Thanks for all these amazing comments guys! THIS is why I made this channel! Keep the amazing stories coming. 😀👍

I remember that old piece of propaganda where they said, “The MG42s bark is worse than its bite.” Everyone who went up against it was like, “no, it’s bite was 1000x worse than it’s bark!”

Being former infantry, I know that a lot of strategies we use today are adopted from the same ones used in WW2, what makes this so terrifying is that, as effective as just one mg42 is, typically you would be up against multiple mg42’s depending on how many squads you were engaged with. These squads communicate with each other and a well coordinated barrage that’s in sync will have one gun firing with the other on standby, once the first gun blows through it’s belt or takes a break to cool down, that’s the cue for the other to fire, this tactic is called “talking guns” and it means that ideally there is never a break in the fire of the weapons meaning anyone who went up against this typically never heard them stop firing at them until the guns were silenced or they were. Incredible stuff.

I'm a simple man, I see MG42 FULL AUTO and I click like.

My grandfather was in the North African campaign under Monty. I once asked him about the MG34. He was sipping his nightly pale ale and had froth on his upper lip, he said one word; "Avoid."

I cannot even begin to imagine having to be on the wrong end of this thing. We owe our veterans more than we can ever repay in 10 lifetimes.

The only video i've found where i can see this thing being shot for more than half a second. Bless you for this!

The most intimidating thing about the mg42 is its report. it sounds like thunder it doesn't sound like the normal cadence of a machine gun of that era.

this killed more americans than McDonald's

The rate of fire on that thing is insane.

Nice to see a video of a MG-42 ACTUALLY firing on full-auto rather than other MG-42 "full-auto" videos which only have it fire 1-2 short bursts. Great work!

Crazy how that gun was made almost 90 years ago!!!!

MG42 + flip flops= your worst nightmare!!

Both of my Granpas passed away years ago, one of them got captured on the eastern front (as a Wehrmacht soldier) and was put into gulag. He was a tank driver and used those types of MGs (the 34 and 42) for defense against infantry. They were highly effective

Damn! This MG42 is a BEAST! No wonder the allies were afraid of this buzzsaw. The sound it makes through speakers is just overwhelming. God only knows what it sounded like on the receiving end.

1:13 this is what I imagine the allied soldiers heard encountering an MG-42. This sound I think comes the closest.

I’m German and I just love this sound. There’s a range near my family’s hunting house in the middle of nowhere in Germany and on some weekends you can hear this thing barking away and with only a little country town nearby it feels like you are in ww2!

Bet you're the only guy at the range wearing slippers

I remember talking to my grandfather who served in the continuation war 1941-44 against the soviets in the Eastern Karelia, Syväri/Svir river front.. He was designated to be a machine gunner but he turned out to be a squad corporal armed with a Suomi M31/kp31SMG.. He said he was lucky for not being a machine gunner since Ivan had a habit of taking pot shots at machine guns with their AT-cannons.. He said the firepower of a 70-round drum, 900+rounds/min SMG gave confidence in some situations but the tendency of the very high quality weapon to jam under dusty conditions was nerve wrecking to say the least.. He said it wasn't very nice when the SMG turned into a single shot 9mm when Ivan was coming at you at on mile wide front with guns blazing.. The soil around the Syväri/Svir river is very fine, powder-like brick-coloured sand.. He said he can still taste the dust after artillery barrage and soviet tanks churning the dust in their tracks.. I think when the last of the WWII veterans of this world has gone to eternity all of us regardless of nationality have lost something from our collective history as men.

Thanks! My 12 year old has just gotten into ww2 and I told him about the mighty MG42. So cool that I could show him it in action.

Always happy to see a 42 video come out, the thing gives me goosebumps for 100 different reasons. I'm so glad you took a minute to tell people to get stories out of that generation while they still can. My family came to the US after WWII having fled Yugoslavia and spending years in a camp. Every time I go home I just let my grandma go to town talking and even though most of the time it's the same story, I eat it up like it's my first time hearing it. I have a fair amount of hours up in a B-17 and there's times where I just shut my eyes and let the smell and sound take over, opening my eyes, looking back at that bomb bay and back where the waist gunners would have been. The bravery in that conflict was staggering.

I'm from Germany and my great-grandfather Hermann was fighting against the american troops in Normandy as a Wehrmacht Unteroffizier (a officer rank). My other great-grandfather Paul was a Unteroffizier too and fought against the russians at the eastern front. They both survived, Hermann managed to not kill a single American but Paul killed about 30 Russians. He said he wasn't proud of it, he had nightmares that haunted him till his death.

German engineering always out beyond of normal human imagination. Always far ahead of its own time, like from distant future.

