Machine Gun barrels

[helmet841]

Here are a few barrels I picked up recently. They appear to be German 8mm barrels, with visible waffenamt marks (and wrench marks). At first they looked pretty sad. The bores were excellent but their outsides suffered from rust. I bought a length of 2 inch threaded pipe at a local home center. The base was coated with white teflon "goo" and tightened securely with a pipe wrench. The top piece was hand screwed on after Kroil penetrating oil and a barrel were put in the pipe. The stuff doesn't have an objectible odor but will smell up your whole garage in no time. I then locked the pipe into a vice so it wouldn't get kicked over and leak. After 2 days of soaking I polished the barrel up with 0000 steel wool. And then the next...etc. The oil and pipe will be used again in future projects.

[helmet841]

Kroil: the rust disolver

[helmet841]

After a good soaking

[helmet841]

One of the barrels with it's manufacturing code

[helmet841]

Numbered code on the breech end

[helmet841]

They all have similar wrench marks from either installation or removal.

[helmet841]

The last. All marks are different, but all have the little eagle, amt stamp.

[helmet841]

Question

All 3 barrels are about 21 inches long and have a 1/2" wide indentation in the barrel end near the muzzle. I would suspect the "groove" is to help support the barrel when screwed into the machine gun. I spoke to one of the machine gun shooting clubs out West in the U.S. The owner said he was familiar with German weaponry and told me there were about "50" different barrels used by them in WWII, but helped me no further. I suspect they are for an aircraft but am in no way qualified to presume that. Can anyone aid with identification?

[trzydziestka]

. Can anyone aid with identification?

In my opinion there are standard MG-42 barrels...what is strange or incredible with them?

[JaimeH]

They don't look like any MG42 barrel I've ever seen.

Unless the quik connect end is missing?

[JaimeH]

Yep, MG42 barrels with the the quick connect device removed. Thats kinda odd.

[Matt Starr]

Nice find and a good bit of restoration. Could you show me a bit of the metal where the rust has been removed. is there pitting left or was it just surface?
Best regards
Matt

[R_Hessian]

Mg42

I think you will find them to be for the MG42.

Robert

[Jeff V]

Yes, mg42 with locking collars removed.

jeff

P.S. nice clean up job

[R_Hessian]

Oil

Very nice clean up job... boy I need to buy some of that oil!

Robert