Shooting a MG42 like the movie Aliens! shooting from Shoulde

[renae]

http://www.harryharris.com/sg.htm

so I am wondering in the movie aliens it seems like they were shooting the mg42 for the Shoulder. IE deltoid

In real life not movie land. . . how could one do this. I know with the MG60 they never were able to shoot from Shoulder until late in the 1990's with the M60 A4.

Other than eating wheeties bench pressing 400 pounds etc. How could one pull it off. What kind of harness would one use.

[JBaum]

I see the problem of trying to shoulder the MG42 as not having enough strength in your arms to hold the thing up long enough to aim. It's too heavy for the non-trigger hand to hold up, and with the long length, there's no point to support it within reach that would provide enough leverage to hold up the front end for more than a few seconds. It's not a rifle, it's a gun (regardless of ATF rulings that say it's a rifle because it has a shoulder stock).

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

I do sturmfeuer pretty often with an 8mm MG-42, and I'll tell you, it's not a natural or comfortable thing to do. It can be done accurately with training and practice. I teach others how. It's not the kind of thing you use on offense, but rather as a rear guard action when you're trying to get yourself out of a bad position and are pressed to move under close enemy fire and without rifle support. You cannot spend lots of time aiming since the front end of the firearm, as John pointed out, is extremely heavy and ungainly. Here's a quick vid.

http://198.144.2.125/MG42/FULL/Sturmfeuer.wmv

[blkbd]

In the movie the M56 Smart Gun as it was called was not shouldered but worn on the body as it attached to the hips with a steady cam rig of those used in big production movies. Here is the best pic I could find and you see M56 is supported by a arm coming off the left hip. http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/projects ... upport.jpg

[Bil]

It looks like you would need a backpack full of bricks to ballance you out.It is kind of cool that several sci-fi movies have weapons based on the German mg s. ---bil

[renae]

Can you send me to a link of a stead cam rig? I've never seen one. Also I suspect you can't run with one on. . .

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

If you fall down wearing one of those cumbersome rigs, how the heck do you get up? Not very practical, especially in close quarters. Submachinegun or short assault rifle would be better.

[FKpt.Fritz]

like this guy

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

If that guy is shooting 8mm, he wouldn't be able to control his aim doing it that way.

[renae]

Can you teach us! WIth very detailed instructions.

[JBaum]

A link to a page about steadicams

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/steadicam.htm

[hcpookie]

It looks like you would need a backpack full of bricks to ballance you out.

LOL too true!


That's an interesting muzzle brake on the end of that! Certainly hides a BFA but it "looks" correct.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

The basic instructions taken from my website, are as follows:

"This movie illustrates assault fire (sturmfeuer). It includes the improper stance when using the MG-42. With too much weight placed on the rear leg, the gunner is off balance and cannot keep the bursts of fire on target effectively because of the extreme recoil of the machine gun. When using assault fire properly, the sling is disconnected from the front ring, wrapped around the grip, and slung around the neck of the gunner. One leg of the bipod is held by the left hand. Note how easily the bursts are kept on target when the gunner keeps his rear leg straight with his weight as far to the forward as allowable. The shoulders are kept as parallel to the gun as much as possible with the head turned sharply to the left, looking over the left shoulder. A fifty-round sturmtrommel (assault drum) is used to feed the ammunition belt. The belt is rolled up inside the drum."

Notice in the movie that my body forms a triangle in parallel with the gun. The important thing is that the gun is perfectly parallel to your shoulders and the positions of your feet, and you are bending your lead knee such that all your weight is on your forward foot. The positioning of your body is NOT natural. Holding a heavy gun while you are in a low position with your knee bent like that is painful after 30 seconds, so the gunner must me able to walk or trot, turn and fall into this shooting position, fire two to three bursts, stand up again and move. The MG-42 is way too heavy and has far too much recoil to use as an assault weapon, and this method of using the weapon is for emergencies only, which you have to move and defend yourself at the same time, and you simple don't have time to plop down and use the bipod. If you fail to hold the gun flat across your chest such that it is in line, parallel with your shoulders, the muzzle of the gun WILL move 6" to the right and your burst will not be accurate. In no case should anyone be standing on your right side if you use sturmfeuer for safety reasons. I can blast 1' targets at 70 yards accurately with the second and following bursts, after the first burst is used to calibrate my body and weapon. You always fire the weapon in bursts since a long pull on the trigger will cause the muzzle to move to the right as the gun forcibly turns your body. You can use sturmfeuer MUCH easier with a wimpier .308 MG-3 or an M-60, since the recoil is a lot less, but with 8mm you simply have to know how to counteract the huge force of the MG-42.