question on MG-15.

[jh-ss44]

Hello to all.
question on the german MG-15's ....
what finish was on the receiver ( ect. ) of these guns ?
most of the recent past surplus MG-15's I've seen were gloss black painted.
many others bare looking metal , and only a saw hand full with a dull blue gray bluing.

just trying to figure out what was from the factory.
I own a few = all gloss black, plus have an MG 34 that was also black painted ( paint now removed ).
thank you; jeff H.

[me6_130]

From what I have seen, LW machine guns were painted black, at least Mg15 and MG81.

BTW what make was the MG34...and why did you remove the black paint?

Carles

[jh-ss44]

Carles ; thank you for your reply ! (again).
believe it was the dot 44. I own 5 of them. Removed the paint (what was left) since I never seen one painted before. I assumed it was painted by the next owner ( came out of storage from Czechoslovakia ). neither of my 2 mg 42's were painted either. I have seen original photos of mg 34's white washed on the Russian front.

have seen at least 1 mg 15 that was blued , may have been post war to look better in a museum or a collector's collection ??
I want to redo one of them that I have , hence wanting to know how it left the factory.
jeff H.

[me6_130]

hello Jeff,

The fact is: most of the MG15 and MG81 I have seen (in military museums) were painted black. MG15 saddle-drum mags (DT15) have been found painted and blued, while MG34s and mags (PT34) seems were only blued. Perhaps those airborne weapons and mags were painted vs those ground used would be blued? So when MG15 were transfered to ground use the new mags would be blued, while most of the MG15s were painted due to their former airborne role?

MG34s were blued but I have seen some painted black also...but those might have been related to Portuguese contract and might have been painted according to Portuguese specifications. They were basically untouched and saw no service at all, so paint was preserved. Does your MG34 have any Portuguese stamps?

Carles

[Ir 143]

Mg 15.

Is maybe painting post war for storage, or for use in airplanes ( because they are exposed to ice, rain etc)... ?

[pitfighter]

The shroud on mine is original finish - it is painted black.
The barrel is blued.
The end cap/booster is chemical blued.
Cocking handle is in the white.

[jh-ss44]

Seriously, Thanks to all contributing to this question !!

No Portuguese markings on the mg 34's. it is present on my mg-13. (really like to find a photo of the markings on a non Portuguese mg-13).

now on my mg-15 (not the ST-61 's I own) , non matching numbers on parts ! ;
end cap blued.
shroud painted.
barrel blued.
front sight painted.
rear sight blued.
pivot section for mounting blued.
section in front of the magazine housing painted.
magazine housing blued but, the catch to hold & lock the magazine Painted.
receiver section (area with the markings ) painted.
trigger and it's guard blued.
metal on wooden grip blued.
cocking handle = steel section painted , on the Aluminum section anodized black.
fire / safety ring blued.
drum magazine (1940 dated) factory FLAT black painted

Yep , got me a Frankenstein !!!
not sure on the ST-61 , "out of sight , out of mind". plus the other on it's way to me now.

Receiver on this one is dated 1941. Maybe earlier ones were blued , did not fair well out in the open ,So they were painted and left the same way from the factory later on ????
thanks again Gentlemen !!!
jeff H.