MG 13

MG-13
Maschinengewehr 13
Type	Machine gun
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1930-1945
Used by	Germany, Portugal
Wars	Spanish Civil War, World War I, Portuguese Colonial War
Production history
Designed	1928
Produced	1930-1934
Specifications
Mass	13.3 kg
Length	1443 mm
Cartridge	7.92x57mm Mauser
Rate of fire	600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	890 m/s (2,919.2 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	2000 m
Feed system	25 round box magazine, or 75 round saddle drum

The MG 13 (shortened from German Maschinengewehr 13) was a German general purpose machine gun obtained by rebuilding a World War I water-cooled machine gun into an air-cooled version.

The MG 13 was introduced into 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 It was superseded by cheaper, faster firing models: the MG 34 and then later the MG 42. It was officially withdrawn from service in 1934; most of the machine guns were sold to Portugal, where they were used into the late 1940s as the Metralhadora 7,92 mm m/938 Dreyse. Those MG 13s that were not sold were placed into storage, and these later saw use in World War II by second line German units.

The MG 13 was designed to work with either a 25 round box magazine or a 75 round saddle drum. It was equipped with a folding butt stock and a carrying handle. It was used in the tail gunner's position in the Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber and in the turret of the Panzer I tank.