      @pfcreiben5244 3 роки тому +370

      @@maverickkanav you’re thinking of ww1 bro, ww2 is usually stated that it started after hitler invaded Poland in September of 1939

    • @TomD1999
      @TomD1999 3 роки тому +616

      @@maverickkanav If you look at it like that, I suppose we all do but by that logic we all owe our existence to Alexander the Great.

    • @corvanphoenix
      @corvanphoenix 3 роки тому +44

      Well your family got a great story to tell for the horror of that experience, that's the best possible outcome :)

  • @hex6970
    @hex6970 3 роки тому +5849

    US Army Training film: “Remember, the MG-42’s bark is worse than its bite. Its higher rate of fire means its less accurate especially at range. Our own machine guns like the M1919, though a lower rate of fire, are a lot more accurate.”
    20 Year Olds on the Beaches and fields of Normandy: So that was a fucking lie

    • @metehankap3870
      @metehankap3870 3 роки тому +986

      When your NCO gets dinked by a 3 round burst from an MG 1000 yards away:
      “Why the fuck you lyin”

    • @snowblind4009
      @snowblind4009 3 роки тому +649

      Yeah good ole American propaganda. My Pa served from 39-46 in the Canadian Army in Europe and he stated that "Hitler, s Buzzsaw" or just the "saw" was the most terrifying weapon in the German arsenal. It not only physically chewed up soldiers it had far worse effects on the moral and took a huge emotional and mental toll as well . Dad said that when the first few rounds went out everybody dropped and lot of the times after the weapon had be taken out some troops refused to move dad said you go to their position and they would be curled up shaking , clutching their weapon, s their faces were either white or gray.

    • @mxblyxky
      @mxblyxky 3 роки тому +342

      The weapon caused panic in all allied armies. The high rate of fire sliced ​​through the bodies. Instructional films were created depreciating the MG42 by the American army at the time so that soldiers would lose their fear of the weapon. Interestingly, this was not made public during the war as it favored the enemy. And the silence continued for decades to come. Although we do not have photos of these mutilations, one can imagine what they were like if we remember the episode of the public execution of hostages in Bohemia and Moravia in reprisal for the deaths of German soldiers by communist partisan guerrillas in that territory. The Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrich invited Himmler, head of the SS, to watch the execution by machine-gun fire. The MG42 ripped off pieces of the hostages' bodies and some remained standing for seconds without arms, and with huge chunks of flesh ripped off. Himmler became ill and had to withdraw from the ceremony. So a mere instructional film would not convince the soldiers of what they were seeing happening before their eyes.

    • @lincolnclay898
      @lincolnclay898 3 роки тому +88

      accuracy depends more of the skill of the gunner and less of the gun

    • @5KpGD
      @5KpGD 3 роки тому +165

      The only good weapons the GI had was his M1 Garand and M1 Carbine, anything else was kinda subpar to German equipment as far as machine guns were concerned.

  • @martinschafhauser9952
    @martinschafhauser9952 3 роки тому +876

    My grandpa (Pionier in a Gebirgsjäger Division) explained me like this: a MG team was 3 Soldiers, the Gunner, the Barrel Handler and the Ammonition Bearer. The Barrel Handler had thick there gloves and changed the barrels. Each MG42 had 3 barrels in the field. in position the BH was right of the gunner. And had to make sure the barrels cool down dry, as get damaged being could too fast in mud or water. The ammo bearer had to takecare that the belts are always. Changing barrels was done in less than 5 sec by a good team.

    • @user-mz8dx4ms2m
      @user-mz8dx4ms2m 2 роки тому +3

      In other words, the MG can not work in the raining day ?

    • @GK-oj3vk
      @GK-oj3vk 2 роки тому +2

      You wrong buddy, mg schuetze und munitions Traeger, no barrel handler, what you talking about 😁😁

    • @GK-oj3vk
      @GK-oj3vk 2 роки тому +1

      Mg schuetze was barrel changer, less than 5 seconds 😁😁

    • @jrufussimonsen4718
      @jrufussimonsen4718 2 роки тому +21

      @@user-mz8dx4ms2m Oh yes it can .

    • @heret1c385
      @heret1c385 2 роки тому +3

      @@GK-oj3vk Yeah, you probably know it better than an actual german WWII vet. Du Pappnase!

  • @vites8925
    @vites8925 5 років тому +7245

    The MG42 looks 75 years later still like a weapon developed last year.

    • @g.d.c12
      @g.d.c12 4 роки тому +646

      75 years later. Still amazing

    • @matty6848
      @matty6848 4 роки тому +178

      Absolutely nailed it!

    • @nddavi58
      @nddavi58 4 роки тому +403

      still in use to this day

    • @LackyUno
      @LackyUno 4 роки тому +66

      really, when i first saw it it thougt "man this looks like its from ww1", but it really shoots exceptionel good

    • @blugastidiofable9517
      @blugastidiofable9517 4 роки тому +355

      Germany still manufacturers a gun similar to the Mg-42 called the Mg-3

  • @averagegamer2471
    @averagegamer2471 5 років тому +2533

    MG-42 is so impressive and way ahead of its time!

    • @PhilipXander
      @PhilipXander 5 років тому +169

      Average Gamer When you consider its successor the almost identical MG3 is still used and in service among several modern military branches😂😂

    • @15ebber
      @15ebber 5 років тому +88

      The MG-42 was up untill 2016 a standard part of the danish military :P It was part of several tours to afghanistan before it got replaced. Stories go that the shooters having to carry this gun around for 6 months straight, became 3 centimeters smaller XD Having shot it myself, I can pretty much say that single fire was near impossible without extensive training !

    • @anonymouslycrazy6343
      @anonymouslycrazy6343 5 років тому +30

      The improved variant of the MG42 is still being used by the Pakistani military,and in fact even the Germans recommission this weapon

    • @Yoduh-on4lv
      @Yoduh-on4lv 5 років тому +6

      And that’s why it’s still being used

    • @TH3PLA1NP1L0T
      @TH3PLA1NP1L0T 4 роки тому +1

      Average Gamer it was also used in the Yugoslavian war which was in the late 80’s

  • @laurisikio
    @laurisikio 3 роки тому +449

    "This safer bolt reduces the rpm down to 950"
    Still sounds terrifying. I would have wanted to hear the original 1500 rpm.

    • @TheLordNovo
      @TheLordNovo 2 роки тому +35

      Germany when developing weapons-I like what I see Friedrich, but can it shoot faster/have a bigger cannon?

    • @primal_guy1526
      @primal_guy1526 2 роки тому +38

      Basically an A-10 Warthog but in your hands

    • @cristobalstark6929
      @cristobalstark6929 2 роки тому +51

      Put the video x1.25

    • @robertmanfredthurrigl9424
      @robertmanfredthurrigl9424 2 роки тому +18

      The original was so fast it sounded like the tearing of cloth as one no longer heard the individual bullets fired hence the yanks called it Hitler's buzz saw. . It had a great effect on moral on the other side as they kept their heads down more often then advancing

    • @azynkron
      @azynkron 2 роки тому +5

      It was way too fast. The idea was that engagements was very short (measured in seconds) when you could see your enemy. Hence, you wanted as many bullets on target in those precious seconds. However, as mentioned in many interviews, it chewed through ammo way too fast which was a huge problem especially on the eastern front with more or less non functional supply lines.
      It did however lay the foundation for the modern GPMG such as the FN MAG which more or less is a copy with some modifications.

  • @blargus__7999
    @blargus__7999 2 роки тому +201

    “this things really impressive, goes through ammo fast, goes through barrels fast, and goes through people fast” the slogan for the MG42

    • @JazzJaRa
      @JazzJaRa 2 роки тому +4

      Well the US Army did a video for the MG-42 to teach them that the "bark of the MG-42 is worse than it's bite" just to get them confident enough to actually attack MG-42 nests.

  • @JohnDoe-on6ru
    @JohnDoe-on6ru 5 років тому +826

    Gun's loaded AAAAAAAAAAAND it's gone.

  • @xj53pq7
    @xj53pq7 7 років тому +2766

    The barrel change system on the 42 is incredible.

