MG3 (7.62 mm)

Description

The 7.62 mm MG3 is a German general-purpose machine gun. It sees use in the game mounted on helicopters and naval boats.

Based off the tested MG42 design that the Germans used in World War II, the MG3 is a Cold War iteration of the same weapon chambered in 7.62x51 mm cartridges.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Bussard
• LCM(6) Zippo
• SA 313B Alouette II
• ◄SA 313B Alouette II

General info

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Available ammunition

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Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

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History

The MG42, or as it was popular nicknamed by the Allied soldiers "Hitler's Buzzsaw" for the sound it makes while firing, was the standard infantry mounted machine of the Wehrmacht during World War II. After the war ended, the Wehrmacht was dismantled and the technical drawings of the MG-42 were captured by the Soviets. Germany would remain under the occupation of four different nations from the victorious Allied Powers (United States, United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union).

The occupation ended in 1949 with the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany (more commonly known as West Germany), but they lacked a standing military. Cold War tensions would soon change this and in 1955 the new Bundeswehr was formed. This new military needed new weapons, particularly with the decision for NATO to standardize on a 7.62x51 mm cartridge the year before. Rheinmetall was contracted to make their new general purpose machine gun based on the MG-42, but re-chambered for 7.62 mm NATO. With the blueprints stolen, Rheinmetall reverse engineered some of the MG-42s still in Germany to get the new weapon, chambered in 7.62 mm, into production.

The result was the MG 1, which entered production in 1958. Variants soon followed with the MG 1A1 featuring a chrome-lined barrel and sights calibrated for the new cartridge, the MG 1A2 which uses a heavier bolt for a more controllable rate of fire, and the MG 1A3 which had an improved muzzle break, bolt and bipod. In 1968, the MG 3 entered production (the MG 3 being re-designated MG-42s with the original 8 mm Mauser chambering). It featured a new belt retaining paw to hold onto the belt when the top cover of the gun was opened, anti-aircraft sights, and a new ammunition box. Most of the MG 1s and MG 2s would gradually converted to MG 3s (helped by the high level of interchangeability from its WWII precursor) and Rheinmetall would start exporting the guns in 1979. While it is beginning to be replaced or complemented by the MG4, the gun remains in service in over 30 countries. In 2019, Rheinmetall announced two new variants of the MG 3. The MG 3A0A1 for use on low-flying aircraft and the MG 3A1A1 for replacing the MG3A1 as a turret mounted machine gun.

Media

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See also

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External links

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Aircraft machine guns
USA
7.62 mm	Browning · M134 Minigun
12.7 mm	GAU-19 · M2 Browning · M3 Browning
Germany
7.62 mm	MG3
7.92 mm	MG 15 · MG 17 · MG 81
12.7 mm	FN M3P
13 mm	MG 131
USSR
7.62 mm	DA · GShG-7.62 · PKT · PV-1 · ShKAS
12.7 mm	A-12.7 · Berezin UB · TKB-481 · YaK-B
Britain
7.62 mm	FN 60.30 · L8A1
7.7 mm	Browning · Lewis · Vickers E · Vickers K
Japan
7.7 mm	Te-1 · Type 89 · Type 89 'special' · Type 92 · Type 97 navy
7.92 mm	Type 1 · Type 98
12.7 mm	Ho-103 · Ho-104
13 mm	Type 2
13.2 mm	Type 3
China
12.7 mm	QJK99-12.7-1
Italy
7.7 mm	Breda-SAFAT · Lewis
7.92 mm	FN Browning
12.7 mm	Breda-SAFAT · FN M3M · Scotti
France
7.5 mm	Darne 1933 · Fabrique Nationale Mle 38 · FN Browning · MAC 1934 · MAC 1934T · Mle 33 · Mle 1923
7.62 mm	PKA
7.92 mm	FN-Browning M.36 No.3 · FN-Browning M.36 No.4
Sweden
7.7 mm	FN-Browning M.36 No.3
8 mm	Ksp m/22 · Ksp m/22 Fh · Ksp m/22 Fv · Ksp m/22-37 R
12.7 mm	Akan m/39A · Akan m/40 · Akan m/45 · LKk/42
13.2 mm	Akan m/39 · Akan m/39A

Naval machine guns
USA
7.62 mm	M73
12.7 mm	AN-M2
Germany
7.62 mm	MG-3
7.92 mm	MG08 pattern 1908 · MG15 · MG34
13.2 mm	Hotchkiss
15 mm	MG M38(t)
USSR
7.62 mm	Maxim
12.7 mm	DShK
14.5 mm	KPV
Britain
7.62 mm	FN MAG
7.7 mm	Lewis 1916 · Vickers GO No.5
12.7 mm	Vickers Mk.V
Japan
6.5 mm	Maxim · Type 38 pattern 1907
7.7 mm	Type 89 · Type 92
13.2 mm	Type 93
Italy
6.5 mm	Breda Mod.30 · Fiat Model 26
12.7 mm	Breda-SAFAT
13.2 mm	Breda Model 31
France
7.7 mm	Darne M1922
7.92 mm	Hotchkiss pattern 1914
13.2 mm	Browning · Model 1929 Hotchkiss