MG34

The MG 34 (Maschinengewehr 34) is a recoil-operated air-cooled machine gun that fires from an open bolt. MG34 is designed by Heinrich Vollmer of Mauser, with reference to Rheinmetall's MG30. MG34 was first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934. MG34 is generally considered as the world's first General Purpose MG, it was mass produced and issued to military service of the Third Reich in 1936 after the Nazi party's repudiation of the Versailles Treaty. MG34 was designed to be relatively light weight for single personal operation, the light support configuration weights 12.1kg unloaded. It has a notable fast cyclic rate of fire of around 850 rounds per minute, anti-aircraft/coaxial variants have faster rates of fire. MG34 is fed by a reusable non-disintegrating 50 round ammunition belt from the left side of the gun, the belt can be chained to any length needed in increments of 50 units, designed to hold the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge which the gun chambers. Other than stationary belt feeding, MG34 also have access to a 50-round Gurttrommel or a 75-round Patronentrommel 34 drum magazines that can feed the weapon.