| MG342 Calibastre | |
|---|---|
M342A1 Pictured Above with Iron Sights[] | |
| Type | General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) |
|
Place of Origin |
 Corsair
|
| Service History | |
|
In Service |
2350 - Present |
| Used By | |
|
See users. | |
| Production History | |
| Designed | 2348 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall Höchste Dynamik |
| Produced | 2350 - Present |
| Variants | See Variants. |
| Specifications | |
| Weight |
11kg (24.25lbs) 30kg (66.2lbs) (On Tripod) |
| Length |
1270mm (50in) 1143mm (45in) (Without Stock) |
| Barrel Length |
635mm (25in) (MG342-A1/A3/A4) 585mm (23in) (MG342-A2) |
| Cartridge | 7.62x51mm GSS |
| Action | Recoil-Operated, roller locked |
| Rate of Fire |
|
| Muzzel Velocity |
930 m/s (3051 ft/s) (MG342-A1/A3/A4) 900 m/s (2953 ft/s) (MG342-A2) |
| Effective Firing Range | 100-1500m (Adjustable Sights) |
| Maximum Firing Range |
|
| Feed System |
50-round Drum disintigrating M68 Interlocking Belt 75-round non-disintigrating M65 Interlocking Belt 100-round Box disintigrating M68 Interlocking Belt 200-round soft bag disintigrating Interlocking M68 Belt |
| Sights |
Open tangent Iron Sights Factory Standard Mounted RDS-3 (MG342-A2) |
The MG342 Calibastre is a General-Purpose Machine Gun developed by Rheinmetall Höchste Dynamik as a battlefield solution to volume of fire concerns. The MG342 was the appropriate solution to those concerns. Boasting a blistering rate of fire in excess of 1600 RPM, it can tear through even the largest group of enemies with mind-boggling ease. The MG342 is known by both users and their targets alike as the scourge of the battlefield. It holds many names such as: "The Organ Grinder", "Brap Machine", "Corsari Terror", "Buzz Saw", "Bone Saw", "Lumberjack", "The Beaver", "The Reaper", "The Grinder", "Finger of the Devil", "The Butcher", "Hell's Trumpet" and many others.
The menacing sound of the MG342 firing is enough to divert entire infantry squads away from its position or cause the opposing force to divert a substantial amount of resources to have it taken out. This profile alone caused the weapon to reach interstellar fame and as such caused it to be licensed out to many other armies as well. Cheap, but extremely effective, the MG342 is a force to be reckoned with and a force that will be on the battlefields of Corsair and beyond for the foreseeable future.
Development and Geneology[]
The MG342 Calibastre GPMG borrows extremely heavily from the MG42/MG3 design of Terran antiquity. Much like most of their roots, the Corsari people stick to what works best, and old designs from their ancestors do just that. The gun itself is almost entirely similar in appearance to the MG3 with the only modifications being some of its internal mechanisms to enable a higher rate of file, better accuracy out to a distance and better breach mechanisms.
Variants[]
MG342-A1[]
The MG342-A1 is the standard issue MG342 GPMG. This model has the lowest rate of fire out of all MG342 variants and comes equipped with standard Iron Sights and reloading mechanisms. The MG342-A1 generally comes equipped with a 75-round non-disintigrating belt and can be operated by a 2-man (and if the situation calls for it, 1-man) crew.
MG342-A2[]
The MG342-A2 is an upgraded version of the MG342 GPMG used primarily by the IPEF. In addition to a higher rate of fire, the MG342-A2 also houses a shorter barrel to aid with storage and maneuverability as per IPEF battle doctrine. The MG342-A2 comes with a factory issue RDS-3 Red Dot sight which can be removed for other choises of optics and uses almost exclusively a detachable 200-round disintigrating link soft bag in order to hold larger volumes of ammo in-between resupplies, which is difficult in some cases due to IPEF field ops. The MG342-A2 is also mounted on the Torlan and Callis vehicles used by the IPEF.
MG342-A3[]
The Brap Machine. The MG342-A3 boasts an incredible 1500 rpm rate of fire. It generally comes equipped with the 100-round box or the 200-round soft bag ammunition pouch. The increased rate of fire on this model gives it a sound akin to the "brap" of a dirt bike. This weapon comes with a Dragon-Steel barrel in order to withstand the heat that is generated from sustained firing. This weapon is also the most widely distributed on vehicles. It can house multiple different types of optics
MG342-A4[]
The MG342-A4 is the pinnacle of MG342 tech up until this point. This model is built upon a Dragon Steel body with ultra-strength polymers mixed in where needed. It has an advanced recoil-dampening system that aids with the further increased 1600 rpm rate of fire. The recoil operated bolt has also been redesigned with Dragon Steel to withstand the increased strain. The MG342-A4 is able to equip a large assortment of sights up to and including Thermal Optics. This particular model was once credited with mowing down over 200 soldiers with a single emplacement and following that feat, was given the monicker "The Organ Grinder". This model can take "Endless" amounts of interlinked belts to theoretically fire indefinitely if heat can be managed.
Users[]
Corsair- AcDragonian Army
IPEF- GCC
- Dragonian Grand Army [Sword Arm]
- Dragonian Grand Army [Shield Arm]
- Extremists
- Black December
- Dread Empire
- Rhein Insurgency
- Kampfgrupper Lehr
- Corsari Imperial Army
- IMC
