VMG 1927
The VMG 1927 is a light machine gun designed by Heinrich Vollmer.
| VMG 1927 / MV 31 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light machine gun |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1927 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11.48 kg[1] |
| Length | 1550 mm[1] |
| Barrel length | 717 mm[1] |
| Cartridge | 8×57mm IS |
| Caliber | 8 mm |
| Action | short recoil[1] |
| Feed system | 50 Round Drum Magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights |
In 1916 Heinrich Vollmer began working on a design of a light machine gun. At the end the weapon was known as a MG Vollmer, later also as VMG 1927.[2]
It consisted of only 78 parts while the standard MG of those days, the MG 08/15 consisted of 383 parts.[3] It operated on the principle of short recoil with a rotary locking mechanism for the bolt, carried by helical grooves.[1] It was fed from a small drum magazine underneath the receiver.
In 1927 Vollmer also obtained a patent covering the breech mechanism of the weapon.[2] Later on, Vollmer co-developed the gun with Mauser Werke as the MV 31 (Mauser-Vollmer 1931). It was offered to the German ordnance board (Inspektion für Waffen und Gerät - IWG) but, after testing, it was not adopted for service. This guns had a quick-change barrel and used a drum magazine.[2]
Two examples are known to exist, one is at the Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung Koblenz and the other at the Vojenský historický ústav Praha.
References
- "Pokusný kulomet MG 27". Vojenský Historický Ústav Praha. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- Heinrich Vollmer (1885-1961) translation to English from Samopal M.P.38 a MP40 by Martin Helebrant, published in Czech by Nakladatelstvi Elka Press, ISBN 978-80-87057-02-5
- http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waffen/maschinengewehre-R.htm