MG 30

MG 30
The MG 30 on display in Austria.
(Festung Hohensalzburg)
TypeLight machine gun
Place of originSwitzerland/Austria
Service history
In service1930s–1940s
Used bySee Users
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerLouis Schmeisser
ManufacturerSteyr-Werke AG
FÉG
Produced1931-1945
No. builtmore than 15000
VariantsMG 15
MG 17 ( Both used in aircraft)
Specifications
Mass7.92x57mm: 9.5 kg (21 lb)
8x56R: 8.4 kg (19 lb)
Length1,162 mm (45.7 in)
Barrel length600 mm (24 in)

Cartridge7.92×57mm Mauser
8×56mmR
7×57mm Mauser
ActionRecoil
Rate of fire550—600 RPM (practical: 100RPM)
Muzzle velocity807.92 m/s (2,650 ft/s)
Effective firing range800 m
Feed system30-Round magazine (7.92x57mm)
25-Round magazine (8×56mmR)

The Maschinengewehr 30, or MG 30 was a German-designed machine gun that saw some service with various armed forces in the 1930s.[1] It was also modified to become the standard German aircraft gun as the MG 15 and MG 17. It is most notable as the design pattern that led to the MG 34 and MG 42, and thus is one of the major ancestors of many of the weapons in service which would later find widespread use into the 21st century.