    • @andresmartinezramos7513
      @andresmartinezramos7513 7 років тому +6

      Tyler Clark You would have to do that anyways

    • @jason127x99
      @jason127x99 7 років тому +5

      Yes it is. I know because I have one.

    • @tyler_bt3326
      @tyler_bt3326 6 років тому +21

      SOCOM Gaming that's why it wasn't a one man weapon

    • @SanDeezyBreezy61986
      @SanDeezyBreezy61986 6 років тому +37

      How would you not totally burn your hand changing out the barrel? I never understood that. Did they wear a special glove during barrel changing?

    • @Kai-bj5ol
      @Kai-bj5ol 6 років тому +64

      It was an asbestic pad with the barrel container.

  • @gatsbymaguire
    @gatsbymaguire 3 роки тому +128

    2:51 I just love how he stops when the guy in the background keeps on shooting.

  • @berndhill6564
    @berndhill6564 Рік тому +118

    Hi Ian, I was in a German maintenance Bataillon for 3 years. We repaired the MG3, which followed the MG42. By changing the recoil feather and using a ligther bolt, we managed to bring it to 1900 rounds/minute. Once we had to much Ammo left at the shooting range and we used about 10 modified in Schwabo as Lawn mowers. It worked very well, the grass was cut well and we had less paperwork to return unused Ammo. I was there as an Instructor and it still is my preferred weapon.

    • @leafgreensniper13
      @leafgreensniper13 Рік тому

      My guy, there’s no reason to have 2000 rpm machine gun. But I love it.

    • @random.3665
      @random.3665 11 місяців тому +2

      @@leafgreensniper13 Well, it doesnt apply to the mg42, but there actually is use for guns like that when talking about aircraft^^.

    • @polodon9362
      @polodon9362 9 місяців тому

      Copy paste much?

    • @berndhill6564
      @berndhill6564 9 місяців тому +2

      Well guys, the German Army MG Gunner has 2 bolts and recoil feathers. The first bolt weights around 450 gramms and the second 300 gramms. The second feathers is stiffer as well. That's all you need, in addition to some more spare barrels.

    • @ropeburn6684
      @ropeburn6684 8 місяців тому

      ​​@@berndhill6564No he doesn't. Heavier bolts do exist, but the German army doesn't use them. In the field they'll only ever have the faster set, including the spare bolt. It's only other armies like Austria for example who use the heavier, slower bolts.

  • @LozempRemastered
    @LozempRemastered 3 роки тому +4178

    Allies: *Exists*
    MG34: Prepare For Trouble
    MG42: And Make It Double

    • @dmitryberseniev9274
      @dmitryberseniev9274 3 роки тому +19

      Lol 😂😂😂

    • @saintpoli6800
      @saintpoli6800 3 роки тому +119

      The MG42 somehow got meaner looking. Bless German engineering

    • @Zackislivid
      @Zackislivid 3 роки тому +29

      @@saintpoli6800 *cough*panzershreck*cough*

    • @dotdashdotdash
      @dotdashdotdash 3 роки тому +6

      Allies: *Exist*

    • @sugma6723
      @sugma6723 3 роки тому +44

      @@Zackislivid are you saying the panzershreck is ugly? Because whilst I agree that its not a looker. I still think it's a damn sight better engineered than the bazooka the americans were using at the time 😂

  • @oh6328
    @oh6328 3 роки тому +3630

    “Goes through Ammunition fast, Goes through spare barrels fast” *yes and it also goes through a large wave of soviets pretty fast too*

    • @destructimus
      @destructimus 3 роки тому +295

      Soviets: When one of you dies, the other picks up the rifle and shoots!
      Germans: brrrrrattt
      Soviets:

    • @thomasjuniardi3559
      @thomasjuniardi3559 3 роки тому +92

      This explains why the casualties are in the millions 🙄😁

    • @Tacdelio
      @Tacdelio 3 роки тому +71

      ppsh: am i a joke to you?

    • @Maennlichkeitsbeauftragter
      @Maennlichkeitsbeauftragter 3 роки тому +147

      @@Tacdelio you mean the ppsh of my comrade? I just have a shovel :(

    • @oh6328
      @oh6328 3 роки тому +2

      Derek aka Derek *cough* joke *cough*

  • @apocalypseviking9240
    @apocalypseviking9240 3 роки тому +91

    love that gun, it is still used in active service here in Denmark and it really is a fantastic piece of engineering

    • @nikolajc7617
      @nikolajc7617 Рік тому +6

      Det er så bare en MG3 ikke MG42.

    • @ropeburn6684
      @ropeburn6684 8 місяців тому

      ​​@@nikolajc7617MG3 is basically an MG42 version 2.0.

  • @PalKrammer
    @PalKrammer 2 роки тому +11

    Excellent presentation of the MG-34 and MG-42. I’ve fired the MG-42, but it was converted to 7.62 NATO and had the “slow” bolt. I was told that the MG-42 team (gunner and barrel changer) could remove and replace the barrel in 4 seconds. The barrel changer wore mitts. To reduce the frequency of barrel changes, only short bursts of full-auto was used - maybe 36 rounds or so. It’s fast! The MG-34, though - that is a thing of beauty!

  • @crazeelazee7524
    @crazeelazee7524 4 роки тому +2140

    I love how one propaganda film said "the MG-42 may fire faster than the Browning but it's not as accurate".
    Sure pal, when a belt fed machine gun fires 20 rounds per second accuracy is a very big concern.

    • @Askorti
      @Askorti 4 роки тому +543

      @@Red-jl7jj I'm sure the american riflemen getting shot at with MG 42s were really relieved to know that in a couple months the germans will eventually run out of ammo...

    • @Wisstihrwas
      @Wisstihrwas 4 роки тому +23

      Nailed it. XD

    • @jameskosusnik1102
      @jameskosusnik1102 4 роки тому +8

      @@Askorti look at who has the victory not the losses

    • @darkawakening01
      @darkawakening01 4 роки тому +128

      @@Red-jl7jj While Germany had some extremely critical supply shortages like rubber, oil/fuel and rare minerals, the production of ammunition for anti-personnel weapons was never a problem for the Germans during WWII as the ressources required were abundantly available. So good luck with that one. :D

    • @darkawakening01
      @darkawakening01 4 роки тому +80

      @@Red-jl7jj Please don´t patronize me that way, I was just stating the production situation. So maybe you learn how to read properly. And you seem to be unaware that most of the bulk handling in supplying the German fronts was done by railway and horse-drawn carriages which was moderately sufficient as Germany was fighting mostly in a defensive stance from 1943 onward. German offensives in the same time on the other hand were primarily hampered by a lack of fuel, not ammunition (not saying that the lack of fuel did not create occasional ammunition shortages).

  • @quineloe
    @quineloe 8 років тому +4979

    I don't think the MG 42 can be called a forgotten weapon :)

    • @quineloe
      @quineloe 8 років тому +3

      If you dont know what forgotten means..

    • @davideccles7805
      @davideccles7805 8 років тому +40

      +quineloe The German army still to this day uses the MG42 in its current state

    • @jorgetanaka2793
      @jorgetanaka2793 8 років тому +16

      +quineloe Agreed, but do you blame the host for not passing up an opportunity to shoot one?

    • @fikoemmi7763
      @fikoemmi7763 8 років тому

      +quineloe browning machine gun also :)

    • @adrianlarkins7259
      @adrianlarkins7259 8 років тому +9

      +TheSchuetzeP I found your comments interesting regarding the MG 42 and the MG 3. Whilst you say the MG 42 is no longer in use (presumably you are referring to the German Army) it would seem the new weapon is really just a major revamp on the original. That says plenty for the genius design of the both the MG 34 and MG 42.

  • @Mihalyofficial
    @Mihalyofficial Рік тому +14

    The amount of intelligence and engineering of these designers is just incredible. Now if only they had used that knowledge for the betterment of humanity.

