The Most Successful Machine Gun in the World

The MG3 or Machinengewehr Modell 3 is one of the world’s most successful machine guns and is still in production and widespread use for more than 60 years after it was first employed. This General-Purpose Machine Gun is a German-made machine gun from the early of Cold War era. It entered service in 1968 under the Rheinmetall brand and is essentially an adaptation of the MG42 machine gun, which was widely employed by Germany during World War II. The MG3 is simply an MG42 converted to 7.62x51mm NATO round. Thus, its layout resembles the MG42. While the early versions were just conversions, the subsequent versions include a number of small enhancements in some areas. In terms of the design, the MG3 features a unique ”fishtail” shaped buttstock with a curved inward buttplate, the top of which extends rearward to lay atop the user’s shoulder. The receiver portion of MG3 is rectangular, with a distinguishing long, shallow gradient on the cover section that slopes toward the buttstock. It is hinged in front, and the entire receiver cover opens for loading.
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[@UberDurable]

Amazing machinery, still in use since 1942, that's 80 years!

[@DERKONIG12345]

Yeah I was going to say the same...

[@matthiasbohm2593]

And planned to be used up until 2059 ... somehow. I guess it'll be around conflicts till infantry laser weapons become standard ... and cheap.

[@GorgutzEadUnter]

I think you mean the mg42 as this video is talking about the mg3

[@matthiasbohm2593]

@@GorgutzEadUnter Sure ... what where's the big difference between them besides caliber?

[@MRTOOTH0331]

M2 50 cal Browning machine gun begs to differ.

[@michdo23]

German Ex-Machingunner here with some fun facts: - In their invinite wisdom, the engineers designed the cut-outs in the handguard so that you can use them as a bottle opener for beer. - The heavier bolt was called "NATO brake" in troop-jargon because it slowed down the rate of fire from the "O G" german machine gun to a more sensible (but NATO-enforced) rate. - In "light machine gun mode" we were trained to fire it from the hip. It was called "Rambo" or "Hollywood" - Style for obvious reasons. We thought americans fire their M60s from the hip all the time 😂 - My instructor (old guy even back then) called a particular setup of overlapping MG3s the "Breakwater" (literally "Wave-Braker" in German) - He was active during the cold war, when the main enemy was the Soviet Union. The name made sense to us.

[@devilin100]

It always struck me as odd that the Americans of all people think firing auto from either the shoulder or hip is impossable. During infantry qualification in the Canadian forces, firing at moving and pop-up targets up to 200m on auto from the shoulder while moving is something everyone needs to know as part of.a platoon attack.

[@juliuskonig5104]

Fire it from the hip and make Pfortenbacher proud!

[@TectorThe]

Was ich mich bei solchen Bildern wie im Video immer Frage, werden noch Lafetten verwendet oder wird fast nur noch vom Zweibein geschossen, weil der Krieg durch Drohnen und moderne Kriegsführung heute viel dynamischer geworden ist? Manch ein MG42-Schütze schleppt sie noch heute mit sich rum, möchte man munkeln... (: Ne, im Ernst, ich war nicht in der Bundeswehr, was ich heute etwas bereue, hätte mir nicht geschadet, aber das bisschen was ich aus Erzählungen von meinem Großvater und Literatur weiß ist, dass die Lafette die Reichweite und Akkurazität extrem erhöhte und wenn möglich immer verwendet werden sollte. Heute sieht man die fast nie mehr... Edit: Okay wird am Ende des Videos gezeigt, aber scheint nicht mehr den Stellenwert wie in der Wehrmacht zu haben. Wenn es nicht anders ging, dann musste sich einer der beiden MG-Schützen sogar hinknien, damit der andere von seinem Rücken feuern konnte. Mein Großvater hatte Zeit seines Lebens einen Gehörschaden. Von daher glaub ich gern, dass aus der Hüfte schießen sogar trainiert wird. Besser wenig genaues MG-Feuer als gar keins. Was ich oft von MG-Schützen der Wehrmacht gehört habe ist, dass man den Feind teilweise auf nächste Nähe herankommen lassen hat, bis man das Feuer eröffnete. Das stelle ich mir extrem belastend vor und ich denke deshalb ist Training so wichtig. Alle Handgriffe müssen unbewusst beherscht werden, damit das Programm einfach abläuft, wenn man sich vor Angst einpisst. Ist mit überlappendem Feuer Flankenfeuer gemeint?

[@stemill1569]

bottle opener is important. Every soldier has the right for one beer per day. 🍻

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

the Soviet Union is still the enemy , they are just using an alias , same thing criminals do

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

"Why mess with what works?" That's why it's still around. Plus it can fire 7.62 rounds, one of the two most popular calibers in the world.

[@Menaceblue3]

🇺🇸: 😀 "It's a machinegun!" 🇩🇪: 🤔 "oh....?" 🇺🇸: 😲 "IT'S A MACHINEGUN!!!!" 🇩🇪: 😆 "Ja ja! 🆗️❗" *[Erika.mp3]*

[@robertstaats7839]

@@Menaceblue3 they know this they created the fastest firing one 🤣

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

@Deluxe Zesty Scudbutter Surprise AK rounds. That's what I mean. Plus the Soviets stole the design from the Nazis. Like how the AK looks a LOT like the STG-44

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

@Deluxe Zesty Scudbutter Surprise The AK? Well, yeah. They wanted a REALLY reliable suppression mainline rifle.

