In 1930, the German Army received the Swiss Solothurn MG-30 (control through Rheimetall) which was an attempt at a General Purpose Machine Gun or GPMG. The weapon did not satisfy the Germans and so was handed over to Mauser to refine. Mauser changed the feed system, bolt-locking mechanism, added a muzzle gas trap, and changed the system for removing the barrel. The result was the famous MG-34 that was the first true GPMG that with bipod could serve as a light infantry MG; with tripod a steady medium MG; and with a flak mount and saddle drums (75 rds each side) could be used on vehicles against aircraft! It's only flaw was that it was made too well and was complicated. This was fixed with the MG-42 which led to the postwar MG-3 that served a total of 60 years with the German Army (a 12 yr gap between 1945-57).

* Solothurn MG-30
** pronounced eight-fifty here
Note: Solothurn made watches until 1920 and by 1929 was led by Rheimetall AG of Germany converted to arms manufacture!