  • @xraylay9153
    @xraylay9153 3 роки тому +50

    I love how he treats all of these like tutorials for our own machineguns and miniguns

  • @reltihfloda7210
    @reltihfloda7210 4 роки тому +1173

    "hold it down!" "it's a machine gun!" "..machine gun!" 😀

    • @eastrock9805
      @eastrock9805 4 роки тому +81

      Haha OK! :D *Brrrrrrrrrrrr*

    • @maxsanchez4986
      @maxsanchez4986 4 роки тому +38

      ERIKA

    • @butter7240
      @butter7240 4 роки тому +36

      Hehe Okeh
      Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein

    • @SPDAnjingplayer
      @SPDAnjingplayer 4 роки тому +8

      @@butter7240 Und das heiß

    • @simonriley5099
      @simonriley5099 4 роки тому +8

      @Frank Castle "Nazi Germany music" You make it sound like it's their main theme or something.

  • @Z0Muon
    @Z0Muon 4 роки тому +454

    I remember a comment from my father, who fought in the Algeria war (1954-1962) during his military service. The guerillas had some of these and my father told me the noise of these was like a giant zipper being opened or close. One couldn't hear the individual shots at all, one continuous stream.

    • @salahhambli3064
      @salahhambli3064 3 роки тому +5

      Hey, if you notice this would you please let me know in which region or Wilaya your father serviced ?

    • @levimiller6037
      @levimiller6037 3 роки тому +15

      So I think he said this specific one fires about 900 rounds per minute but if you speed the video up by 1.25 you'll get fairly close to 1200 rounds per minutes. Sends a chill down your back to hear it.

    • @Z0Muon
      @Z0Muon 3 роки тому +12

      @@salahhambli3064 My father mentioned Oran and Palestro. That's all I know. He is deceased now.

    • @poacheddeer
      @poacheddeer 3 роки тому +2

      They were called hitlers buzzsaw from what I recall for their noise.

    • @zacharybennett3249
      @zacharybennett3249 3 роки тому +8

      At 1200 rpm, the MG42 would be audible as a +180dB 20hz tone, being the lower limit of a human's audible frequency range, the sensation must have been awe inspiring.

  • @bbkr7910
    @bbkr7910 2 роки тому +21

    Almost 100 years later and the MG42 is still an amazing piece of machinery.

  • @vulpsturm
    @vulpsturm 2 роки тому +11

    You can really see how having a battle buddy, assistant, or friend to help feed the belt when Ian tries to shoot out of an ammo can, is really important.

  • @JackFrostIsHere
    @JackFrostIsHere 4 роки тому +960

    Ian : "German machine gun that brought..."
    Random gunfire : Brrrrr!
    Ian : "it never..."
    Gunfire again : Brrrrrrr!

    • @kimaaron4759
      @kimaaron4759 3 роки тому

      Lol

    • @thundercactus
      @thundercactus 3 роки тому +10

      Bunch of other people out there shooting youtube videos on machineguns I guess

    • @matthiasbohm2593
      @matthiasbohm2593 3 роки тому +6

      ...
      Ian pulls trigger and makes: "Bzzzzzzzz... Bzzzzzzzzz"
      Random operators: WTF!!! Mommyyyyyyyy!

    • @turkkam
      @turkkam 3 роки тому +4

      Ian: trying to talk about the gun.
      Guy in the background: haha machine gun go brrrr

    • @seanfire7679
      @seanfire7679 3 роки тому +3

      And I thought he would shout "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

  • @Myriip
    @Myriip 4 роки тому +1171

    The MG-42 isn't forgotten! German Bundeswehr is still using it. They just renamed it to MG-3 and lowerd the rate of fire, france can sleep well at night x)

    • @nickleh6515
      @nickleh6515 4 роки тому +92

      and they use NATO ammunition instead

    • @GaladorLP
      @GaladorLP 4 роки тому +40

      there are even ones in the Bundeswehr, where 42 is still engraved in he side X-ed out and a 3 engraving next to it

    • @kingpolo86
      @kingpolo86 4 роки тому +1

      Gračznya Bosákov a little copper wire and a little filing is enough to get faster

    • @jamesd4923
      @jamesd4923 4 роки тому +8

      Poor Germans will always be under the heel of the United States now

    • @FoggyCheeze
      @FoggyCheeze 4 роки тому +9

      They replaced it now with the MG5 it has now a scope and a 'Sturmgriff' the Sturmgriff is in case u are close to an enemy u can shoot while standing. It also has an adjustable rate of fire. u can choose from 640 RPM, 720 RPM and 800 RPM

  • @paladin7904
    @paladin7904 3 роки тому +13

    As I was trained shooting the mg3 (42) we were told to ram the tripod to the ground and push your weight into it. Also try to shot only short bursts. This improves the accuracy a lot,.

  • @ZzxOPTICxzZ
    @ZzxOPTICxzZ 3 роки тому +19

    Even after all these years the MG42 is still terrifying

  • @darthvisor9289
    @darthvisor9289 4 роки тому +646

    in field maneuver we had to change the barrel within 2 seconds and had to carry 5 spare barrels per MG-troop, to let them cool down in long gunfights. It was no problem to shoot right through 20cm thick ferro concrete walls with this puppy. Greetings from a retired Austrian Jäger (Jäger-Regiment II)

    • @3vimages471
      @3vimages471 3 роки тому +18

      How would you know the barrel needed changing please?

    • @gernotfischer7908
      @gernotfischer7908 3 роки тому +64

      @@3vimages471 Very Easy, One Belt 50 Rounds, so after the third Belt, Barrel Change

    • @spaceman51974
      @spaceman51974 3 роки тому +70

      We only had one spare and pissed on them to cool them faster.... Haha.. Good times at the Fallschirmjäger.

    • @destructimus
      @destructimus 3 роки тому +21

      @ well yeah man, as long as the metal gets hot it gets softer and expands. As long as it doesnt get hot enough to damage it, it'll be fine in a bit. Even 60 rounds through my ar 15 in 20 minutes leaves it warm for an hour, but afterwards its good to go. And it could withstand much much more if I ever needed it too.

    • @animalsrun7549
      @animalsrun7549 3 роки тому +20

      @ The barrel isnt destroyed unless you leave it in way too long, which is very rare and only happens in dire situations. The barrel is supposed to be changed every 150 rounds, but can do 250. Any longer then that can ruin the barrel

  • @thiesvanderkooij8421
    @thiesvanderkooij8421 4 роки тому +281

    Maxim: dunk dunk dunk dunk dunk dunk
    Mg42: DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
    It sounds absolutely terrifying

    • @SgtBisciut
      @SgtBisciut 3 роки тому +15

      Chauchat: DUNK. DUNK. DUNK
      Maxim dun kdunk dunk dunk dunk dunk
      Mg34 br r r r r r r r r r r r r
      Mg42 BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    • @paulmontagner6360
      @paulmontagner6360 3 роки тому +2

      The US troops would be terrified when they heard the 42s in the fields that rate of fire was a chain saw ! They called then Hitlers Buzz saw !

  • @spartan7042
    @spartan7042 Рік тому +27

    The MG 42 is my favorite German weapon and the ingenuity that went into the weapon is incredible from the easy barrel change to the high cyclic rate.

  • @TheCell-vx3pk
    @TheCell-vx3pk 3 роки тому +13

    Something many people might not know, the MG42 is theoretically still in service in the Bundeswehr, but as the NATO 7.62x51 chambered version, called MG3.
    While it was "only" produced until '77, they are still being used, albeit not for the long future, as they are slowly replaced by the MG4 and MG5.
    Maybe we will see the MG7 or MG8 at the time they are completely out of service, as the replacement is very, VERY slow.

  • @engasal
    @engasal 3 роки тому +1818

    What annoys me about these guns is that there's never a recording of what they sound like fired from far away, as Allied soldiers would've heard them

    • @Fiirow1
      @Fiirow1 3 роки тому +529

      No recording will ever really do gunfire justice... Gunfire by it's nature is louder than anything a speaker can reproduce, both mechanically and safely.
      It will produce a terrifying sound of 1200 rpm cracking over your head, combined with the *thump* and smacks of bullets hitting dirt / nearby objects... US propaganda about the weapon was a desperate attempt at underplaying the effectiveness of the weapon.
      Being a machinegunner myself and having fired the modern version, it is a terrifyingly effective weapon... A stream of lead which is actually easier to control than other MG's with half the firerate. The constant push of the MG3, results in a pretty managable recoil - which would only have made it that more effective.

