| 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 fromclosed 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 |
TheMG 17 was a7.92 mmmachine gun produced byRheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in manyWorld War IILuftwaffe aircraft, typically as forward-firing offensive armament.[1] The MG 17 was based on the olderMG 30light machine gun, as was its defensiveflexible-mount counterpart, theMG 15 machine gun.
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 theMesserschmitt 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-calibreMG 131, which replaced both theMG 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.[2]
Modifications to the design included removal of the buttstock, switching frommagazine tobelt-fed ammunition, and fromopen-bolt operation toclosed bolt operation, to allow it to be installed insynchronized 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. TheMG 30 was also the basis for the famedMG 34 andMG 42 designs;variants of the latter are still in service in certain areas.
Dimensions