mg34 belts

[biochembri]

I have another question that has been bothering me for a long time. I have wartime belts and postwar belts. I assume all wartime belts were marked. I have sorted out the wartime belts I have from the postwar belts. When I was having problems with my blank fire I read that some postwar belts do not work with the mg34 but are designed for the mg3. Should I avoid postwar belts altogether or are some good to use? How do I distinquish the ones I can use?

Thank you,

Brian

[drooling idiot]

I assume all wartime belts were marked.
I have sorted out the wartime belts I have from the postwar belts.
How do I distinguish the ones I can use?

When I was having problems with my blank fire I read that some postwar belts do not work with the MG34 but are designed for the mg3. Should I avoid postwar belts altogether or are some good to use?

don't assume its not wartime just because its not marked .
Its better to differentiate them by the way they are stamped.
http://www.panzer46.net/mg42board/viewtopic.php?t=1848


i think the biggest problem with the post war belts is there not worn in like the ww2 belts. when you combine new , tight belts with a used 60 yr old recoil spring you have the potential for problems.
It be nice to get a set of 50 slightly over sized fake rounds you could load in a new belt and leave for a while to slightly stretch them so they wouldn't grip so tight. i had started looking for a round just slightly bigger than the 8MM case diameter but got side tracked.

[Blanksguy]

Brian,
I have a couple of questions for you in trying to help you sort all of this out:

1: Is your "MG34" a FA MG-34 (?)...or a semi-only SA-34 (?).....and what is your "MG34" doing when you have problems firing Blanks (?).

2: What Blank-firing set-up are you trying to use (?)......and is it 8x57mm or 7.62x51mmNATO/.308 (?). Please list as much as possible such as BFA Hole-Size....if the booster-cup/"Nozzle" is present (live-fire type or Blank-Adapted type ?).....and modifications to the feed-tray (?).

3: What Blanks are you trying to use (?) (IE: Who made them, or where did you buy them (?).

4: Have you read my "Thread" about "Blank-Adapting the MG34" (?)

All of the above will help me sort out what you are doing and how to help you out. Remember....less information/"details" = less chance to be able to help you out.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

[biochembri]

Hello Richard;

Here is the information about my system:
TNW mg34 semi-auto 8mm using Swanson blanks.
I have tried both blank adapted barrel and restictor cone methods.
Yes, I have read the thread regarding blank adapting and the two primary methods.
For the restrictor method I use the one piece by Guiette which has three varying hole sizes.
My recent problem is misfed using the single piece Guiette restictor. Usually the shell will stop the bolt from moving forward by getting stuck on the feed plate. I have a modified feed plate that has a welded section designed to help feed the shorter blank rounds. The shell usually gets stuck on the edge of the feed plate.
My last use of the mg34 I feed 100 rounds without problem (2 misfires) but then I had two belts that would not feed correctly, these were war time and the links on one of them came loose. Here is a picture of the modified feed plate. You can see the edge where the shells hang up. That was originally smooth but has been damaged from repeated misfeeds. I tried grinding it down but it repeated the same problem.

Brian

[Blanksguy]

Hi Brian,
Thank you for the additional information.

Very basic.......as the blanks are slighly shorter than full-length FMJ ammo.....the Blanks are being allowed to raise up in the front and hit the top of the spacer/adaptor that you made. This can be easily corrected. The best way is to remove the feed-tray-spacer/adaptor that you presently have and make/install a slightly longer feed-tray-spacer/adaptor ......slightly longer towards the center-rear as I have shown in the photo below. It can be made of mild steel plate as it won't wear-out. This will now act as a "guide" to keep the Blanks down in the front.

Next.....do you want it "louder" (?).........if you said yes......then sell the Guiette, Blank-Adaptor (that replaces your Barrel-Bearing/booster-cup/"Nozzle" and use a 2-pcs. Blank-Barrel-System.
Mr. Guiette makes some really nice Blank-Adaptors...."but" with the added weight of the barrel.....you have to use a more powerful Blank to make the system operate at all. By using the 2-pcs. Blank-Barrel......the pressure in the Blank only has the move the short (read that "lighter") barrel rear-section with the chamber. This now not required/un-used pressure in the Blank can now be used at the front end for more noise. With the 2-pcs. Blank-Barrel (as the restrction is in the muzzle of the forward half) you do not need to use the Booster-cup/"Nozzle".

Also, with the 2-pcs. Blank-Barrel and modified spare feed-tray.....you can have a 7.62x51mmNATO/.308 barrel-rear-section made so that you can switch to both calibers.
My FA MG34 will operate with those cheap British/Austrian .308 Blanks on the market.

Last.....when loading Blanks into these Belts......unless you bought the more expensive "full-length" Blanks.........you can load the .308 Blanks and shorter 8x57mm Blanks (made from used 30/06 brass) with a german 7.62x51mmNATO/.308 Belt-Loader for the MG3.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net