Bought an MG42 Parts Kit

[Ramjo]

Thought I’d give this a try. I’m not sure whether I want to make it semi auto capable or just have a display or dummy gun. 
Has anyone else on here built one of these or done similar work? 

[Magiccarpetrides]

You need to talk to the resident gun machinist around here EDIT:  XTRIGGERMAN....he is the king of cool Frankensteins and putting together stuff the ATF torched in half.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Magiccarpetrides
xtriggerman

[RED333]

9 hours ago, Ramjo said:

Thought I’d give this a try. I’m not sure whether I want to make it semi auto capable or just have a display or dummy gun. 
Has anyone else on here built one of these or done similar work? 

Hey man, you got the time?

[Johnny Rotten]

Seen a build on ARfrom in the GD section, maybe search for it, it was a cool FA build.

[peejman]

If you can't shoot it, what's the point?

[Ramjo]

On 5/6/2020 at 8:39 AM, peejman said:

If you can't shoot it, what's the point?

For me, especially with these SMG and LMGs that is something that doesn't really bother me much. I like having my own personal museum that I can go and pick something up and fondle it, just to own it is exciting for me! 

[peejman]

12 hours ago, Ramjo said:

For me, especially with these SMG and LMGs that is something that doesn't really bother me much. I like having my own personal museum that I can go and pick something up and fondle it, just to own it is exciting for me! 

It's all good, I like unique stuff too. Unfortunately I do a lot more fondling than shooting these days. But it sure would be cool to send a few 8mm downrange with one of those. 

[xtriggerman]

The MG42 is a pretty cool piece. In the build, at least theres no piston arrangement to deal with. Im not familiar with building any of those. I took the easy way out and did an RPD / semi DSA rec. with a number of my own mods. Best thing to do is read everything here at the Guild on them if you haven't all ready.

http://www.weaponsguild.com/forum/index.php?board=25.0

If it wasn't for the crematory, I'd have then put this in the box with me...  LOL

[Johnny Rotten]

14 hours ago, xtriggerman said:

The MG42 is a pretty cool piece. In the build, at least theres no piston arrangement to deal with. Im not familiar with building any of those. I took the easy way out and did an RPD / semi DSA rec. with a number of my own mods. Best thing to do is read everything here at the Guild on them if you haven't all ready.

http://www.weaponsguild.com/forum/index.php?board=25.0

If it wasn't for the crematory, I'd have then put this in the box with me...  LOL

What kind of links are you using or is that a link belt?

[xtriggerman]

The links are OEM RPD link belts. They are direct descendants in design of the MG42 belts. In this case I modified the 100 round drum hook up to take M249 saw nut bags as you see it. They comfortably hold 75 rds of 7.62x39. The drums are super clanky with the belted rounds in them and worse with some of the 100 belt hanging out of the gun. The saw bags are whisper quiet no matter how much belt is left in there.  Here I welded new rails to accept the clip in saw bags. Way better on/off than of the original drum hook up.

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by xtriggerman

[Johnny Rotten]

cool, I guess you couldn't use M13 links if you wanted to...

I use my son to load my belts

Untitled by Johnny Rotten, on Flickr

[martin5]

I have a friend that has an MG42. I hope to shoot some day. The closest thing I’ve got to fire was a Bren.

[1gewehr]

Len Savage at Historic Arms in Georgia has done some full and also some semi MG42 builds.  Because the receiver is one long piece of stamped steel, it is a real bear to weld together sections and get it perfectly straight.  And if it is not straight and correct, it will be a 24 pound manually-operated rifle.

Many years ago I had a friend who would let me fire his WWII MG42 quite a bit.  I also had the opportunity to get some instruction on the MG-3.  Properly handled, it is a devastating Light/Medium machine gun.  In the hands of your average Snuffy, it will just waste ammo quickly.

The MG-3 and the MAG58/M240 are the best  LMGs around.  Bar none!!!