MG 13
Rheinmetall-Borsig AG · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1930
Also known as: Maschinengewehr 13, Dreyse MG 13
Overview
The MG 13 (Maschinengewehr 13) is a German air-cooled light machine gun chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser. Developed by reworking the water-cooled Dreyse Model 1918 into a lightweight air-cooled design, it was adopted by the Reichswehr in 1930 as the standard light machine gun of the German army. Recoil-operated and fired from an open bolt, it fed from a 25-round side-mounted box magazine or a 75-round saddle drum and could be set up with a folding bipod or on a tripod. It was largely superseded by the belt-fed MG 34 from the mid-1930s and withdrawn from front-line German service, with surplus guns sold to Portugal and supplied to Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 13300 g (469.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1443 mm (56.81") |
| Barrel Length | 718 mm (28.27") |
| Action Type | Recoil Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3704 J (2732 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| 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, 7.92mm Mauser, 8x57mm IS, .323 Mauser
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic, Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Saddle Drum Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Folding Bipod, Selective Fire, Side Mounted Magazine, Saddle Drum Compatible
Service history
Operators
- Reichswehr · adopted 1930
- Wehrmacht · adopted 1935
- Portuguese Army · as Metralhadora 7,92mm m/938
- Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War) · adopted 1936
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1930-1934
Produced for the Reichswehr; superseded by the MG 34 and exported, notably to Portugal.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Louis Schmeisser (Dreyse design lineage)
Discontinued: 1934
Notes
Derived from the Dreyse MG 18 / Model 1918. Withdrawn from German front-line service around 1934 in favour of the MG 34; many examples were sold to Portugal where they served into the late 1940s.
Background
The MG 13 traced its lineage to the World War I-era water-cooled Dreyse Model 1918 machine gun, which the Suhl-based Simson works and Rheinmetall reworked into an air-cooled portable weapon to skirt the firearms restrictions placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.