Parabellum MG 14
Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1914
Also known as: MG 14, Parabellum M1914, LMG 14, Parabellum MG 14/17
Overview
The Parabellum MG 14 was a light, air-cooled aircraft and airship machine gun developed by DWM and designed by Karl Heinemann as a redesign of the water-cooled MG 08. Like the Vickers, its toggle action broke upward rather than downward, shrinking the receiver into a far more compact package. A perforated air-cooling jacket replaced the heavy water jacket, and the gun fed from a drum-mounted fabric belt, making it a mainstay observer's weapon and flexible mount aboard German fighters and zeppelins in World War I.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9500 g (335.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1220 mm (48.03") |
| Barrel Length | 700 mm (27.56") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3700 J (2729 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 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
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Fabric Belt, Ammunition Drum
- Features: Toggle Action Breaks Upward, Air Cooled, Perforated Cooling Jacket, Belt Fed From Drum, Compact Receiver
Variants
- Parabellum MG 14/17 — Improved
Service history
Operators
- Imperial German Army · adopted 1914 · as MG 14
- Imperial German Air Service · adopted 1915 · as MG 14
- Polish Army · adopted 1919
- Latvian Army · adopted 1920
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921)
Production
Production years: 1914-1918
Produced by DWM primarily for aircraft and airship use; about 115 examples served with the Latvian Army into the 1930s
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Karl Heinemann
Discontinued: 1918
Notes
The improved MG 14/17 dispensed with the cooling jacket entirely to save weight. Cyclic rate is quoted between 600 and 700 rpm.
Background
By flipping the MG 08's toggle lock to break upward instead of down, Heinemann shaved the action into something light enough for a gunner to swing on a ring mount, arming the observers of German two-seaters and the gondolas of Zeppelin raiders alike.