MG 17 machine gun - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from MG 17) WWII-era German aircraft machine gun

MG 17 machine gun
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Type	Aircraft machine-gun
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1934
Manufacturer	Rheinmetall-Borsig
Produced	1934-1944
No. built	At least 24,271 (including those modified for infantry use)
Variants	Modular design
Specifications
Mass	10.2 kg (22 lb)
Length	1,175 mm (46.3 in)
Barrel length	600 mm (24 in)

Cartridge	7.92×57mm Mauser
Caliber	7,9 (7,92+0,04)
Action	Recoil operated, firing from closed bolt
Rate of fire	1,200 rpm
Muzzle velocity	from 885 m/s (2,900 ft/s) (Phosphor "B" round ) to 905 m/s (2,970 ft/s) (Armor Piercing Tracer "SmK L'spur" round)
Feed system	500-round belt
Sights	Various types

The MG 17 was a 7.92 mm machine gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in many World War II Luftwaffe aircraft, typically as forward-firing offensive armament. The MG 17 was based on the older MG 30 light machine gun, as was its defensive flexible-mount counterpart, the MG 15 machine gun.

History

A mainstay fixed machine gun in German-built aircraft (many of which were sold to other countries) well before World War II, by 1940 it was starting to be replaced with heavier-caliber machine gun and cannons. By 1945 very few if any aircraft mounted the MG 17.

The MG 17 was installed in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Junkers Ju 87, Junkers Ju 88C Nightfighter, Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17/215 Nightfighter, Focke-Wulf Fw 189 and many other aircraft. Many MG 17s were later modified for infantry use, as the Luftwaffe replaced them with the heavier-calibre MG 131, which replaced both the MG 15 in bomber defense applications and the MG 17 as the standard fighter's forward-firing offensive armament (unless the machine guns were replaced by autocannons, such as the MG 151/20, altogether). Official numbers of conversions was about 24,271 by January 1, 1944, although additional conversions may have been done as well.

Modifications to the design included removal of the buttstock, switching from magazine to belt-fed ammunition, and from open-bolt operation to closed bolt operation, to allow it to be installed in synchronized applications, firing through the propeller arc. The MG 15 retained open bolt operation, but used 75 round saddle-type drum magazines, and likewise lost its buttstock, to fit better in the tight confines of an aircraft. The MG 30 was also the basis for the famed MG 34 and MG 42 designs; variants of the latter are still in service in certain areas.

Specifications

Calibre: 7.9 +/- .04 mm
Cartridge: 7.92×57mm IS
Round weight: 35.5 grams (cartridge 24 grams, bullet 11.5 grams)
Muzzle velocity: from 885 m/s (Phosphor "B" round ) to 905 m/s (Armor Piercing Tracer "SmK L'spur" round)
Rate of fire: 1200 rpm

Dimensions

Length: 1175 mm
Weight: 10.2 kg
Action: Recoil
Feed system: Belt magazine
Sights Remotely located, various types

References

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/mg-17-german-aircraft-machine-gun/
"Machine Guns - Maschinengewehre". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

