Knorr-Bremse MG 35/36
Knorr-Bremse AG · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1935
Also known as: MG 35/36, Maschinengewehr 35/36, Knorr-Bremse LMG, Kg m/40
Overview
The Knorr-Bremse MG 35/36 was a German gas-operated light machine gun designed by Hans Lauf, notable for being built by a railway brake-systems company rather than an established arms maker. It fired from a tilting bolt and fed from a side-mounted 25-round box magazine of the Dreyse MG 13 pattern. Crude, awkward to handle and never adopted by the regular Wehrmacht, it saw limited service with early Waffen-SS units and was sold to Sweden, where a 6.5x55mm version was produced as the Kulsprutegevar m/40.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 10000 g (352.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1280 mm (50.39") |
| Barrel Length | 500 mm (19.69") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 792 m/s (2598 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 4010 J (2958 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.9x57, 8x57 IS, 7.92x57
- 6.5x55mm Swedish — also known as 6.5x55 SE, 6.5 Swedish Mauser, 6.5x55 Scan
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Tilting Bolt, Air Cooled, Folding Bipod, Side Mounted Magazine, Selective Fire
Variants
- Kulsprutegevar m/40 (Sweden) — Export
Service history
Operators
- Waffen-SS · adopted 1939 · as MG 35/36
- Swedish Armed Forces · adopted 1940 · as Kg m/40
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,000 · Production years: 1935-1943
Limited German production; about 5,000 Swedish Kg m/40 examples delivered by Svenska Automatvapen AB
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Hans Lauf
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
The Swedish Kg m/40 used 6.5x55mm with a longer 685 mm barrel, BAR-derived 20-round magazines and weighed about 8.5 kg; roughly 5,000 were delivered to Sweden between 1940 and 1943. Sources differ on whether the gun fired from an open or closed bolt.
Background
The Knorr-Bremse company normally made railway and truck braking systems, and it showed: their light machine gun was so clumsy that even the cash-strapped Waffen-SS only tolerated it as a stopgap, while neutral Sweden bought the design mainly because nothing better was for sale in 1940.