The MG 42 is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Entering production in 1942, it was intended to supplement and replace the earlier MG 34, which was more expensive and took much longer to produce, but both weapons were produced until the end of World War II.
MG 42 with retracted bipod.
Wehrmacht reenactors with an MG 34 general-purpose machine gun mounted on a Lafette 34 tripod
A Waffen-SS soldier in 1944 carrying an MG 42 configured as a light support weapon with a folding bipod and detachable 50-round drum magazine.
MG 42 with its bipod unfolded
General-purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for various fully powered cartridges such as the 7.62×51mm NATO, 7.62×54mmR, 7.5×54mm French, 7.5×55mm Swiss and 7.92×57mm Mauser, and be configured for mounting to different stabilizing platforms from bipods and tripods to vehicles, aircraft, boats and fortifications, usually as an infantry support weapon or squad automatic weapon.
The MG-42 type general-purpose machine guns in both bipod and tripod configurations. The tall tripod on the right is for anti-aircraft use.
MG 34 belt-fed tripod version (top) and saddle-drum magazine bipod version (below)
MG 42/59
MG3