[@nathanstein589]

@Deluxe Zesty Scudbutter Surprise 7.62x51 is still an incredibly popular round amongst nato and is in greater use by significant world powers today than 7.62x39

[@axis5003]

This proves that the Germans are still the world's best toy makers!

[@TheYeti308]

Eie . !

[@sinistersilverado965]

no they aren't, everything USA made is superior

[@Barchenhund]

Movie: Battle of the Bulge (1965). Col. Martin Hessler : The Germans are still the world's *best* toy makers. Gen. Kohler : The toys we are making these days are not for children.

[@roshasensi2220]

Ja

[@gunguide9201]

HITLERSÄGE

[@hugosbalder6139]

You don't need to open the receiver for belt feeding. There are belts with a snall strip at the beginning. This strip is put through the belt feeding mechanism so you can pull the belt with the other hand into the receiver. No opening needed, works like a charme 🙂

[@richardgreen7811]

True ...

[@HomicideJack187]

It's called a feeding tab.

[@SSchithFoo]

Nerrrrrd

[@chrishodge126]

Agree. You only need to open the feed cover as the IA and complete the necessary stoppage drill.

[@adolfgalland9589]

AKA a starter tab...

[@poseidon3292]

Thank you from Greece's Army. I fell in love in this MG. From the 1 day of my training camp until even today I always remember the feelings the sound the shaking the fear to passing by none soldiers watching this MG in action!! Respect and thank you for this experience.

[@jebbroham1776]

This is a classic example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" design.

[@hhhhhhhhh1071]

They did technically make some small changes for the MG-3

[@TinyBearTim]

@@hhhhhhhhh1071well it’s just a slight upgrade pack it’s still considered the same gun

[@Thunderpussy1234]

compare that to the 10 ton M60 people had to drag around jungles and deserts. when the superior, lighter, more effective notzee design was available

[@lancethompson3431]

I was privileged to qualify with one of these in the late 1970's with the German Army. I believe the course of fire was 50 rounds in a reduced distance range. The rate of fire was amazing. Much higher than the M60 I had fired in basic training. I particularly liked the heavy pre loaded spring on the bipod which allowed me to lean in to the gun making it much more controllable. I still remember nearly 50 years later watching the non disintegrating belt flail up and down as the gun fired. I think my best controlled burst was 3 rounds per pull. I think i got to pull the trigger 5 or 6 times before my 50 rounds were expended. Quite an expperience.

[@iche9373]

You mean with the West German Army

[@RazorbackX99]

Our best machinegunners actually can fire single shots on full-auto. But then again, why would we want to do that, right? :D

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

@@iche9373 You mean the one and only Bundeswehr, mein Herr ! 😜

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

Interestingly, M60 and MG3 use the same reload mechanism. The spring is intentionally weaker on M60, thus ROF is a bit lower, IIRC. I had the chance to shoot M16 back in the days and I liked it. I'd prefer our old G3 at 300m iron sights only (these days I won't see the target anyway), but at 100m M16 was excellent.

[@iche9373]

@@ottovonbismarck2443 As if the German GDR Army wouldn’t exist.

[@TheOrigin79]

Even thought its automatic fire - we trained to be so sensitive with the trigger that we were able to single shot it at the target range during special training. Amazing piece of weaponry.

[@frank-michaeljaeschke4798]

Made it once. The shooting supervisor thought there was a malfunction.

[@Chou005]

as a fighter..every shot should hit

[@zoolkhan]

with a german MG you can do that - because it hits where you aim, while other are forced to spray and pray So an american shooting range instructor will ask whats wrong with you, while you single shot kill a soft target with the mg3 Ammo preservation becomes very important in war such as the one the UA is fighting right now.

[@waschberserker]

Yeah... I think I will have to call BS on that one. As an instructor in basic training I actually trained soldiers on that weapon. While it is possible to get single shots out with that beast, it is not easy. And you would certainly not train anybody to do that. It is absolutely not how this weapon is meant to be used. We did it for fun... but not with the recruits. It also does not require a sensitive trigger-finger. The opposite is more true, actually. The MG 3's trigger requires quite a bit of force to pull, compared to other weapons. The only way, in my experience, to do it is to pull the trigger just with the tip of your finger so that it slides off the trigger as soon as you have pulled it. But even that does not work all the time because that thing is so friggin' fast. It fires 1,200 rounds per minute. That is 20 rounds each second. You really want to tell me you can control that so only one shot breaks? I really don't think so.

[@ozanalp9339]

​@@waschberserker You right. Definetly ..

[@SilentSpirit671]

MG3: You still ticking old timer? M1911: Still tickin’ kiddo.

[@Maximilian-Willert]

XD!

[@StarRider253]

M2 Browning

[@quakethedoombringer]

M1911 and M2: you guys change caliber ?