I am german and never met my two grandpas...both fell...one defending Berlin, the other in Russia. But my great uncle was in Russia too as an "MG2"...the belt feeder and in case the "MG1" gets hit, he would take over his place. What he told me from the eastern front was shaking: waves of russians attacking their position and the waves just didn't stop. The russians even had to "climb" over their fallen comrades in order to approach the germans...and the gunner pulled the trigger on the MG42 tripod and both were crying. This is only one of the stories he told me, but my concern is: PLEASE PEOPLE...educate yourself...not every german was a Nazi!!! As my great uncle told me, they were fighting for their comrades and to survive...especially the Wehrmacht soldiers. I was a "Jäger" bataillon reserve officer in the early 90s and am 46 yrs now. "Jäger" are equal to the USMC...they are elite. I had the great luck, not to be sent into any war. BTT: The MG3 on a tripod is extremely lethal, you can shoot cig packets at 400m...no kidding. War = Parents bury their children and young men die for politicians....SICK

0:00 - 1:45 *German soldier fighting in North Africa during WW2, colorized*

I've been waiting MG-42 firing full auto for years. FINALLY, about damn time youtube.

I've seen some videos about the MG 42 but yours is my favourite one. I read a book from a german Paratrooper who had fought at Normandy in 1944 against US-Paratroopers. He was the gunner of a MG 42-Unite. He said in his first encounter with these US-Elite-Soldiers he literally shoot an american soldier both legs away from his upper body - with his MG 42. In his book he describes the intense fights at Normandy - unfortunately its only in german: Jo Dahms, "Du oder Ich". He said the allied soldiers used forbidden dum-dum munition which caused terrible injuries. This and the allied ship artillery who shoot at them, made the german soldiers really "angry". On the other hand he says - prisoners - when disarmed - were often let be free again because no one had the time to take care for them. After war the author joined often Normandy memorial celebrations where he met his former enemies.

Thanks again for sharing an awesome piece Mike. My grandfather was in WW2 in the Pacific theater. He had a joke story that he would say, "You should have been there, It was a tremendous battle of 10,000 vs 100; good thing I was on the side with 10,000.

Love how this dude is casually firing away in his sandals

Rockin the flip flops with an MG42. Nice. 👌🏻 “Let’s load another one.” Some of the best words ever put together.

During my service we had this one thing going after each weapon training what was called "Verbrauchsschießen" (roughly translated: consumption shooting) We did this with the MG3 when too much ammo was left. I once was the lucky guy who was allowed to fire almost 800 rounds into the range. When I finished shooting, the gun just easily pushed me like 1,5 ft backwards. The tripod gradually slipped out of the hole where it was meant to hold the gun in place. Needles to say that my shoulder was sore after this. This thing is a beast! I cant imagine shooting it for the whole day to fight off an attack.

My uncle was a Canadian soldier in Holland during WW2 and he said these things were "utterly terrifying".

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Dude very true point you said. we need to get as many stories as possible from our elders about fighting in the second world war, We can’t forget them

It’s awesome to see an MG42 running at it’s full cyclic rate. A lot of them you see still operating they have slowed down to 800-900 rpm to increase reliability.

My grandfather went to Jugoslavian partisans just efore the end of the war. He was 17 years old and had different duties like transports, guards, etc. They mostly had Italian Carcano rifles which he described as loud and ineffective, there were some K98s he liked very much, pistols, etc. Once he got a chance to shoot from MG42 into ground which impressed him greatly, i was told it was "plowing so much soil was flying around". He isn't here anymore but i was told this story many times over so i think MG42 impressed him greatly.

I remember firing the MG3 on the Fliegerdreibein (AA tripod), one of the coolest exercises we ever did. We had four of them with a 150 round belt each and were shooting at a sort large windsock the size of a small plane dragged by a plane on a loooong cable (for safety, wouldn't want to have been the pilot regardless). The windsock had a metal mesh registering every hit, which the pilot could then read out and tell us over radio. We as a group of four machine gunners hit with about a quarter to a third of all rounds. Of course it was rather easy because he was coming straight at us and we knew the distances, speed and height beforehand, but I was still astonished at how well we hit. The whole idea is kinda obsolete, but for low and slow flying prop planes, an MG42 or MG3 is definitely a considerable threat.

Finally someone who actually made it buzzsaw instead of shooting 3 round bursts

And to think most Germans loaded them up with 200 round belts!! Think beaches of Normandy...the "beast of Normandy" was credited with over 1000 kills with his Mg42!

1:27 you weren’t planning on holding it down *BUT IM AWFUL GLAD YOU DID!* 10/10!

Man...I love how you not only used the gun but talk about very important matters when it comes to history. Have a great day!

