MG 42 cone muzzle break with extra fin

[othersmightlive]

Thanks for your input guys. One of my buddies bought 20 yugo kits and one had a german marked top cover, others had mixed pieces. Seems parts may have been swapped on the field at some point before demilling. About the stamps, ive looked at these for hours and magnifying them and comparing them but with each look I only get more convinced of authenticity. Id love some close ups of other stamps if you guys have them. Im wanting to build but mr tax man is wanting some $. I will most likely regret selling it. Much like....sigh

[usmc8488]

The BH and Austrian coat of arms on the rear of the receiver shows it was a Austrian Army (Bundes Herr) reissue. Not sure about how the BK marking got on that piece as that is typical Yugo. The kit is still a nice one for a semi-or 07 build. Harry

PM sent

[othersmightlive]

Any stamps anyone? Hard to call somthing suspicious then not give an example of what is not.

[messerschmittfan]

NO PM received, my email h.connors@centurylink.net. To clarify I did not question the authenticity of the gun, it is a good looking WWII MG42, I only mentioned that it had the Postwar Austrian Army (BH) stamp on it. That means they used it like the early West German Army did as well as the German Boarder Patrol. The only stamp I could not explain was the BK that was on one of the parts as that is normally not found on WWII German MG's. Harry

[othersmightlive]

NO PM received, my email h.connors@centurylink.net.. To clarify I did not question the authenticity of the gun, it is a good looking WWII MG42, I only mentioned that it had the Postwar Austrian Army (BH) stamp on it. That means they used it like the early West German Army did as well as the German Boarder Patrol. The only stamp I could not explain was the BK that was on one of the parts as that is normally not found on WWII German MG's. Harry

Would the date code match that era? Or was this a war horse that later got stamped for the border patrol and east army? All this stuff is super interesting and I greatly appreciate your guys knowledgeable comments

[messerschmittfan]

It is a good example of a WWII MG42. It was probably selected from Allied captured stock to equip the new Austrian Army after occupation by the Allies ended. I have two MG42's with the BH stamp that were used by the Austrian Army. They took really good care of their guns. Harry

[usmc8488]

NO PM received, my email h.connors@centurylink.net... To clarify I did not question the authenticity of the gun, it is a good looking WWII MG42, I only mentioned that it had the Postwar Austrian Army (BH) stamp on it. That means they used it like the early West German Army did as well as the German Boarder Patrol. The only stamp I could not explain was the BK that was on one of the parts as that is normally not found on WWII German MG's. Harry

Would the date code match that era? Or was this a war horse that later got stamped for the border patrol and east army? All this stuff is super interesting and I greatly appreciate your guys knowledgeable comments

E-mail sent for aabikeexpert@yahoo.com

[othersmightlive]

Less than 24 hrs to go! So far I get to keep it!

[usmc8488]

Less than 24 hrs to go! So far I get to keep it!

if you would like help or guidance building a California legal one I have done two and now am doing a rebuild now

I'm in downtown San Diego. PM of my contact info sent..

Regards
D

[othersmightlive]

Looks like it didn't hit reserve! Tomorrow I build!

[othersmightlive]

So what is so suspicious about the marks? It's been in a basement since early 90s. I see the reproduction soft metal stamps they have for wood, and if you are speculating these pieces are marked with that, I assure you that is not the case. Please do post the stamps from yours, I'd love something to compare to.

othersmightlive

Saw your kit on Gun Broker

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =470550516

You do have some very nice parts..

However, please anyone here correct me if I am wrong.

Photo 41….65 top cover looks suspicions.
Photo 65 shows “BK” mark probably Yugo post war
Photo 71 looks to either be Yugo or post war number
Photo 75, 81 WaAmp marking looks suspicious
Photo 78, 79 look to be Yugo post way
Photo 102 the bipod marked “1941”

[usmc8488]

First off you have some very nice parts ie
the flash hider gen 1 (extra fin)
the rear sight gen one (has grooves on both sides)
the cut mostly complete receiver


however photo 41, 42, 48,49
the top cover, starting at the top of “529” and ending just above the bottom smaller “529” appears to have been buffed out. That is typically where a Yugo logo would be stamped in. Further inspection and comparison, not a photo, would confirm if it is WWII or post war yugo. This is not an uncommon practice for people, not implying you did anything or personally know anything was done, as you came here seeking knowledge.

The cocking handle is gen 2, photo 65 shows “BK” which is a Yugo mark. However the Yugo’s did assemble left over German components from WWII and used them. They also refurbished German WWII items. This may have been assembled post war with war time with WWII German parts or simply reworked post war.

Receiver section photo’s 67 to 71, clearly a Yugo post war number.

Photo 55, 58, 73. The tab on the top of the barrel door. It appears to keep the rear sight retaining pin in place. I have never seen this and would like comments from other members related to this. I still learn new things all the time.

Photo 75, 81. The WaA11 does not appear to be punched in. It looks from the photo to be engraved. Another thing I have not seen before.
viewtopic.php?t=10216 see topic

Screenshot 2015-03-08 12.21.40.png (143.96 KiB) Viewed 2482 times

Photo 102, bipod, just a question “dfb 1941” more comments would be appreciated.

