MGZ40 Zeroing Procedure

[Hartek]

So I'm trying to get my MGZ40 zeroed to mg MG42 on my Yugo lafette. I've managed to adjust the eccentric bolt in the scope base which has given me almost enough azimuth adjustment, it seems to be only a few mils off in azimuth when aiming at the corner of my neighbor's roof about 40 yards away. It's about 5 mils off for elevation where the 600m setting on the MGZ coincides with the 200m setting on the iron sights.

I see there are 3 small screws on the turrets; would I be able to loosen those and just move the drums to a correct zero position? I've been burned by German cars too much to want to even think about messing with this very expensive optic...

[Hartek]

I just read in Myrvang's book on page 318 it quotes a training manual that states the MGZ should be about 75mm off at 25 meter range, which seems to be about right for my azimuth. There are also some more procedures on page 363. It mentions if elevation is off it mentions to loosen both the eccentric bolts fastening the sight bracket to the mount and adjust until the correct picture is achieved. If the MGZ itself is the problem then the cover screw is loosened on either the vertical or horizontal cover and adjusted until there is correct sight picture. They apparently had a "proof" lafette mount that would be able to determine if the MGZ was off or if the user's lafette was off.

[dogman5]

Interesting stuff, I've been meaning to zero my MGZ at some point as well. Folke does describe the zeroing target somewhere in his books as well, well enough that one could draw it out by hand or in a simple CAD or photo software. Keep us updated if you end up going to the range with it and if it's about right where it should be.

[JBaum]

The 1944 dated German armorer's repair manual (translated into English) has 15 pages on sighting in the MG42 with details about sighting it in with the lafette. This manual is listed on my website.

[Hartek]

Thanks, John. I didn't know it was buried in the armorer's manual so far back in there! I made a bookmark and I guess I will have to cut up some cardboard and make a sighting board.

[JBaum]

AHAH! so you didn't read the whole thing and memorize it all? Well, you're not the first person who has done that.

I had a guy complain that something wasn't in another manual I offer, so I told him to check the top of page 2 of the table of contents to see what page it was on in the manual. Another guy suggested that I list the commands in German and English to help with reenactors, and my response was "Oh, so you didn't like the list I made on the last page of the manual?"

I just sell 'em, I can't make you guys read 'em.

[42rocker]

What John is saying is that He needs a bigger stick!!

Enjoy the MGZ40 and post a pic or 2. Of course I may have missed it.

Later 42rocker

[Hartek]

Ok so I made the template and have just over 20 meters in my backyard to perform the boresight procedure with the template in John's manual.

Here's the template I made. As a side note I found it hilariously German they'd specify one of the dimensions to the a tenth of a millimeter. You're supposed to aim at the center of the circle with the iron sights set to 400m and the MGZ is supposed to be zeroed on the top left T. Since I had tried to do a rough zero before on an object about 60 yards away I felt I was pretty close in windage and I ended up seeing that reflected in this procedure as well.



Here's everything else



Here's the two adjustment interfaces for azimuth and elevation - the punch will adjust the eccentric bolt underneath for windage and the rear sight base bolt is eccentric for adjusting elevation.



My irons sights seem to be level with the tripod and track elevation fine as well I as I can tell with my eyes for their 2000m of adjustment, but the MGZ seems to be slightly canted in its base. The sight base on the lafette seems mildly rolled to the right and throws me off by a few mils at the extreme ends of adjustment. I used an orange plumb line to check the vertical against the MGZ vertical lines. You can see at the extreme adjustments, that it is a little off, but it still seems usable for the ranges I could actually use for targets here.

Here's the negative deflection


And the positive deflection


I tried giving the sight base some persuasion with the hammer and a wood block, but it seems fairly sturdy, so I'll have to look into how to adjust it more later as I ran out of time before work today.

[42rocker]

Hartek
Everything looks very nice. Good Luck with the final set up. I think I need to get John's manuals out and do some reviewing myself.

Nice to see someone else doing some study before they go to the range.

Later 42rocker