MG42 cocking procedure

[robinhood]

Hello all

I have a MG42 deactivated in UK . One part of the deactivation is that part of the barrel extension has been cut away so there are no roller locking grooves.
The Rollers of the bolt are still in place and working and the gun can be dryed fired. The barrel CAN be removed.
I have recently purchased a replacement deactivated barrel and the extension is untouched and complete so now the rollers can lock in the extension grooves.
My question is when i cock the bolt the barrel moves back alittle and then springs back into place once bolt released. Should the barrel move when cocking?

Thank you for any replys

Rob

[Satcong101]

Yes, a lot of MG's including MG42's have what's called a floating barrel, its not fixed like a rifle barrel might be. It's part of the recoil system to help drive back the bolt and aid accuracy by locking the bolt and barrel together during the actual firing of each round. Something like that away

[phil337]

Yes perfectly normal, on firing a round the recoil of the gas pressure presses back against the bolt head, at this stage the bolt head is firmly locked into the locking grooves of the barrel with its rollers, as the recoil forces the bolt back in turn the Barrel starts to move rearwords as it does this the bolt rollers strike a set of grooves machined into the caming piece thus relesing the rollers from the barrel locking wedges, then the bolt continues its rearword journey, then the barrel is forced back into its resting postion by a sort of spring piston called the recuperator.

[robinhood]

Yes perfectly normal, on firing a round the recoil of the gas pressure presses back against the bolt head, at this stage the bolt head is firmly locked into the locking grooves of the barrel with its rollers, as the recoil forces the bolt back in turn the Barrel starts to move rearwords as it does this the bolt rollers strike a set of grooves machined into the caming piece thus relesing the rollers from the barrel locking wedges, then the bolt continues its rearword journey, then the barrel is forced back into its resting postion by a sort of spring piston called the recuperator.

Thanks for that info, Most helpfull and informative.

Rob

[me6_130]

The same thing happens with the MG34. It is much easier to cock when the barrel is not welded to the barrel jacket

Carles

[Patty D]

Hi Rob, do you have any pictures of your MG42 that you could post here? It sounds very nice! Patrick

[robinhood]

Yes, a lot of MG's including MG42's have what's called a floating barrel, its not fixed like a rifle barrel might be. It's part of the recoil system to help drive back the bolt and aid accuracy by locking the bolt and barrel together during the actual firing of each round. Something like that away

Thank you, Most greatfull.

Rob

[mightymouse]

It is the movement in the barrel that throughs the bolt back-not the other way around. The booster cone in the nose of the gun catches enough gas/pressure to through the barrel rearwards causing the bolt to unlock and also travel rearwards back into the rear of the receiver-ready to fire again.

[phil337]

It is the movement in the barrel that throughs the bolt back-not the other way around. The booster cone in the nose of the gun catches enough gas/pressure to through the barrel rearwards causing the bolt to unlock and also travel rearwards back into the rear of the receiver-ready to fire again.

Its actually a combination of both, unless your saying theres not any pessure against the bolt head from the gasses cuasing recoil untill it reaches the end of the barrel? if its the movement in the barrel then what would be the point of the locking rollers, locking rollers are there to prevent the bolt head from firing off the chamber face during the point of firing/detonation of the powder gases inside the cartidge case that the recoil would come from

[mightymouse]

Yes, but it is mainly the barrel being thrown back that operates everything. I posted because no-one had mentioned this-in one of the posts it was made to sound like it was the bolt pulling the barrel back by itself