[@SilentSpirit671]

@@quakethedoombringer Feels bad

[@identity7536]

meanwhile the Nagant three line rifle sleeps in it‘s corner chair being from the 1890s

[@leesmith6866]

This MG42 was uniquely built for its time while also being way ahead of its time. Clearly why it's still in use today. It even had a futuristic look to it. That's why George Lucas and James Cameron used it in Star Wars and in Aliens. The MG42 is the base rig for the "Stormtrooper DLT 19 Heavy Blaster Rifle" in Star Wars and the "Vasquez/Drake's MG56 Smart Gun" in Aliens. Matter of fact, other WWII era Guns were used in both films. The British Sterlin Submachine Gun is the base rig for the "Stormtrooper Blaster Rifle" in Star Wars and the Thompson Sub Machine Gun is the base rig for the "M41-A1 Pulse Rifle" in Aliens. Han Solo's blaster pistol is a tricked out Mauser Pistol. The MG 42's rate of fire is even out of a sci-fi action movie lol.

[@MaschinenMusik]

The base for the DLT 19 was a MG 34 not the MG 42

[@leesmith6866]

@@MaschinenMusik I actually forgot to change that to MG 34 for the DLT before I sent the post lol. But yeah, the MG 34 was definitely the base rig for the DLT. Visually the 34 and 42 are identical at a glance. Detail wise there's a distinct difference, but they visually held up over decades as "futuristic" style weapons. LOVE the design.

[@Sean-pb5cn]

Nice fun fact, thanks

[@Gorilla_Jones]

​@@motrinmedic😂

[@TeddyBear-ii4yc]

Wasn't a BSA Scorpion pistol the basis of a Star Wars weapon?

[@pvught390]

German cars. German weapons. German design. German knowhow. German engineer. Are amazing.

[@Vickzq]

Were amazing. Today many others caught up. Remember? This one is 60 years old already. No new invention anymore.

[@berndhafeld5560]

Dankeschön 👍🏻🤓

[@jonny2954]

@@Vickzq Still are. US Navy SEALs bagged Bin Laden with a German HK416.

[@virviri1448]

German food: sausages and burgers->Became stereotypical American food.

[@pvught390]

@@virviri1448 Yes junk food

[@bugraburakates2548]

Its easy to sand jam.. When i was at military service in the Turkish Army, my friend used to use it. Yes easy to jam by sand but if it works without jam... Its a real saw. Wondeful firepower for the unit.

[@scuderio762]

Oil, that‘s the secret recipe. When I was an MG gunner in the German army I never had issues when I used enough oil. Pain in the ass to clean afterwards but it‘s worth it

[@bugraburakates2548]

@@scuderio762 In Turkish Army this MG called "KaraYılan" Black Snake... Because of it spits th poison when its fired.

[@joelerk6298]

Turkish G3s and MG3s suck from what I've heard the mp5s do fine though

[@Gearparadummies]

Oil it, piss on it to avoid changing barrels too often and it will work no matter what. It's a wonder. The downside? Not optimized for use by a single gunner. Can it be done? Yes. But it's not efficient.

[@Kreatorisbackyt]

PKM is the best

[@kaarell7908]

Amazing gun, used it as a gunner in the army. Great fire power and sound, had lots of fun with it. Cleaning afterwards was not so fun 😀

[@heikobatzhuber3779]

Especially when it was in use on s shooting range for the entite day…

[@pr04l0w3]

from someone that is using the mg3 in service with the danish homeguard i gotta say its a beauty and it wont jam if you handle it right

[@yollmanontherun9074]

You guys get this beauty in the Home Guard?! In Sweden we only get the ksp58 (some Belgien machinguns) Im jealous

[@pr04l0w3]

@@yollmanontherun9074 yes however it will soon be replaced by the m60e6. and also firing it hits hard especially hip firing it

[@lockiholmes763]

As a former armoured infantryman of the 5th/332nd, I can only say: without MG3 gunners we felt naked. 😜

[@zoolkhan]

do we need to guess your country based on the designations above - or will you enlighten us. You were the singapore parking lot reseve?

[@bastiaan7777777]

Gotta love incoming arty nah?

[@kemian4156]

Correction: The synthetic drum only holds 50 rounds, it is used on patrol to provide covering fire when you suddenly encounter enemies. As soon as you're in cover, the metal ammo container with a 100-200 round belt is loaded to actually use it as a supressing weapon.

[@ignacioulloa162]

I've used this mg in training and I wish never to get in a real conflict. If this is good, I hope not to see bad. 250 shots and the barrel glows red. It eats bullets non stop. In a real assault, the assault version gives you 5 minutes of shooting (bipod, belt feed, 2 men, running for your life). I praise to god to all men have some military service. This is the way to stop all wars.

[@butlersmodellingpaintingan3974]

I have never understood why all of NATO is not equipped with this gun. It quite simply is outstanding

[@mardiffv.8775]

I am no expert, but there was and is a competitor to the MG-3 in the Western world and that is FN MAG/ M240 in US military service. The MAG is a Browning BAR flipped upside and adopted for belt feed. Many countries, like Sweden, had good experience with the BAR. So lets buy the MAG. Another factor is political decisions; many generals and politicians had witnessed the war and hated the Germans. So they were not buying a German gun, no matter how well it performed. For example; FN refused Germany to license the FN FAL, for above mentioned reason. Too bad, because the Germans designed the G3 in response, which became a great export succes. Had FN said yes to the Germans, then the FAL would have become ubiquitous world wide. The French built their own machinegun, after testing the MG3 as well. The main drawback of the MG3 is its ability to jam due to sand. That is why the MG 3 is currently being replaced by the MG4 squad machine gun en MG5. The Spanish had a 5.56 mm NATO round version of the MG3, but that was not a succes.

