Thanks for that link robertmcw. I've been there several times in my various searches working on this project and didn't notice that was the grip stick. It definitely doesn't work with the original safety or panels as it sits. I'll have to see if I can modify it to accept a safety. I really don't wan...

I have not tried a different recoil spring but I'll see if I have another one for SA. I guess I was worried about the excess speed because, like you mentioned, most MG42 SA rifles have the opposite and I don't want it to beat itself up. Would a worn recuperator allow excess bolt speed? Mine takes ab...

Getting closer. I don't get to spend a lot of time on this project. To clarify, I've actually spent a lot of time on it, just much time consecutively, more like a day or two this month and a day or two the next month. I got some good advice from BRP in that my bolt is running too fast. He gave two o...

Are there any reasons this wouldn't work in semiauto? Have you done any testing in a semiauto 42?

What about shimming the barrel extension to increase chamber length or machining the barrel's shoulder shorter to decrease chamber length to make it headspace with the various bolt heads?

Link to said Gen 3 receiver.

https://www.wlarms.com/product-p/m53combo.htm

I was somewhat surprised to see some bulk Wolf and Tula 8mm and even 308 that is relatively cheap. Over the years I have seen posts speaking badly about some ammo and I just want to make sure that what I shoot is worthy of my 42. I appreciate any thoughts in finding the best and cheapest ammo for f...

Thanks for the tips on the ammo. I will steer clear of the Tula...probably in all firearms, it's not worth it. The extractor seems fine for now, I pulled it and cleaned it really well. I used a small vice grip to compress the keeper out of the way, seems to work well. I dug out another 8mm barrel wh...

Pretty quiet around here. I checked headspace on the 7.62 x 51 barrel using .308 gauges. It checks good...the go gauge goes, the nogo gauge does not. The 8mm is a different story. The nogo and field gauges both go in all three of my bolts. In fact, the field gauge goes with an additional .012" ...

Did you figure out what's going on yet? If not, is the FCG brand new? With your gripstick out and starting with the hammer forward and finger off the trigger, slowly move the hammer back and watch the two surfaces indicated in the pic as they pass each other. Do they touch or is there a gap? The gap...

Hammer follow arrears to be solved! This was the best outing with the semi MG42 to date. Not perfect, but got to run through a few different ammunitions and really begin to see how much a role ammo can play in reliability and safety. From my last outing, I found another firing pin laying around that...

Heading to the range tomorrow for another round. As far as 8mm ammo, all I've got is current production PPU (which I'm beginning to think has thin brass and soft primers) and a case of Turkish ammo. I plan on trying some of both tomorrow even though the Turkish is said to be a no-no. I do have the p...

I reworked the bolt by welding a plate on the bottom towards the front of the bolt carrier and filing down the bump at the rear. The result is that the hammer, when held by the disconnector, only touches the bolt where this plate is, and has a lot more time to float and settle on the underside of th...

Thanks for the replies guys. Blackreichswehr ...by "moved the rails" I mean put them where back where they should be. There was a few welds and a dent in the receiver keeping the recuperator from seating down in the receiver. This caused the left rail to be installed too high leading to to...

Last night it dawned on me that I may have introduced this hammer follow by adding the material to the bottom of the bolt (the bump). Manual bolt manipulation has the trigger resetting in two places (right at the start of bolt movement and at point of ejection) with the middle section being incapabl...

Here's my bolt showing the "bump". It seems like the bump should be stretched and made extremely gradual so when the bolt is driving forward, the hammer is eased downward by the bump so the disconnector can catch it, not abruptly lowered how it is now potentially causing the hammer to floa...

Another unsuccessful day at the range. After pressing the dent out and dressing down a few receiver welds from under the recuperator, I got the recuperator, rails and bolt to ride a little lower. The top of the bolt extension is no longer scuffing along the receiver. Bolt runs extremely smooth when ...

I've been using the original one that is 12.6mm for both 8mm and 308. According to my notes I also have an 11.5 and a 13.0mm. Am I right in thinking I should have a smaller one for 308?

I never interchange the word toy for a firearm. Thanks for the clarification. The only headspacing I've done is using the various manufactured factory rounds in 8mm and 308 I had laying around and verifying that they allow lockup of the bolt into the barrel outside of the receiver. I made up the too...

I will be making a couple tools to press the dent out from under the recuperation tonight. Not sure I'll actually get around to trying it or not though. I did pull the FCG out and looked things over. I did verify that the disconnector spring is intact and not upside down. I'm pretty sure the bolt is...