Post War use of MG42/MG3 by West German Army

[Flying10uk]

I have been looking on-line to try to establish if the West German Army used the MG42/MG3 in it's original calibre of 7.92mm when the army was reformed in the mid 1950s. My interpretation of what I can find is that it did not, not even briefly, but went straight onto 7.62mm Nato. Is anyone able to confirm that I have understood this correctly, please?

Is anyone able to provide any information on the type of link belts used when the 7.62 Nato round was used with the MG42/MG3. Did this require an immediate change of belt or could the original belts and starter tabs still be used with 7.62 Nato? Is generally a disintegrating type belt used today with MG3 users firing 7.62 Nato or do some use non disintegrating belts? Thanks for any information.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Many of my fellows were involved in the small arms replacement program during the mid '70s in Germany...and they observed the German army using the MG 42 straight across with 7.62 mods. They had examined the guns to find Waa markings and Eagles that had been struck. No MG34s. The belts were the common disintegrating link. Many parts had been modded I should think. There were no issues with the guns performance.

[Lee Enfield]

I have been looking on-line to try to establish if the West German Army used the MG42/MG3 in it's original calibre of 7.92mm when the army was reformed in the mid 1950s. My interpretation of what I can find is that it did not, not even briefly, but went straight onto 7.62mm Nato. Is anyone able to confirm that I have understood this correctly, please?

Is anyone able to provide any information on the type of link belts used when the 7.62 Nato round was used with the MG42/MG3. Did this require an immediate change of belt or could the original belts and starter tabs still be used with 7.62 Nato? Is generally a disintegrating type belt used today with MG3 users firing 7.62 Nato or do some use non disintegrating belts? Thanks for any information.

The first West German "military force" was actually the 1951 West German Federal Border Protection Force who were armed with increasingly heavy weapons (small arms thru antitank weapons), until 1994.

The formation of the Post War West German Bundeswehr occurred 12 November 1955.

The timeline insists that the initial MG42's must have been 7.92 as the "7.62 NATO" cartridge was adopted in 1954 and the MG42 debuted as a 7.62 MG in 1958.

I believe that when the West German Border Police were armed c.1951 with belt fed MGs they were issued 7.92mm MG42's.

MG42/58 was the (initial?) designation of an 8mm MG42 converted to 7.62 NATO.

This also corresponds with Rhienmettals 7.62 NATO "MG1" which began production in 1958.

[mrclark303]

I wonder what other WW2 weaponry was re-issued after the war. The MG42 and the P38 were re-issued with the latter back in production as the P1.

Were all the MG3's re-manufactured MG42's or some new production too. Was there any initial re-issue of MP44 or MP40, how about K98ks?

I wonder what re-issue happened on the other side of the iron curtain, apart from some Luger refurbishment and reissue, were the East Germans mainly Soviet supplied?

[Peter Laidler]

We converted an old MG42 to 7.62mm spec using all West German stuff courtesy of them. Alas, we could never get it to operate reliably. I suspect that the gas assistance at the muzzle wasn't sufficient. Worn body? We also tried the same with some captured in Bosnia. Same!

[browningautorifle]

We converted an old MG42 to 7.62mm

I'd think it was the same as the 1919A4s that we did. They required much more than a couple of parts. We all know how that turned out.

I wonder what re-issue happened on the other side of the iron curtain,

They got Warsaw equipment.

Were all the MG3's re-manufactured MG42's or some new production too.

There were also new made guns. Why waste a good gun body?

[mrclark303]

Good point Jim, I wonder if the legendary MG42 rate of fire was retained with the MG3, what effect did 7.62x51 have on the system?

[browningautorifle]

Yes, they still had a high rate and the 7.62 had no adverse effect. As I said, there were no drawbacks. Still aren't...

[Flying10uk]

Am I correct in thinking that the belt originally used with the MG42 in 7.92 form didn't disintegrate with firing the weapon and came out the other side of the receiver as a complete belt? Thanks for the information chaps.

[Vincent]

Yes. That's correct.