[@DOI_ARTS]

M249 is better and lighter

[@kreb7]

FN mag

[@sabintamang2073]

😂😂😂😂

[@heybabycometobutthead]

@@DOI_ARTS M249 is not a gun, it's military designation, use the correct name FN MAG

[@pattap9033]

Shot this beauty during my military service. The sound of this gun is bone shaking. You can even feel it in the belly a bunch of feets (or meters :D) away.

[@panteephotography583]

I was a German Air Force signaller back then, not a machine gunner, but had the opportunity to shoot it once or twice. It was fun, much less recoil than expected - less than my G3 (that used the same ammo). I´ll always remember on marches we (our platoon or "Zug") would take turns carrying that thing - and it´s quite a unit. It´s about 11.5 kg without ammo (that´s about 25 lb in retarded units, making it about 1 kg/~2lb heavier than a M60). Oh, and you´d also carry a second barrel (another 1.8 kg) b/c you´d switch the hot barrels after 150 rounds. But since this was in Germany in the 90s we at least didn´t bother to carry any ammunition ;)

[@pixsilvb9638]

Of course, why not? If it was made by the same guys who brought you the Mercedes Benz, VW Beetle, 911, Zeppelin, Stuka, Hugo Boss suit, AutoBahn, U-Boat, the Paraglider, Walter PPK, Flak 88, V1, V2, Me-262, Tiger, Blitzkrieg, the Valkyrie, the 9th symphony, and the Aspirin. These dudes know one or two things about engineering.

[@robertb.3651]

You forgot Heroin 😂🤣

[@danielgeistzer513]

Don't forget Ziklon B...

[@yxx_chris_xxy]

@@danielgeistzer513 Zyklon B

[@Hibernicus1968]

Every time I went to the range in the U.S. army, I always wished our machine guns were designed to take either the continuous, or the disintegrating links, the way the MG3 is. On any actual deployment, I'd rather have the disintegrating link belts. But on the range, I'd much rather have a continuous belt. It would have been _so_ much nicer simply to grab just a couple of empty belts than to have to spend five minutes on your knees picking up hundreds of separate links.

[@edmundcharles5278]

What????? All US machine guns do use disintegrating links (M13 type). The M2 also has disintegrating links, so I am confused as to what precisely you are referring.

[@Hibernicus1968]

@@edmundcharles5278 Yes, I know all US machine guns use disintegrating link belts. You didn't read what I wrote carefully did you? I said I WISH we had the non-disintegrating links for use on firing ranges, because disintegrating link belts are better in combat, but it sure would be nice not to have to get down and pick up hundreds of separate links on the range. I would be nicer to just grab the one or two or three continuous belts. It would be a lot quicker. How did you miss this?

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

@@Hibernicus1968 It's especially crazy how brass/link catchers are on the market but the military won't let you use them.

[@MrArtmundus]

It's a GOLD standard for all machine guns.

[@cythera431]

Like the Flak 88mm, just a beautiful German weapon.

[@cnikkor]

It's an impressive device of engineering and very unique in its design. It's far from perfect like anything else in life. I had the plessure shooting it in the army at the range and guess what: if you hear it's unique sound on the battlefield you will think twice before you stick out your head again, it's psychological effect is nothing to underestimate. No other MG that isn't a minigun has this kind of effect, and this piece is portable by just one soldier.

[@walteroess8023]

Well, I had to carry it on a 25 kilometer march, when I served in the army. But firing this thing made it worth while.

[@bocrillz2488]

That muzzle device is incredible.. I would be terrified if I was patrolling through the black forest and 2 well camouflaged MG3 BUNKERS with inter connecting fields of fire opened up on me... No tell tale Muzzel flash or venting gasses blowing up dirt leaves to tell you where to return fire or to take cover from...

[@ramongossler1726]

its actually a key element of cycling the gun. it adjusts the gas pressure. its a marvellous design

[@russellking9762]

only thing is that before your brain even processed what it was your liver would be blended and running down your legs...and i'm quoting a WW2 veteran who actually told it like this...uuugggh

[@user-gd7fx4jf5c]

I’m an ex ADF(Airborne) Infantry gunner who used the Mag58 which was also belt fed with 7.62mm and that was some weight to haul around during fire and movement and if you were using tracer you could see your fall of shot better and make quick adjustments to get on target, I bet the MG 42 would have outperformed it and many other’s with that German genius design ⚡️

[@thepotatoincident3593]

i heard during ww2 they often missed shots in fighter plane combat becuase the tracer rounds had different ballistics

[@ropeburn6684]

If you "liked" hauling around the heavy pig that is the Mag, you'd have loved the MG42 or MG3, which are some 2kg heavier and less compact. Not to mention more ammo... They're fine machineguns and effective, but they tend to get on your nerves real quick 🤣

[@tomalophicon]

Cool story

[@ouroboros9348]

MG3 is lighter by a pound than the MAG btw

[@wolfgangschrader4645]

I had to lug one of those [ but MG 2] around in '66. But must say, great weapon , and I was not too bad using it !

