The collection of the Zimovniki Museum of Local History houses the barrel of a German MG 34 machine gun. This weapon was developed and first tested in 1929, and its mass production started in 1934.
The MG 34 was the first general-purpose machine gun. It could be used as a hand-held weapon, as well as installed on a tripod or tank. The soldiers could make single shots, as well as continuous fire. There were special switches on the trigger that changed the fire regimes. The upper segment was for single shots, and the lower segment produced fully automated fire.
The MG 34 machine gun fired from 600 to 1200 rounds per minute and had a maximum range of 400–600 meters. The weight of the weapon was 12.1 kilograms, but adding a tripod increased it up to 31 kilograms.
When firing, the barrel of the machine gun could become hot. Then it was changed to a spare one. The changing took a couple of seconds, and experienced shooters could do it with one hand.
The MG 34 machine gun model had some disadvantages. The first and most important shortcoming was the high cost — 327 Reichsmarks apiece. It was comparable to the average German worker’s salary for 2.5 months. The second disadvantage was the complexity of production. To make the machine gun, certain types of steel were needed, which were difficult to get in wartime. Also, there were a lot of milled parts in the weapon design, so only professionals could assemble it.
For these reasons, a decision was made to modify the machine gun in 1938. After the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, the need for new weapons increased. The MG 34 machine gun did not work well in the Eastern Front climate — heavy rain and mud ruined the gun.
In 1942, the advanced version of the weapon began to be supplied to the front, but the previous one was still produced until the end of the war. Moreover, even after the end of the World War II, the German MG 34 machine gun was used by the armies of many countries, including the United States, France, and Switzerland.
The MG 34 was the first general-purpose machine gun. It could be used as a hand-held weapon, as well as installed on a tripod or tank. The soldiers could make single shots, as well as continuous fire. There were special switches on the trigger that changed the fire regimes. The upper segment was for single shots, and the lower segment produced fully automated fire.
The MG 34 machine gun fired from 600 to 1200 rounds per minute and had a maximum range of 400–600 meters. The weight of the weapon was 12.1 kilograms, but adding a tripod increased it up to 31 kilograms.
When firing, the barrel of the machine gun could become hot. Then it was changed to a spare one. The changing took a couple of seconds, and experienced shooters could do it with one hand.
The MG 34 machine gun model had some disadvantages. The first and most important shortcoming was the high cost — 327 Reichsmarks apiece. It was comparable to the average German worker’s salary for 2.5 months. The second disadvantage was the complexity of production. To make the machine gun, certain types of steel were needed, which were difficult to get in wartime. Also, there were a lot of milled parts in the weapon design, so only professionals could assemble it.
For these reasons, a decision was made to modify the machine gun in 1938. After the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, the need for new weapons increased. The MG 34 machine gun did not work well in the Eastern Front climate — heavy rain and mud ruined the gun.
In 1942, the advanced version of the weapon began to be supplied to the front, but the previous one was still produced until the end of the war. Moreover, even after the end of the World War II, the German MG 34 machine gun was used by the armies of many countries, including the United States, France, and Switzerland.
