MG 3 machine gun
| MG 3 | |
|---|---|
An MG 3 | |
| Type | General-purpose machine gun |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | See Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1959 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall License-built by: Beretta, MKEK, Ellinika Amyntika Systimata, Defense Industries Organization, Military Industry Corporation, Pakistan Ordnance Factories, General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas |
| Produced | 1959–present |
| No. built | 1 million+ |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11.5 kg (25.35 lb) 27.5 kg (61 lb) (mounted on tripod) |
| Length | 1,225 mm (48.2 in) 1,097 mm (43.2 in) (without stock) |
| Barrel length | 565 mm (22.2 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Action | Recoil-operated, roller locked |
| Rate of fire | 800–950 rounds/min or 1,000–1,200 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 820 m/s (2,690 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 200–1,200 m sight adjustments |
| Maximum firing range | 600 m (1,969 ft) (bipod) 1,200–1,600 m (3,937–5,249 ft) (tripod mounted) 3,000 m (9,843 ft) (gun carriage) 3,750 m (12,303 ft) (terminal) |
| Feed system | 50-round non-disintegrating DM1 belt (can be combined in a drum); 100-round disintegrating DM6/M13 belt |
| Sights | Open tangent iron sights or optical sights |
The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser round.
The MG 3 was standardized in the late 1950s and adopted into service with the newly formed Bundeswehr, where it continues to serve to this day as a squad support weapon and a vehicle-mounted machine gun. The weapon and its derivatives have also been acquired by the armed forces of over 40 countries. Production rights to the machine gun were purchased by Italy (MG 42/59), Spain, Pakistan (as the MG 1A3), Greece, Iran, Sudan, and Turkey.