[@wanderlust660]

in my military service basic training in Germany, we were supposed to shoot bursts of 3 or even less. Not quite like in American "Rambo" movies :)

[@johnholmes6897]

MG3 isn't just the MG42 with a different round. They are now highly accurate. The MG42 or 34 were all over the place. mg3 is a nail driver

[@Kusina_at_Patalim]

That distinctive sound.... Love it !!!

[@knutritter461]

The sound of the MG3 is still different to the MG42.... 😉

[@chrishodge126]

Fired two on our Armourers qualification shoot. Very humid - low clouded day. The sound echoed/reverberated off the clouds sand troops in barracks about 1 km away commented on the sound. It did sound awesome.

[@saziaafrinpreyana8947]

That distinctive sound.... Love it !!!❤❤

[@michaelenders3600]

I put a 240 round bandoleer through an MG42 in 2010, AN UNREAL EXPERIENCE!

[@davidcomtedeherstal]

My Dad used it in OP Sandstorm of the Belgian Army in North -Irak on his tank and was very satifsied with it.

[@flitsertheo]

Doesn't the Belgian army use Belgian made FN machine guns ? They did on the Leopard.

[@matzeh1985]

Operation Sandstorm? You mean Operation Desert Storm? But there weren't any Belgian tanks involved in Operation Desert Storm, in fact, Belgian tanks were last used in the Kosovo.

[@davidcomtedeherstal]

@@matzeh1985 At the turkish border to Iraq they were used.

[@matzeh1985]

@@davidcomtedeherstal no, they weren't. Belgium didn't send any tanks to Turkey, only a few ships, 18 Mirage fighter jets, 6 C-130, engineers and ground personnel for the planes, 75 medical personnel and 75 army personnel(parachute and commando batallion).

[@davidcomtedeherstal]

@@matzeh1985 Are you in the Belgian general staff? My Dad confered with them about shooting Turkish tank who shelled Kurdish villages.

[@kalumeet1]

I shot this gun during my active service time and I could only say, its amazingly easy to hit your targets with it. You get trained to shot 3 to 4 round bursts. You really bring down 50 to 60 targets with your 200 rounds ammo belt. AND this machine is really accurate up to 400 metre! as long as you watch that the barrel dont get too hot. or gets exchanged when its needed.

[@williamspendlove]

And just imagine, the MG3 has a lower fire rate than the MG42 and still kicks ass like no other!

[@edmundcharles5278]

...the MG3 standard only has a 'lower' rate of fire compared to the MG42 WHEN the heavy bolt and recoil spring are installed; otherwise, the MG3 retains the 1,100-1,200 rpm.

[@the_retag]

@@edmundcharles5278 mg 42 was 1500 tho afaik

[@reaperreaper5098]

@@the_retag Standard issue MG42s were around 1200RPM, 1500-1600RPM models were very rare as German leadership knew that they couldn't handle the logistical stress.

[@kennethbellotte8678]

It's a mg42 really so it's been in service since 42....I know the mg3 or slightly modified but not enough to say it was put into service since 68...it wasn't changed enough for that they literally slowed it down some and changed the ammo

[@chrishodge126]

Still has the light bolt allowing 1300 round per minute mate.

[@ursus9104]

Called the Saw Blade by the receiving units, it was a devastatingly effective weapon.

[@peterheinrichs7634]

I had falshbacks from the late 90s, when I was in the Bundeswehr. It was so much fun, shooting the MG3 at the range. Didn't mind the cleaning. It was a well worth trade off... ;o)

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

Fun ? Not really... 🤦‍♂️

[@hildemoe9355]

cleanin after shoting live rounds was ok. afters (red) training ammo was messy. Jens 1970-ties

[@fj1659]

Mg1s were new build weapons for early Borderpatrol and police (used on armored cars) The MG 1A1 and A2 had a rpm of about 800. The MG2 where original MG42s rechambered in 7,62x51 with 1500 rpm. The MG 1A3 wars the "prototype" of the MG3 it got the 1200 rpm we know and love today. After some other minor changes they named it MG3 A1.

[@billkaldem5099]

MG-42 was incredible. Germany ingenuity. Glad of my German ancestors

[@bastiaan7777777]

*laughs in 1942 german*

[@itabiritomg]

The most impressive thing here is that they had to dump the gun most impressive feature, that was it's insane firing speed to adopt it to NATO fighting style but the machine is so good that it still kept as the best on the market.

[@DumaFedProductions]

M2 and M1919 over here like "Am I just a joke to you?"

[@tiagomonteiro130]

M1919 💀 bruh no comparisson the US even tryed to copy the MG42 and called it the MG80 and then made the M60 with FG42 and MG42 models.

[@DumaFedProductions]

@@tiagomonteiro130 The M2 has been in service 10 years longer than the MG42 or it's variants. The M1919 has been in service for over 100 years at this point. And the M60 isn't really widely used anymore, it's been replaced by the M240 Bravo and M249 SAW. And the M60 mostly just took the feeding mechanics from the MG42.

