Replica MP40 by Nakata

[pzrwest]

Restoration Under Way

Here are some pics of my mgc68 MP40. The first set is of it before I re-blued the main body tube

[pzrwest]

Part2

This set is after re-blueing the main body tube

[pzrwest]

Part3

I have ordered a new set of grips and forestock for the MP40 which will put it back in the condition it was when I first bought back in 1974. They were very cheap back then I paid just 85 bucks cdn for it from a hobby shop.
Here are pics of a home made magazine I just made for it as the original one that came with it has went missing over the years. Getting mags might be hard to do
Before painting:

[pzrwest]

Part4

And here's the magazine after painting:




The magazine was made from laminated basswood(body) and the part that is welded at the top of the magazine was made from auto-body metal. The metal was formed with just regular hand tools meaning bending with my hands then hammering the edges. My dremel tool sure works great for shaping the metal. I will post pics of my mgc68 after I get the grips and forestock. Comments welcome.

[standfast]

Hi Will,
Did the MGC68 have their own serial number? my MGC number stamp is 1336.
Regards
Mike

Here is my MGC. I bought it from a dealer for all of $500.00 Canadian about 5 years ago. He had had it for a long time (just one) but fortunately had not listed it on his site. He said it would have been sold long ago had it been legal to sell and transport across the U.S. border.

I spoke by phone with a member of the RCMP firearms department. He said that there should be nothing illegal about my buying it since it was not a genuine firearm that had been de-activated, and was (I remember his words) about as dangerous to to the public as using it to club someone instead of a baseball bat or tire-iron. My kind of police officer!

I took him at his word and immediately sent payment. To this day, whenever I include it as part of a display, it is the center of attraction and there is no shortage of people who want to hold it, aim it, work it, and have their picture taken with it. (I let them) Picture in your mind the 14 year old girl who struggled to aim it while her dad took her picture. I'm not sure whose idea that was. Not once has a member of the law ever questioned me about it, legally or otherwise, and I understand the gunshows are attended by officers in plain-clothes.

As I understand it, the MGC version is was produced in Japan the 70's and was found to be very expensive to make, so relativly few of them to be found. It was made of a non-weapons grade of steel, fit only to fire the MGC produced blank firing rounds which are all but impossible to find (I have none) and not actual 9mm casings. In fact, the firing pin is mounted in the chamber itself, not on the bolt.

If you wish to see a 22 second clip of one being fired, click on this link:

http://www.mp40modelguns.com/marushin_mp40.htm

Some more links:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=MGC+MP40&meta=

The barrel differs as well, being made of a solid piece of cast steel alloy quite different from the stamped steel of the body. I went so far as to file off the rough patches of the cast barrel until it was smooth then blackened it with a gun-blackener pen, leaving a few nicks and scratches for artistic effect. The parkerized black-dark grey finish has in time worn off the raised areas, revealing the true steel, but I like the effect. The Japanese supplied sling was too short, I replaced that with a genuine sling. The side grips and hand grips are made of plastic as opposed to the proper bakelite and the difference is easily noticeable, but one cannot expect that degree of accuracy.

All in all, a GREAT non-gun.

[Will Brown]

Hi Mike, I can go look, where would the number be on the item?

[standfast]

Hi Will,
The number should be stamped on the left hand side of the barrell where next to the barrell nut.
Regards
Mike

Hi Mike, I can go look, where would the number be on the item?

[Ronnie Fry]

Big Question!!

So if you buy one of these "replicas" from a dealer in Japan, is there any chance of running afoul of the customs people cause the thing "looks" like the real thing, and doesn't have the orange barrel tip??
These replicas are the only chance I will have to get close to the real thing, but they are still quite expensive.. I don't want to spend some big bucks, only to have the customs folks confiscate it on the way in.

r

[Will Brown]

Well, I've just finished examining my MGC68 Mike, and found no serial number where you said to look, however, the ideas of a serial number makes sense so I examined those whole thing most carefully. Unfortunately, there are no other markings stamped into it besides the word JAPAN on the underside of the trigger guard and of course the MP40 mgc68 on the upper rear of the receiver area.

Possibly there is a difference in construction between our examples? My barrel differs from the body in that it is made of a solid, hard, brittle-looking cast alloy that I suspect would not take kindly to being struck hard enough to accept a number stamp without cracking. I know because I refinished it by filing off the rough areas so typical of the casting process. If you read the the MGC site the third paragraph under "The construction" it specifies what the parts are made of.

http://www.mp40modelguns.com/MGC%20MP40.htm

Does this sound familiar Mike? If you have a stamped barrel I am curious as to what kind of material is it made of. Maybe our MP40's differ in being earlier vs. later examples.

Ronnie, I'm not sure if you can even buy a replica of this quality anymore from Japan, as per the above site. (See the opening pagraphs)

You might find these two sites of interest however.

http://www.totls.com/german_combat_gear.htm

http://www.impactguns.com/store/product907.html

[Will Brown]

Here are four pics you may find of interest. BTW Mike, I like your MGC68, it has obviously been "out there" unlike mine, but it has that nice "broken in" look to it.

[Will Brown]

2

[Will Brown]

3

[Will Brown]

4

[C.O.Sargent]

I have had the pleasure of seeing and handling Williams MP40 it is quite nice.

[Ronnie Fry]

Will,
Thanks for your prompt and kind reply. I'm checking out both of the sites to see what I can find. Interesting stuff!! Any other ideas of where to get one of these "replicas" would be muchly appreciated.....

r