MG3

The MG3 is a German general-purpose machine gun that evolved from the MG42. Originally designed in 1938, the MG42 was chambered for 7.92 mm. After West Germany joined NATO, its caliber was modified to fire the standard 7.62 mm NATO cartridge, and it was redesignated the MG1. Further modifications led to the MG2 and eventually the MG3, which was adapted for antiaircraft use.1

The MG3 is air-cooled and can fire between 700–1,300 rounds per minute. It features a quick-change barrel, a design pioneered by its predecessor, the MG34. This feature, along with its construction from stamped sheet-metal parts, allowed for efficient and rapid production. The MG3 is a modernized version of the MG42 and is considered a significant belt-fed general-purpose machine gun.12