    • @Jackulator77
      @Jackulator77 3 роки тому +97

      that is because, if you were on the "receiving" side, you pissed your pants an ran.... I mean, you need to be totally nuts to even try move towards the angle of one of these.... *shivers*

    • @florpdrop9473
      @florpdrop9473 3 роки тому +15

      Band of Brothers has one

    • @Martinlegend
      @Martinlegend 3 роки тому +79

      i lived near a trainign ground of the german army and the noise of the mg 3 is nearly the same - just terrifying

    • @357-swagnumultramagax9
      @357-swagnumultramagax9 3 роки тому +24

      @@Martinlegend woah you live that close that you can hear the gun shots??? I live close to marine base camp pedleton and some times my windows bounce and shake from the bombs they drop.

  • @aliendrone
    @aliendrone 5 років тому +1246

    2:51 that bit had me laughing...

  • @Ghostrider-71
    @Ghostrider-71 Рік тому +4

    What an awesome weapon. Simple to use, looks easy to maintain, and a quick barrel change to boot.

  • @waldmeister0815
    @waldmeister0815 2 роки тому +15

    As a MG3 guy:
    Push into that bipod as hard as you can or you hit nothing.

  • @lordseelenfresserdemonking1168
    @lordseelenfresserdemonking1168 4 роки тому +2424

    Some NATO members still use "Hitler's buzzsaw" to this day
    Fine German engineering

    • @christiankohlhaas6273
      @christiankohlhaas6273 4 роки тому +142

      Many do, though with a slightly modified locking assembly reducing the during rate and of course NATO calibre 7.62 rather than 7.92mm. Many were relabeled, we even had some with pre-1945 proofing markings in our unit in 1996.
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3AMG42_zu_MG3_umgelabelt.jpg

    • @mustardstain504d6
      @mustardstain504d6 4 роки тому +24

      The MG42 isn't in use by anyone but the German Army and not in 7.92 X 57, but 7.62 X 51.

    • @mustardstain504d6
      @mustardstain504d6 4 роки тому +19

      @Bob I'm aware. I earned my British and Geman wings in the mid 80's not to mention German weapons qualifification. The cyclic rate has been slowed down as well as the caliber being the 7.62 x 51 Vs. the 7.92 x 57. Certainly a great design and the feed tray the basis for many modern squad type weapons.

    • @hunter_0221
      @hunter_0221 4 роки тому +30

      @@mustardstain504d6 It's being replaced in the German army right now. The "boring, but sensible" MG5 will be the iron/plastic that'll replace the absolutely wild MG3/MG42. It's like "lawful good" replacing "chaotic good" (if you have ever fired an MG3 and then taken a look at your shoulder, you'll know what I mean). The MG5's RoF is pretty much half of the MG3's - around 640 RPM (adjustable up to 800), which is less than the G36 standard issue rifle.
      The MG3 has around 1150 RPM +/- 50. The problem with the MG3 is simply the ammo consumption and the overheating of the barrel as well as it being just outdated. The MG5 has all those fancy Picantinny Rails and is delivered with a 4x optical scope (not entirely sure on the magnification). Oh, and for a reason I haven't been able to fathom yet, they all come in tan color, which is great for missions on desert/steppe terrain, but considering Germany doesn't exactly have that terrain and the Bundeswehr supposedly being a defense-focused military, it seems sub-optimal.

    • @mustardstain504d6
      @mustardstain504d6 4 роки тому +7

      @@hunter_0221 I have fired the majority of nato service weapons. The 240 bravo filling the role of the M60 in U.S. service. I agree that hot barrels quickly become an issue is sustained fire. The metallurgy and barrel linings improving them somewhat don't alleviate the issue. Owning several HK weapons the reliance of polymers concerns me.

  • @vadimkavecsky3698
    @vadimkavecsky3698 7 років тому +458

    Its amazing how technology progressed in 20 years going from ww1 into ww2.

    • @HisMajestyWalrus
      @HisMajestyWalrus 7 років тому +149

      Sadly enough, war usually is what makes technology development evolve faster.

    • @Gakulon
      @Gakulon 7 років тому +25

      DreadlockWalrus One of the good parts of war. Think about how far behind we would be technologically without the insane war machines creating all sorts of new developments and technologies.

    • @tostie3110
      @tostie3110 7 років тому +19

      Creature Plays Games Without all these government project we wouldn't have had PC's, jet planes, mobile radios and wireless connections.

    • @420trippyhippie
      @420trippyhippie 7 років тому +9

      Vadim Kavecsky some of man's greatest discoveries and inventions were discovered and invented because of the wars...

    • @franzbaum9418
      @franzbaum9418 6 років тому +4

      Which shouldn't stay like this. Personally I would like to live in a world where discoveries and research are done because of the thirst for more knowledge.
      Oh, and one fun fact. In the Bundeswehr in Germany they still using the barrels of the MG42s for their MG3s. Just crossed the "MG42" out. Done is the new barrel :D

  • @davidlees4402
    @davidlees4402 3 роки тому +2

    Been subscribed for years now way back with 100k subscribers and Ian is so good at what he does. Very historically accurate.

  • @Del-Canada
    @Del-Canada 3 роки тому +2

    My grandfather knew the sound of the MG-34/42 pretty well. He stormed Juno beach with the North Nova Scotia highlanders on D-Day in June of 1944 supported by the 27th Armoured Regiment. RiP A great man with a great sense of humor.

  • @theDeitz
    @theDeitz 3 роки тому +526

    At the age of 18 I got to fire the MG42 in 1966 in Fulda, Germany during a German American exchange while stationed in Bad Hersfeld, Germany. Glad I keep the B&W photos I took then, they didn't mean much till years later. I still have my Bronze German Armed Forces Badge for Weapon Proficiency. The MG3 is identical in operation to the MG42 and uses the same recoil-operated, roller-locked action. At 23 pounds, the MG3 is slightly lighter than the MG42

    • @pittiplatsch9635
      @pittiplatsch9635 3 роки тому

      Realy?

    • @Wuestenkint
      @Wuestenkint 3 роки тому +27

      Haha, thats my hometown. Greetings from Germany :)

    • @Wolf-hh4rv
      @Wolf-hh4rv 3 роки тому +10

      And the US persisted with the WWII 0.3 browning then moved to another inferior weapon the M60. Lunacy.

    • @Speedy2619
      @Speedy2619 2 роки тому +17

      @@pittiplatsch9635 Till recently the MG5 gets adopted as the new multipurpose MG of the Bundeswehr. But before they used the MG3 and its practically the same gun as the MG42. Some soldiers say you can see the part were they scrape of the Reichsadler from converted guns.

    • @TransistorBased
      @TransistorBased 2 роки тому +2

      There's a range near me that has one. Last I checked it was getting service done, but I really wanna try it.

  • @nihlus9589
    @nihlus9589 5 років тому +3630

    Gun Jesus mowing down the allied troops landing at Normandy (1944 colorized)

    • @benjermanvanderburg5864
      @benjermanvanderburg5864 5 років тому +35

      Imagineif the tankunits were present as should have been

    • @user-xo5zh9xb5b
      @user-xo5zh9xb5b 5 років тому +21

      r/underratedcomments

    • @GrasshopperKelly
      @GrasshopperKelly 5 років тому +14

      @@benjermanvanderburg5864 Let's be honest.... Thousands more (maybe even over a million) would have died, but realistically, the navy would have just poured more shells in, and the beachheads would have eventually solidified a front.
      The blockade/bubble that Montgomery wanted desperately to push out off would have been tiny at the beginning too. The bridges and keypoints paratroops went to hold, would have mostly been taken back. Brave as they may have been, they weren't going to hold out indefinitely. The front simply wouldn't have go to them in time to reinforce them.
      The U-boats heading for the channel would have had more time too.
      But Germany didn't have the steel, oil, or allies by then. Italy had capitulated, and try as they did, the synthetic oil they were making was still not good enough to fuel the entire Arme. Engine damage was higher too.
      Perhaps, the German scientists involved with the atomic bomb, might have found the answer, dispite the lead scientist delaying as much as he could.
      The war would have been far longer, Britain would have been in far bigger financial problems. My Irish government would have sat in denial for longer... (we called it the "crisis"), and I'm realising this has got super long....
      Some of the landings would have been a catastrophic failure in relation to costs is the answer. But the Nazi party would have lost none the less.

