Rheinmetall MG 30
Rheinmetall AG · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1930
Also known as: Solothurn S2-200, Solothurn-Steyr S2-200, 31M, MG 30(t)
Overview
The Rheinmetall MG 30 is a German-designed air-cooled, recoil-operated light machine gun chambered primarily in 7.92x57mm Mauser. Designed by Louis Stange at Rheinmetall and produced through the firm's Swiss subsidiary Waffenfabrik Solothurn (as the S2-200) and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria to circumvent post-WWI restrictions on German arms manufacturing, it fed from a side-mounted detachable box magazine and used a select-fire trigger that gave semi- and full-automatic fire by varying pull pressure. Though rejected by the German Army for infantry use, its rotating-collar locking and feed mechanism heavily influenced the later MG 34 and MG 15 aircraft gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9500 g (335.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1162 mm (45.75") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 808 m/s (2651 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 4096 J (3021 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 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, 7.92x57mm, 8x57mm IS
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic, Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Select Fire Trigger, Quick Change Barrel, Air Cooled, Bipod, Side Mounted Magazine
Service history
Operators
- Austrian Armed Forces · adopted 1930 · as MG 30
- Royal Hungarian Army · adopted 1931 · as 31M
- Bulgarian Army
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1930-1945
Manufactured by Waffenfabrik Solothurn (Switzerland) and Steyr-Daimler-Puch (Austria); adopted by Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria in modest numbers
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Louis Stange
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The MG 30 introduced the quick-change barrel and rotating-collar short-recoil action that German designers carried forward into the MG 34 and MG 15. Aircraft variants used double-drum (75-round) or belt feed instead of the box magazine.
Background
Created as a clandestine workaround to the Treaty of Versailles, the MG 30 let Rheinmetall keep developing machine guns abroad through its Solothurn front. Rejected for German infantry service, its mechanism nonetheless became the genetic ancestor of the MG 34 and the Luftwaffe's MG 15.