www.MG42.us

Hi fellas,

My MG-42 bipod operates such that the bipod, when extended, allows the firer to push the firearm forward against the lock of the bipod, such that the fun is compressed between the bipod and the gunner's shoulder. This makes for a very stable firing position. As the gun recoils, the muzzle aims only a slight amount higher as the gun rocks back on the bipod. It the gun moves way too far rearward, the bipod will fold under the muzzle and the muzzle will land in the dirt. Is this the correct locking direction for the bipod? If it were reversed, pushing the gun too far forward would result in the muzzle landing in the ground, which appears to me to be a more likely occurence than with the gun bipod arranged they way mine is. Thoughts?

mine locks in either direction, thus keeping the muzzle out of the dirt.

TC

My thought is -you just thought of this??Wadda ya think,TC-one day into the New Year....

I have found them both ways. I like the reverse of what you have and I think its suppose to be that way. Otherwise its hard to stand the gun up on its own... The stock will slide back and the gun falls... Thats my 2 cents

My M53 stays up fine but the MG42 I have does the same thing as DA's.

I've observed the same; seems counterintuitive.

Holey braun cow, I am happy to see I am not the only one that has worked this detail in the field!.....You & I both have been on the ground, and in dug-out positions with these guns in re-enactments.
Your initial position of the bi-pod has worked for me in most tactical cases; whether having to take a dive onto the ground when being ambushed, or waiting to ambush or defend, say a trench position.
My own conclusion was confirmed, when one day I noticed on my dvd of ,"Men Against Tanks" video, a striking and revieling move by a German MG-42 gunner!
In the German Army training film, there are two MG-42s in the prepared trench positions. One is on a lafette tripod, and the other is positioned only on it's bi-pod. Both MG-42s though, are sitting on the edge of the trench, and in sort of a dug out shelf position. That is, a place, 3ft x 3ft, is about 6 to 10 inches lower than the surrounding ground, and the MG-42s are sitting in these recessed 'shelves'.
There is one one point, where 2-3 T-34 tanks are getting close & shooting like crazy at the German positions, and 'Damn', the gunner of the MG-42 on the bipod, pulls the gun to the rear, enough, so that it collapses flat, disappearing, as he disappears below the gun in the trench!.... ...When the other soldiers blow up the tanks, the gunner raises up in the trench, pushes the MG-42 foward against the 6 inch recess wall, and the gun begins to chatter away at the russian infantry!...***
I have used that technique, with the 34 besides the 42, while trying to keep a low profile in the brush waiting for unsuspecting allies to walk into our ambushes. It don't take much for the 'points' of the bi-pod feet to dug in the ground as you push on it, and allow the gun to stand up pretty fast!....
Take a look at that German Army tng film, and watch that MG-42 gunner. !!!
Thanks DA!

Junglewalk, THAT is a reply with true merit! I will look for that scene in "Männer Gegn Panzer" and see how that MG crew applies their MG-42. Thanks!!!

Bil... yer still no help. Work on that.

taking a closer look. My German one does the same thing DA's does. My M53 one I use the most locks in either direction. I guess if I where needing to defend my home from DA
I would like to keep a low profile and then pop up for the ambush.

TC

ps, where can I get this german training film spoken of?

The German tng film can be gotten at; [/img] http://www.ihffilm.com/ [img] International Historic films.

Watching that MG-42 gunner, manipulate his 42 on the bi-pod, reminds me of the 'disappearing' shore batteries installed in the permanent fortifications of Corrigedor in the Phillipines in 1904.
The other MG-42 on the Lafette tripod, is quite impressive when it opens up on the russkie infantry. Tom.
Hell, just watching the German infantry blowing up T-34s, and finally a giant KV-1 is absolutely fantastic.
Forgive me, but the film gives a glimpse of what it must have been like, when the Soviets tried to take the german town, that housed the Wehrmacht's Pz-Jaeger School (anti-tank school) when they advanced into the eastern part of Germany in 1945. The cadre and students were trying to out-due each other in destroying T-34s in all sorts of ways!....After the loss of over 50 tanks in three days of attacks, the Russians by-passed the town. One can only imagine those three days of fighting.
(the SS Pz-Jaeger School's defence outside of Nurnberg went a little differently)

Is there any way to adjust how much free play the bipod has? Mine leans forward and backward just enough to be annoying. Id like to limit the travel a bit. I looked at the assy and its full of half washers and pins and stuff. If its anything like all other over engineered Germn gear, there HAS to be a way to tinker with it.

I heard long ago that there was an "assault" type of bipod - this one will angle the "usual" amount one way & completely collapse the other way. It was intended so that the user can lay the gun completely flat on the ground, then "pop" up by moving the gun forward (or backward).

Mine folds to the rear only a small amount when locked, as shown by my brother in the photo above, but the bipod will fold up almost to horizontal if you pull the gun rearward. The bipod will collapse forward.

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS wrote:Junglewalk, THAT is a reply with true merit! I will look for that scene in "Männer Gegn Panzer" and see how that MG crew applies their MG-42. Thanks!!!

Bil... yer still no help. Work on that.

You can watch it on youtube: about the 5:34 mark http://youtube.com/watch?v=eWQEqFou1Vs&feature=related