    • @JahudiJahudi
      @JahudiJahudi 5 років тому +13

      Yes poor Americans who died there. With 2 barrels this gun wasn't stopping firing the whole time. On both sides died a lot of good men. Thanks to you America and Russia that you took care about the Austrian painter.

    • @samsonbandy5670
      @samsonbandy5670 5 років тому +26

      @Baxter James .......silly? hardly

  • @saxonforge
    @saxonforge 3 роки тому +19

    Always amazes me how such a clumsy, wobbly and bulky feeding system can work so well. Awesome engineering for then and right till now

  • @angusbrack5003
    @angusbrack5003 3 роки тому

    I really love how as the bullet exits the barrel and pulls the dirt up with it looks spectacular 😊😊😊

  • @Kurt_cobain_2
    @Kurt_cobain_2 4 роки тому +2158

    Mg34: "ill have her home by 8 sir"
    Mg42 "your daughter calls me fuhrer"

    • @rc5924
      @rc5924 4 роки тому +57

      You misspelled the fuck out of that

    • @axelNodvon2047
      @axelNodvon2047 4 роки тому +32

      What the fuck is Furhur

    • @danielexe6050
      @danielexe6050 4 роки тому +118

      @@axelNodvon2047 Nongermans aren't able to find the "ü" for "Führer" on their inferior keyboards.

    • @axelNodvon2047
      @axelNodvon2047 4 роки тому +6

      @@danielexe6050 You could have atleast spelled it correctly

    • @danielexe6050
      @danielexe6050 4 роки тому +18

      ​@@axelNodvon2047 Führer is the correct german word for a person who is leading a group or in Nazideutschland for Adolf Hitler. so what do you think is wrong?

  • @bigandbeastly9274
    @bigandbeastly9274 4 роки тому +387

    Imagine going to a casual local gun range and a guy shows up with this lmao

    • @Rfuentes27
      @Rfuentes27 3 роки тому +9

      Only on America 😅

  • @MrTarantino80
    @MrTarantino80 3 роки тому +12

    After Stalingrad battle, local kids collected a lot of MGs like this one around the city to recycle metal. I know that, because I live in Volgograd, former Stalingrad.
    После Сталинградской битвы местные ребятишки собрали много таких пулеметов на металлолом (переплавку). Знаю, потому что живу здесь, в Волгограде.

    • @matveyyanchevski1372
      @matveyyanchevski1372 Рік тому +2

      Почему на переплавку, а не для использования?
      Кстати в дремучих лесах Беларуси по-прежнему хранятся ленты от этих машин

  • @jonathanowen9917
    @jonathanowen9917 3 роки тому +1

    Really great demonstration of the MG34 and the MG42.

  • @derheiligemartinus
    @derheiligemartinus 5 років тому +473

    press the MG42 forward against the bipod, it has to be fixed between your forward pressing shoulder and the bipod.
    Best regards from a german ex paratrooper.

    • @No5f3r4tu
      @No5f3r4tu 4 роки тому +12

      exactly my thinking when seeing this.

    • @endofwatch5727
      @endofwatch5727 4 роки тому +55

      Kamerad, you are NEVER an "ex-paratrooper", you are a retired or an "on standby" paratrooper

    • @christiankohlhaas6273
      @christiankohlhaas6273 4 роки тому +35

      There's no "german paratrooper". It's Fallschirmjäger. Any paras will know it, anyone who doesn't is undeserving of explanation. ;)

    • @sandymack9345
      @sandymack9345 4 роки тому +5

      Away and play with your water pistols,and your 3 years old selves.

    • @pepsidoggo1598
      @pepsidoggo1598 4 роки тому +10

      @@christiankohlhaas6273 dont be an ass

  • @OvAppolyon
    @OvAppolyon 10 років тому +73

    I remember an old guy who was telling me that when he was in Flanders, he wasn't scared of much, never had been really scared of anything in his life. But the only thing that ever put fear into his heart, and still did to that day, was the sound of an MG-42 firing.

    • @nickgalbraith6608
      @nickgalbraith6608 10 років тому +3

      By all means correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that the fighting in Flanders was primarily in WW1. I know that Belgium was liberated by the allies before the end of the war, and at some point there must have been fighting in Flanders, but not to the same extent.

    • @OvAppolyon
      @OvAppolyon 10 років тому +17

      Yea, he was in WWI and WWII, he was saying that for most of the other guys who were in both wars, Flanders was the worst moment. Sorry, should have put it into context.

    • @averybadnaem4982
      @averybadnaem4982 6 років тому +1

      I'm calling your bluff, Dick Fageroni. Show me the launch codes.

  • @artillerest43rdva7
    @artillerest43rdva7 Рік тому +1

    just amazing machine guns both mg-34 & mg 42 crazy fast rate! just a great design. especially with
    the barrel replacement from behind!

  • @seankirby8831
    @seankirby8831 3 роки тому +12

    It's interesting to see the 34 has a semi auto function

  • @ssnakeshitful
    @ssnakeshitful 4 роки тому +96

    I bet many allied soldiers rightfully pissed their pants when they heard a 42 going off in the distance.
    What a beast of a gun... Just terrifying.

  • @aaronburn1992
    @aaronburn1992 5 років тому +5078

    I cant believe the Nazi's stole this gun from Star Wars.

    • @felixh9363
      @felixh9363 5 років тому +74

      Good one :D

    • @RT42069
      @RT42069 5 років тому +216

      And the C96

    • @peterking2651
      @peterking2651 5 років тому +87

      And they used the British SMG

    • @leeroyjenkins2822
      @leeroyjenkins2822 5 років тому +40

      @@peterking2651 they not only used the british smg , they even improved and produced it at the end of the war cause it was very cheap

    • @chrisp4170
      @chrisp4170 5 років тому +29

      @@leeroyjenkins2822 He means Star Wars used the SMG, not the Germans!

  • @Purchaser.
    @Purchaser. 5 місяців тому

    The way the barrel pops out is so interesting. Seems like a simple idea but to make it reality is cool.

  • @Astardis76
    @Astardis76 2 роки тому +2

    Used it's 7.62 nato brother the MG3 all throughout my service from 1995 to 2003. That it's still in somewhat use tells you how good it was/is.

  • @oinkspanie5753
    @oinkspanie5753 5 років тому +331

    My grandfather was an infantry company commander in WW2 and still complained to me as a boy how much ammo he had to organize to feed the MG42s of his platoons. A formidable weapon though - I later qualified as Expert with it in my service days (like with G3, Uzi and Pistol) serving as a "Panzergrenadier". 4. PzGrenBtl 73 a fine unit... :-)

    • @ottoflat3478
      @ottoflat3478 4 роки тому +14

      Oink Spanie Dran drauf drüber ✌️

    • @Ned-Ryerson
      @Ned-Ryerson 4 роки тому +12

      Er ist kein Mensch, er ist kein Tier, er ist ein Panzergrenadier. x_x I remember learning to field strip the MG3 about a month into my basic training. We'd had one of the first frosts of the year, so there I was, lying in the hoarfrosted grass at around 6:50 in the morning, fumbling away and being generally cold and miserable. I am small, so reaching the muzzle brake was a bloody stretch, and screwing it on was not easy. The bloody thing kept falling out of my frozen fingers; around the 3rd or 4th time of that happening, I suddenly remembered that it was my birthday. Happy days when you are miserable, cold, and have forgotten your own birthday.
      I never managed to get a pass shooting it, as we were supposed to engage 3 targets out of 8, with 10 (?) rounds of ammo, and I always, ALWAYS, was so confuddled that I engaged the first target, then the second, and then had run out of ammo or switched back to the first target or completely missed with my last burst.

