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Hello,

I am looking for any pictures/information regarding an original MG15 that has the wooden action cover? Are these wooden covers off the early guns, or post war made? I cannot seem to be able to find much info out there...

Thanks

Do you personally have an Mg15 with wooden action cover?

Bob Naess

I have a complete 1938 dated MG15 in the crate with everything - test target, notebook and the whole nine yards. It has a wooden action cover. The wooden covers were only used with the first guns. Probably a lot easier to make them in Bakelite and not so prone to damage.

I have seen one gun with a strange wooden mechanism cover with a large wooden buttstock. It appeared to be a one piece deal. It was stamped with a Luftwaffe acceptance mark and looked original. I have never seen this in a book or manual so cannot say which purpose it was for other than the obvious, to support the gun.

Hello, no I don't have one, I would just like to research them as u can seem to find any info in them anywhere...

Folke yours sounds very nice, do you have any pictures of yours that you could post here please?

Thank you

There was a very long string about German and Jap production of action covers over the last year or so in which the issue of Jap use of Bakelite came up. The Jap T1s and T98s usually always have wooden covers, but there are examples with Bakelite as well. However, neither the Jap wooden or Bakelite covers have any markings on them, which leaves the question unanswered whether the Japanese arsenals making these guns actually made Bakelite covers, imported them from Germany or German covers were added post-war to guns that had broken wood covers.
The Japanese did use Bakelite for a variety of military issue products and had extensive interaction with Germany before and during WWII. Late in this discussion I got a post from a fellow who claimed to have a German gun with wooden cover but attempts to get him to post pics of the cover and and markings were ignored and he disappeared. I hoped that patty218 was this same owner, but apparently not.
So, Folke, please post pics of your cover and show any markings.
Many years ago an importer brought in a quantity of the same transit cases with two MG15 kits, and all the bells and whistles as Folke noted that he has with his gun. These disappeared into collections and none have ever shown up on the market again. There were a number of theses guns that had wooden covers.
I have seen and handled the wooden stock that Folke notes as it belonged to a well known manufacturer of collector MGs and accessories some years ago and it was at Knob Creek. It is a beautiful piece of work with very good markings that suggest it is a factory product. Seems to be the only one around, though, so its history is obscure and incomplete.
Too bad.....FWIW

Bob Naess

IMA is very proud of theirs! Parts it I should say!

http://www.ima-usa.com/german-mg-15-air ... cover.html



I tend to agree that the earlier production German guns have wooden covers! And, the German cover does appear to be marked with two symbols on the very top. One appears to be an early Wiemar style eagle, the other marking looks rhienmetall borsig-ish...sort of hard to see in the pictures!


Did I sense some "give" on the notion that the Japanese solely used wooden covers?

Here is a pic of my MG15 with wooden cover. I forgot it when it was discussed before. Its a bit more unusual than the bakelite covers and I am guessing it was dropped in 1939 or so.

Were those wooden action covers any weaker than the bakelite or prone to breakage?

I would not want to be a gunner in an HE-111 or DO-17 at altitude worrying about the elements wearing on the wood (heat from friction of bolt/charging handle vs. cold air), then again I should presume German engineers were way ahead of me on that concern.