I really don't understand the 12 thumbs down🤔. This video is so awesome!!! And the mg 42 is really a masterpiece of war equipement!! My favorite machine gun of all time👍!!!

My uncle was in the 247th Field Artillery that followed Patton's 3rd Army around Europe. He told me a little but did not talk much about it. He was stone cold deaf when he passed from all the cannon fire he experienced. Great vid...

Finally someone firing it on fully automatic and none of this burst garbage. Thank you!

Incredible rate of fire. That’s why I like MG 42!

Next upload: firing on a buddy's shoulder.

We had this sweet peashooter many years after the 2. WW in the West German Armed Forces. It was then called MG3 and seemed to be more or less the same, just 40 years later! Back in those days I personally just wasnt build heavy enough to keep up precise shooting on longer bursts of fire using the bi-pod, So we were trained to try 3-shot-bursts in a row on single targets or into massed targets. That was the way to do it! Just a couple of "brrp-brrp-brrps" and You were the master of that beast. It was a marvellous time. Cheers, mates!

Love your channel Mike, no immature bullshit, no overproduced videos, just keeping it raw and real.

I'm not one to glorify the works of the Nazis, but the MG42 was the real deal. It's still in use today (as the MG3), and that says it all really.

Thumbs up for every soldier who fought in world war II. From every side and nation. I hope they can rest in peace out of nightmares

What a great video! I had 5 great uncles who served in WWll and my grandfather on my mother's side served in the German Army on the Russian front as an MG-42 gunner.

I remember seeing a US Army movie from WWII trying to reassure soldiers that this gun wasn't so bad. I don't buy it! Great educational content once again. Many thanks.

My grandpa, who was on the front lines as the sight operator in artillery and did the front line tour all the way to Berlin. (He was on Polish side, with Russian officers) He mentioned he would hear these in the distance, then they would shell locations 3 to 5km out, go rolling through after a while and witness the carnage.

"You and my daughter would make a beautiful couple...

It's amazing how much we've evolved, from flintlock to brrt! Machine guns, Awesome!

My god that sounds so good...

Love the fact you’re telling people to record convos with their grandparents if they still can. I sure as fuck wish I did. By the time I was old enough to understand the shit they went through, my grandmother had dementia and my grandfather was no longer here. Dont wait people. Life moves incredibly fast.

MG-42 never fails to impress.

I got to fire one back in the 90's it was converted to 308 Winchester. THE most impressive machine gun I've ever fired! 250 rounds gone in no time! I love the Browning 1919 too but the 42 barrel can be changed out for a cold one in literally seconds.

I had 3 uncle's who were WWII veterans 2 of them participated in Operation Market Garden 2 jumped in with 82nd. Airborne the other one I don't know what unit he was with but he was captured in The Battle of the Bulge and was a POW for 4 yrs. I wasn't told about any of this because I was to young and old timers didn't talk to children. It wasn't until my father's funeral and I showed up in my dress greens after completing jump school and my uncle's were at the funeral saw my 82nd. Airborne and then they told me the stories of their history and awards. Made me really proud of them I always saw these guns in movies and thought how horrible it was for them going ashore into the fires of hell, you never know about these old men and what they have been through and done for this country.

I think this is the best Mg42 full auto video on KZfaq

Use this Gun to fend off home invasions

1:14 to 1:20 is just unbelievable. That noise and echo from the surrounding ground is just unreal. What an absolutely unbelievable display of firepower. Thanks so much for sharing!

Yes I love it. That's how it's supposed to shoot. Some mg42 videos on youtube are really slow firing which is irritating. I'm very glad this guy posted this, I've been looking for a good one like this for a while. Edit: just finished watching, I'm so glad he held the trigger down that long, that was fucking badass!

Also suitable for felling trees, cuts faster than a chainsaw

No big talking just pure video. That's the good KZfaq And the MG42.... Good old German manufacturing

I was in the military and qualified on the C7 rifle. I also had training in our lmg. At first firing of this weapon, I immediately understand how terrifying it was. I had 2 uncles in WW2. One came up from the south through Italy to Belgium and and all the way up into Holland. One who was in France and made it into the Liberation of Holland. The brothers hadnt seen one another in 3 years and reunited in Holland. They never talked about the war.

My grandfather, sadly no longer with us as well, was in Patton's third army and arrived in Europe Christmas day 1944. 245th combat engineer battalion, XX corps. He was an engineer in the Battle of the Bulge, and was lucky to meet Patton while constructing a bridge over the Inn river into Austria. He was lucky enough to go into the eagles nest right after capture as well. I was 11 when he passed away, and by that time I was starting to wise up a little bit so I did get the chance to ask him some questions. I only wish he was still here, as I now have the ability to ask much more intelligent and important questions. We will all get a chance to see them once more one day, just one thing to look forward to with old age. I just stumbled upon your channel again for the first time in a couple years and am pleased to see you are once more making great videos. This was a tremendous one, and thank you for making them in a world where you are being deprived of your hard earned money by the crooked powers that be. Also, thank you for your family's honorable service.

