The legendary Maschinengewehr 42 or MG42 was a 7.92x57mm recoil-operated general-purpose machine gun manufactured and extensively used by German forces during the latter half of the Second World War. Designed to be low-cost and easy to build, the MG42 proved to be highly reliable and easy to operate with its very high rate of fire of 1,200 rounds per minute. However, even after Germany’s defeat in WW2, the MG42 remained in service with modernized variants like the rechambered MG3 being adopted by over 30 countries. The MG42 airsoft gun is currently available only in two rather high end collectible grade models in the form of AEG airsoft MG42 guns; the G&G G-MG42 Machine Gun AEG and the Airsoft MG42 review of the SHOEI MG-42 EBB.