MG 81 machine gun
| MG 81 | |
|---|---|
MG 81 (upper) and MG 81Z (in box) | |
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Variants | MG 81Z |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.5 kg (14.33 lb) |
| Length | 965 mm (38.0 in) (with flash hider) |
| Barrel length | 475 mm (18.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.62×51mm NATO (post-war) |
| Caliber | 7,9 (7,92+0,04) |
| Action | Recoil-operated, gas assisted, open-bolt |
| Rate of fire | 1,400–1,600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 705 m/s (2,310 ft/s) (sS ball ammunition) |
| Feed system | Belt-fed |
The MG 81 is a German belt fed 7.92×57mm Mauser machine gun which was used in flexible installations in World War II Luftwaffe aircraft, in which capacity it replaced the older drum magazine-fed MG 15.
The MG 81 was developed by Mauser as a derivative of their successful MG 34 general-purpose machine gun. Development focus was to reduce production cost and time and to optimize the machine gun for use in aircraft. Developed in 1938/1939, it was in production from 1940 to 1945.