    • @alexk269
      @alexk269 4 роки тому +20

      2. PzGrenBtl 81 ;) and proud of being one of them! I love the G3, better, more powerful than modern rifles like the G36. :) My grandfather was Fallschirmjäger! 👍

    • @mysteriousx3127
      @mysteriousx3127 4 роки тому +6

      Alex K my great grandfather too! He had to fight in Africa

    • @alexk269
      @alexk269 4 роки тому +5

      @@mysteriousx3127 yes, my grandfather was in africa, too!

  • @user-mg1yx7db4g
    @user-mg1yx7db4g 4 роки тому +343

    "Dad why is my sister's name Rosa?"
    "Because you mother loves roses"
    "Thanks dad"
    "No problem Maschinengewehr 42"

    • @reaction9918
      @reaction9918 3 роки тому

      stolen from another video

    • @Favourites669
      @Favourites669 3 роки тому +5

      @@reaction9918 This joke is way older than UA-cam

    • @reaction9918
      @reaction9918 3 роки тому

      @@Favourites669 but what i mean was like not the format but it was about mg42 tho

    • @levelovixor
      @levelovixor 3 роки тому +1

      @@reaction9918 doesnt make sense

    • @reaction9918
      @reaction9918 3 роки тому

      @@levelovixor it was literally the same comment but in another video about the MG42

  • @lomejordepolonia
    @lomejordepolonia 11 місяців тому

    Thank you so much for the high quality and illustrative material!

  • @t.h.9187
    @t.h.9187 2 роки тому +2

    As I served in the German Bundeswehr from 1990-92, I learned to shoot the MG3, a slightly modified version of the MG42. My personal gun was an MG3 with an original WWII MG42 Body with the german eagle stamped in. It was always very special and extremly funny to shoot this gun. As a 1,95 m, 100 kg man, I was also trained to shoot this heavy gun staying upright, using the shoulder strap - not very accurate ... but ;-) If you developed a good feeling for this weapon, you could shoot with it amazingly accurately, even at longer range. But you have to control yourself and always stay focused.
    When it comes to shooting, the machine-gun is pushed forward over the bipod, so that the bipod does not point forward at an angle, like you do, but backwards at an angle. As a result, the bipod absorbs a large part of the recoil and the weapon is much easier to control, which is especially important for long bursts and at greater distances. In addition, unlike assault rifles, with the MG, you do not lie kind of diagonally behind the weapon, but straight. In slow motion, you can clearly see the recoil pushing the shoulder and upper body away, thereby losing control of the weapon.

  • @user-te1zl6jc1b
    @user-te1zl6jc1b 4 роки тому +202

    The MG 42 is so fast even in slow motion it looks like if a Chauchat had a belt-fed system

    • @Khonsu1373
      @Khonsu1373 3 роки тому +18

      Hardly, the Chauchat would have jammed after 5 rounds.

    • @joemontgomery6658
      @joemontgomery6658 3 роки тому +3

      Richard Goodwin no

    • @peabrain6872
      @peabrain6872 3 роки тому +9

      @@Khonsu1373 only if you were using the wrong ammo which the Americans were

    • @jedilordlog8543
      @jedilordlog8543 3 роки тому

      @@Khonsu1373 that's if it even fired at

  • @Leisurelee53
    @Leisurelee53 5 років тому +916

    wannabe presenters pause for dramatic effect.
    Gun Jesus pauses for salvos of automatic fire.

  • @sandroartigas1975
    @sandroartigas1975 Рік тому +1

    Excellent explanation, this video is very useful for my work, since I have to carry out a mechanical and operational review of the MG45, which we are in charge of, Thank you.

  • @joehoffman4498
    @joehoffman4498 2 роки тому +2

    I used some of Ian’s machine gun shooting techniques in video games actually worked quite well for suppressing fire.

  • @josephc981
    @josephc981 5 років тому +281

    4:44 I think we can all agree that the sound right here is beautiful

    • @stevehenrichs5091
      @stevehenrichs5091 5 років тому +3

      WHEN YOU HEAR IT YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD! THAT WEAPON WILL PUT THE FEAR INTO ANY MAN .

    • @seanowens8330
      @seanowens8330 5 років тому +5

      I think I need new shorts.

    • @starkraven7362
      @starkraven7362 5 років тому +1

      @@stevehenrichs5091 nonsense? ... i'll take the heinie nest out wif me trusty entrenchmint tool!

    • @davidm.4670
      @davidm.4670 4 роки тому

      as long as you are listening from Behind it ;-)

    • @dawsonindustries
      @dawsonindustries 4 роки тому

      Ive used it.
      Not for killing humans obviously.

  • @TheHellSpawn000
    @TheHellSpawn000 9 років тому +892

    I wish someone would make a video of what the MG-42 sounds like from 150 yards away. My grandfather used the MG-42 in WWII and he told me that anyone that came up his way would stay ducked behind cover for Hours simply because you had no idea how far the MG-42 was and the sound was absolutely terrifying so they would wait for night fall and either storm your position or fall back.

    • @DonMeaker
      @DonMeaker 8 років тому +37

      ***** Shermans were pretty good to have on hand for times like that. All that ammunition from the MG-42 would give a smoke, and if the infantry could spot it, the phone on the back of the M-4 Sherman could be used to direct fire into the MG nest. The 75mm gun of the Sherman fired the same ammunition as the French 75mm howitzer from WWI.

    • @TheHellSpawn000
      @TheHellSpawn000 8 років тому +173

      DonMeaker MG42 positions were often accompanied by either a 88MM anti tank gun, a Panzer or a Tiger. My grandfathers unit had both a 88 and a Panzer VI B with them, One of the first off the production lines too. Not to mention Tanks were deployed to meet tanks in WWII and Sherman commanders often said that if they heard anything about a Panzer VI they avoided the area completely. and even if they didn't have an 88 or a panzer with their unit they always had someone with binoculars and a Panzerfaust. My grandfather has told me stories that gave me Nightmares when I was a kid. He was on a MG42 from 1940 to 1944 when he defected. And he only told me about 1 story involving a Sherman. And I remember it because he told me about the men crawling out of it on fire and his troop commander telling him not to shoot them.

    • @DonMeaker
      @DonMeaker 8 років тому +13

      *****
      The Sherman had TNT rounds which burned when hit. Later wet storage made them more robust, and gave the crew a chance to get out. German and Russian tanks used PETN explosive which detonated when hit. The P-47 would shower the Panther roof with .50 caliber bullets, and Whumpf, the turret would pop off when the rounds exploded. Rockets were also used with success. German soldiers learned to greet each other with the German glance "Der Deutches Blick" scanning the skys for the dreaded US or GB Jabos.
      Then we can talk about the US artillery, equipped with air burst variable time fuses, conducting multi battalion time on target missions. After that, there wouldn't be any 88mm gunners left alive. No warning given by adjusting fire. The few wounded Germans left alive were normally evacuated and their wounds treated by the Americans.

    • @TheHellSpawn000
      @TheHellSpawn000 8 років тому +47

      DonMeaker Panzer VI B isn't the run of the mill panzer. Panzer VI B was known as the King Tiger. or the Tiger II ive heard of 90MM shells bouncing off of them.

    • @DonMeaker
      @DonMeaker 8 років тому +17

      *****
      In the Bulge, Peiper took 5000 some odd men through US lines, having to fight their way through because the German infantry hadn't accomplished their mission of opening a hole. He had some of those King Tigers with him. He actually led with Pz IVs, because the Tigers used too much fuel. After murdering some POWs as Malmedy, and hundreds of Belgian civilians along the way, he got blocked when Combat Engineers cut the bridges he needed, and shelled to the point of being combat ineffective. He ran, only bringing 500 of his men got out. His men, wounded, treated by the US medical corps, and captured were only too willing to rat him out.
      Although the war crimes trial wouldn't accept their evidence, there was a happy ending when he was shot by persons unknown while living in France. He was too unpopular to live in Germany. (or France, it would seem....)

  • @JESUS5PUNCK
    @JESUS5PUNCK 3 роки тому +4

    Qué buena explicación y detalle del arma al ser maniobrada. Buen vídeo.

