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General-purpose machine gun

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GPMG roles was to provide low level anti-aircraft coverage. A high cyclic rate of fire is advantageous for use against targets typically exposed to fire for a limited time span, like aircraft or targets minimizing their exposure by quickly moving from cover to cover. It was nicknamed
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fronts of World War II. Following the war the victorious Allied nations took an interest in the MG 34 and MG 42, influencing many post-war general-purpose machine guns, many still in use today. They lent design elements to the Belgian
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Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 328 & 329
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type general-purpose machine guns in both bipod and tripod configurations. The tall tripod on the right is for anti-aircraft use.
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MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns. by Chris McNab. Published by Random House Publishing Group. Oct 23, 2012. Quote taken from leaf.
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Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 329
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Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 326
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The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Chris Bishop. Sterling Publishing Company. 2002. page 245 & 246
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The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Chris Bishop. Sterling Publishing Company. 2002. page 247
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Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 376
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Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 375
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Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century. Ian Hogg & John Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. p379
838: 1047: 262: 206: 1332: 1037: 886: 465: 410: 266: 1068: 1529: 1337: 1292: 1102: 999: 717: 486:, a direct descendant of the MG 42 and a licensed MG 3 variant, is still in service with the 476: 1225:
Weapons: An International Encyclopedia From 5000 B.C. To 2000 A.D. Diagram Visual, p. 217.
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and feed mechanism, the operator could radically transform its function: on its standard
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
393: 358: 194: 880: 218: 1428: 1405: 1282: 1239: 1226: 1074: 1032: 1027: 971: 824: 716:, a direct descendant of the MG 42/59 and since 1974 the standard machine gun of the 513: 502: 346: 330: 306: 190: 222: 210: 1448: 1443: 1375: 1362: 1042: 993: 985: 951: 900: 677: 648: 537: 487: 450: 435: 282: 234: 1458: 1357: 1352: 923: 844: 526: 506: 431: 322: 314: 182: 772: 741:, is a multi-caliber, 3D printing and polymers material lightweight machine gun. 1410: 872: 786: 575: 555: 979: 1523: 763: 523: 258: 798: 214: 1498: 1438: 701: 661: 658: 385: 290: 230: 1508: 1503: 1307: 687: 674: 668: 602: 458: 370: 294: 186: 414: 318: 198: 178: 337:. The main feature of the MG 34 is that simply by changing its mount, 1488: 1433: 1347: 1312: 1297: 738: 731: 724: 707: 562: 558: 510: 338: 302: 226: 596:, is a variant of the PK/PKM with a fixed barrel and cooling jacket. 1493: 1385: 957: 713: 611: 566: 362: 350: 250: 1423: 1287: 734:, an improved version of C6 that is a Canadian version of FN MAG. 640: 586: 492: 447: 406: 366: 246: 202: 540:, itself an FN MAG variant. It replaced the M60 in U.S. service. 65: 1317: 1013: 858: 652: 634: 608: 572: 543: 495: 427: 402: 354: 334: 317:. In itself the MG 34 was an excellent weapon for its time: an 286: 242: 157: 533:
and uses the MG 42's feed system and stamp-steel construction.
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about general development, date of use, non-military use etc.
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assault rifle featuring stamped receivers, widely exported.