[othersmightlive]

Cool, thanks for that link! I found a few more stamps, including one inside the buffer thing like in that picture. Thanks for your observations, I hope others feed into this and I can get better idea of what I've got. I feel like Gollam(spelling?) My precious!

[usmc8488]

Cool, thanks for that link! I found a few more stamps, including one inside the buffer thing like in that picture. Thanks for your observations, I hope others feed into this and I can get better idea of what I've got. I feel like Gollam(spelling?) My precious!

I PM ed you my private info. I live off SR94 near downtown San Diego. I would be happy to assist you in a California legal build if interested, as I have done two MG42 sa's

[othersmightlive]

Cool, thanks for that link! I found a few more stamps, including one inside the buffer thing like in that picture. Thanks for your observations, I hope others feed into this and I can get better idea of what I've got. I feel like Gollam(spelling?) My precious!

I PM ed you my private info. I live off SR94 near downtown San Diego. I would be happy to assist you in a California legal build if interested, as I have done two MG42 sa's

Sorry, when I am on duty I cant talk on phone. Texting is fine, but could be hrs before I can reply.

[Blanksguy]

"othersmightlive",
Ask and ye' shall receive......see attached photos.

Back about ten (10) or so years ago......not only SARCO, Inc., and GunPartsCorp were importing into the USA several versions of "Hand-Stamps" for not only German WWII items to be stamped.....but replicas of US Ord. Stamps of varying quality. Some......looked bad, and some were not heat-treated.........later, others came in (and/or were made by the small cottage-industries in India and Pakistan...........some of these look near, but really never close enough to be of the same "fonts" as the WWII German Stamps.
Now we have them on GunBroker.....E-Bay.....etc..

As of "TODAY" (9 March 2015), I barrowed these photos from autions and web-pages of metal-stamps for same. There is also a company called Kampbee-Keep (or something similar spelling) which also sell some reproduction German metal-stamps advertised in The ShotgunNews.........
Guys.......we all know that as the war progressed, less and less was marked (IE: Metal-Stamped)......and if an item, or set, or Parts-Kit comes up for sale on another web-page........post some photos of the markings here and someone will let you know what to expect.............and a lot of "reproduction" imitation stuff moving around out there........."BUYER-BEWARE". If it don't look right.....feel right........it is probably fake. How many good "Posts" has an individual made on our MG42-Board (?).
One of the "tells" on weapon-parts is if something that has a hard-surface.....where parts will be moving on it like a "spring" during recoil (?)..........think.........................should it be engraved on the moving-part (?) or marked at all (?)......with a hand-engraved "skinny-chicken" (?).

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired.

[othersmightlive]

Gotcha. Ive seen these stamps. But what im asking is for the item that was stamped. Im quite confident ive got the real deal.

[othersmightlive]

Yeah looking at the novelty stamps it is clear they are not the ones I have. Count the wings. I want more info! Need more knowledge! I want to keep learning!

[Blanksguy]

"othersmightlive",
......more information for your enjoyment...........

The above photos #75 and #81 of the Buffer-Unit head from the GunBrokerAuction........should not be engraved on the Buffer-Stem that guides the spring as the markings would wear off and/or wear on the spring. All "Buffer-Units" that I have inspected (if marked at all) were marked on the main-body of the unit.........not on the spring-guide "stem" of the buffer-unit.
Next......people that have collected WWII German will tell you that "WaAjj" does not exist ....... it should have read "WaA _ _" with the last 1,2 or 3 spaces being numbers and not letters.

I say it looks like an attempt by someone in the past to assert that it is something that it isn't........but what say our other readers (?). .........and then look at the clear photos in Folke's book on the MG42 and MG34.........of the few photos of the MG39 and early MG42s (MG39/41).......how many markings do you see on the parts (?).
I have recently see several Flash-Hiders coming up with larger-than-normal "Eagle-Markings" that cry out. Guys, if it is a sub-part of an assembly......it might get a very small "line-eagle" with a number(s) under it to denote the manufacturer "IF" it is an important part for operation. There are some exceptions such as some sheet-metal-company "codes".

The earlier photos of reproduction-stamps that I posted are just a selection of some of those available yesterday........and does not fully show all of the examples that are, or have been sold both here in the USA market.....but also overseas. As I come across others, I will post "some" as these are not only used by some people to fake a part's-origin.....but some photos need to be held back to insure that the "fakes" do not have all examples. Kind of like a "check-and-balance" system.
We see a lot of "reproduction-markings" applied to "Yugo" Tripods (Lafette-Mounts) of recent import...........and to see how hard these guys/gals are trying to fake real WWII German markings one should go to Bergflak's web-page and view the photos of some (not all) of the reproductions going on.

An important tell on MG42 parts is the number of the parts that were stamped/marked..........and this number declined as we get closer to the end of the war. Look at the MG42 SN vs Year-Code........and this will help determine when it was made.
We then throw into the mix the "POST-WAR" markings of the parts-assemblies over WWII German markings by the Yugo-rebuild programs (and others) to keep working-MG42 parts from being mixed with other MG42s and/or replacement assemblies.

Regards, RichardS
US Army, Retired.

[othersmightlive]

http://luger.gunboards.com/uploaded/drm ... arking.JPG found this top cover that has 2 stamps like mine. Oh, and the inside of the buffer is stamped too.