www.MG42.us

Hi guys, sort off off topic but close to it if you like. I have been looking for some info on the MG74 , Austrian version of the Mg42. Heavier bolt and i believe an adapted trigger group to
give single shot capability , also a lower cyclic rate hence the heavier bolt.

Mainly i would like some info or pics on the laffete for this gun, had a surf on the net but so far have come up with practically zero info on the mount. And as a last request would anyone happen to know what colour the austrian army used for thier basic camo scheme in the 70,s.

Fingers crossed thier are some experts out thier .
Regards

Tim

Details of the operation of the trigger group, as well as the lafette mount are in the translated MG74 manual.

When the trigger is pulled only a little, is fires semi. When the trigger is fully pulled back, it fires on a burst. This style of operation is similar to other, earlier German machine pistols. The lafette is completely redesigned with the elimination of the searching fire device. It has a much simpler rack and pinion gear for elevation.

I like the duplex trigger of the MG-34 better. I believe it would be easier to control than one that relies solely on depth of pull.

Do you think the search fire unit is truly obsolete as a lafette feature?

It's only obsolete because the type of warfare that it was designed to combat doesn't exist anymore. If hordes of the enemy were coming at me, as the Chinese did to the Americans in Korea, it would still have a purpose, but I don't think attacks like that will be seen again.

OK JB.........i will take my donkey ears off now Don't know how i missed that little lot that you have produced.

I will have a cruse thro your listings and send you an e mail to order up some stuff. Do you do spectacles as well ??

Regards

tim

I always try to be gentle with a little nudge towards the Manuals page, but I also try to answer the questions of those who ask, regardless of whether they buy a manual or not. Spectacles aren't required here... just an appreciation of fine shooting.

I will email tonight with some info i am after JB .

Once i can confirm what i have i can post a couple of pics of the laffete. Its at work at the moment so i cant get to it. If it is a 74 Lafette it is painted in the same colour as a lot of the ww2 kit ie panzer grey ( the black/grey type) I can find no manufactures marks at all apart from what actually looks like some british broad arrow marks. With those marks in mind i found a page from Rhienmettal on the web about thier 60th birthday and they described thier works post war up to the end of production of the post war 42,s . Listed as a purchaser of the MG was the united kingdom........dont exactly know what is going on thier as i served for
22 years and never saw a postwar 42 in use with my lot at all . Maybe they bought a couple for comparison trails , but you would have thought they had more that enough experiance with the type from the war years. Curious.

Regards
Tim

Maybe I can help. I have an original MG74. Here are some pics of the Austrian ground mount for it. They are completely different from either the wartime MG42 or the post-war MG1A1/MG3 mounts as you can see below. NOTHING is compatible except the guns will all interchangeably fit.

Below are some pictures of my MG74. What else do you need specifics on?? There are some pictures of the various unique MG74 parts and assemblies included.
-TomH







MG3 bolt on Left, MG74 bolt on Right:






MG74 trigger group with built-in winter trigger folded down:




More Steyr products of the same vintage, MPi-69(L) & MPi-81(R) kal. 9mm SMGs. These were issued as PDW's to MG74 crews:

Tom,

That is one of the most vulgar displays I have ever seen..... do you have kids? I wouldn't want such disgusting things to fall into the hands of children should anything unfortunate happen to you... My full name and address will be provided as a courtesy should you need it for purposes of making your will...

Unlike John, I TOTALLY APPROVE. Keep flashing the gun porn.

Hi Tom H,

Very nice set of kit you have thier Tom. Can i take it that the laffete is all original in colour etc ?
Would it be possible to post some pics of the laffete from different angles without the weapon mounted ? The reason i ask is that thier are striking similarities to your laffete
but thier are also diferences. Unless you can tell me thier is a Mk1 and Mk2 as it were.
All of the legs on yours look to be round in section, the front leg on mine is round but the rear legs are oviod in section. You have long range optical sight mount mine does not and has no evidence of ever having had one. The top of the recoil mech on yours at the T&e has a tubular device pointing to the rear, once again mine does not and no evidence of it being removed. Mine has a bubble level to the left rear when viewed from rear to front. Canvas pads ( now shredded ) . On the A frame R/H Side forward thier is a tubular fitting welded on. Lastly , the small leg extentions on the rear of the A frame on yours apear to have downward rake , the ones on mine are in line with the A frame . All of the footplates on mine have the serated spike grips less the front foot which has a large angled plate attached.

I could see no part of the recoil buffer mechanism on yours but mine has four underslung discs that appear to operate on a torsion spring system. Release catch for the MG is fore and aft on mine , Trigger bar is to the R/H side .
Does yours have manufacturer marks at all , ser no plate or directly stamped ?
Also, have you compared the top tray of your mount to the late war excelsior in Volk Myrvanges book ? May not be a great pic but if you reversed your top tray as it were they would have some striking similarities, needless to say the bottom end is very different.

Will post pics of the laffete tommorrow.
Regards
Tim

Pics of tripod , similar but not quite the same ......Mk1 Mk2 ?

Some nice pics of a mg74

Later 42rocker

One point on the bolts needs to be brought up: the heavy 950gram bolts were not MG74 bolts, they were designed and built by Pietro Beretta specifically for the Italian military MG3's and the subsequent MG74's they bought for their forces. Apparently Steyr also bought some of these bolts from Beretta for sale with their guns though its possible the bolts were added by a distributor or other party when the MG74's were brought in to the US by Ohio Ordnance Works.
The 950 gram bolts were designed to be used with a special buffer that has no springs in it like the other MG42/MG3 buffers. I believe it contains paper discs like the browning 1919 or wedges and washers like the BAR. The package is designed to slow the rate of fire down. In my MG74 we timed the rate with 7.62 at 670-740rpm. The standard bolt for the MG74 and the MG3 is a 550 gram unit which Tom has pictured above. In my gun with the same ammo (portugese 7.62) we timed the gun at 1080-1150 rpm. The lighter 550 gram bolt is intended to use the spring type buffer just like the MG42. I don't know if the lighter bolt will hurt the heavy bolt buffer but didn't want to find out. I do know that using the heavy 950gr bolt with a light bolt buffer will damage the receiver and rails of the guns. If you don't have the proper buffer for the heavy bolt don't use it.


Hope that helps some

Frank

I am not contributing ANYTHING useful, just saying WOW, thanks for posting some pics of some really cool hardware.

Jeff