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The general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) originated with the
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that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for
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Machine gun adaptable for several light and medium roles
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Machine Guns: An Illustrated History of Their Impact
413:troops, and alongside the MG 34 it inflicted heavy 1185: 1183: 1181: 1179: 1169: 1167: 1165: 1155: 1153: 1151: 1149: 1139: 1137: 1135: 1125: 1123: 1121: 1066: 671:, is based on the Vektor SS-77 and Russian PK/PKM. 479:, the new standard machine gun of the German Army. 438:; the latter, as of 2023, is still in production. 605:, is a direct copy of the Russian PK machine-gun. 118:may be compromised due to out-of-date information 1521: 396:of 1,200 to 1,500 rounds per minute. One of the 388:, the MG 34 was supplemented by a new GPMG, the 1176: 1162: 1146: 1132: 1118: 1016:soldiers with MG3, FN MAG and HK21 machine guns 333:, with lethality at ranges of more than 1,000 1255: 972:MK48 MOD 0/1, 7.62mm Lightweight Machine Gun 325:machine gun that could run through belts of 197:. A GPMG typically features a quick-change 53:Learn how and when to remove these messages 1262: 1248: 762:belt-fed tripod version (top) and saddle- 623:, is based on the Russian PK machine-gun. 614:, is based on the Russian PK machine-gun. 145:Learn how and when to remove this message 156: 589:, is an improved version of the PK/PKM. 1522: 1243: 441: 313:, meaning "universal machine gun" in 99: 59: 18: 357:it could serve as a sustained-fire 13: 373:weapon, and it also served as the 293:to circumvent the restrictions on 14: 1546: 664:, is based on the Russian PK/PKM. 34:This article has multiple issues. 1006: 992: 978: 964: 950: 936: 922: 907: 893: 879: 865: 851: 837: 823: 811: 797: 785: 771: 752: 104: 64: 23: 1219: 1210: 1201: 529:, which is based on the German 461:and others and widely exported. 42:or discuss these issues on the 1192: 1109: 1087: 1060: 305:as an entirely new concept in 1: 1095:"General Purpose Machine Gun" 1053: 693:, a direct descendant of the 453:, a direct descendant of the 301:. It was introduced into the 1535:General-purpose machine guns 630:, and later improved models. 457:, still in service with the 329:ammunition at a rate of 850 7: 1271:General-purpose machine gun 1067:James H. Willbanks (2004). 1021: 818:MG 74 mounted on its tripod 639:People's Republic of China 633:People's Republic of China 626:People's Republic of China 171:general-purpose machine gun 10: 1551: 745: 618:People's Republic of China 472:rifle and widely exported. 417:on Allied soldiers on all 272: 1278: 1073:. ABC-CLIO. p. 226. 651:, is a GPMG based on the 509:, is a GPMG based on the 398:Einheits Maschinengewehr 229:, and be configured for 207:fully powered cartridges 1333:Heckler & Koch HK21 1048:Fully powered cartridge 917:on a tripod field mount 466:Heckler & Koch HK21 311:Einheitsmaschinengewehr 263:infantry support weapon 1338:Heckler & Koch MG5 1038:Squad automatic weapon 477:Heckler & Koch MG5 309:firepower, dubbed the 281:, designed in 1934 by 267:squad automatic weapon 166: 75:is missing information 1343:Hispano Suiza HSS 808 766:bipod version (below) 718:Austrian Armed Forces 470:Heckler & Koch G3 289:on the commission of 235:stabilizing platforms 160: 1105:on January 10, 2013. 