MG 42 Bolt how do you tell the heavy slower ones from the lighter faster rate of fire

[Bernie]

Hello fellow collectors and enthusiasts!

I am going to put together a post May MG42, now, I want to buy the right bolt for my build, I want the earlier lighter one for all the fire power the Gun will produce, not the later heavy one.. Having never just held the bolt in my hand, i cant make a good descision,,,,any help especially pictures, would be greatly appreciated,,!
Kindly...
Berniue Toman

[Gary Cain]

Hi Bernie,

The MG 42 bolt is 550 grams. The MG3 had the two bolt weights and the heavy was 900 grams if my memory is correct. I had both for my MG3 and ROF with the light bolt was around 1350 rpm and it was 900 rpm with the heavy bolt.


Cheers
Gary

Hello fellow collectors and enthusiasts!

I am going to put together a post May MG42, now, I want to buy the right bolt for my build, I want the earlier lighter one for all the fire power the Gun will produce, not the later heavy one.. Having never just held the bolt in my hand, i cant make a good descision,,,,any help especially pictures, would be greatly appreciated,,!
Kindly...
Berniue Toman

[Bernie]

Thank's Gary,,!!, I contacted BRP corp...Mystery solved!

And Brian was /is the most knowledgeable person I have ever talked to on the MG42,,,,,,You are spot on the bolt weight,,,,and the original WWII ones are 550 grain, and the design of the blowback front bushing, with the adjustable ratchet, is where the high rate of fire comes from,
The tighter the cone,"ratched down" , the faster the rate of fire.
Also as the gun got dirtier, on the front of the cone,the faster it fired, due to the lack of clearance for the gases to escape,,,,
We learn something new everyday.....
I will be posting pictures along the way, as today I purchased the MG42 Kit, along with all the goodies!!
stay tuned.........
Kindly....Bernie..