MG 13 Machine Gun

Country of OriginGermany
TypeMachine Gun
Caliber7.920 mm
Capacity25 rounds
Length1.340 m
Weight13.300 kg
Rate of Fire600 rounds/min
Range2.000 km
Muzzle Velocity890 m/s

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe Maschinengewehr 13, or MG 13, machine guns were developed in 1928 by taking WW1-vintage water-cooled weapons and upgrading them into air-cooled weapons. They were the standard light machine guns of the Germany Army from 1930 until 1934 when they were replaced by the MG 34 design. Most of them were sold to Portugal after 1934 and used by the Portuguese Army as the Metralhadora Dreyse m/938 machine guns. Those that remained in German possession were used in WW2 by second line German units or mounted as defensive armament on aircraft.

Source: Wikipedia ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Feb 2011

MG 13 Machine Gun Interactive Map

Photographs

German soldier with MG 13 machine gun, circa 1940sA German soldier aiming with a MG 13 machine gun while filmmaker Horst Grund operated his camera, Constanta, Romania, circa 1941, photo 1 of 2A German soldier aiming with a MG 13 machine gun while filmmaker Horst Grund operated his camera, Constanta, Romania, circa 1941, photo 2 of 2German MG 13 light machine gun mounted as an anti-aircraft weapon, film camera, and other clothing and equipment in Romania, circa 1941
See all 7 photographs of MG 13 Machine Gun



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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
16 Oct 2012 09:40:22 AM

THE MG13 WAS MANUFACTURED IN GERMANY BY RM&M
ADOPTED BY THE GERMAN ARMY IN 1930 AND LATER WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY THE MG34.TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPHS

THE MG13 WAS CONSTRUCTED BY REBUILDING THE OLD DREYSE GUN LEFT OVER FROM WWI.
IT HAD A FOLDING MENTAL STOCK, FOLDING BIPOD AND CARRYING HANDLE. AFTER BEING REPLACED BY THE IMPROVED MG34, SOME OF THE WEAPONS WERE RETURNED TO THE ARMORY, OTHERS WERE ISSUED TO SECOND-LINE GERMAN UNITS, THE REST WERE SOLD TO PORTUGAL AS THE M38, AND KEPT IN SERVICE INTO THE 1950s, AND TO THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

FORGOTTEN WARRIOR:

RM&M ALSO PRODUCED THE DREYSE M1907,9mm
SEMI-AUTO PISTOL, THAT SAW SERVICE FROM 1907 TO 1945, THIS WEAPON WAS ISSUED TO SECOND-LINE GERMAN UNITS AND TO VOLKSSTURM UNITS MANY WERE BROUGHT BACK BY GIs AT THE END OF WWII IN EUROPE.

SO WHAT DOES RM&M MEAN: GOTTA LOVE THESE GERMAN COMPOUND WORDS.
RHEINISCHE METALLWAREN & MASCHINENFABRIKEN
2. Roman says:
10 Jun 2014 05:49:31 AM

I respect you bill I'm glad u served
3. Black River Militaria says:
19 Mar 2015 01:32:06 PM

A correction to Bill's note above that states the Mb13 was constructed from the Dreyse MMGs. This is a persistent myth. The MG13 was designed as an aircooled copy of the watercooled Dreyse 12/18, and the bolts are interchangeable, ,but that is the extent of the similarity. Mg13s were manufactured specifically as air cooled LMGs. I know this simply because I own live, transfeable examples of both guns, as well as having researched the history of each.

Bob Naess
4. HansDasPanzerIV says:
25 Jul 2022 08:14:48 AM

Do any of you guys know if Festung Dunkirk in 1945 would have the MG-13, being composed of 5 static infantry divisions of which the MG-13 would be supplied to?

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MG 13 Machine Gun Photo Gallery
German soldier with MG 13 machine gun, circa 1940s
See all 7 photographs of MG 13 Machine Gun


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