MG34 AA tripod

[jjprzewozniak]

Hey all,

I'm trying to get my hands on an AA tripod for my mg34. I can't seem to find much info here after a quick search, so I thought I'd suggest a topic for conversation: AA tripods! Are they very rare to find? Are there post-war varieties thaty collectors should be wary of? What makes them unique?

And because I'm looking to buy one, what's the best way to get one?

Best,
JJ

[Blanksguy]

JJ,
To make up a late-war MG34 AA-Tripod reproduction by taking an MG3 AA-Tripod......then remove the MG3 weapon-mount........have the top-main mounting-shatf removed...weld up the holes and then remachine it to the same specs. as the AA-mounting-stem on the MG34 Lafette.

Then buy a reproduction MG34 AA Weapon-Mounting-Head from "Blitz-Bikes".
The was a man on our MG42-Board that use to make/sell the reproduction leather-strape for the AA-Tripods.

After all of this.......bead-blast the parts you are going to paint.....and paint to either "flavor" you prefer. Field-Green or Tan.

If that seems like too much work, contact me off-line at my below listed e-mail address. I believe that I can get you into a complete one of these w/weapon-mounting-head and sling. I will need to know your city/state for shipping-costs......and please, no "tire-kickers"/"photo-collectors" as these are not low-priced.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

[jjprzewozniak]

Ah ha! I have discovered something; that pretty much the only tripods out there are post-war re-dos? That explains why my searched for specifically and MG34 tripod came up so short. Now that I'm barking up the MG3 tree, I'm finding more things out... Thank you!

From what I saw of a couple of vendors selling MG3 AA tripods elsewhere, the prices don't look that bad at all...

Sending you a PM....

[Bil]

Yes,most of them are post-war for the 42/53,or the same tripod with a 34 conversion head.The real WWII ones are much harder to come by,and are NOT the same. ---bil

[Matt]

is there that much difference in them? i see a lot of bundewswehr ones used for reenacting. - matt

[jjprzewozniak]

This thread is just begging for a nice photo comparison series

Maybe?

[Pug42]

Most original MG34 AA tripods were made of an alloy called elektron, rather than steel, and the construction of the head of the tripod (where the legs meet, not the bit where the gun sits) is different too. It is actually simpler-looking than the steel ones.

Apparently the steel ones were brought in late war to conserve rarer alloys, but I haven't seen any pics of MG34 AA ones in steel, just MG42 types. Not saying they weren't made, just that pics always show 42 types. If anybody has pics of steel MG34 dreibeins in use I'd be as interested as the next person!

[Bil]

Steel or elektron?? ---bil

[Bil]

Another.

[Pug42]

The top one is definitely elektron alloy - apart from being able to see the point where the legs join, another giveaway is the excessively worn off paint. Paint did not seem to adhere as well to the alloy as to steel and they typically have most of it missing, or at least they are very chipped and scratched, with the exposed metal being clearly silver/pale toned. When steel gets scratched it is only bright for a short while, if at all, then it oxidises and darkens with handling etc.

Harder to tell but the 2nd pic looks like alloy type tripod as well.

Whenever the alloy type have come up for sale (which isn't very often!) they go for about £500-600 as they are quite rare, presumably because the metal was worth melting down after the war?

[Damien Horn]

Hi,
Not the best picture in the world but it a 34 AA tripod none the less.
D

[TactAdv]

If you're going to actually SHOOT the gun, especially a full-auto original......hands down the absolute BEST and most stable platform is an MG-13 AA tri-pod. Though I have both original WWI-era MG-34 Dreibeins and have made adapters for the cheap MG3 versions......I will never use them again as the MG-13 tri-pod is just freaking superior. For starters, the MG-13 unit has a nice rubber bumper that allows the gun to rest solidly in the horizontal position, not slam down vertically. Two, the natural balance of the MG-34 on the MG-13 tri-pod is just about near perfect, it moves almost as if there is an equilibrator mechanism as the weight of the gun is so evenly distributed the amount of movement required is finger-tip balanced.....like a heavy vault door perfectly balanced. (The MG-13 is NOT so balanced, just a happy coincidence of mixing the wrong gun to the wrong tri-pod). Lastly, the MG-13 tri-pod has different ground print and pressure distribution resulting in, to my senses at least, is a more friendly shooting platform in fullauto. It's also heavier, slower to extend, and cost a lot more no doubt, but since we don't care about that..... ;-)

If you can find one, IMHO it is truly the way to go.

[Franz20]

I hate to revive an old thread, but was this done back then? Did the Germans ever substitute an MG-13 Tripod for the MG34 during the war?

Sorry if this sounds stupid.

Frank

[42rocker]

Frank
Don't hate to bring back an old thread if you find something interesting like this. Thanks.

Later 42rocker

[bergflak]

I hate to revive an old thread, but was this done back then? Did the Germans ever substitute an MG-13 Tripod for the MG34 during the war?

Sorry if this sounds stupid.

Frank

Add a few basic facts, and the result is given. The MG-13 AA mount was made in Portugal. It was never made by the Germans. It is a 100% Portuguese product. The only connection this mount ever had with a German soldier are the fancy drawings on the IMA homepage.
The basic German AA-mounts: Dreibein 34 made of Elektron, Dreibein 34 made of stamped steel (late issue) and Dreibein 40, only made of steel and much smaller.
They were not made for the MG34 or the MG42. The top fork, which is specific for the weapon type, will work on all mounts.
The MG3 mounts resembles the late war steel Dreibein 34, which were rare. The one made of Elektrone has no modern counterpart.

[TactAdv]

The only connection this mount ever had with a German soldier are the fancy drawings on the IMA homepage.

You are of course quite correct, I just never mentioned it in my original post because I figured that was pretty well known by all. Oh well......

Still, I hold to my statement though, hands down, BEST stand-up type mount for the '34!!

And, Hey, if it weren't for Christian's fancy catalog history lessons straightening us all out as to what REALLY HAPPENED........everybody today would still think the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

-TomH

[usmc8488]

Hey all,

I'm trying to get my hands on an AA tripod for my mg34. I can't seem to find much info here after a quick search, so I thought I'd suggest a topic for conversation: AA tripods! Are they very rare to find? Are there post-war varieties thaty collectors should be wary of? What makes them unique?

And because I'm looking to buy one, what's the best way to get one?

Best,
JJ

Here E-bay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-German-1st- ... 1c4e6e48b1