  • @dschoene57
    @dschoene57 2 роки тому +1

    The MG-42 in slightly revised form is still in use as the MG-3 in Germany today. Most of the spare parts are interchangable and you will still find boxes with MG42 insignia in armouries.

  • @benjaminstenke9716
    @benjaminstenke9716 4 роки тому +182

    "Time to Change the Barrel has to be 4 Seconds" That was told in the Basic Training in the Bundeswehr.

    • @059echo
      @059echo 4 роки тому +1

      So how many spare barrels did they carry along with them ?

    • @SergejScheit
      @SergejScheit 4 роки тому +33

      @@059echo you change it after 250 rounds if I remember right. the time you are allowed to change the barrel is 4 seconds. They carry two barrels, one active and one cooling. There are legends that during WW2 they used to piss on the barrel to cool it.

    • @matthias8537
      @matthias8537 4 роки тому +10

      We have 1 spare tube with us and the tube change is carried out after 100 rounds of maneuver or 150 rounds of combat ammunition. And 4 sec. switching is realistic, but we make it work so that it works afterwards. what use 4sec. if the tube exchange flap breaks due to hectic pace. Don't forget the pipe is hot. .we usually cool it down in water, does no harm 👌 if possible we cool it with water, then we save ourselves the change, was no different in the war 🤣

    • @alanmountain5804
      @alanmountain5804 4 роки тому +4

      @@SergejScheit thanks for that info Serge and Matthias .It is the first time I have heard the explanation of one cooling while one was being used. I always assumed the barrel was worn out like an artillery tube and was discarded

    • @comunistubula4424
      @comunistubula4424 4 роки тому +3

      @@SergejScheit Any info on whether they used to throw water in front of the machinegun so it doesn't throw dust up into the air and reveal the position?

  • @mastervader1028
    @mastervader1028 7 років тому +374

    I wanna go to whatever range you're at. Sounds like there's all kinds of people having full-auto fun haha

    • @l04d83
      @l04d83 5 років тому +20

      The Big Sandy Shoot. Atleast 4 people there have MG42's.

  • @kippesnikkel5217
    @kippesnikkel5217 3 роки тому +2

    I like the irony of your channels name. I think the MG-42 is in the top 5 of least forgotten weapon in history.
    Great video!

  • @brodymoller4775
    @brodymoller4775 3 роки тому +1

    That’s really cool!!! Love the mechanics.

  • @Steve52344
    @Steve52344 4 роки тому +318

    Yep. The poor guys on the Normandy beach had to deal with 1200 rounds per minute coming at them.

    • @abdelhamidhammadi9069
      @abdelhamidhammadi9069 4 роки тому +8

      Dans la MG 42 ilya des versions à 1800 coup à la minute

    • @didizanova9779
      @didizanova9779 4 роки тому +23

      And there were hundreds of mg42s

    • @feli_400
      @feli_400 4 роки тому +2

      Mg 42 have 1500 per Minute 700m range 1800ammo

    • @abdelhamidhammadi9069
      @abdelhamidhammadi9069 4 роки тому

      @@feli_400 vérifié bien je né pas inventé de ma tête quelques versions de la MG42 ont atteints 1800 cpm

    • @epartnersuk
      @epartnersuk 4 роки тому +1

      @White Working Class Pride What countries are you talking about communism fell last century?

  • @adrianlarkins7259
    @adrianlarkins7259 8 років тому +3739

    I saw one of the US Army training films for GI's going over to Europe. When the brrrrrrup sound of the MG 42 is heard, the narrator says, "That's the sound of the notorious German MG 42. Sounds bad, right? Don't worry. It's bark is worse than it's bite". LIAR.

    • @pasiv91
      @pasiv91 8 років тому +847

      Saw that too, my god how wrong they were. That mg42 is absolute beast with that satanic rate of fire. German weapon engineering at its finest.

    • @jacobdot456
      @jacobdot456 8 років тому +540

      I've seen that film too, it was more of a way of helping GIs not worry as much about the enemies weaponry. Make you more confident in your own.

    • @adrianlarkins7259
      @adrianlarkins7259 8 років тому +342

      Understandable at the time BUT .........Ah!!
      Knowing the truth, I, for one, could not have told those young, innocent men such a deadly lie,

    • @tSp289
      @tSp289 8 років тому +263

      +Adrian Larkins meh, I don't think any of them were stupid enough to think that it was safe to approach one, but hopefully it reassured them a little so that they could do their job rather than freeze in panic, which is just as likely to get them killed in the long run.

    • @DigitalRX2r
      @DigitalRX2r 7 років тому +141

      If you hear the burst it means you're not the one being shot at. It's when the angry swarm of hornets come that you have to get worried.

  • @11rbriskie
    @11rbriskie 3 роки тому +1

    we gotta bring this back in service. the sound alone is a great deterrent

  • @migueldacruz6640
    @migueldacruz6640 3 роки тому +2

    Advise: the MG42 bypod is made to so you can push the MG forward with your shoulder before shooting. That allows a more stable shooting. You can fire a 20 ammo burst wihtout missing the center of the target at 400m

  • @naruto97kyubi
    @naruto97kyubi 4 роки тому +544

    "Went through bullets fast, went through barrels fast and went through people even faster" hahaha

    • @noturbusiness1278
      @noturbusiness1278 4 роки тому +4

      Hahahaha

    • @mrcroob8563
      @mrcroob8563 3 роки тому +3

      If you could manage to hit something with it... there's stories where a guy just lays in a field with an mg42 firing at him and only him and not hitting him with a full belt lol

    • @anthonyhayes1267
      @anthonyhayes1267 3 роки тому +16

      @@mrcroob8563 truth be told a machine gun's job is suppression. Artillery and grenades finish the job.

    • @saftslukare5093
      @saftslukare5093 3 роки тому

      @@mrcroob8563 there are also stories of mgs being too accurate and therefore useless since ur only shooting at one place at a time, it's meant to rain bullets

    • @naruto97kyubi
      @naruto97kyubi 3 роки тому

      @@saftslukare5093 that would be the Bren from memory

  • @Bolanz73
    @Bolanz73 3 роки тому +26

    Shot that one as a member of the German Bundeswehr back in 1992. At range 300 meters it took me 4 very short bursts to take out four aims. It's not only the frequency, it`s also the accuracy that makes this one a beast.

    • @trainspotter_brenzbahn
      @trainspotter_brenzbahn 4 місяці тому

      Yes, from the gun carriage of the M 113 you can shoot out the eye of a fly. I was really perplexed, before I thought an MG was just a scatter gun.

  • @petesheppard1709
    @petesheppard1709 9 місяців тому

    I'm glad to see this video still up in 2023, plus the old intro was enjoyable!

  • @rant-n-rave7816
    @rant-n-rave7816 9 місяців тому

    One of the best videos for information and demonstration. Great job

  • @drummerboii2878
    @drummerboii2878 4 роки тому +255

    I know you're conserving ammo but I think I speak for alot when I say "HOLD THAT TRIGGER DOWN!"

    • @typhongaeci9435
      @typhongaeci9435 4 роки тому +1

      He was so close. He finished the video out with a full belt of at least 40 rounds. AND THEN HE FIRED A 5 ROUND BURST AND FADED TO BLACK.

    • @harryschnepp5907
      @harryschnepp5907 3 роки тому

      no you dont

    • @Cardboardtruck-vc2qw
      @Cardboardtruck-vc2qw 3 роки тому +1

      Harry Schnepp fuck off don’t you wanna see 100 rounds fired non stop

    • @harryschnepp5907
      @harryschnepp5907 3 роки тому

      @@Cardboardtruck-vc2qw shit your a punk, love guys like you talk shit from behind a key board, or your so tuff you break mirrors with just one look, i bet you can even fight your way out of 2 wet paper bags, right on tuff guy.

