MG 17 machine gun

WWII-era German aircraft machine gun

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MG 17 machine gun

Type| Aircraft machine-gun
Place of origin| Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by| Nazi Germany
Wars| World War II
Production history
Designed| 1934
Manufacturer| Rheinmetall-Borsig
Produced| 1934-1944
No. built| At least 24,271 (including those modified for infantry use)
Variants| Modular design
Specifications
Mass| 10.2 kg (22 lb)
Length| 1,175 mm (46.3 in)
Barrel length| 600 mm (24 in)

* * *

Cartridge| 7.92×57mm Mauser
Caliber| 7,9 (7,92+0,04)
Action| Recoil operated, firing from closed bolt
Rate of fire| 1,200 rpm
Muzzle velocity| from 885 m/s (2,900 ft/s) (Phosphor "B" round ) to 905 m/s (2,970 ft/s) (Armor Piercing Tracer "SmK L'spur" round)
Feed system| 500-round belt
Sights| Various types

The MG 17 was a 7.92 mm machine gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in many World War II Luftwaffe aircraft, typically as forward-firing offensive armament. The MG 17 was based on the older MG 30 light machine gun, as was its defensive flexible-mount counterpart, the MG 15 machine gun.

## History[edit]

A mainstay fixed machine gun in German-built aircraft (many of which were sold to other countries) well before World War II, by 1940 it was starting to be replaced with heavier-caliber machine gun and cannons. By 1945 very few if any aircraft mounted the MG 17.

The MG 17 was installed in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Junkers Ju 87, Junkers Ju 88C Nightfighter, Heinkel He 111,  Dornier Do 17/215 Nightfighter, Focke-Wulf Fw 189 and many other aircraft. Many MG 17s were later modified for infantry use, as the Luftwaffe replaced them with the heavier-calibre MG 131, which replaced both the MG 15 in bomber defense applications and the MG 17 as the standard fighter's forward-firing offensive armament (unless the machine guns were replaced by autocannons, such as the MG 151/20, altogether). Official numbers of conversions was about 24,271 by January 1, 1944, although additional conversions may have been done as well.[1]

Modifications to the design included removal of the buttstock, switching from magazine to belt-fed ammunition, and from open-bolt operation to closed bolt operation, to allow it to be installed in synchronized applications, firing through the propeller arc. The MG 15 retained open bolt operation, but used 75 round saddle-type drum magazines, and likewise lost its buttstock, to fit better in the tight confines of an aircraft. The MG 30 was also the basis for the famed MG 34 and MG 42 designs; variants of the latter are still in service in certain areas.

## Specifications[edit]

* Calibre: 7.9 +/- .04 mm
* Cartridge: 7.92×57mm IS
* Round weight: 35.5 grams (cartridge 24 grams, bullet 11.5 grams)
* Muzzle velocity: from 885 m/s (Phosphor "B" round ) to 905 m/s (Armor Piercing Tracer "SmK L'spur" round)
* Rate of fire: 1200 rpm

Dimensions

* Length: 1175 mm
* Weight: 10.2 kg
* Action: Recoil
* Feed system: Belt magazine
* Sights Remotely located, various types

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Machine Guns - Maschinengewehre". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

## See also[edit]

* Browning M1919
* Vickers VGO
* Lewis gun/Type 92 machine gun
* Type 1/Type 98 machine gun (MG 15)
* Type 89 machine gun
* List of firearms
* List of uncommon World War II weapons

* v
* t
* e

German firearms and light weapons of World War II

Sidearms|

* Mauser C96
* Luger
* Walther P38
* Walther PP and PPK
* Sauer 38H
* Mauser HSc
* Sturmpistole
* Dreyse M1907 Pistol
* Volkspistole

Rifles and carbines|

* FG 42
* G 98/40
* Gewehr 41
* Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43
* Grossfuss Sturmgewehr
* Karabinek wz. 1929
* Karabiner 98k
* M30 Luftwaffe drilling
* MKb 42(W) / MKb 42(H)
* MP 43/MP 44/StG 44
* StG 45(M)
* VG 1-5

Submachine guns|

* MP 18/MP 28
* MP 34
* MP35
* MP 38/MP 40
* MP 41
* MP 3008
* Erma EMP
* EMP 44

Machine guns and
other larger weapons|

* MG 08
* Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
* MG 13
* MG 15
* MG 17
* MG 26
* MG 30
* MG 34
* MG 39 Rh
* MG 42
* MG 45
* MG 131
* IMG 28
* MG 35/36A
* Faustpatrone
* Raketen-Panzerbüchse 43
* Panzerfaust
* Panzerschreck
* Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust
* Flammenwerfer 35
* Flammenwerfer 41
* Einstossflammenwerfer 46
* Panzerbüchse 39
* Solothurn S-18/1000
* VMG 1927

