MG 34
The MG 34 (shortened from German: "Maschinengewehr 34", or "machine gun 34") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It introduced an entirely new concept in automatic firepower – the "Einheitsmaschinengewehr" (Universal machine gun) – and is generally considered the world's first general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). Both the MG 34 and MG 42 were erroneously nicknamed "Spandau" by Allied troops, a carryover from the World War I nickname for the MG 08, which was produced at the Spandau Arsenal.

The versatile MG 34 was chambered for the full-power 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle cartridge, and was arguably the most advanced machine gun in the world at the time of its deployment. The MG 34 was envisaged and well developed to provide portable light and medium machine gun infantry cover, anti-aircraft coverage, and even sniping ability. Its combination of exceptional mobility – being light enough to be carried by one man – and high rate of fire (of up to 900 rounds per minute) was unmatched. It entered service in great numbers from 1939. Nonetheless, the design proved to be rather complex for mass production, and was supplemented by the cheaper and simpler to mass produce MG 42, though both remained in service and production until the end of the war.
Q7318
German
Concept
Q12800
machine gun
Concept
Q573994
MG 08
MISC
Q28228100
Spandau Arsenal
Concept
Q259287
7.92×57mm Mauser
MISC
Q720711
light
Concept
Q1192819
medium machine gun
Concept
Q153596
MG 42
MISC
Q153279
MG 34
MISC
Q153279
MG 34
MISC
Q153279
MG 34
MISC
Q153279
MG 34
MISC
1929-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1929
DATE
1934-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1934
DATE
1936-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1936
DATE
1939-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1939
DATE
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+42^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
42
NUMBER
+08^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
08
NUMBER
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+7.92^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
7.92
NUMBER
+57^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
57
NUMBER
+34^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
34
NUMBER
+42^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
42
NUMBER
country of origin
inception
ammunition