BACKGROUND: Among other restrictions, the Treaty of Versailles banned Germany from developing any type of general purpose machine gun. To circumvent this, German development of an all purpose machine gun was secretly being done in Switzerland in the early 1930's. By 1934 designer Louis Stange of the Rheinmetall armaments factory had made improvements to the secret machine gun developed in Switzerland and the MG34 was introduced as an all purpose selective fire weapon. In spite of the relatively high production cost, the MG34 was accepted by the HwaA, Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office), a subsection of the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), that was responsible for testing, evaluation and eventual issue of all ordnance, and deliveries of the MG34 began in 1936. In 1937 due to the high cost and manufacturing time of the MG34 development began on another general purpose machine gun which utilized stamped and pressed components making it cheaper and quicker to produce. Further developments resulted in the introduction of the MG42 general purpose machine gun in late 1941. Of Note: With a rate of fire of roughly nine hundred rounds per minute, the MG34 was a formidable weapon with automatic and semi-automatic firing capabilities and production continued even after the cheaper and higher rate of fire, (1,500 rpm), MG42 was introduced. As with most weapons both the MG34 selective fire and the MG42 automatic fire, general purpose machine guns required lubricants for efficient operation. The MG’s were usually manned by a three personnel crew with one individual being designated the "#1gunner". The gunner was equipped with a specific gunners belt pouch which carried special tools and accessories for the weapon including a lubricating oil can.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Field-grey painted, magnetic sheet metal construction MG34/42 oil can features a screw off top cap with a extended pour spout and a raised, brazed, beaded side seam. The screw off cap would be removed to fill the can while the extended spout would assist in getting to hard to reach spots on the weapon. The original screw cap leather washer is still intact. The extended spout also has a screw on cap that is secured to the can by a chain to prevent loss.