(Fallschirmjägergewehr 42)
FG42 Model I
Type	Battle 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	4.5 kg (9.9 lb) (Model I) 4.9 kg (10.8 lb) (Model II)
Length	937 mm (36.9 in) (Model I) 1,060 mm (41.7 in)(Model II)
Barrel length	502 mm (19.8 in)
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. The weapon was developed specifically for the use by paratroopers, who wanted a suitable gun after their experiences in the invasion of Crete. 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. The FG42 was manufactured and deployed only in small numbers. Image File history File linksMetadata Rifle_FG42_model_1. ... The FN FAL battle rifle The term battle rifle can have different meanings. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Kg redirects here. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kg redirects here. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The 8mm Mauser cartridge next to a United States nickel. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... Gas-operated firearm. ... (for paintball markers also)Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... Feet per second is a unit of speed; it expressses the number of feet traveled in one second. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... Looking down the iron sight of an ArmaLite M15A4 Carbine (a civilian copy of the M4 Carbine) Rear diopter-type iron sight of an Rk 62 assault rifle. ... Heckler & Koch G41 automatic rifles are legal in asutralia an america with lisence An automatic rifle is a term generally used to describe a self-loading rifle capable of firing either semi or fully-automatically from a magazine or belt of ammunition. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Fallschirmjäger Fallschirmjäger photo taken from The Hague, Bezuidenhout during the invasion of the Low Countries, morning of May 10, 1940   (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from German Fallschirm parachute and Jäger, hunter; ranger a term for light infantry) are German paratroopers. ... Combatants Greece United Kingdom New Zealand Australia Nazi Germany Kingdom of Italy Commanders Bernard Freyberg Kurt Student Strength United Kingdom: 15,000 Greece: 11,000 Australia: 7,100 New Zealand: 6,700 Total: 40,000 (10,000 without fighting capacity[2]) Germany: 14,000 paratroopers 15,000 mountain troopers 280... Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ...

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 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. The heavy losses suffered by the paratroopers during the battle of Crete demonstrated the need for a suitable weapon to jump with. Combatants Greece United Kingdom New Zealand Australia Nazi Germany Kingdom of Italy Commanders Bernard Freyberg Kurt Student Strength United Kingdom: 15,000 Greece: 11,000 Australia: 7,100 New Zealand: 6,700 Total: 40,000 (10,000 without fighting capacity[2]) Germany: 14,000 paratroopers 15,000 mountain troopers 280... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... The MP5 is a third-generation submachine gun that is widely used by law enforcement tactical teams and military forces. ... A hand grenade is a hand-held bomb, made to be thrown by a soldier. ... For other uses, see Rifle (disambiguation). ...

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. 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. 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 Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht,[3] and was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. ... Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) was an assault rifle developed in Nazi Germany during World War II and was the first of its kind to see major deployment. ... The 8mm Mauser cartridge next to a United States nickel. ...

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. 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. This article or section should be merged with Flash suppressor A flash hider, also known as flash eliminator, is an attachment on the end of the barrel of a weapon that is intended to reduce the amount of flash given off when firing. ... M14 and M-14 redirect here. ...

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. When firing in the automatic mode, the gun utilized an open bolt system. 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. 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 bolt and working parts are forward. ... A semi or fully-automatic firearm which is said to fire from an open bolt is one where, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear. ... Cooking off is when ammunition is set off 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. These, along with some aspects of the MG42, are commonly reported to have been incorporated in the similarly troubled M60. The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or Machine Gun 42) was a machine gun that was developed for and entered service with Nazi Germany in 1942, during World War II. The 7. ... For other uses, see M60. ...

The American M41 Johnson LMG has many parallels with the contemporary FG42. 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. The M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun was an American recoil-operated light machine gun designed in the late 1930s by Melvin Johnson. ...

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

See also

• M60 machine gun

For other uses, see M60. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

FG42

• 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