Sarco "LAFETTE GROUND TRIPOD"

[Bil]

Cylinder or octogon? The bolt box is an octogon,with the top three sides being the hinged cover,with straps holding it to the arm. ---bil

[JoeH]

Bil,

Here is a little better pic. I don't have any others handy.


Joe

[Bil]

That is the box where the spare bolt is kept.The boxes for the 42/53 and the 34 are not the same. ---bil

[Clay]

I'm debating wheather to get the parts to build my M53 kit or get one of these first, decisions, decisions.

[JoeH]

Thanks Bil,

I wondered what that box was for. Unfortunately it was empty when I got the tripod.

I'm planning on making an adapter to fit a Hensoldt MG3 optic to the lafette. I have on of those horiz to vert adapters that are available but both horiz & vert dovetails need adapters to make the Hensoldt work. The MGZ40 optic is way over my "toy" budget .


Joe

[JBaum]

Overbudget for toys? Boy, we all said that a long time ago, and look where we are now...

[noonxnoon]

here is my dumb question...

What are the two pads for on the front??

No one leans on that side of the mount...so unless it is like a backpack thing...I have no idea!

Exactly! It is a backpack thing. Hence, the needs for lafette carry straps. It folds up and some lucky guy can wear it on his back.

Thanks 12th!

I have only seen them in pictures and they were always extended holding a rifle!

[Bil]

I have pics of them on a landsers back,I will look for them.These things are HEAVY to carry that way. ---bil

[svt40]

So does the Wiselite M53 fit on one of these without modifications?

I had to modify the mount on the MG3 tripod to make it fit and I do not want to modify a WWII German mount to fit the M53.

[Bil]

I believe the buttstock has to be removed for the Wiselite to fit,there is a small amount of extra length on that gun.The Germans actually often removed the buttstock when firing from the lafette,so no loss of historic accuracy there! ---bil

[svt40]

I believe the buttstock has to be removed for the Wiselite to fit,there is a small amount of extra length on that gun.The Germans actually often removed the buttstock when firing from the lafette,so no loss of historic accuracy there! ---bil

For me the problem was between the hooks and the front mount pad on the tripod. I had to remove metal from the front mount of the tripod to get the M53 to lock into it.

[ChrisPCook]

Overbudget for toys? Boy, we all said that a long time ago, and look where we are now...

If I would have invested in futures of MP44 kits, MG34 kits, Lafette tripods, MP44 mags, MP40 kits,etc. my retirement portfolio would be much nicer today than it currently is with Fidelity and Vanguard offerings. Chris..

[needaclip]

I received my Sarco Lafette today and they must be getting to the bottom of the barrel. Mine is complete but has seen some action. The head appears to be decent, but the rear legs are bent. I also noticed some rust scattered here and there and some of the adjustment knobs and locks might be a little bent. My WLA M53 doesn't fit on the yugo lafette but fits perfectly on the MG3 tripod even without having to remove the stock. As svt40 said the problem with the yugo lafette lies in the front mount and the rear hooks. A person would have to remove just a small amount of material from either to get a good fit.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Sorry to hear about the bent legs. That is not easy to fix if they are crimped. The rest can be repaired.

[needaclip]

Thanks D.A. They don't have sharp bends but look a little "bowed" out. Any tips on getting them to straighten out without making them worse?

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Straightnening them out without kinking them will be tricky. I figure a device similar to a tubing bender might work. A tubing bender (or equivalent) will support the leg with a round channel and not a flat surface, which will help prevent the tube from flattening and kinking as you bend it back to its original shape. A trick that is not available to you is filling the leg with sand and capping it off to prevent the sand from escaping and then bending it carefully. In a tube, the sand's volume works against the tube collapsing, preventing kinks. Since you cannot fill and support the leg from the inside, you need a circular channel that is curved along its axis to support the tube shape from the outside. Google TUBE BENDER and look at how it is constructed. It's a common plumbing and piping tool for air lines and copper water lines. Making or finding one with a large enough diamater to accomodate the leg of a lafette may be an issue.

[creels1]

Was thinking of getting one of these. What are your thoughts, worth it?

Chris

[Clay]

I just ordered one Hopefully the legs won't be bent.

[Bil]

I would think a bench press would work,also.Not that kind,the ones using an hydraulic jack and a mandrel,use carefully. ---bil

[needaclip]

Thanks for the tips guys. I've emailed Sarco asking if the condition of mine is par for the course or if I just got a lemon. I have a bench top press to try and straighten them out with, I just need to find something that matches the O.D. of the legs so I don't flatten them out.