The MG 45 (also known as the MG 42V) was a machine gun based on the MG 42, which was developed but not fielded in significant numbers by the German Army in World War II. Overview In 1944, the material shortages of the Third Reich led to the development of a newer material-saving simplified version of the MG 42, the MG 45 (or MG 42V). The MG 45/42V is considered a different type of firearm than the MG 42, as the operating mechanisms of these two machine guns are different. The MG 45/MG 42V had some influence in the post-war development of the roller-delayed blowback system, as employed the Rheinmetall MG 60 general-purpose machine gun prototype, SIG 510 assault rifle, SIG MG 710-3, Heckler & Koch HK 21 general-purpose machine guns and in other post World War II CETME and Heckler & Koch small arms. Design details Many parts were identical to those of the MG 42. The ammunition feed, the trigger group and parts of the butt stock of the MG 42 design were reused. The roller-delayed blowback MG 45 operation mechanism differed from the recoil-operated, roller-locked MG 42 in that it did not completely lock its breech before firing, increasing its cyclic rate of fire and simplifying its construction. Compared to the MG 42 the MG 45 used steel of lesser quality, the weight was reduced to , while retaining the horizontal cocking handle. The MG 45 bolt weighed . The receiver housing was a metal stamped construction including a muzzle flash hider. Due to the differing operation mechanism the muzzle booster used on the MG 42 to add more energy to the operating components was omitted on the MG 45, since the recoil amplifification was not required. The MG 45 barrel was a simple turned part without a locking piece with a lifespan of over 10,000 rounds. The MG 45 development was never completed, so that one has to speak of a prototype. The resulting prototypes remained similar to the earlier MG 42 overall, a deliberate decision made to maintain familiarity. The main advantage of the new weapon was a reduced manufacturing time, the Waffenamt (German Army Weapons Agency) assumed 60% of that of the MG 42. In contrast to the MG 42, the MG 45 had no bottom piece, which is why the action had to be removed upwards with great difficulty. Action The MG 45/42V