My MG42 - and 2 questions

[dougieboy1]

I have owned my MG42 for around 20 years. Up to now, I havent really paid much attention to it or the lafette (a future thread) that it sits on in terms of originality - i.e. is it an MG42 or a converted MG53? I bought it as an MG42 and the obvious markings seemed right so i never queried it



These make it one of the so called category 3b recievers as it has the short step front sight mount and the long tripod ramp. Receiver is stamped arz as expected. MU makes it a 1944 production by Gustloff-Werke.

When i bought it, it was converted to 7.62mm rather than 7.92 so i have over time replaced the feed tray and top cover with the correct 7.92 wehrmacht items



It has lots of waffenampts in the places you expect to find them





It also had a post war bipod which I have replaced with the proper wartime item



Unfortunately, it has 2 Yugo items on it that i havent converted back to wehrmacht items

1. The barrel catch, a yugo serialled item



2. The butt stock which is clearly yugo - black paint, 6 wires, hollow release catch, yugo numbers and th shape doesnt look right according to what i have read




However, the buffer seems to be wartime as it has the recessed ring at the end which yugo buffers dont have.



The buffer has no markingts on it at all, no waffenampt, no yugo. The only distinguishing feature is the extra ring at the end which i understand to mean it is wartime.

However, the buttstock fixes on it without any gap between butt and buffer.



So, my question is, how come my yugo butt fits on a wartime buffer or am i wrong, this isnt a wartime buffer. Note, the metal part of my buttstock has no markings either.

My second question is, does anyone out there have a genuine Wartime MG42 stock (and buffer if my buffer isnt actually wartime afterall - that they would be interested in selling so i can bring my MG42 back to original specification.

Thanks for your thoughts

AWD

[phil337]

Hi,
The markings on the barrel release door have the logo for Rheinmetall and not Yugo, which leads me to beleive it was used by the post war Bundeswher german army when as you say it was converted to 7.62.

The stock is an odd one, although yes it may be possibly yugo with the trade mark painted black stock, the long serial number is actually a Nato stock number, and so there is a very small possibility it could be post war german also?, or maybe swapped for a yugo one later on as the serial number does not match the serial number on the receiver of your MG42, your buffer is german and i have heard from some sources that early re-worked mg42's by the yugos the yugo stocks would fit on german buffers without leaving the gap, but thats just what i heard, the only other possibility is the mounting cup in the stock may be a salvaged german one when it got re-worked.

The other markings to look out for if it has been used by the yugos is you will find small stamp markings BK in a square and K in a square also. if you cant find any of these markings then i would say your 42 is a post war german army used one.

[me6_130]

As far as I know, the Yugos did have plenty of german WWII stuff. They just refurnished and stamped some acceptance code or so (BK), so the buttstock could be original. You can find many original tripods, ammo drums and other in Yugo paint and stamps, apart from original WaA. Fakers take advantage of this and stamp WaAs on many post war yugo equipment parts, so they get higher money for them. During the balkan War you could see many MG34s around also.

Carles

[dougieboy1]

interesting info, thanks guys. Had assumed that the long serials were yugo but clearly they werent in nato!!

there are no BK or square markings i have found, only waffenampts and the markings on the barrel door and stock.

Am going to remove the black paint off the stock to make it look a bit more wartime. Will probably sand the nato number off at the same time.

I had also heard that some yugo stocks did work on german buffers but i would guess on balance, a german stock would bem ore likely to fit on a german buffer...

Lets get out the sandpaper!

[NORDLAND1]

Hello,Can you make more Pics from this Mg42 and the markings.Please from all Sites.

NG NORDLAND