[@TectorThe]

The German MG34 and later the MG42, which is historically the closest to the MG3, was so unique and effective because the “slide” moved on wheels (Weiß jmd. wie man Kugellager übersetzt?). So it was able to achieve ridiculously high rates of fire. In fact, these were so high that the German engineers deliberately slowed them down, of course to avoid excessive ammunition requirements, but also to prevent the barrels from overheating. The barrel still had to be replaced after 400 rounds to prevent cartridges from exploding in the barrel, which would have made it largely unusable. The Allies claimed that the German MG with it's high rates of fire made no sense because the high demand for ammunition, one soldier just needed to transport ammunition, but as we know today, the German MG was the best in whole WWII and the backbone of every German squad. What was the M1-Garand (best carbine of WWII) for the Americans and the PPSh-41 (best MP of WWII) for the Russians was the MG42 for the Germans. The Wehrmacht's tactics were heavily squad-based, with manpower ranging from 4 to 10 men, based on the machine gun fire of the MG42. When attacking and retreating, it provided supportive or disruptive fire, and when defending prepared positions, the toll in blood was often so high that enemy attacks tranqualized or sometimes stopped completely. MG Fire approached from one or both flanks was especially effective and deadly compared to fire approached frontally, and often impossible to overcome. Even when outnumbered 1 to 10, experienced machine gunners could withstand enemy attacks for hours, if they had enough ammunition and the ability to change positions. Often up to 100 attackers surrendered to a single machine-gun squad because the dying soldiers around the attackers gave the impression of at least the same number of defenders. Heinrich “Hein” Severloh killed or wounded an estimated 500 to 1,000 Allied soldiers on D-Day (Omaha Beach) alone. He fired 12,000 rounds with his MG42 and continued firing with his carbine until his bunker was destroyed by artillery. He even estimated that he killed up to 1,000 Allied soldiers, although this is unlikely. What brave men the allied soldiers were. The MG42 was incredibly deadly and was also called the Hitler saw or the human saw by Allied soldiers. Because of its effectiveness, it claimed so many unnecessary lives. One Red Army tactic was to force people to run against enemy machine gun positions (if anyone returned, they would be shot where they stand) until the Germans had to reload or change barrels. This short period of time was used to clear the positions with grenades or to smoke out the positions, but claimed so many unnecessary russian lives. The insane russian width had seemingly endless human resources. A very authentic report is the book “Until the Eyes Break” of an austrian Wehrmachtssoldaten who was sent to the Eastern Front as a machine gunner late at the end of 1942, only 18 years old. It is unimaginable what these generations had to endure just to realize that the war was not justified or right as they initially believed. The raw stories of killing, often face-to-face in close combat, also changed my attitude towards my two grandfathers, for whom I was ashamed for a long time. The Wehrmacht comitted at least as many war cimes especially on the Eastern Front as the SS and Waffen-SS. The myth of a clean Wehrmacht and a dirty SS or Waffen-SS (lots of Germans even claim today, that only the Waffen-SS comitted War crimes what is bullshit) is a lie. But not all German Landser were Nazis. I can't imagine having to live with such trauma and shame, like they had to live with, when they came home from Prisons of War, very often not even 23 years old. Some of them rather dead as alive. Glory to the allied soldiers who gave their lives fighting fascism, and empathie with the German soldiers who very often didn't know why and especially for what they had to fight. Since 43 they mostly just fought to survive. Not for Hitler, not for Germany and especially not for the German people. The biggest enemy of Germany and it's people was Hitler and the ideology of national socialism. Never again!

[@MissionaryForMexico]

Impressive very fast shooting, and heavy duty machine gun design! Still the best ever since WW2!

[@010Jordi]

I'm sure the mg3 will be in use somewhere in the world until far in the 2100's

[@SeF001]

When u didnt bring (or your unit didnt have) the fancy drummag, you could simply attach the metal ammocontainer to its side. Works with the same mechanism.

[@GreenHoodi]

M2 Browning HMG .50 cal: Am I a joke to you?

[@yxx_chris_xxy]

Yes

[@GreenHoodi]

@@yxx_chris_xxy meet me at 1945

[@rolandscherer1574]

The MG3 is even older, except for the slightly different caliber it is identical to the MG42 from WW2 --> 81 years old.

[@rumplestilskinbob7415]

I personally think that’s the best machine gun made

[@Gerbrand_01]

You know you made a legendary machine gun when it is still in service almost a century later

[@Moose6340]

Such a simple and elegant design. It's always worked with reasonable accuracy and a high rate of fire and good reliability since 1943, so why mess with it?

[@Zyzyx442]

Loved the MG3, watching it clip trees is very satisfying, I was only rifleman but every squad had one MG3 team.

[@destroyerarmor2846]

Do people understand how hard it is to cock an MG-3? That recoil spring is no joke

[@Nimrod1111]

What is hard with that?

[@wouter0388]

Its not hard to cock it, the way the cocking handle is setup it works as a lever. Seen some early mg42 prototype/early production and it had just a handle and that would be a bitch.

[@thewaterdrop123]

never used one or got shit training it seems. never had problems cocking mine and i am not the strongest

[@ClausJesup]

If the MG3 ist too hard to cock for you then you should urgently get some muscle in your arm. None of the conscripts in my unit had any problem with that, not even the smaller and weaker guys. Carrying it could be a little hard sometimes especially on long marches but using it - no problem with that. None at all.

