Monday 25 December 2017

MKb.42(H) Trials

"To the People's Commissar of Defense, Marshall of the Soviet Union, comrade I.V. Stalin

I report that the Main Artillery Directorate performed trials of the captured German 7.92 mm MKb.42(H) carbine, a new type of small arms. As a result of trials, the following characteristics were obtained, compared in the following table with the domestic submachinegun model 1943 (PP-43) and the Simonov light machinegun.

Characteristic
PP-43
MKb.42(H)
Simonov
Caliber (mm)
7.62
7.92
7.62
Mass with magazine (kg)
3.2
5.0
7.5
Length on march (mm)
616
935
1045
Magazine capacity (rounds)
35
30
20
Rate of fire (RPM)
630
470
740
Muzzle velocity (m/s)
500
690
850
Muzzle energy (kgm)
70
199
340
Round weight (g)
10.8
16.8
22
Precision at 100 m (determined by the radius of a circle which contains 50% and 100% of all hits, cm)
19.2-35
10-31.5
10-24.3

The attached data shows that the automatic carbine fits in an intermediate space between a submachinegun and a light machinegun. For example, its muzzle energy surpasses the submachinegun by 65%, but is less than that of a machinegun by 41%. The mass is more than the submachinegun by 1.8 kg, but less than the light machinegun by 2.5 kg.

The appearance of an automatic carbine in the German army is, presumably, caused by the aim to equip infantry units with light and portable weapons that could replace the relatively heavy MG-34 and MG-42 machineguns. The weapon can also be treated as a universal weapon, aiming to replace both rifles and light machineguns.

Presently, comrade S.G. Simonov, under instruction from the Main Artillery Directorate, designed a new type of light machinegun using an existing round. However, the powerful round does not permit making a machinegun that weighs less than 7.5 kg. Based on this, the Design Bureau was given tactical-technical requirements for development of a less powerful cartridge, as well as an automatic carbine for that cartridge. Experimental automatic carbines are going through factory trials and will enter proving grounds trials in November of 1943.

GAU Chief, Colonel-General of Artillery, Yakovlev"

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