MG42 Bolt Parts

[robinhood]

Hello All
What do you guys think of these mg42 bold parts?
Trying to build a deactivated bolt and would like to know if all these parts are genuine war period parts and not post war
Thanks you for looking and appreciate any feed back.

Rob

[robinhood]

1

[robinhood]

2

[robinhood]

3

[me6_130]

The first does seem to be original (the stamp) but can't say about the other, as they don't have any stamp (my area are MG34s, not 42s, sorry), I'm sure Christian will confirm if they are.

Carles

[Cincylance]

These all look like wartime parts except for the bolt catch (part with coiled spring)

Wartime MG42s didn't have a bolt catch.

Cincylance

[robinhood]

These all look like wartime parts except for the bolt catch (part with coiled spring)

Wartime MG42s didn't have a bolt catch.

Cincylance

Thank you for your info.
What does a war period bolt catch look like?

Best Rob

[Cincylance]

Thank you for your info.
What does a war period bolt catch look like?

Best Rob

My understanding is that there wasn't one. There were stories about the guns blowing up back then because of rounds going off out of battery. No idea if the stories are true, but right around the end of the war the bolt catch was introduced to prevent bolt bounce and rounds going off if the bolt isn't fully forwards.

So to answer your question, no bolt catch would be correct in a wartime MG42. Odd because it appears to be such an integral part of the bolt assembly.

Supposedly, the guns run faster with the bolt catch, but you risk a round going off out of battery.

Cincylance

[robinhood]

Thank you Cincylance
That was explained perfectly.
Its good to learn history of mg42 bolt evolution.

Best Rob

My understanding is that there wasn't one. There were stories about the guns blowing up back then because of rounds going off out of battery. No idea if the stories are true, but right around the end of the war the bolt catch was introduced to prevent bolt bounce and rounds going off if the bolt isn't fully forwards.

So to answer your question, no bolt catch would be correct in a wartime MG42. Odd because it appears to be such an integral part of the bolt assembly.

Supposedly, the guns run faster with the bolt catch, but you risk a round going off out of battery.

Cincylance