This is mostly unheard of, but Stange borrowed freely from other arms. Rheinmetall’s talented gun designer Louis Stange developed a working model in just three months. Equally undeterred, Hermann Göring authorized the development of the rifle at Rheinmetall, since he was on their board of directors. All German small arms makers considered the arm an impossibility. Most importantly, the rifle was designed to use the standard service cartridge, feature a length of 1 meter, weigh no more than the K98k, have a detachable magazine, be optic-ready, have an integral bipod and bayonet, fire from an open bolt on full auto, a closed bolt on semi-automatic, have inline recoil, a muzzle brake and buttstock-housed buffer. Undeterred, Luftwaffe engineers laid out the parameters for the new FG42. However, Hitler forbade anymore jumps and the development of a new rifle, lest it interrupt K98k production (the German army was under a similar interdiction, yet was secretly developing the StG 44 in 7.92x33 mm Kurz). The rakish pistol grip would allow them to defend themselves going out the airplane’s door, however fanciful that seems. ![]() The FG42 was designed as a select-fire machine rifle the soldier could jump with on his person. With this debacle, the Germans sought a compact rifle that could be utilized as a support weapon similar to standard machine guns. The German army favored notched tangent sights and recoil operation as a rule. Unusual for a German small arm, the FG42 is gas operated and has aperture sights. Both are chambered in the 7.92x57 mm cartridge. Shorter than the standard bolt-action K98k (bottom), the FG42 was a quantum leap for the infantry rifle. The FG42 Type I (top) is 1 meter in length (37.5"), has a 500 mm long barrel (19.65") and uses a 20-round detachable box magazine. The canisters made for wonderful targets, and the British “brassed up” the German troops with rifle, Bren and Vickers machine gun fire as they tried to remove weapons from those canisters. In 1941, Germany’s Fallschirmjägers, or paratroopers, failed in their attempt to take the island of Crete, partly because they jumped in with only handguns and submachine guns, while their rifles and heavy weapons were parachuted in with large canisters. But, before we go to the range, let’s look at why the rifle was built. All magazines are used, expensive and have weak springs that often cause problems. The Smith Manufacturing FG42 uses Czech ZB26/30 magazines, which have been obsolete for half a century. However, the one downside is the magazines. While could be seen as a bit scandalous, the PU scope is easier to find (or was), has turrets on the same side as the ZFG42, the proper reticle and the mechanics are far better than the alternatives.įinally, the Type I has a manual bolt hold-open mechanism, which the Type II doesn’t, that comes in very handy at the range and when changing magazines. Smith Manufacturing cosmetically modifies a new-made Russian copy of the World War II era, Soviet-made, PU 3.5X scope to replicate the German ZFG42 scope. Third, the ZFG42 scope and mount are quick detachable, and hold zero even when taken off and remounted. Only At The Front offers the shorter Type I FG42 sling currently. The sling is unusual, with a carabiner hook at the front and a Gew98 attachment at the rear (similar to the MG34 and MG42). Still, it’s best to keep the rifle out of the dirt, since it offers no traverse and the rifle must be lifted in order to change aim. The bipod tends to fold spontaneously under recoil, and Smith Manufacturing Group has added locks to hold it in place. The FG42 (Type I shown here) has a vestigial bayonet, based on the French Mas 36, and a bipod. Optic ready, the folding sights are perhaps the very first use of BUIS, or backup iron sights, which have become a more-or-less a standard on modern sporting rifles today. It’s an amazing setup, and one I think should be explored more on modern rifles. Secondly, the fully adjustable folding iron sights, with a triangular-shaped front paired with an aperture rear, lends confidence that I could place rounds downrange exactly where I want. Balance is exceptional for so heavy a rifle. ![]() When I first handled the rifle, I didn’t like it, but on firing the rifle, it quickly became apparent that it felt like a typical sporting rifle between the hands, due to the angle. Of the two, the earlier Type I has become my favorite for several reasons.įirst and foremost is the rakish pistol grip. The unearthly looks of the FG42 variants evoke science-fiction movie comparisons, and both are head-turners at the range. Smith Manufacturing Group has created semi-automatic versions of Germany’s World War II era FG42, both Type I and Type II, select-fire machine rifles in the full-power 7.92x57 mm Mauser cartridge.
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