MG42 Lafette

[Jaegermeister]

I bought this tripod years ago, but now I'm having some bad feelings about it's original WWII or some yugo postwar.
The pictures are not the best, but since it never stop raining I had to do it inside in not so good light. Hope you guys can help me solve this.

[Jaegermeister]

2

[Jaegermeister]

Box for the spare bolt which some people say it's for the MG34.

[phil337]

hi, looks good to me, post war reworked by the yugos, you can tell by the added holes on top were the btm markings are, a small data plate was held in this place, also the bolt box is a correct mg42 one, is the T/E mechanism marked/dated?

[Jaegermeister]

Here is a picture of the mecanism, there is no year dated.

[phil337]

nice one, ordnance code looks like cql? either way its wartime, with a possibility of small post war replaced bits like bolts etc, another good spot to check aswell is the central frame at the front on the right or left hand side for makers marks and waffenampts, and also the front leg around the top at the front or the back, see my thread when i restored mine, theres alot of info

[phil337]

also nearly missed it but didnt notice it, you may also have an original ranging plate, but i have never seen one with a black background before only the yugo ones, but they are normally in the yugo language

[Jaegermeister]

I found a makers mark not on the leg, but where the front leg is connected to the frame, fso or fsu.

[phil337]

that will be fsu, a common lafette maker looks like you got a good one

[Jaegermeister]

That's good, but there is a problem when I have the MG on the bipod is to close to the frame. I read about another having the same problem until he used the hammer? Can you explain what's wrong.
Anyway, thanks a lot for your help.

[phil337]

if you mean you cant suspend the bipod in the resting position under the mg because of lack of room while it is mounted on the lafette, i beleive i saw it to on another forum, i think it may be just the buffer spring dried/seized a bit, personally i think they look better mounted on the lafette without the bipod

[Jaegermeister]

That's correct.
Yes it was on the MG42 forum
As a display I like it with the bipods on, but firing it, I think without for sure.

[me6_130]

The lafette looks ok as an MG42, can't see anything that makes me think it is an MG34 reworked, see the following link of a reworked:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=540652

It does seem to have been used by Yugos, as said, mostly by the little holes at the cradle closing part, but original MG42 anyhow. I had never seen a black overhead distance plate in German.

Carles