Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1912
Also known as: Schwarzlose M07/12, MG M.07/12, Schwarzlose Maschinengewehr
Overview
The Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 is a water-cooled, belt-fed medium machine gun that served as the standard heavy automatic weapon of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Unusually for its era, it used a toggle-delayed blowback action rather than the recoil or gas operation of contemporaries such as the Maxim, which made it simpler and more robust but required a short barrel and an oil-pump system to ease extraction. The M.07/12 was the improved 1912 pattern of Andreas Schwarzlose's 1907 design, fitted with a heavier toggle and stronger return spring. Chambered for the rimmed 8x50mmR Mannlicher cartridge and fed from a 250-round fabric belt, it remained in widespread European service through the interwar years and into World War II.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 24000 g (846.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 945 mm (37.20") |
| Barrel Length | 530 mm (20.87") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 620 m/s (2034 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3035 J (2239 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 2000 m (2187 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 |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x50mmR Mannlicher · primary — also known as 8mm Mannlicher M1893, 8x50R Austrian Mannlicher, Patrone M93
- 8x56mmR Mannlicher — also known as 8x56R Hungarian, 8x56R M30 S, 31.M cartridge
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Fabric Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Water Cooled Barrel, Toggle Delayed Blowback, Belt Fed, Tripod Mounted, Oil Pump Lubrication
Variants
- Schwarzlose MG M.07 — Earlier Model
- Schwarzlose MG M.07/16 — Wartime Upgrade
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Army · adopted 1912 · as M.07/12
- Royal Netherlands Army · as M.08
- Kingdom of Bulgaria
- Royal Hungarian Army
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1912-1918
Manufactured at the Steyr works for the Austro-Hungarian Army; remained in second-line and foreign service for decades after the war
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Andreas Wilhelm Schwarzlose
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Built at the Steyr arsenal. The short 530 mm barrel was a consequence of the delayed-blowback action; many guns relied on an oil reservoir and pump to lubricate cartridges for reliable extraction. Later rebuilds (M.07/16) raised the cyclic rate and some interwar guns were rechambered for the 8x56mmR Mannlicher cartridge.
Background
Designed by the Prussian-German gunsmith Andreas Wilhelm Schwarzlose, the gun's toggle-delayed blowback action was a deliberate departure from the dominant Maxim pattern, trading the long recoiling barrel for a fixed short barrel and a simpler mechanism. Its distinctive oil-pump lubrication system, needed to coax spent cases out of the chamber, became one of the most recognizable quirks of Austro-Hungarian small arms in the Great War.