When Switzerland decided to adopt a modern universal machine gun toe replace both the MG11 Maxim and the LMG25, both SIG and Waffenfabrik Bern used the German MG42 as a starting point. W+F Bern was the eventual winning of the trials with the MG51. This is basically a Swiss out-Germaning of the Germans. The stamped receiver was replaced by a milled one, the barrel made heavier for more sustained fire, and an effective anti-bounce system added to prevent the out-of-battery discharges that were a problem with the MG42. A number of other minor improvements were made as well.
Bolt Action Rifles
Swiss ZfK-55 Sniper at RIA
The Swiss military began experimenting with scoped sniper rifle during WWII, with the K31/42 and K31/43. These use periscopic optics permanently mounted to the side of the receiver, and were both found less than ideal. […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Differentiating Models of the 1894 Mondragon
I recently had a chance to examine 4 different examples of the 1894 Mondragon straight-pull bolt action rifle. These rifles were the predecessor to the self-loading Mondragon design which would be adopted by Mexico in […]
Prototype
Furrer M1919 Double-Barrel SMG
We have looked at one of Adolf Furrer’s M1919 submachine guns before, but this one is a much different implementation. The model 1919 Furrer designed was basically a chassis for converting a Luger pistol […]
Outstanding