MG-13

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MG-13
Type	Machine gun
Place of origin	Weimar Republic
Service history
In service	1930-1945
Used by	Germany, Portugal
Wars	Spanish Civil War, World War II, Portuguese Colonial War
Production history
Designed	1926
Produced	1930-1935
Specifications
Weight	13.3 kg
Length	1340 mm
Cartridge	7.92x57mm Mauser
Rate of fire	600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	890 m/s
Maximum range	2000 m
Feed system	25 round box magazine, or 75 round saddle drum

The MG-13 (shortened from German Maschinenengewehr 13) was a German general purpose machine gun obtained by rebuilding a World War 1 water-cooled machine gun into an air-cooled version. The MG-13 was introduced into Wehrmacht service in 1930, where it served as the standard light machine gun. It was superseded by cheaper, faster firing models: The MG-34 and then later the MG-42. It was officially withdrawn from service in 1934 and most of them were sold off to Portugal who used it into the late 1940s as the Metralhadora Dreyse m/938. Those MG-13s that were not sold were placed into storage instead, and these later saw use in World War II by second line German units.

The MG 13 was designed to work with both a 25 round box magazine and a 75 round saddle drum. It was also equipped with a folding butt stock and a carrying handle. It can be found in the tail gunner's position in JU-87 Stuka dive bombers also.