FG42

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 16:22 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 16:17

During the Second World War, the German military felt the need for improved firepower. A number of submachine guns and automatic rifles were designed in response. The FG42 or the Fallschirmjager 42 was one such design. The rifle was designed specifically for use by parachute troops.

The FG42 was designed to use the 7.92x33mm round and used a 20-round box magazine as its feed system. The gun also had a bipod which allowed the gun to be controlled properly when used for support fire.

The FG42’s design was unique in many regards. The magazine was side-mounted. In addition, the FG42 also used a butt-stock made of plastic. However, as the Second World War progressed and plastic shortages were felt, the plastic stock was replaced with a wooden stock in the later models. The rifle also had a revolutionary plastic pistol-grip. In other rifles of that era, the grip was part of the butt-stock. The FG42 was the first rifle to use a pistol grip which has become a standard.

The FG42 was an advanced and innovative gun for its time. However, on the minus side, it was difficult and expensive to manufacture. Modifications were made to the manufacturing process to simplify it. Despite these, only 7000 units of the MG42 were manufactured by 1945 when Germany lost the Second World War.

The FG42’s design had a profound impact of the way rifles were designed. However, very few derivatives of the FG42 have been built. The last known derivatives of the FG42 include the Dror LMG, the Sturmgewehr 52 and the M60 machine gun.