Rob Deans Posted August 19, 1999 Share Posted August 19, 1999 "The MG42 in the HMG role is very accurate indeed" What range were you firing at? Did you get to see the change in shape of the beaten zone from long and narrow to shorter and fatter as the range increased? Did you have any tracer? Did you use a T&E on the 30cal and 50? Did you see how grazing fire works? I'll be quiet now....... Rob Deans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted August 19, 1999 Share Posted August 19, 1999 Sorry Rob, I really can't tell you much. Only so many greenbacks in my wallet, doncha know I shot off 100 rounds w/o tracers. Not a heck of a lot to shoot, but it set me back $50 Needless to say I didn't fire the .30cal or the .50cal after that (.50cal rounds are about $1 PER round...) I shot at some cars about, uhm, 300m distant or so. I did not have the option of shooting at different distances, although I "walked" a couple So I can make no comments about grouping at different ranges. I shot in short bursts for the most part. The group was quite tight. The traverse was liquid, and adjusting for windage VERY easy. If I was blazing away with a full ammo load I could easily have saturated the entire area in front of me with ease. The 1200rnd/min firepower is really designed for such action. Watching the .50s and .30s was impressive too. At about 300m they are just as deadly when shooting at a stationary target, or a single one moving fairly slowly. But multiple targets, moving in multiple directions, would escape the gunner much more easily than with the HMG42. Also, the US MGunner's typical shooting position (sitting) doesn't work as well as it does for the HMG42, since there is a huge height difference. I could look through the open sights w/o inhibiting arm movement. The real benefit of tripod is the optics, which I did not need to use (weren't even attached). This allows the gunner to accurately shoot at targets several THOUSAND meters away. Open sights and spotting with the US MGs can't compare. Uhm... that is about all I can tell you. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Posted August 19, 1999 Share Posted August 19, 1999 Thanks for the replies, I think I understand what you were trying to get across. Appearently, I hadn't not yet had my coffee when I wrote my last post... While I'm here, I like to thank BTS, and everyone else who has written in over the last year, for the excellent history lesson. I can honestly say that I've learned more regarding WW2 (and history in general) here than in 16+ years of public education (not sure if I should be ashamed of myself or disgusted at the school system...) [This message has been edited by Rex (edited 08-19-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Deans Posted August 20, 1999 Share Posted August 20, 1999 " shot off 100 rounds w/o tracers" Hey at least you've fired an MG. How many game company guys have done that? In Canada we use an FN MAG 58 (C6 GPMG) as our GPMG and the 50cal as our HMG. There are few things more graceful than watching a 30 round burst arc way up through the air to a tank hulk 1800m (its max effective range) distant and seeing it land in its beaten zone. The hits light up like firecrackers at night. You really get an appreciation of how MG fire really works and how vital a good tripod thats dug in is. The gun can shoot farther of course but the fire begins to plunge and loose its effectivness. The 50cal will give grazing fire out to 1000m and reach out to 2000m and beyond. The tracer burns out long before that so it makes it difficult to adjust the fire if conditions are not good. What ranges are you using for your MGs in the game? Thanks Rob Deans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted August 22, 1999 Share Posted August 22, 1999 Firepower decreases with range, of course, but the hard limits on MG range are: LMG: 500m MMG: 800m HMG: 2000m Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Deans Posted August 23, 1999 Share Posted August 23, 1999 What do you consider an MMG? Are you talking MG34/42 on its tripod, a Vickers gun, a 30cal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted August 23, 1999 Share Posted August 23, 1999 We consider the US .30cal M1919A6 to be an MMG (even though the US Army called it an LMG, we think that at 45 pounds and sitting on a tripod, it's really an MMG). Vickers and MG42s on tripods are HMGs in our opinion. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Deans Posted August 23, 1999 Share Posted August 23, 1999 The A6 is the air cooled version of the weapon? What is the fire power of a 50cal HMG on a tripod compared an MG 42 on its tripod? I am curious to see if the 42 has, in fact, greater firepower but less penetration (against vehicles and fortifications) than the 50 due to the rate of fire. Thanks Rob Deans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted August 23, 1999 Share Posted August 23, 1999 Correct - the A6 is the air-cooled version. In our opinion, the firepower of the .50 cal M2 compares to the MG42 on tripod in the following manner: At short range, the MG42 is noticeably superior due to its incredible rate of fire and ability to change hot barrels quickly. At medium range, the MG42 is still somewhat superior, though a bit less so because presumably at this range crews are not spewing out maximum ROF in order to conserve ammo, so the MG42's advantage here is only partly realized. At long range the .50 caliber is superior due to its larger projectiles which have greater inertia and are therefore more accurate at long range. In addition, the .50 caliber packs a heftier "punch". Not only can it rip through lightly armored vehicles out to well over 1000 meters (which the MG42 cannot) but we allow it to punch through protective terrain to some degree as well. For example, a wooden house gives less protection to a .50 caliber attack than to normal small arms. Short answer: versus units in medium to light cover at short to medium range, the MG42 is your weapon of choice. Against units at long range or in heavy cover, use the .50 caliber. (Both weapons are effective against most targets at most ranges, the above distinctions are simply a matter of degree). Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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