Gentlemen,
What was the difference between the German MG 34 and the MG 42?
German machine guns
- frontkampfer
- Member
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- Location: Phillipsburg, NJ - USA
Re: German machine guns
MG 42 was made up of stampings with much less machining & looser tolerances. It had a huge rate of fire. Both were very good!
"I will not have my ship shot out from under my ass!"
- marcelo_malara
- Senior Member
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Re: German machine guns
A little late for answering! The mechanisms are different. The MG-34 has a turning bolt, that locks to the barrel extension with a quarter turn, D4 is the rotating part.
![Image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1524/1342/products/MG34GDF1_12_grande.jpg)
The MG-42 has a lug locking system, the two cylindrical pieces (one of them has a 2 stamped) are pushed to a recess on the barrel extension for locking;
![Image](https://www.robertrtg.com/store/pc/catalog/m53-bolt-ex2_1301_detail.jpg)
Barrel changing is simplified too. In the MG-34:
![Image](https://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/german-infantry-weapons/pics/45-removal-of-barrel-mg-34.jpg)
This is how this was made in the MG-42:
![Image](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/77e499_95af1c72dc884ed7a4d058014387e421~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_623,h_403,al_c,lg_1,q_85/77e499_95af1c72dc884ed7a4d058014387e421~mv2.webp)
![Image](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1524/1342/products/MG34GDF1_12_grande.jpg)
The MG-42 has a lug locking system, the two cylindrical pieces (one of them has a 2 stamped) are pushed to a recess on the barrel extension for locking;
![Image](https://www.robertrtg.com/store/pc/catalog/m53-bolt-ex2_1301_detail.jpg)
Barrel changing is simplified too. In the MG-34:
![Image](https://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/german-infantry-weapons/pics/45-removal-of-barrel-mg-34.jpg)
This is how this was made in the MG-42:
![Image](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/77e499_95af1c72dc884ed7a4d058014387e421~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_623,h_403,al_c,lg_1,q_85/77e499_95af1c72dc884ed7a4d058014387e421~mv2.webp)
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- Senior Member
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Re: German machine guns
..... And the MG42 design still proudly soldiers on in the 21st century.
Byron
Byron