v t e German firearms and light weapons of World War II
Sidearms	Mauser C96 Luger Walther P38 Walther PP and PPK Sauer 38H Mauser HSc Sturmpistole Dreyse M1907 Pistol Volkspistole
Rifles and carbines	FG 42 G 98/40 Gewehr 41 Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43 Grossfuss Sturmgewehr Karabinek wz. 1929 Karabiner 98k M30 Luftwaffe drilling MKb 42(W) / MKb 42(H) Spz MP 43/MP 44/StG 44 StG 45(M) VG 1-5
Submachine guns	MP 18/MP 28 MP 34 MP35 MP 38/MP 40 MP 41 MP 3008 Erma EMP EMP 44
Machine guns and other larger weapons	MG 08 Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 MG 13 MG 15 MG 17 MG 26 MG 30 MG 34 MG 39 Rh MG 42 MG 45 MG 81 MG 131 IMG 28 MG 35/36A Faustpatrone Raketen-Panzerbüchse 43 Panzerfaust Panzerschreck Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust Flammenwerfer 35 Flammenwerfer 41 Einstossflammenwerfer 46 Panzerbüchse 39 Solothurn S-18/1000 VMG 1927 Zf.Ger.38
Infantry mortars	5 cm leGrW 36 8 cm GrW 34 kz 8 cm GrW 42 12 cm GrW 42
Grenade launchers	Kampfpistole Leuchtpistole 34 Leuchtpistole 42 Schiessbecher Sturmpistole
Grenades	Blendkörper 1H Blendkörper 2H Fallschirm Leuchtpatrone Gewehr-Panzergranate Gross Gewehr-Panzergranate Gewehr-Granatpatrone 40 Gross Panzergranate 46 & 61 Gewehr-Sprenggranate Hafthohlladung Model 1924 Stielhandgranate Model 1939 Eihandgranate Model 1943 Stielhandgranate Multi-Star Signal Cartridge Nebelpatrone Panzerwurfkörper 42 Panzerwurfmine Propaganda-Gewehrgranate Shaving Stick Grenade Splitterring Sprengpatrone Wurfgranate Patrone 326 Wurfkörper 361
Notable foreign-made weapons	Modele 1935A as Pistole 625(f) Kongsberg Colt as Pistole 657(n) Browning Hi-Power as Pistole 640(b) M1911 as Pistole 660(a) PPSh-41 as MP 717(r) Radom wz. 35 Vis as Pistole 645(p) Puška vz. 24 as Gewehr 24(t) Puška vz. 33 as Gewehr 33/40(t) Lewis gun as leMG 137(e) Bren light machine gun as leMG 138(e) Kulomet vz. 37 as leMG 148(j)/MG 37(t) Browning wz. 1928 (BAR) as leMG 154/2(p) Beretta Model 38/42 as MP 738(i) ZB vz. 26 as leMG 146/1(j) Sten MK I-III as MP 748-750(e) PPS-43 submachine gun as MP 719(r) SVT-40 as Sl.-Gewehr 259(r) M1 Garand as Sl.-Gewehr 251(a) Kb ppanc wz. 35 as PzB 770(p) Bazooka as RPzB 788(a) M1917 Enfield as Gewehr 250(a) M1903 Enfield as Gewehr 249(a) M1 carbine as Karabiner 455(a) Thompson Model 1928 as MP 760/2(r)
German cartridges of the Wehrmacht	7.63×25mm Mauser 7.65×17mmSR Browning 7.65×21mm Parabellum 7.92×33mm Kurz 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.92×94mm Patronen 9×19mm Parabellum 13.2×92mmSR 20×138mmB

v t e German aerial weapons of the Second World War
Machine guns	MG 15 MG 17 MG 81 & 81Z MG 131
Autocannons	MG FF MG 151 MK 101 MK 103 MK 108 MK 214A Schräge Musik
Anti-tank autocannons	BK 3.7 BK 5 BK 7.5
Unguided rockets	Panzerblitz R4M Werfer-Granate 21
Guided bombs and missiles	Fritz X Hs 117H Hs 293 V-1 flying bomb
Anti-personnel bombs	SD 1 SD 1 FRZ SD 2 SD 10 A SD 10 FRZ SD 10 C SD 15 SBe 50 SD 50 SD 70 SBe 250 SD 250 SD 500 SD 500A SD 500E SD 1400 SD 1700
Armor-piercing bombs	PC 500 PC 1000 PC 1400 PC 1600 PC 500 Rs PC 1000 Rs PC 1800 Rs PD 500 PD 1000 SC 10 SC 10 DW SD 4 HL SD 4/HL RS SD 9/HL
Cluster bombs	AB 23 AB 250-2 AB 250-3 AB 500-1 AB 500-1B AB 500-3A AB 70-D1 BDC 10
High-explosive bombs	SB 1000 SB 1800 SB 2500 SC 50 SC 100 SC 250 SC 500 SC 1000 SC 1200 SC 1800 SC 2000 SC 2500
Incendiary bombs	Br C 50 Br C 100 Br C 250 Flam 50 Flam 100 Flam 250
Anti-ship bombs	PC 500 RS "Paulina" PC 1000 RS "Paul" PC 1800 RS "Panther" SB 800R-5 250 SB 800RS
Smoke bombs	NC 50
Experimental weapons	Blohm & Voss BV 143 Blohm & Voss BV 246 Blohm & Voss BV 950 BT 200 Henschel Hs 294 Henschel Hs 298 Jagdfaust MG 213 MK 112 MK 214A MK 115 Ruhrstahl X-4 SG 116 [de]

Categories:

History

Specifications

See also

References