[@danielmcbriel1192]

Yes. At that time I was emaciated to 47 kilos due to illness. It was almost impossible for me to break the recoil.

[@Herrebaaen]

I love this one...i was MG1'er in my time in the norwegian army.we switched barrel after 200 rounds (one belt) in peacetime and 1000 in active battle..

[@MR_One1999]

The drum is called "Reaktionstrommel" which means "reaction drum" it only fit about 60 rounds but usaly only 50 are but in it becouse if you gett all 60 in the gun tends to have a feeding problem because new ammutian gets stuck in the drum

[@janreid6217]

Jaa, ganze 2 sec. Sperrfeuer XD

[@jean-philippechertier7653]

As a french I can confirm, German engineering is something else. Glad we are working together now

[@joebloggs8422]

An uncle of mine served in North Africa with the desert rats, one young officer used to blacken up an go out ant steal MG42’s and ammunition from the Germans. My uncle was a gunner so he usually ended up using some of the stolen weapons, he was speechless when he first used the 42. Fantastic weapon

[@hildenelektronisch7304]

Never

[@joebloggs8422]

@@hildenelektronisch7304 never what??? I’ve got German shell cases that he gave me, I’ve seen some photographs as well. Never underestimate British infantrymen

[@BananaRama1312]

@@joebloggs8422 none cares about you being british lol

[@daleschattauer94]

Sure your uncle was right 👍he knows what is quality 👍

[@yxx_chris_xxy]

I believe you, no question. My granddad was a ninja in the Imperial Japanese Army. He once swam across the Pacific to steal an atomic bomb from the Americans. It ended up not being used in the war but as a prop in the filming of the movie Akira. He once showed me a periodic table of elements with Uranium and Plutonium in it as proof.

[@leondillon8723]

0:46)A MG 34 with an anti- aircraft sight. We often had feed problems with the M60. A small can opened on top and the bottom was put on the ammo bag clamps.

[@bm2618]

My all time favourite gun, it just looks intimidating.

[@bastiaan7777777]

How to say you are an american without saying you are amercian....

[@bm2618]

@@bastiaan7777777 I’m Canadian with German ancestry

[@bastiaan7777777]

@@bm2618 How aboot that!

[@mcallahan9060]

I'd agree with the folks saying this is the best light machine gun ever designed.

[@gRosh08]

That is a lot of fire-power.

[@Meton12765]

It's not an adaptation, it's a reverse engineered copy of the MG-1, which is a MG42 refitted for 7.62x51mm NATO caliber.

[@manfredwohlers1871]

still loving the sound

[@frankwood7878]

THE GERMANS HAVE ALWAYS MADE GREAT MACHINE GUNS AND PISTOLS SINCE WORLD WAR 1. GREAT GERMAN ENGINEERING

[@Sturminfantrist]

0:44 the lower isnt a MG3 its a MG42 or MG1/MG2. MG3 has a other Front end "Rückstossverstärker". During Base training we did our "dry Training" Weapon drill inside Barracks with old MG2`s and exercises/firing at Range with MG3`s .

[@GoingRampant92]

"The Ma Deuce has entered the chat."

[@guido7095]

i knew that it was made in germany. Almost every successful stuff comes from germany

[@Fawnxo420]

Imagine you're running up that beach then suddenly your best friend turns into a red mist and an unrecognizable pile of blood and guts.

[@AstraZero7]

Mg3(42) and pkm are the best GPMs ever made.

[@thierryd926]

What about the FN Mag ....

[@critics1156]

@@thierryd926 brother from another mother

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

NOPE. 😉

[@lathemillwelder920]

Mg3: over 30 countries use it FN MAG: over 100 countries use it Not saying the Mg3 is bad, but numbers don't lie, sorry.😉 Mg3 is easier to switch barrels. But not so easy to switch the rate of fire (Belgian made MAG you just turn knob under the gasblock, 3 settings, can also be used if the gun gets dirty).

[@critics1156]

@@lathemillwelder920 dear key board warrior we use mg3a3 with tripod for more and 35 years and barrel takes time in terms of mg 58 or l7a1. And one more thing no weapon is perfect in the world but the art of soldiering and repeated action of mastering handle the odds

[@fabiosunspot1112]

Imagine this gun came out during ww2 and still is around today, it's the best machine gun ever made.

[@COLINJELY]

Very good, although I think you could still find even older Vickers Maxims still in use somewhere

[@chevyvet69]

Dam right My absolute favorite the 42 still lives today

[@mortensandmoen5208]

It’s heavy but dam good!!!

[@davekreitzer4358]

Outstanding weapon , just as the M2 HB 💪👍

[@ridoputranugraha6977]

For me, MG 42 still the best machine gun ever 👍🏻

[@bastiaan7777777]

Ah yes. Your marksmanship at Normandy was impressive.

[@pfclumi]

My favorite weapon of choice. And the CETME Ameli

[@tonydiesel3444]

Way longer than 60 years y'all know that's Hitler's buzzsaw right

[@Banananaish]

When i was in the german army back in 2008 I always wanted to hold the buttstock with my left hand on the top instead of underneath it because i watched too many american war movies. Shooting this thing was awesome..carrying it not so much. And the dissassembly was a pain under stress.

