Solothurn MG 30 (S2-200)
Waffenfabrik Solothurn AG · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1930
Also known as: S2-200, Steyr-Solothurn S2-200, MG 30, 31.M
Overview
The Solothurn MG 30, factory-designated S2-200, was a recoil-operated light machine gun designed by Louis Stange of Rheinmetall and built in Switzerland by Waffenfabrik Solothurn to sidestep Treaty of Versailles restrictions. It fed from a side-mounted 25-round box magazine and used a two-stage trigger for single shots or automatic fire. Most significantly, its rotating-bolt, quick-change-barrel layout became the direct conceptual ancestor of the MG 34's feed and barrel-change mechanisms.
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 | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 800 m/s (2625 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 4100 J (3024 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
- 8x56mmR — also known as 8x56R Hungarian, 8x56mmR M30, 8mm M31
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Air Cooled, Folding Bipod, Quick Change Barrel, Two Stage Trigger Select Fire, Side Mounted Magazine, Rotating Barrel Jacket Release
Variants
- Steyr-Solothurn S2-200 — Production
- 31.M (Hungary) — Export
Service history
Operators
- Austrian Armed Forces · adopted 1930 · as MG 30
- Royal Hungarian Army · adopted 1931 · as 31.M
- Nazi Germany · adopted 1938 · as MG 30(o)
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1931-1940
Produced by Waffenfabrik Solothurn and Steyr-Daimler-Puch; adopted in small numbers by Austria and Hungary
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Louis Stange
Discontinued: 1940
Notes
Manufactured under Steyr-Solothurn marketing as the S2-200; adopted by Austria as the MG 30 and by Hungary as the 31.M in 8x56mmR. Cyclic rate is variously quoted from 450 up to 800 rpm depending on source and configuration.
Background
Born as a way around the Versailles ban on German machine guns, the Solothurn MG 30 was effectively a Rheinmetall design wearing a Swiss passport, and its barrel-change and feed mechanism were lifted almost wholesale into the legendary MG 34.