Anyone seen an MG34 with barrel jacket stripped of fittings?

Sledge303 · Post by **Sledge303** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:04 am

Has anyone ever seen an MG34 with the barrel jacket stripped of the front sight, AA sight mount and bi-pod channel? I was looking over a parts set and noted this. The finish is really worn and the jacket also seemed to have some re-inforcing rings in a couple of places. My feeling is that this gun was used in some sort of armoured vehicle or fortress mount. The finish wear makes me think "tanks". I served on US M60 A1's and A3's. Things on tanks get worn really fast! I am new to this interest in German universal MG's and haven't seen much stuff yet.
The parts set I was looking at (some weeks ago now) still had the rear sight and the buttstock seemed like any other (wood). I will have to look at it again if anyone knows what else I should check for.

BELTLEAD · Post by **BELTLEAD** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:29 am

It sounds like the tank version cooling jacket.I have one of those somewhere in my attic

Post by **Ed S** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:32 am

MG34s used on fortress mounts had to have the front AA sight bracket removed.

Post by **762x51** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:50 am

Sounds like the Tanker version which Ohio Ordnance Works was selling.

smoggle · Post by **smoggle** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:48 am

here is a link to the tanker jacket posted here. http://www.panzer46.net/mg42board/viewt ... highlight=

Sledge303 · Post by **Sledge303** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:05 pm

I tried the link, but it seems dead now. The MG34 parts set I was looking at does have all the fittings removed, to include the AA sight bracket. It looks like some flat steel rings were added for strength? I thought the "Ohio Ordnance Tanker" MG34's didn't have a conventional buttstock. This set does have a wooden buttstock, but no bi-pod. I will have to go take another look at this to see the year and maker and maybe other details. Anything in particular I should be looking for?

OOPS, I tried the link again and this time it worked! Having looked at the image displayed I can say the barrel jacket I have observed doesn't match the one pictured. The one included with the parts set locally has cooling holes like a conventional MG34.

smoggle · Post by **smoggle** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:13 am

Try this link then. http://www.panzer46.net/mg42board/viewt ... highlight= It is a fortress mount. The ball obscures most of the jacket though. The tanker models had the butt, front sight and bipod in a seperate can. Their is a lpage here that I think Ryan Schnee put up showing the can and its contents.

Sledge303 · Post by **Sledge303** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:20 am

That is a very nice shot of the fortress mount. Devices like that must have consumed a lot of Germany's resources! Unfortunately you can see very little of the barrel jacket since the mount does a good job of enclosing it. I wonder why those had to be a right hand feed. OH, I guess that is what I need to check on that parts set. I'll try and have a look at the feed tray and top cover to see if it is a right hand feed. I am not sure if the shop owner is going to be at the "Cross Roads" show this weekend. If so I won't be able to check this out until next week.