Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - All Gauge Page

38 CO/MIPANY OFFICER'S HANDBOOK
Type .....-.. . . |.1. M G. 48
Principle of operation . Short recoil assisted by muzzle Short recoil and blowback assistblast
ed by muzzle recoil booster
Sights.- .............................. lade front sight and lerf rear A djut;table inverted V front sight
sight with open V notch grad- and leaf rear sight with open V
uatcd from 200 to 2,000 meters
(219 to 2,187 yards); a folding
notch sliding on ramp and
graduated from 200 to 2,000
rear peep sight for use with meters (219 to 2,187 yards); a
antiaircraft ring sight; and a folding rear peep sight for use
telescopic sight graduated up with antiaircraft ring sight;
to 3,500 meters (3,827 yards) and a telescopic sight gradufor
use as heavy machine gun ated up to 3,500 meters (3,827
yards) for use as heavy machine
gun
Muzzle velocity................. ... 2,500 to 3,000 feet per second
(depending on ammunition)
2,500 to 3,000 feet per second
(depending on ammunition)
Range:
Maximum........... ...... 5,000 yards
Effective............... ... See under Sights, above. See under Sights, above.
Rate of fire (rounds per
minute):
Maximum
Practical:
......................... 900 1,500
As light machine gun
(on bipod) ......-...-......... 150 154
As heavy machine gun
(on tripod) .-..---. ---------. 250 .................. .......................................
Ammunition ........................ - All 7.92 ammunition except anti- All 7.92 ammunition except antitank
rifle ammunition. (See tank rifle ammunition. (See
par. 15b,p.30,and fig. 12,p.31.) par. 15b, p. 30, and fig. 12,p.31.)
Type of feed.......................... 1. Nondisintegratingr metallic- 1. Nondisintegrating metalliclink
belts, which hold 50 rounds link belts, which hold 50 rounds
and may be connected in series and may be connected in series
2. 50-round belts in metal drum 2. 50-round belts in metal drum
3. 75-round double (saddle-type)
drums
Weight:
As light machine gun
(on bipod)..................... 26~f. pounds 251 pounds
As heavy machine gun
(on tripod) ......- 682 pounds 672 pounds
Crew ............................... Machine-gunner, assistant ma- Machine-gunner, assistant machine-gunner,
ammunition car- chine-gunner, ammunition carrier
rier
Remarks ._......__.... . Full ... automatic or single shot Full automatic only; cannot fire
fired in bursts of 7 to 10 single shots; fired in bursts of
rounds as LMG; in 50-round 5 to 7 rounds as LMG; in 50-
bursts as Hv MG
round bursts as Hv MG
Figure 21.-Characterisfics of the M.G. 34 and M.G. 42.