Infantry mortars|

* 5 cm leGrW 36
* 8 cm GrW 34
* kz 8 cm GrW 42
* 12 cm GrW 42

Grenade launchers|

* Kampfpistole
* Leuchtpistole 34
* Leuchtpistole 42
* Schiessbecher
* Sturmpistole

Grenades|

* Blendkörper 1H
* Blendkörper 2H
* Fallschirm Leuchtpatrone
* Gewehr-Panzergranate
* Gross Gewehr-Panzergranate
* Gewehr-Granatpatrone 40
* Gross Panzergranate 46 & 61
* Gewehr-Sprenggranate
* Hafthohlladung
* Model 1924 Stielhandgranate
* Model 1939 Eihandgranate
* Model 1943 Stielhandgranate
* Multi-Star Signal Cartridge
* Nebelpatrone
* Panzerwurfkörper 42
* Panzerwurfmine
* Propaganda-Gewehrgranate
* Shaving Stick Grenade
* Splitterring
* Sprengpatrone
* Wurfgranate Patrone 326
* Wurfkörper 361

Notable foreign-made
weapons|

* Modele 1935A as Pistole 625(f)
* Kongsberg Colt as Pistole 657(n)
* Browning Hi-Power as Pistole 640(b)
* M1911 as Pistole 660(a)
* PPSh-41 as MP 717(r)
* Radom wz. 35 Vis as Pistole 645(p)
* Puška vz. 24 as Gewehr 24(t)
* Puška vz. 33 as Gewehr 33/40(t)
* Lewis gun as leMG 137(e)
* Bren light machine gun as leMG 138(e)
* Kulomet vz. 37 as leMG 148(j)/MG 37(t)
* Browning wz. 1928 (BAR) as leMG 154/2(p)
* Beretta Model 38/42 as MP 738(i)
* ZB vz. 26 as leMG 146/1(j)
* Sten MK I-III as MP 748-750(e)
* PPS-43 submachine gun as MP 719(r)
* SVT-40 as Sl.-Gewehr 259(r)
* M1 Garand as Sl.-Gewehr 251(a)
* Kb ppanc wz. 35 as PzB 770(p)
* Bazooka as RPzB 788(a)
* M1917 Enfield as Gewehr 250(a)
* M1903 Enfield as Gewehr 249(a)
* M1 carbine as Karabiner 455(a)
* Thompson Model 1928 as MP 760/2(r)

German cartridges
of the Wehrmacht|

* 7.63×25mm Mauser
* 7.65×17mmSR Browning
* 7.65×21mm Parabellum
* 7.92×33mm Kurz
* 7.92×57mm Mauser
* 7.92×94mm Patronen
* 9×19mm Parabellum
* 13.2×92mmSR
* 20×138mmB

* v
* t
* e

German aerial weapons of the Second World War

Machine guns|

* MG 15
* MG 17
* MG 81 & 81Z
* MG 131

Autocannons|

* MG FF
* MG 151
* MK 101
* MK 103
* MK 108
* MK 214A
* Schräge Musik

Anti-tank autocannons|

* BK 3.7
* BK 5
* BK 7.5

Unguided rockets|

* Panzerblitz
* R4M
* Werfer-Granate 21

Guided bombs and missiles|

* Fritz X
* Hs 117H
* Hs 293
* V-1 flying bomb

Anti-personnel bombs|

* SD 1
* SD 1 FRZ
* SD 2
* SD 10 A
* SD 10 FRZ
* SD 10 C
* SD 15
* SBe 50
* SD 50
* SD 70
* SBe 250
* SD 250
* SD 500
* SD 500A
* SD 500E
* SD 1400
* SD 1700

Armor-piercing bombs|

* PC 500
* PC 1000
* PC 1400
* PC 1600
* PC 500 Rs
* PC 1000 Rs
* PC 1800 Rs
* PD 500
* PD 1000
* SC 10
* SC 10 DW
* SD 4 HL
* SD 4/HL RS
* SD 9/HL

Cluster bombs|

* AB 23
* AB 250-2
* AB 250-3
* AB 500-1
* AB 500-1B
* AB 500-3A
* AB 70-D1
* BDC 10

High-explosive bombs|

* SB 1000
* SB 1800
* SB 2500
* SC 50
* SC 250
* SC 500
* SC 1000
* SC 1200
* SC 1800
* SC 2000
* SC 2500

Experimental weapons|

* Blohm & Voss BV 143
* Blohm & Voss BV 246
* Blohm & Voss BV 950
* Henschel Hs 294
* Henschel Hs 298
* Jagdfaust
* MG 213
* MK 112
* MK 214A
* MK 115
* Ruhrstahl X-4
* SG 116 [de]

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[MP]: Maschinenpistole
*[leMG]: Leichtes Maschinengewehr
*[Sl.-Gewehr]: Selbstladergewehr
*[PzB]: Panzerbüchse
*[RPzB]: Raketenpanzerbüchse