POTD: Maschinengewehr 74
The highlight of any training within the military? Shooting fully automatic firearms for sure, as well as blowing things up, and in Today’s Photo, you can see soldiers of the Austrian Bundesheer working their issued Maschinengewehr 74.
Perhaps running with the 12 kg heavy (plus ammo and other gear) isn’t the highlight of the day, but it’s fast forgotten as the barrel starts to heat up as the bullets go down the range.
The MG 74 is an MG 42/59 variant licensed from Beretta and manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher, used since 1974.
Below: Maschinengewehr. It machines gewehrs.
The caliber is 7,62×51 mm NATO, belt-fed.
Below you can see how the machinegun operator changes the barrel. Gloves and other heat protection is highly recommended!
Check the new barrel before you use it, make sure there are no obstructions.
All photos are taken by Bundesheer, Dietmar Bodensteiner.
The Austrian Army also has the Browning Machine Gun, in caliber .50 BMG, M2.
Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.
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Gotta luv me some Rhinemetall...
Where's that soldier's barrel carrier?!! You'd never catch me putting a hot barrel on the ground! In fact you never catch me putting one on the ground period. We had a few troopers put their hot M60 barrel on the ground with the bipod folded and it bent it so bad it might as well have been a pretzel. I do believe our troops are issued heat resistant barrel carrier bags - and that is a good simple practice compared with the MG42 metal clam shell carrier solution.
EDIT: never mind, I finally spotted one in the photos. They've changed - they look like some kind of heat resistant plastic - but that's just the looks.