Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the general purpose machine guns (gpmg) category.
01 / Overview
MG 34
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1939–1945
Quantity
577,120
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG) · WORLD WAR II
4
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
85
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the general purpose machine guns (gpmg) category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General7MOD.7
- First Production Year1934
- Service Entry Year1936
- DesignerHeinrich Vollmer
- Weight (Empty)12.1 kg
- Weight (Loaded)32 kg
- Currently In ServiceYes
- Notable UsersNazi Germany, Czechoslovakia, Israel, Algeria, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Greece, China, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Cuba, France, North Korea, North Vietnam, Palestinian Fedayeen, Cyprus, East Germany, Libya, Australia, Biafra
◈Cartridge & Calibre7MOD.7
- Cartridge7.92×57mm Mauser
- Calibre7.92 mm
- Case Length57 mm
- Calibre Classfull power rifle
- Bullet Weight12.8 g
- RimfireNo
- Caseless AmmunitionNo
▣Operation10MOD.10
- Action TypeRecoil-Operated
- Fire Modesfull-auto, semi-auto (early versions)
- Select FireYes
- Feed SystemBelt
- Magazine Capacity50
- Drum / Belt Capacity75
- Cyclic Rate of Fire800
- Practical Rate of Fire150
- Trigger Typesingle-stage
- Safety Typemanual safety
◇Ballistics6MOD.6
- Muzzle Velocity765 m/s
- Muzzle Energy3,600
- Effective Range (point)200 m
- Effective Range (area)2,000 m
- Maximum Range4,700 m
- Sighting Range2,000 m
◆Barrel & Sights7MOD.7
- Barrel Length627 mm
- Rifling Twist1:10 (right-hand)
- Rifling Grooves4
- Sight TypeIron sights, antiaircraft sight or telescopic sights
- Optic RailYes
- Iron SightsYes
- Threaded BarrelNo
▤Construction6MOD.6
- Receiver Materialsteel
- Furniture Materialwood, bakelite
- Folding / Collapsing StockNo
- Bullpup LayoutNo
- Ambidextrous ControlsNo
- Modularityconversion to light/medium machine gun roles, anti-aircraft, tank coaxial, infantry with bipod and tripod
⬢Features5MOD.5
▲Production & Cost5MOD.5
- Total Production577,120
- Production Start1935
- Production End1945
- Unit Cost312 USD
- Variants1
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1927First deployment: Chinese Civil War
- 1939Production started
- 1945Production ended
- 1954Sale: Guatemala (1,000 units)
87
years in service
6
years in production
577,120
units produced
20
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it. 5 countries retired it.
04 / Conflicts
MG 34 · CONFLICTS SERVED IN30% win
Total Conflicts
10
Victories
3
Ongoing
0
Losses
0
2003–2011Iraq WarDecisive victory→1975–2002Angolan Civil War—→1956Suez CrisisTactical victory→1955–1975Vietnam WarDecisive victory→1954–1962Algerian War—→1950–1953Korean War—→1948–19491948 Arab–Israeli War—→1946–1954First Indochina War—→1946–1949Greek Civil War—→1937–1945Second Sino-Japanese War—→
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
05 / Operators
Operator Countries25country
AlgeriaACTIVE
AustraliaACTIVE
BulgariaACTIVE
CubaACTIVE
CyprusACTIVE
Czech RepublicACTIVE
FranceACTIVE
GermanyACTIVE
GreeceACTIVE
GuatemalaACTIVE
IsraelACTIVE
North KoreaACTIVE
NorwayACTIVE
People's Republic of ChinaACTIVE
SomaliaACTIVE
South AfricaACTIVE
SyriaACTIVE
TurkeyACTIVE
United KingdomACTIVE
VietnamACTIVE
AlbaniaRETIRED
HungaryRETIRED
NigeriaRETIRED
RomaniaRETIRED
TaiwanRETIREDMG 34SALES5records
| Year | Buyer | Quantity | Amount | Present Value (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 |  Guatemala | 1,000 | — | — |
| — |  Algeria | — | — | — |
| — |  Israel | — | — | — |
| — |  Bulgaria | — | — | — |
| — |  Czech Republic | — | — | — |
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
06 / MASS Score
GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG) RANKING General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) · World War II
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
34GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)4WORLD WAR II · GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)133GERMANY · ALL WEAPONS37PERFORMANCE/PRICE · GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUNS (GPMG)
ⓘ Rankings are within theGeneral Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG)category.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE7terms
A bayonet lug is a metal fitting on the barrel or muzzle of a firearm that provides a mounting point for a bayonet.
A firearm feed system where ammunition is stored in a flexible or rigid container (magazine) inserted into the grip or attached externally, feeding rounds into the chamber via a spring or follower.
Integral bipod: a permanently attached, built‑in bipod that provides a two‑point support for a firearm, allowing it to be rested on a surface without separate accessories.
Adjustable metal aiming devices on firearms, consisting of a front post and rear notch, used without magnification.
A mounting system for attaching optical sights to rifles.
Firearm action type where the energy from firing a cartridge cycles the action via rearward movement of the barrel or slide.
Select fire is a fire selector mechanism on a firearm that lets the shooter choose the firing mode, such as semi‑automatic, burst, or fully automatic.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources