MG42 / M53 Pressure Plate Problem

[Jmspec]

Good morning,

I have an FA M53 that we built (7/2) which is having issues with the pressure plate. There is about. .045” gap between the front of the plate and the front stop for the pin when the plate is flush with the edge of the top cover where the cartridges feed through. If it remains close to flush then the cartridges feed into the chamber. If it pushes forward to the front stop, then the cartridges jam in the barrel extension.

Is this gap supposed to be there (and the plate is out of shape), or is there a prescribed method to shim the pressure plate?

[JBaum]

You know there's supposed to be a coil spring that goes on the long pin to hold the pressure plate in the correct location, right?

Here's a blow up-parts diagram from manual PDV 918 that shows the assembly.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

[Jmspec]

Yes, and it is installed. The pressure plate spring puts tension between the plate and the side of the top cover.

I’m in the process of ordering a pressure plate gauge from Strout. Hopefully it’s just a using of bending it back into shape.

[JBaum]

There's the odd shaped spring (#4) for that... I"m talking about the small coil spring - #5 in the picture, with the arrow. It's what stops the pressure plate from moving fore and aft.

[Jmspec]

Photo attached.

[JBaum]

I'm not seeing any obvious difference. Here's a picture of my gun set up for .308. This is in high-res so click on it to blow it up.

[Jmspec]

Thank you for the pic. It looks like the bracket that holds the plate pin in the front of mine has somehow managed to shift forward creating a space between the bracket and the plate. Notice how the pin in yours sticks out the front and the pressure plate is flush with the front edge of the top cover opening?