Why Everyone Copied This German Machine Gun

The MG42 popularly known as “Hitler’s Buzzsaw” is considered as one of WWII’s deadliest weapons.

The MG42

The MG42 was first introduced in 1942, and it was so fast in firing that the Americans took to calling it Hitler’s Buzzsaw because of the fact when the trigger was depressed, its brutal rapidity sounded more like a power tool than any machine gun they’d ever heard.

The machine gun fires so fast that it’s difficult to distinguish the individual rounds in your ear.

Design

Instead of being made from machined parts like the MG34, it was made from largely stamped components. The MG42 also made use of a roller-locked operating mechanism. This uses a bolt head with a locking roller that engages with the recesses in the receiver, creating a nice and secure seal when the bolt goes into the battery before firing.

Moreover, it operated as an open bolt weapon where the bolt is held at the rear of the receiver before firing. The MG42 fired as 1200 rounds per minute, a third as fast as the already fast-firing MG34.

It was also double as fast as most Allied machine guns, which hovered around 500 to 600 rounds per minute. German production of the MG42 would run from 1942 to 1945.