MG 3 machine gun
| Rheinmetall MG 3 | |
|---|---|
MG 3 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun | |
| 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 (heavy-weight bolt) 1,000–1,200 rounds/min (standard-weight bolt) |
| 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 Rheinmetall MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. Manufactured by Rheinmetall for the Bundeswehr, designed and 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 MG 3 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), Greece, Iran (as MGA3) Pakistan (as the MG 1A3), Sudan, Spain, and Turkey.