At about the middle of the 1930"s, the German Army organized offensive infantry corps which had machine guns and machine pistols as the nucleus of their small arms. The infantry division contained three regiments as its main body. Each regiment consisted of three battalions, which had four infantry companies each. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies each had twelve light machine guns, sixteen machine pistols, three light mortars, and two antitank guns. The 4th company, which was called a machine-gun company, was equipped with twelve (later sixteen) heavy machine guns and six medium mortars.

The machine guns that gave birth to and constituted the background of such an organization were the well-known model 34 (MG-34) and model 42 (MG-42).
In 1934, Mauser completed a new machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber based on the Swiss Solothurn 30 machine gun then used by the Austrian Army. The new machine gun employed the Solothurn mechanism such as the air-cooled recoil operation system and the selective fire lever between continuous fire and single fire. It was linear and slender in appearance. The muzzle brake was fixed to avoid vibration and recoil caused by the high cyclic rate of fire (up to 900 rounds per minute) which was one of the advantages of the mechanism. The gun was of the belt-fed type. Belts containing 50 rounds each were carried in a gun belt box with a capacity of 300 rounds.

Immediately after completion, the new machine gun was adopted by the German Army. Officially designated model 34 machine gun (MG-34), the weapon was mounted on a great number of combat vehicles and military planes as well as used by infantry corps. The MG-34 later showed activity in all theatres of war.

In 1942, the Model 42 machine gun (MG-42) first appeared on the battlefield. The MG-42 was a remodeled version of the MG-34 and better suited for mass production. Since the pressing process was largely used to facilitate manufacture, it is said that even a small factory was able to produce it. The MG-42 had considerable improvements in performance over the MG-34. The rate of fire was much higher and reached 1,500 rounds per minute. In addition, the MG-42 was durable enough to withstand changes in temperature and rough handling on the battlefield. It showed its excellent performance that was never affected by such conditions. The Germans used the same machine gun as a heavy machine gun or a light machine gun according to its tactical use. The former was so called when used on a tripod for support fire and the latter was so called when used on a hipod as an offensive weapon for infantry.
Accessories for the weapon used as a light machine gun consisted of 300 round gun belt boxes, 50 round saddle drum magazines, spare barrels, tool kit, and machine oil. When used as a heavy machine gun, the weapons had additional accessories as follows: telescopic sight, tripod, tripod container, single AA mount, antiaircraft ring sight, etc. (A sunshade was also added to the accessories when the gun was used in the tropics.)

Machine guns possessed by the Germans totaled 126,800 in number at the outbreak of World War II but they increased to 231,000 in January 1945 near the end of the war. This shows what great importance the German Army attached to its machine guns.

Shipping:

We ship via USPS, UPS or FedEx. At this time, we do not offer shipping to addresses with an APO/FPO or outside the continental United States.

Shipping Time:
Orders are normally shipped from our warehouse within 24 - 48 business hours of order placement. Please allow 7 - 10 business days for delivery after your order has shipped. Delivery times are estimated and we do not provide money-back guarantee for any shipping option other than FedEx Express or UPS Next Day.

Terms of Use and Security

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Returns & Replacements 

We accept returns within 30 days of the date of purchase unless otherwise stated on the item's page. In order to return an item, please contact us for a Return Authorization Number.  Once the Return Authorization Number is acquired, you have 30 days to return the item(s). All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Items are also subject to a 20% restocking fee. Although if you are a repeat customer who purchased from our website before, we are happy to waive the restocking fee.

Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned with no credit issued at the customer's expense. Once your return has been inspected please allow 15 days for the credit to be applied to the credit card used for purchase. The initial cost of shipping is not eligible for a refund. Buyer pays for return shipping. To request your Return Authorization Number, please follow these steps:

1. Read and agree to the Returns Policy and Procedure above.

2. Email us at cs@phenomstores.com. We will need your order number and the Item ID number of the product you wish to return.

Refused Orders - Should you decide that you wish to refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS or any other common carrier and legitimately ordered from us, credit will be issued for the item, minus shipping and a restocking charge of 20%.

Exchanges - In order for us to do the exchange we would need to refund your payment, then you would need to make another purchase transaction with us for the item that you like within 7 days of your exchange request. We're asking that you return the item you bought from us within 30 days along with a tracking number so we both know that your return reached us. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned with no credit issued at the customer's expense. You are responsible for the return shipping cost. We also charge a 10% restocking fee for exchanges. Once we received and inspected the item we will credit** your payment. Please take note, our inventory changes constantly so the item may not be available at the time of your request. 

**A store credit will be issued on orders returned totaling less than $5.   

Damaged, Defective and Wrong Item(s) - It is your responsibility that the item(s) you received are undamaged and the correct item(s). Please examine the shipping box and all contents immediately upon receipt for any signs of damage, defect or wrong item(s). All claims must be initiated within 7 days of delivery and send us an email so we can further assist you.

Still have questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us by sending us an email to cs@phenomstores.com or by phone at 608-571-7033.

FAQ

When do I expect my order to ship out?

Our normal shipping lead times can take up to 72 hours after your order is received. However, due to unprecedented demand brought on by COVID-19 our shipping times have been extended. This is due to logistical issues that our shipping carriers are experiencing that is outside our control. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to ship your order as soon as it's received.

How will I know my order has shipped?

As soon as your order is packed and labeled, we will email you a shipment confirmation with the tracking number so that you're able to track your order. You can look up the status of your order by entering the tracking number found on the bottom of our web page under "Track Order Status". You can also look up the shipment status of your order by entering your shipment tracking number at USPS.com, UPS.com or FedEx.com.   

How much does shipping cost?

Our shipping costs vary depending on the item you're purchasing. Most items are eligible for our FREE shipping if your purchase totals $59 and over.  And for items that are excluded from FREE shipping like bulk or oversized items, we offer FIXED shipping rate or prevailing market prices. 

Some of the items I ordered are missing. What should I do?

Please reach out to us when you have items that are missing when you originally placed your order. This happens either because,

1. The missing items are on backorder or

2. The missing items are still on its way but due to service delays from our shipping carrier (ie UPS, FedEx) your package may take longer than expected.

How soon after can I cancel my order?

Unfortunately, we cannot cancel an order once an order is placed. This is because your order is automatically placed in queue to ship out once an order is received.  

What is the best way to reach you when I have a question? 

Our customer service phone and chat lines are normally open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CST. However, there are times when we can't be reached because all our customer service agents are helping other customers. If this happens, please leave us a voicemail at 608-571-7033 or write us a message on our "Contact Us" page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

What happens when I "Pre-Order" an item?

When you "Pre-Order" an item that is out of stock, you will be notified when we have the item in stock again. Our "Pre-Order" (or Wait-List) doesn't guarantee that your order will be fulfilled but we will do our best to make that happen.

You're also under NO obligation to purchase when you sign up for "Pre-Order".