MG 29

Flieger MG 29
TypeLight machine gun
Place of originSwitzerland
Service history
Used bySwitzerland
Production history
DesignerAdolf Furrer
Designed1920s
ManufacturerW+F Bern
Produced1920s-1930s
VariantsSingle and twin gun variants
Specifications
Cartridge7.5x55 mm GP11
Caliber7.5 mm
Barrels1-2
ActionRecoil
Rate of fire1200RPM
Feed systemBelt fed
SightsIron or optical

The Flieger MG 29 (also called the Flab MG or FLab MG 29/38) was a Swiss light machine gun developed in the 1920s and produced until shortly before the dawn of the Second World War. It was mounted on aircraft and was later used as an anti-aircraft gun. However, it was too heavy to be used as am infantry support weapon. It employed a closed bolt system using a toggle locking system developed for the LMG25. Some guns had the ability to attach a large box onto the bottom of the machine gun to hold the ammunition belt. Two versions of the gun existed, the "normal" version and a second version which bolted two guns together and made them to fire from the same trigger, known as the "Doppel-MG" (double machine gun). Both air cooling and water cooling were used for both single and double guns depending on application. There was a version tested in a water cooled version using the MG11 Maxim tripod. Only a few were built.

After the second world war, better anti aircraft systems and aircraft weapons were available to Switzerland and the infantry support role was filled by the MG 51. The higher rate of fire, but much heavier MG 29 was finally mounted on the first prototype of the Panzer 58, the precursor to the more famous Panzer 61 tank before being retired.