Bergmann MG 15nA
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 726 mm
- Weight, empty
- 12.90 kg
- Introduced
- 1916
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Bergmann MG 15nA (Maschinengewehr 15 neuer Art) was a German air-cooled light machine gun designed by Louis Schmeisser and produced by Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik during World War I. Adopted after the Battle of the Somme exposed the need for a man-portable belt-fed gun, it replaced the heavy water jacket of the Maxim MG08 with a perforated air-cooled barrel shroud and a quick-change barrel, firing the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge from metal link belts via a recoil-operated action with Bergmann's vertical-lock cam mechanism. A swivel bipod, pistol-grip stock and carry handle made it one of the first practical German light machine guns.
By ditching the Maxim's heavy water jacket, the MG 15nA gave German infantry a man-portable, belt-fed air-cooled light machine gun, and it was issued heavily to assault detachments and to the Palestine theater with the German Asia Corps, bridging the gap between the rifle and the cumbersome water-cooled MG08.
This is the WWI Bergmann LMG, not the later WWII Rheinmetall MG 15 aircraft gun. Magazine capacity field shows the 200-round belt; 250- and 100-round belts were also used. Muzzle energy derived from standard sS 7.92x57mm data. Prone to overheating after roughly 250 rounds of sustained fire.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1916 to 1919
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 726 mm
- Overall length
- 1120 mm
- Weight, empty
- 12.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Capacity
- 200
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 4096 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
- Rate of fire
- 550 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Air cooled
Perforated barrel jacket
Quick change barrel
Belt fed
Bipod
Carry handle
Pistol grip
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 12.90 kg | 11.60 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 1120 mm | 1175 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 726 mm | 677 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 25 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 200 | 50 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Bergmann MG 15nA
How much does the Bergmann MG 15nA weigh?
The Bergmann MG 15nA weighs 12.90 kg (28.44 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Bergmann MG 15nA?
The Bergmann MG 15nA is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Bergmann MG 15nA hold?
The Bergmann MG 15nA holds 200 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the Bergmann MG 15nA?
The Bergmann MG 15nA is 1120 mm (44.1 in) long overall, with a 726 mm (28.6 in) barrel.
Who makes the Bergmann MG 15nA?
The Bergmann MG 15nA is made by Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik (Germany). It was designed by Louis Schmeisser.
When was the Bergmann MG 15nA introduced?
The Bergmann MG 15nA was introduced in 1916 and discontinued in 1919.
How does the Bergmann MG 15nA operate?
The Bergmann MG 15nA uses a short recoil action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- German Empire
- 1916
- Ottoman Empire
- Türkiye
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/bergmann-mg15' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "bergmann-mg15", "name": "Bergmann MG 15nA", "manufacturer": { "id": "bergmann-waffenfabrik", "name": "Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1880, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "updatedAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "version": "84e2fc95dccee0344bf7f615704039fef445ad76323c5c25795193874c37b4bb" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1916, "barrel_length_mm": 726, "weight_empty_g": 12900, "action_type": "short_recoil"}