German FG-42 Assault Rifle (WW II), serial number #10726 The FG 42 (German: Fallschirmjägergewehr 42, "paratrooper rifle 42") is a selective fire battle rifle produced in Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapon was developed specifically for the use of the Fallschirmjäger airborne infantry in 1942 and was used in very limited numbers until the end of the war. It combined the characteristics and firepower of a light machine gun in a lightweight form no larger than the standard-issue KAR 98k bolt-action rifle. Considered one of the most advanced weapon designs of World War II, the FG 42 influenced post-war small arms development and most of its design was copied by the US Army when they developed the M60 machine gun.[