What a magnificent and elegant machine. The sound alone would be the death of me if I was told to charge head-first into it. Germans are really good at making terrifying sounding stuff, theres the 42s, Stukas and V-1 Bombs to name a few. Massive respect for our veterans that were on the other end of these things.

Thank you for this video. MG-42 full auto is music for the ears.

The MG-42 stands up today Mike, to any new machine gun. I would use it for sur in the 21st century.🙂🙂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Now imagine 8 of these things pointed to your general direction, firing non stop. That's D-Day.

How about a video with a Mic down range so we can hear what it sounded like to be shot at with that thing.

Upgrades: Tripod:☑️ (Increased accuracy) Increased ammo storage: ☑️ (Shoot for longer) Erika: ❌ (+100000000000% fire rate)

Tip for ya Mike. German ammo cans have a rounded edge on the side the lid opens to. If you spin your can so the lid is under the gun a little, you wouldn't need to hold the belt with the laffette. Sincerely a WW2 Re-enactor.

I have used the one chambered 7.62 x 51, early 90s, Italian military. Absolutely a great piece of engineering

It won't be much longer until the WW2 generation is gone. They truly are America's greatest generation

Both my grandfathers were serving, even though they were on opposite sides (British and Japanese) they were very good friends from what I've heard, they had some difficulty talking, both weren't fluent in each others languages but the general message always got through, they used to tell me stories from ww2, I miss them a lot Edit : spelling

I’m not sure why, but this video struck an emotional cord… tears flowing.

Would like one in my backyard. 12-1800rpm is no joke with 7.92mm mauser being more powerful than the 7.62mm nato, this one shreds

Man it seems like it shoots even faster on the mount. Woooo!

Imagine having to rush through the battlefield with like 5 of these firing in your direction

I have been a machine gunner back in the late 80's beginning 90's (15 month we had to serve back then). And believe me, this gun is much better in hedge cutting than any other tool. No branch will stand out if you swipe it across. Terrifying to be on the other end, even at 1200 RPM, and with the MG42 we are talking about 1600!

My grandfather was in Hungry during ww2. He fought for the Axis. I remember he had a mp40 and an original stien grenade. Was the coolest shit I seen.

Heinrich Severloh, aka The Beast of Omaha, manned one of these guns on D-Day. He claimed to have single-handedly inflicted roughly 2,000 casualties. Something he was not proud of and a number that historians debate.

*"we have been fighting and shooting for 7 hours non stop, theres russian bodies for miles and miles our MG's are overheating swapping barrels, but they just wont stop coming."* *-German soldier Stalingrad 1943*

It's amazing how they still make a modern version of this gun and tripod mount. Its still used by the germans and other countries to this day.

I remember seeing Saving Pvt. Ryan in the theater (1998?), and the sounds of the MG42 up on the shore bunkers came to mind hearing your MG42.

1:02 when using it 1:13 when facing it

Now I understand why almost every US soldier talked about this gun....

Unreal, my grandfather was in 5 major battles of ww2 including Normandy June 6th. Love to hear about people's grandparents. They had some amazing story's to tell. What state is this allowed to be used in. Thanks so much

Truly jealous, this is my all-time favorite gun. On the tripod with the sight, it doesn't get much better than that!

being on the business end of the MG42 = a little "discouraging"....yeah, that's the word ! :D

Hi Mike. When I went through basic (GMT) in the Canadian forces, the only GPMG was the Browning. The US who we trained against often, had the M60 of course. We weren't allowed to fire in the vicinity of friendly troops because of the huge cone of fire. I would love to see an accuracy head to head between the MG42 and the M60. They look like they're almost cousins after all. :) Keep the vids coming!

My grandfather was 20 years old when he landed in Europe. He did not enjoy speaking of his time in that war. But he once told me that the first time he heard the sound of that weapon was the first time he felt like he would not survive that conflict.

An awesome video! Fantastic ordnance tan tripod and accessories too, I’m salivating here especially as I only ever fired this weapon with blank ammo….but still more than most U.K.-based enthusiasts!

it's scary the 42 mg firing rate was so high that a good marksman could easily cut a person off in half.

The MG42 and MG3 are basically laser beams lol. I could not even imagine being downrange of that thing, dear lord.

Fun fact- The Danish army had it to Afghanistan in 2010, with 2 in each group. life saver for sure. (:

German army still using mg42 very the best machine gun in world