MG34 bolt question

[FestungSpanien]

Hello,
I have seen this feature on a mint full matching MG34 in a prime class collection and couldn't give an answer as to why the cocking bar (or however it is called) has this particular feature.
See pictures.
Any comments would be highly appreciated.
Many thanks.
Ace

[robinhood]

No idea what the attachment is on cocking handle, it would make it easier to cock.
The mg does look mint.
Hopefully your get some better answers from other members.
Rob

[jonathanseverin]

Hello,
I would say post war replacement.
Jonathan.

[FestungSpanien]

I would have expected that on a mismatched russian capture, but not here.
The gun is full matching down to the barrel, as when it left the factory.
Thanks for the answers so far.

[me6_130]

From what I can see, the MG34 is either a Portuguese or a Spanish contract. The Spanish contract were mostly (90%)dot produced in 1943 with bakelite butstocks...but I once saw on of them with a rare stamped steel buttstock (post #9 in the following link). Perhaps some of them had experimental features and this would be one...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...stock+variants

Carles

[FestungSpanien]

Hi Carles,
Thanks for the answer
I don't think it is a portuguese contract, has no "1943" nor "Nr. xxx" on the cover just beneath the Rheinmetall lettering
Besides the trigger and safety letters are in german, you would expect them to be different for spanish or portuguese contracts.

[me6_130]

Spanish contract then. I have seen them with cra, dfb and dot dated 1941, 1942 and 1943.


Carles

[FestungSpanien]

Carles, is there any serial number range to look for to see if this is really a spanish contract?
Shouldn't the letters in the trigger and safety be in spanish and not in German?

[me6_130]

I believe there is a list in Segovia, with all the contracts and paperwork of the Bär program. The only difference with Wehrmacht issue is the Konstruktion Rheinmetall-Borsig on the top cover. If not mistaken, the total of MG34s that came to Spain was about 425, being 375 for the sidecar motorbikes, 10 for the 10 StuG III and 40 of them panzerlauf model for the 20 PzKpfw IV. These last 40 did not have the Konstruktion Rheinmetall-Borsig.


Carles

[FestungSpanien]

Thanks Carles
So can we possitively affirm that any MG34 with the cover marked Konstruktion Rheinmetall-Borsig should be a foreigner contract?

[me6_130]

Yes, those MG34s that have Konstruktion Rheinmetall-Borsig are export guns, as far as I know. At least Portuguese and Spanish contract. I have no news of the Finnish or other German allies contracts.


Carles

[FestungSpanien]

Thanks again Carles!
Have you ever seen this very same feature in any other spanish contract 34?
I was surprised to see a cocking handle with similar feature when having a look at a period picture in A. Butz manual

[me6_130]

No, I had never seen this kind of cocking handle. Does it have any stamp or WaA?


Carles

[FestungSpanien]

No markings or WaA that I could see as I didn't have much time to see his collection. I only could take this two pictures because of this special unknown to me feature and I noted him that the feed tray was missing (I promised him to keep an eye open for one so if anybody has one or knows where to get a correct one, drop me a pm, thanks)
All I could remember is that it was a dfb42 marked one (an early one he said), and that everything was numbers matching and with the original blueing. Also there was no extra letters along the E-D on the trigger and S-F on the trigger housing, and the original white-red paint was also present. (No T-A for portuguese or spanish contract if they ever had them).
I have never seen a 34 as pristine as this one, and I am aware that spanish ones saw extensive use.

[me6_130]

I was told that when the Spanish Army left some barracks in Mallorca, they loaded a boat with MG34s in their boxes, and droped them into the sea!!!!!!

I have seen several in spanish museums, apparently matching, but looked quite dirty or covered with grease. I have seen others that had been deactivated by cutting through with a blowtorch and, the less, deativated by drilling three holes in the barrel.


Carles