    • @haydeen6535
      @haydeen6535 3 роки тому

      @@harryschnepp5907 you sound pretty unintelligent buddy. You should just stop

  • @PhillS
    @PhillS 5 років тому +549

    At 6:53 I think I heard sound like some kind of high speed fragment flew pass around their position. hahaha

    • @kgbricks7426
      @kgbricks7426 5 років тому +121

      PHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEWWWWWWW

    • @gabrielbecker9145
      @gabrielbecker9145 5 років тому +19

      Thats remember me CS 1.6 😂

    • @panzertracks
      @panzertracks 5 років тому +4

      I heard it also!

    • @coburna5
      @coburna5 5 років тому +36

      Listen at 5:18

    • @LAV-III
      @LAV-III 5 років тому +44

      @@coburna5 sounds like a guy saying wooooo

  • @ThorOfGermany
    @ThorOfGermany Рік тому +1

    FYI: the ammo chain has an approx 15cm latch at the first that you stick through the feeder from the left and pull out from the right, so there is no need to open the feeder to reload.

  • @user-jg1nu1xd9w
    @user-jg1nu1xd9w 6 місяців тому

    The intro sounded so badass. I love it.

  • @leemichael2154
    @leemichael2154 4 роки тому +126

    The MG 42 Simply the best medium machine gun ever designed and produced, the designers were bang on point with this weapon

    • @tbrowniscool
      @tbrowniscool 2 роки тому +7

      I agree, nothing comes close to beating this system when you look at the modern stuff... What MG lets you swap the barrel behind cover? Pretty much nothing. MG34/42 IS THE BEST

    • @leemichael2154
      @leemichael2154 2 роки тому +2

      @@tbrowniscool yes I think the design was an idea that worked better than the designer's ever intended it to be , the commen "stubble hoppers" found a weapon that suited their need s perfectly

  • @simoncollins1328
    @simoncollins1328 5 років тому +363

    CHOWDA! PASS ME THE MG-42!

    • @violentbile
      @violentbile 5 років тому +72

      Simon Collins ahoy, spongebob me boy, I have been shot 42 times with a Nazi buzzsaw and I am going to die

    • @MrCool-zu1zs
      @MrCool-zu1zs 5 років тому +46

      @@violentbile ARG ARG ARG ARG ARG ARG

    • @duncandonutzz516
      @duncandonutzz516 5 років тому +18

      *westerwald playing in background*

    • @ryanmarks1567
      @ryanmarks1567 4 роки тому +3

      Oh how I can rejoice in your comment I will cherish your comment for the rest of my Life you dirty fuck you

    • @micohazakin8576
      @micohazakin8576 4 роки тому +1

      Boys locker room be like:

  • @hansmller
    @hansmller Рік тому

    You are a true amatuer.
    I had that gun for 9 months when I was in the army. Best gun I ever had in my 6 years in the army.

  • @MGB-learning
    @MGB-learning 2 роки тому +1

    I had to watch this great video again. Outstanding video and presentation.

  • @MoltoSlice
    @MoltoSlice 7 років тому +99

    This Weapon is unbelievable amazing....

  • @Rowsdow3r
    @Rowsdow3r 3 роки тому +68

    imagine how many GIs had nightmares about that sound.

  • @heastoida8993
    @heastoida8993 3 роки тому

    Its really awesone that you always make your homeword and tell all this information about the guns! You really know alot about them! I think you earned anotzer sub.. ^^

  • @randyhavard6084
    @randyhavard6084 2 роки тому

    It's amazing to see how much smoother the mg42 pulls in the ammo belt even though it has a much higher rate of fire

  • @CobusGreyling
    @CobusGreyling 8 років тому +189

    It really is amazing to see this stuff now, sitting behind the comfort of my desk at home.
    But to think of all the old men(now) who had to run across muddy and bloodied fields, sticky and wet from hundreds of trudging boots in the permanent European drizzle, who had to run across a field facing fire from these killing machines.
    It's easy to forget what it feels like firing a gun when you're not right there; but let me remind *some* of the viewers here: a shot from even a light weapon, anything bigger than a .22 is painful to your hearing. Most people blink from the shock of the sound at the least. There is a slight tremor in your feet when you're standing close to a shot being fired. In an open field it clangs through the terrain; as you can see from this video too, the dust is kicked up around wherever a shot is fired.
    Now, imagine the thousands of men dying to these in the worst possible conditions. I wouldn't want to move to Europe, let alone trudge a plain-meets-swamp in the dark grey weather while I'm getting shot at by angry Germans.
    Respect to both sides of the war. I love firearms, they're fucking cool as hell, but man I wish those guys didn't have to go through what they did.

    • @pasiv91
      @pasiv91 8 років тому +16

      Well said

    • @Seanthefox
      @Seanthefox 8 років тому +4

      Well that was indeed awesome what you said there. These machine guns are fuckin scary

    • @CobusGreyling
      @CobusGreyling 8 років тому

      ***** Damn right :)

    • @LordBruuh
      @LordBruuh 8 років тому

      Your words couldn't be anymore true. I was shooting an at-15 without ear protection and I started thinking about how loud war is. If just one gun was loud as hell. Just imagine hundreds of guns combined with artillery explosions and bombs from jets.

    • @Gurfi28
      @Gurfi28 8 років тому

      +Cobus Greyling If you just dry fire (just letting the bolt snap forwards) this gun it would be loud enough that most civilians would be frightened.

  • @jackywhipet
    @jackywhipet 5 років тому +64

    1200 a minute and those storm troopers still missed chewy

    • @jsprite123
      @jsprite123 4 роки тому

      That only happens in Hollywood films. Just like the Star Wars storm troopers, years later...

    • @nagmashot
      @nagmashot 4 роки тому

      cheap ammo ;)

    • @redactedagentdataexpunged9431
      @redactedagentdataexpunged9431 4 роки тому +1

      The only stormtroopers able to kill someone were Death Troopers

  • @alanwatts8239
    @alanwatts8239 2 роки тому +3

    That barrel change is insanely fast.

  • @sparerib
    @sparerib 2 роки тому +1

    The MG42 is an iconic weapon, even now its a vicious piece of equipment. You guys are so lucky to sample it's capability. 👍

  • @cheyenneball2988
    @cheyenneball2988 5 років тому +405

    These two light machine guns were one of the most feared weapons in World War 2.

    • @plaguedoctor880
      @plaguedoctor880 5 років тому +8

      DH play nice.

    • @tonimancer8075
      @tonimancer8075 5 років тому +1

      Two great ww2 guns

    • @Prototype622
      @Prototype622 5 років тому +16

      Definitely not a light machine gun. It's considered a medium machine gun just as the M240B and L are for the US Military. The SAW is a light machine gun as it uses the intermediate rifle cartridge, the light 5.56mm

    • @lemonxx4916
      @lemonxx4916 4 роки тому

      Ya looks like it could blow over 100 people in a min

    • @GAtTheTop
      @GAtTheTop 4 роки тому +4

      It’s a GPMG, NOT LMG

  • @Coronet_shop
    @Coronet_shop 7 років тому +258

    here's the mg42 *gun goes off* ...... this re- *gun goes off again* ugh fuck

  • @alexrangel1123
    @alexrangel1123 3 роки тому +1

    I like how the intro music sounds like the music from those old ear documentaries from the last 90s/00s

  • @Dirk-Ulowetz
    @Dirk-Ulowetz 2 роки тому +2

    As a German guy I was at Bundeswehr. The Rifle G3 shot with 1200 shots per minute. The MG3 shot with 1500. And this MG was principally the MG42, but with less shots per minute. The MG42 shot originally 1800. That's what I know. Perhaps I'm wrong, but those it was told to me.

    • @chad653
      @chad653 2 роки тому +1

      It says in the video they did something to the gun to slow the rate of fire, German Guns of ww2 are in a league of there own.. I will admit that even being a proud American who’s 90 percent German in my bloodline, minus the dark history Nobody has came close to accomplishing what Germany did in terms of technology etc, they were literally 100 years ahead of everyone in all aspects. Many ppl don’t realize but if America didn’t get into the war and hitler made just a few decisions differently you would have taken over the entire would with ease, and eventually America. Ones to wonder would the world be a better place today? Someone’s I think yes.

    • @Dirk-Ulowetz
      @Dirk-Ulowetz 7 місяців тому

      I was in Bundeswehr too and I agree.