MG34 Dreifuss Anti Aircraft Tripod

[Pitbull999]

Love to see what the comments are on what I have here. Picked up what appears to be a near mint 1942 Dreifuss with CNX markings which from my research is a light magnesium alloy German Elektron tripod. Paint and red primer appear to be factory correct to others that I have seen. Lots of waffenamt stamps but the near mint condition makes me scratch my head. Also in one picture, one leg has what appears to be a lighting bolt ??? Open to comments and what current value could be. Shawn....

[Pug42]

Wow! Don't often see the Elektron ones! As you say in remarkably good condition - possibly repainted but with correct colours? Not sure if the Germans would bother with red (oxide) primer on alloy components?? Aluminium items for example (e.g. Trinkwasser containers) have paint on bare metal. Wartime pics of Dreifuss tripods show most of the paint worn or chipped off the legs so it obviously wasn't very durable!

One oddity - your forked piece in top view (Last pic) appears to be assymmetrical, unless it is a trick of the light/shadow? Not seen that before either...

Value over her in UK would be around £1000 plus as they are rare. Steel ones exist, I have a steel MG34 example myself which I refinished as it is unmarked so probably postwar anyway.

[Blanksguy]

Pitbull999,
To start with.....most of what I am about to "comment" on are from memory......I do not have a copy of Folk's book in front of me, and if I were to now go to my photo collection to view photos that I have collected of different MG34/MG42 WWII German mounts and accessories I would lose the typing that I have just done. Please accept my comments with an "open-mind" from a person looking at these for over 20-years of collecting............and that you had asked for/wanted comments......so here it goes.

1: I seem to recall "Blitz-Bikes" selling imported MG34 and/or MG42 weapon mounting heads that had markings very similar to these (looks like "euh" over "42").

2: There are a couple threads on this Board that show Post-War MG3 AA-Tripods modified to appear as close to what WWII German Tripods would look like. Aluminum-heads can be cast......and your MG3 AA-Tripod to the rear of the one you are showing us now could be converted (after "aging") to appear as such.

3: "Stamps" to mark Post-War MG3 Tripods with similar markinhs are available on E-Bay and through Gun-Part-Corp........although I am not saying that you nor a previous owner did this.......they do look very similar.....and you did ask for comments.

4: Possible repo-head and/or parts (?).

5: Values?????......the Post-War MG3 Tripods that I modified required some welding and machine-work......but we didn't do any re-painting nor "stamping" of markings.
Tripod $199.....MG42-Head $125 (Blitz-Bikes-repo)....welding/machinework on mounting-stem $75.....tatal of about $399. I would have to see better/clear photos of the markings/head/and other parts on the AA-Tripod to comment on original-value.

Last....are you looking for comments/value to start a dialog with other members on these (?).....or for possible future/current sale (?).

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

[Pitbull999]

This one came out of the UK during the past 2 months. This will be a keeper for my 34 and just looking for info. I have found some other pics of early tripods with this same red paint primer on some very old UK posts. I have a Yugo tripod and while the legs are similar the rest is not. The weight on this one vs. the Yugo is also not the same. Also the center column is not like the Yugo's and appears to be the same as those older UK posts or WWII photos. Again, just looking for insights... TY.

[Blanksguy]

Pitbull999,
I'll see if I can post a couple of "reference-photos" for the group.....

Attached below....MG34 AA Tripod markings and detail of one pictured over on the Wehmacht-Awards.com Board.

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

[Blanksguy]

....couple more photos.
Top one.......real or Post-War (?).
Bottom photo is Post-War recent imports of MG3 series AA-Tripods.....look at the details.

I'll see if I can pull up some of my old ad photos where I sold a AA-Head marked like the one you have....and an MG34 mounting-piece stamped like the one you have. Getting some of this stuff out of an old "file" is sometimes hard.

Just trying to help with information and photos.

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

[Blanksguy]

....and some more w/markings. Note details.

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com
PS: This wasn't the MG34 AA-Tripod for sale through E-Bay back in April over in England asking 750-pounds (?).