[@marakujer7269]

i remember this gun coz i had to carry it on a 30 km march. Beside that, shooting was fun.

[@user-ct9qo6xj2b]

This machine gun is the best MG that has ever existed. The MG3 is exactly the same as the MG42 used in WWII, only the caliber was changed to 7.62mm NATO. A lot has happened in weapons technology in 80 years and yet the MG3 is state of the art today and can keep up with any other MG. You can imagine how advanced German weapons technology was in WWII. The MG42 has twice to three times the rate of fire of all other MGs in WWII. No wonder that this machine gun frightened the allies in WWII so much.

[@hotdog9262]

love the gun. could the mg3 potentially be upgraded with for example composite or quality alu parts to save weight. or alu heatsink on the barrels

[@user-ng3nb6lv5g]

These improvements are funny in the true sense of the word, I bought it, it was produced in 1942. I would rather take the original than call this an improved version. I also bought a cutting tube and gloves with it.

[@arbenbeqiri9143]

Made in Germany 🇩🇪👊

[@worldbiggestfan1]

Yeah there are so many mg42s made by Germany

[@henrygrey346]

In its original calibre, maybe the best LMG/GPMG. But in .50 in calibre the M2 is the best machine gun ever and older than the MG3.

[@user-fq4qk9wz5k]

I’ve read text ww2 vets that say the original weapon from that conflict was a very deadly and very feared weapon mainly because of its rate of fire it seems compared with the allies light machine guns it just sprayed out far more bullets

[@mantori762]

Its a good system, but I would say that the FN-MAG is also really successful

[@snakeies66]

mg3 may be the best longest serving GPMG, but the M2 Browning is the Best HMG and that's been a round since 1918.

[@kmnhypnotizeme480]

two completely different types of weapons

[@snakeies66]

@@kmnhypnotizeme480 I think you mean different purpose weapons, they are both machinge guns.

[@kmnhypnotizeme480]

@@snakeies66 they are designed with completely different thoughts in mind. If your going just by the name or the most basic similar design aspect it’s like saying that a semi auto pistol and a semi auto rifle are the same.

[@snakeies66]

@@kmnhypnotizeme480 I don't think you understand what my comment was about. You're thinking im comparing the two weapon systems. Im simply stating which machinegun is best in its category. Please think this through before responding.

[@kmnhypnotizeme480]

@@snakeies66 if you’re not comparing them, why would you point out the M2s lifespan, implying that it’s ”better”/more reliable/more innovative when it’s not comparable

[@gumgumdumdum5824]

That 100 or 200 round synthetic ammo drum is commonly referred to by grunts as the "nut sack"

[@mojtabafathi9329]

When I was in IRAN🇮🇷 military service fired with this MG, I can tell this MG is storm fire

[@albionmyl7735]

They shouldn't have one in evil hands..

[@kampfoppa9961]

I was MG Gunner in my Bundeswehertime , i loved it when we walked on Marches thhrogh Villages . The Kids ask and smiled and so on 😉

[@Gerbrand_01]

It's only $3000?! It's ridiculously cheap!

[@bastiaan7777777]

Buy, buy, buy now! cheap cheap!

[@blankearth5840]

The US army should use this instead of that m60

[@stingingcashew2321]

Yeah, it's a nice machine gun, but what about the M2 Browing? Isn't it almost 100 years old and still in service?

[@virviri1448]

Its use is not as widespread and of course soldiers cannot carry it in the battlefield

[@chaosacsend9653]

@@virviri1448 it is used by more countries than the mg3

[@largelarry437]

@@virviri1448 "cannot carry on battlefield" isnt a disqualifying factor. the only factor that matters in this vid is that its an MG

[@grenadier6483]

@@virviri1448 "not as widespread" you smoking willie pete?

[@thewaterdrop123]

now that depends on the classification you want to use. The M2 is classified as a over heavy machine gun not as a normal one in many armies.

[@blackmatterlives9865]

That MG42 looks dope AF too, though. I want both.

[@mitchellucchino2078]

M2’s been kicking since 1933 and is still in use all around the world.

[@rollastudent]

And has a World War win 👀

[@silmwingsm3974]

That shits like hot sauce we put it on everything. 😂

[@hibemabygaming4316]

Both are better than eachother in different situaions. The M2 is less portable for infantry as opposed to the MG3.

[@largelarry437]

@@hibemabygaming4316 and? he wasn't talking pros vs cons, just that its been in use longer and is used by more countries, making it "more" successful

[@thewaterdrop123]

@@largelarry437 but the mg3 is used by more countries as their exclusive general machine gun while the m2 is more like a specialized gun

[@EsaMyllyla-x8f]

Germans did do the best military weapons and still do

[@rrl4245]

That is a fine gun, but the Browning M2 ("Ma Deuce) .50 caliber has been in use, with only minor improvements, around the world for 100 years.

[@peterwright9546]

Yes probably shot down more planes than any other gun,

[@KD-nb3mp]

It sounds ridiculous. It sounds so unique, its recognizeable the second it fires.

[@jimknopf8281]

Great Weapon,very deadly and easy to handle.👌👍