299:Treaty of Versailles 635:Type 88 Machine Gun 394:cyclic rate of fire 377:on numerous German 375:coaxial machine gun 195:medium machine guns 684:light machine gun. 680:, is based on the 468:, is based on the 442:Post-WWII examples 369:turned it into an 359:medium machine gun 167: 1517: 1516: 1444:S&T Motiv K16 1429:Rheinmetall MG 60 1372:Mekanika Uirapuru 1080:978-1-85109-480-6 1033:Heavy machine gun 1028:Light machine gun 678:S&T Motiv K12 514:light machine gun 501:Belgian/American 430:and the American 347:light machine gun 331:rounds per minute 155: 154: 147: 137: 136: 98: 97: 57: 1542: 1449:Sumitomo Type 62 1376:MG 3 machine gun 1264: 1257: 1250: 1241: 1240: 1234: 1223: 1217: 1214: 1208: 1205: 1199: 1196: 1190: 1187: 1174: 1171: 1160: 1157: 1144: 1141: 1130: 1127: 1116: 1113: 1107: 1106: 1101:. Archived from 1091: 1085: 1084: 1064: 1043:List of firearms 1010: 996: 982: 968: 954: 940: 926: 911: 897: 883: 869: 855: 841: 827: 815: 801: 789: 775: 756: 488:Italian military 451:Rheinmetall MG 3 327:7.92×57mm Mauser 283:Heinrich Vollmer 261:, usually as an 227:7.92×57mm Mauser 150: 143: 132: 129: 123: 116:factual accuracy 108: 107: 100: 93: 90: 84: 68: 60: 49: 27: 26: 19: 1550: 1549: 1545: 1544: 1543: 1541: 1540: 1539: 1520: 1519: 1518: 1513: 1274: 1268: 1238: 1237: 1224: 1220: 1215: 1211: 1206: 1202: 1197: 1193: 1188: 1177: 1172: 1163: 1158: 1147: 1142: 1133: 1128: 1119: 1114: 1110: 1093: 1092: 1088: 1081: 1065: 1061: 1056: 1024: 1017: 1011: 1002: 997: 988: 983: 974: 969: 960: 955: 946: 941: 932: 927: 918: 912: 903: 898: 889: 884: 875: 870: 861: 856: 847: 842: 833: 828: 819: 816: 807: 802: 793: 790: 781: 776: 767: 757: 748: 649:Sumitomo NTK-62 556:Czechoslovakian 444: 353:assaults; on a 323:recoil-operated 297:imposed by the 275: 219:7.5×54mm French 151: 140: 139: 138: 133: 127: 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669:Denel DMG-5 603:Zastava M84 507:Minimi 7.62 459:German Army 371:air defence 187:machine gun 1524:Categories 1054:References 415:casualties 349:ideal for 319:air-cooled 215:7.62×54mmR 181:, usually 179:air-cooled 128:March 2017 39:improve it 1489:Uk vz. 59 1434:SIG MG 50 1313:FN EVOLYS 1298:C6A1 FLEX 1293:Barnitzke 958:UKM-2000P 739:FN EVOLYS 732:C6A1 FLEX 730:Canadian 712:Austrian 708:SIG MG 50 563:ZB vz. 26 559:Uk vz. 59 536:American 511:FN Minimi 345:it was a 307:automatic 303:Wehrmacht 203:calibered 89:July 2011 81:talk page 45:talk page 1494:UKM-2000 1418:Pecheneg 1386:MG 39 Rh 1022:See also 944:Pecheneg 792:MG 42/59 737:Belgian 723:Israeli 646:Japanese 612:UKM-2000 600:Yugoslav 594:Pecheneg 592:Russian 585:Russian 569:designs. 567:Bren gun 524:American 518:M249 SAW 484:MG 42/59 482:Italian 419:European 367:vehicles 363:aircraft 351:infantry 251:aircraft 247:vehicles 231:mounting 177:) is an 1484:Type 80 1479:Type 67 1474:TKB-521 1469:TKB-464 1464:TKB-015 1424:QJY-201 1328:Garanin 1288:AEK-999 1099:UK Army 1014:Latvian 915:Type 67 901:Type 62 746:Gallery 641:QJY-201 628:Type 67 621:Type 80 587:AEK-999 573:Russian 493:Belgian 475:German 464:German 407:buzzsaw 384:During 273:History 243:tripods 201:design 1411:PK/PKM 1318:FN MAG 1273:(GPMG) 1229:  1077:  887:HK21A1 859:FN MAG 706:Swiss 700:Swiss 653:FN MAG 609:Polish 576:PK/PKM 544:French 496:FN MAG 448:German 428:FN MAG 411:Allied 403:Hitler 355:tripod 339:sights 335:meters 315:German 287:Mauser 239:bipods 199:barrel 1406:MK 48 1401:MG 51 1396:MG 45 1391:MG 42 1381:MG 34 1303:CMG-3 1283:AA-52 831:AA-52 779:MG 42 760:MG 34 714:MG 74 691:MG 51 688:Swiss 550:AA-52 531:FG 42 503:Mk 48 455:MG 42 409:" by 390:MG 42 379:tanks 343:bipod 279:MG 34 255:boats 237:from 191:light 185:-fed 163:MG-42 1416:PKP 1363:M240 1227:ISBN 1075:ISBN 930:M240 695:MG42 565:and 538:M240 516:and 436:MG 3 421:and 257:and 241:and 225:and 193:and 183:belt 175:GPMG 161:The 1459:T24 1454:T23 1358:M60 1353:KGK 1000:MG5 986:K12 873:PKM 845:M60 805:MG3 580:AKM 547:MAS 527:M60 432:M60 405:'s 365:or 285:of 265:or 245:to 1526:: 1178:^ 1164:^ 1148:^ 1134:^ 1120:^ 1097:. 682:K3 381:. 321:, 269:. 253:, 249:, 221:, 217:, 213:, 169:A 48:. 1263:e 1256:t 1249:v 1233:. 1083:. 720:. 697:. 655:. 520:. 505:/ 401:" 173:( 148:) 142:( 130:) 126:( 120:. 91:) 87:( 83:. 55:) 51:(

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MG-42
air-cooled
belt
machine gun
light
medium machine guns
barrel
calibered
fully powered cartridges
7.62×51mm NATO
7.62×54mmR
7.5×54mm French
7.5×55mm Swiss
7.92×57mm Mauser
mounting
stabilizing platforms
bipods
tripods
vehicles
aircraft
boats
fortifications

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