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
MG 42 with extended 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 50-round basket drum containing the ammo belt.
MG 42 with its bipod unfolded
A general-purpose machine gun is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles. Many medium machine guns are also considered general-purpose machin
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)