German reasoning for the MG42 high rate of fire

[JBaum]

I'm translating the 1944 edition of the German Order Police "Weapons and Shooting Technical Guide" book (about 700 pages). This book has information that I've never read anywhere else, and will be available in a few more weeks (I'm proof reading it now).

One matter that has always been questioned, is why the MG42 shoots so fast. Here's what the technical guide has to say about it:

With use as a light MG.
Combat shooting tests have shown that bursts of 5-7 shots produce the best hit results because the shooter is not able to keep the fire on target longer than that.
The destruction of a target is therefore carried out with fire bursts of 5-7 shots, with renewed aiming each time. It is important that the time for setting up is kept as short as possible, so that the fire bursts closely follow each other.
A gunner can use MG. 42 under combat conditions to fire about 22 fire bursts per minute, i.e. around 154 shots.
Comparative shooting under the same conditions with the MG. 34 provided the best results at about 15 bursts of fire per minute of 7-10 shots - so about 150 shots.
Therefore with MG. 42 as a light MG, ammunition consumption is slightly higher than with the MG. 34, but the results with MG. 42 are about 40% better.

So there it is - a faster rate of fire with shorter bursts equals a higher hit ratio for the ammunition shot.

[42rocker]

Very interesting

Thanks

Later 42rocker

[Hartek]

No way! Everyone tells me the MG42 wasted too much ammo!

[JBaum]

People who presently own an MG42 think it wastes ammo, mainly because they have to buy it. If I were a German soldier in WWII, it's the gun I'd want (except that it's heavy to carry). The MG squad members carried ammo cans.

Nobody ever shows in movies that it shot short bursts most of the time, what fun would that be?

[Hartek]

Imagine having to carry a bren gun and it weighs only a few pounds less while it can only shoot 30 rounds at a time or a BAR at 6 less pounds with only 20 rounds! I felt like I was less accurate shooting the M240 in the Army than my own MG42 and that the rationale in the guidebook seems to hold up. Sustained M240 rpm is 100 and rapid is 200 with the MG42's ~154 rounds right in the middle. The first time I shot my MG42 I was able to do that 150 rpm fairly comfortably shown in the video here. That's 3 belt sections and by the time I get started I finish exactly a minute later. You can tell it's my first time because I'm not used to setting the feed lever, so please go easy on me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOA4QQ4ck_8

[42rocker]

Hartek
Looks like you had fun.
Very nice MG42

Later 42rocker