Waffenmeister must have had a rush day....

[FR Banker]

Who spots the problem with this?

[Tommygunn]

Not problems, per se, but I can see that the bipod has been spun around 180° and a replaced top cover/feed tray added.

Tom.

[usmc8488]

Well I have seen photo's of soldiers shooting it with the bi-pod turned around and it dose turn.

[Tommygunn]

Well I have seen photo's of soldiers shooting it with the bi-pod turned around and it dose turn.

I was refering to the retaining clips not clipping, not the rotation of the bipod.

Got it!
The outer hinge part/adjuster is not symmetrical, to allow the MG to be propped up, so no matter whether it is rotated one way or the other the legs can not be folded up the correct way, to clip into the barrel shroud.
The legs need to be removed from the pivot/adjustment section and rotated 180° and reattached to allow them to function correctly.
My guess is that it was whoever last refurbished/purchased the weapon that did this, obviously someone not very knowledgeable on the subject.

Tom.

[FR Banker]

Bingo. I have both a Yugo bipod and a German one. The Yugo doesn't traverse (head rotate) at all and the German can pivot about 20-30 degrees left and right. I'm not aware of any bipods that rotate a full 360 or 180 for that matter (haven't had the opportunity to check an MG3).

If I installed either type of bipod like in the photo above, there is no way to rotate the legs back parallel to the gun. The front side cut out in the bipod head is too shallow and will not permit the legs to travel to that angle.

It appears to me that the bipod legs in the pic have been installed to the bipod head backwards.

[usmc8488]

I have both German and Yugo, Part # on Yugo S113-27128 and the head rotates 360 but only folds back in one direction, always with the tabs up, so yes someone probably assembled that one wrong.

[Tommygunn]

Strange, both my bipods were able to rotate continuously 360° (1x MG34 and 1x converted 34 for an MG42). Both were earlyish/mid war with the long reinforcing spines. Evidently, the Germans cheaped out on function as well as material bulk.

Tom.

[Tommygunn]

FR,
I don't know what kind of bipod you have, early or late, but if you have the slotted cups, left and right of the pivot/adjuster, try unscrewing them 2 or 3 turns each to take some of the tension off the two springs they encapsulate. The cups may be screwed so far into the P/A that the springs/plungers are nearly fully compressed and preventing the bipod from achieving its full movement.

Tom.

[FR Banker]

Wow, did not know that. I have the late war welded type (without the adjuster) and have never taken it apart. I'll have to check that out.

Thank you!

[42rocker]

Some interesting points on this bipod.

Later 42rocker