MG34 bipod - not matching?

[dentarthurdent]

Hello everyone,
after 2 years owning it I noticed, after comparison with the MG42 bipod, why the legs doesn’t spread as wide as they should. In the head of the bipod there are the cuts missing, where the legs extension should sink into.

Please, are the legs and the head of the bipod correspond with each other or is it a mix of different wartime parts or is it just fake? Shoud be BSW 1939.

In the first picture I downloaded here from the forum are the cuts in.

Thank you very much for your opinions,
Frantisek

[me6_130]

I don't think there is any problem, just production variation. They later lost their height regulating screw, so couldn't be adjusted. Others lost the external reinforcement, and so on.

Carles

[dentarthurdent]

Thank you. Is good to know that this is not a fake.
Problem is, that I can´t spread the legs completely , even if I full screw the heigt out. If there had been the cuts for the teeth in the head, it would spread correctly.
I just don´t know if I should live with this happily or if I should cut the grooves in the head. Or cut away the 2 small teeth.

[me6_130]

I wouldn't do that at all!!!! You would be damaging an early model of bipod. If you don't want it I can exchange it for one of mine.

Carles

[timg]

Hello their,

PLEASE PLEASE do not cut or change the configuration of your bipod.

It is quite rare and a transitional model in between the MG13 and MG34 pattern

The First MG34,S were fitted with the MG13 Bipod, these had issues as they could spin through 360 degrees, the legs could be bent, the latch was rubbish, and they could actually vibrate apart when mounted on a lafette with the legs falling of the head unit.

The changes were done by fitting into the sides of the head a screw cap and spring, this acted to help keep the legs at 90 degrees to the axis of the gun but with some traverse (stops it spinning around and falling to bits)

Next was to reinforce the legs with the external rib, and lastly improve the latching by using a sprung stud on each leg.

Yours has all of the improvement features, but is using an MG13 style head.

The markings on yours correspond exactly to mine apart from mine is a 38 BSW MG13 style and yours is a BSW 39 transitional.

I will take a pic if you want?

Regards

Tim

[dentarthurdent]

Hello Tim,
yes, I will be very happy about seeing picture of your bipod.

And I won´t cut or change anything on this bipod.
It is mounted on my 1939 Rheinmetall MG34 so if I know why, I can live with this fact.

Thank you all for your opinion !!!

[me6_130]

I'm glad you decided not to alter the bipod. I've got 4 MG34s right now. but the earliest is a dfb42, matching except for the barrel and bolt.
It would be nice to see some more of your's.

Carles

[timg]

hello their,

as promised a couple of pics of the MG13 style bi pod.

Notice that the bipod can hang under the gun at any angle as it does not self centre as it has no internal springs to do so (imagine being in action and having to mess around every time you moved to get the legs set up right, total pain in the neck)
No reinforcing rib on the legs so potential for bending.

No cuts to the underside either (no point as it has no ribs) And also, no plugs visible on the sides of the socket in the head. The MG13 head is held together by 2 large split pins.

Dated and marked in the same format as yours, just one year earlier. I may be corrected on this by other members but I do not believe that the MG13 was in production in 1939, so your bipod is for an MG34

[timg]

Couple more, you can see the square locking latch hanging down on the mounted picture (not a very good latch at all so you can see why they improved the bipod)

[me6_130]

[...] I may be corrected on this by other members but I do not believe that the MG13 was in production in 1939, so your bipod is for an MG34

Nice to see those details Tim. Now, I know MG13s were produced till 1938, not sure if in 1939, but I did find a 25 round mag dated 1939 so there is a chance of some produced then.


Carles

[dentarthurdent]

Hello Tim,
thank you for the pictures, wow, that´s a pretty cool early MG34 which I really want to add to my collection one day !!! And the tripod !!! Oh man, unfortunately are the prices of both so high nowadays.....

Hello Carles,
4 MG´s? It´s amazing !!! I had a chance to get one, DOT 1941 I think, but the man didn´t want to sell :-(

I will take some pictures of mine at the weekend, could you post your MG´s here too? It´s still nice to see the old beautiful MG34 is still out there and makes someone happy :-)
Mine is not matching, probably Russian captured.... some electro pencil numbers there, but, I love it as it is and I am very happy about it !!!

[me6_130]

I've got some old pics and some partial detailed ones around. I'll try to find them. I guess I have posted them around WAF some time ago.

Carles

[timg]

"Hello Tim,
thank you for the pictures, wow, that´s a pretty cool early MG34 which I really want to add to my collection one day !!! And the tripod !!! Oh man, unfortunately are the prices of both so high nowadays....."

Thank you most kindly for the comments, if you are after adding the actual one in the picture to your collection I am afraid you will have to wait until I shuffle off this mortal coil

Have to confess I bought the gun a good while ago now whilst free and single (I now have oversight if you know what I mean) The tripod was recent but part funded by some other stuff I had previously bought for a rainy day. Prices have indeed gone up............in fact decent MG34,s are now becoming harder to find in UK.

I will do some additional pics of the gun at the weekend if you want.

Carles,

The condition of that MG13 Magazine suggests that it never left its carry case !!!

Regards

[dentarthurdent]

Hello Tim,
I know (or hope so) that you will be still young and I will own one early MG34 too but it will be hard to save money (I know what you meant, the same situation ) and then to find one like yours... but, while there's life, there's hope

[me6_130]

Carles,

The condition of that MG13 Magazine suggests that it never left its carry case !!!

Regards

I don't remember if it's one (I've got a couple of sets) of mine or a pic I found around the internet. I only know I still have the pic.

Carles