www.MG42.us

Camming pieces (trunion is a misnomer) are numbered to themselves only, not to the gun.

Here are the manf codes and dates, someone (Steve, Tom?) should make a sticky out of this info.

AR= Mauser, J.T. is 1943, D.F. is 1944, D.F. with dd mark is 1945

dfb= Gustloff, F.G. is late 1943, M.U. is 1944, S.M. with svq mark is 1945

cra= Maget, GH is 1943, NC is 1944, NC with swd mark is 1945

bnz= Steyr, GZ is late 1943, PJ is 1944, PJ with swj mark is late 1944, XE with swj mark is 1945

bpr= Grossfuss, only used in 1942

As noted in Myrvang's book, pg 134, the marks indicate the factory that assembled the guns as Grossfuss stamped most of the receivers for all but Steyr.

this info provided by dan@angola armory

thanks for taking the time to post this info. i am new to the 42's and this info interesting to know. i now know what year and who made my reciver.

thanks again, justin

Hello guys,

I´ve got also some interesting info for you. There are 3 different MG42 receiver types and no one of them is similar to the MG53 receiver.

I did not mention, that the MG53 has a significant welding on the left side and the AA attachment is missing, because these details are easy to fake:-(

So I need your help and I want you to send me your MG42 data with detailed pis.

But look at the pics and enjoy it!

Thanks and greetings from Austria, Europe

Christian Kada
christian.kada@parabellum.at.

One variation on late war Gustloff Werke REA maker marked receivers ( dfb mu and svq sm) is the step down area right behind the front sight blades. Its purpose seems to be to make lifting the front sight easier. This is seen only on REA made receivers and not seen on any post war german/yugo made receivers as far as I can tell. I have seen late war Mauser REA (dd df) marked rear receiver sections but these were missing front section. I would be interested in finding out if Mauser REA receivers have this step down as well. If any one has a dd df kit with fronts section it would be great if they could confirm.

Another interesting variation on very late war BNZ receivers is the return to square front sight blades. Normally only very early receivers have the square front sight blades/stress holes around recoil booster combination. These late war BNZ receivers don't have the stress holes just square front sight blades. Perhaps due to shortages they went back to using an earlier version die to punch out the front sight blades.

Regarding makers marks from what I can tell from images posted and what I have collected:

Steyr BNZ receivers never seem to have a makers mark stamped on them.
Early Maget CRA receivers seem to have the BRP PJ makers mark just behind the rear sight housing.
Mid/late war CRA receivers seem to have BRP PJ makers mark just behind the rear sight housing.
Early/Mid war Gustloff DFB receivers seem to have ARZ makers mark next to the serial number on rear of receiver.
Late War DFB seem to have ARZ or REA makers mark next to the serial number on rear of receiver.
Early Mauser AR receivers seem to have the BRP PJ makers mark just behind the rear sight housing.
Mid war AR receivers seem to have the ARZ makers mark next to the serial number on rear of receiver.
Late war AR receivers seem to have the ARZ or REA makers mark next to the serial number on rear of receiver.

-bnz

Hello bnz, thanks for your comments. You are right, there are also differences in the muzzle/frontsight area. Mauser rea receivers have als the same step down area, because these receivers are from the same company. In a few weeks I will publish my updated comparison with the 3 main variants and the subvariants (differences in the frontsight area). The frontsight area of the MG53 is completely different to all Wehrmacht types. My new comparison will show the complete evolution of MG42 receivers.

Greetings from Austria
Christian
ps: Excuse me for my poor English

Excellant work-thank you! As for your English,it is much better than my Austrian/German! ---bil

Great Info
THANKS FOR SHARING!!

Later 42rocker

Yes, this is great work you are doing Christian. I try to save every MG42 receiver picture I come across so I can compare and make sense of variations. I don't have way of hosting pictures otherwise I would have posted some examples.

Have you noticed many early CRA receivers have a little piece of metal welded on barrel change door near rear sight? It looks to serve purpose of keeping rear sight retaining pin from coming out. It seems to only be on early CRA receivers so I don't think it is a field modification.

BNZ

Christian
Greeting Osterreich
Looking forward to your other updates. Could you please post a few pictures on the frontsight area of the MG53 is completely different to all Wehrmacht types area.

Thanks
Later 42rocker

It´s been a while, but here is the update...

And here is the cover of my small comparison.

If you have a MG42 in your collection, please send me some detailed pics with the requested info.

THANKS
Christian
christian.kada@parabellum.at
http://www.parabellum.at

And here is the complete update as a pdf file.

Greetings from Austria
Christian

This is a most scholarly work!! Thank you for putting it together and sharing it with us.We are getting quite a collection of research here on the site,with your study of receivers,and also the work fab is doing on barrels and bearings.Nice additions to the rest of the knowledge.Again.thank you.I will send you pictures when I get my stuff dug out. ---bil

Tring to repost a pic that was on this tread

Later 42rocker
Well that worked.. Should I repost the rest of the photos that go to this???

YES!! If you have trouble,I think I have them here somewhere. ---bil

relisting, as per Bil request... This pics were put up by Christian, I believe that due to server changes they were lost..

Later 42rocker

[img] [/img]
3 up 3 to go

last 3 Does anyone have a copy of Christian's pdf file??? to add????
Bil???

Later 42rocker

See if this works. ---bil

I guess I don't have it as a file,I just saved all the pages.I think these will work until we get the real thing.I will cross-check to make sure all are here. ---bil

Trying this in a larger format. ---bil