FINALLY GETTING TO START ON MY MG53

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

After a long bought of developing and building several MG47s and a BREN I am finally getting started on my MG53 build. While I was waiting for my MG53 kit to arrive from Weaponeer, I started thinking about belt feeds and decided to see if I could make a belt feed AK-47. Now, 2 years later, I am finally get to do what I started out to do in the first place. Hope I get it done before I get any more distractions!

Sharpsshooter5090

[Michael J]

For anyone reading "mg47", and thinking rotfl wtf , here are some pics i stole off of a thread from AK Files... More info on actual thread http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33297.





With all that experience, the m53 will be a breeze . Be sure to post "build thread" in the build section, so that we may watch your progress!
While waiting for money to show up to finally finish my build (ugh... another $500 or so ), i have been tinkering around with my own "custom" beltfed design. I'll get some pics up once i make some progress, she'll be running probly .223 rem, but i want the barrel to be chambered in 5.56 x 45 nato, i heard that .223 will chamber in that, but 5.56 won't chamber in a .223rem barrels...

Good luck with the m53, and be sure to block out any thoughts of other guns before you get side tracked again lol!

[Bil]

Ain't that baby sweet??? ---bil

[rocco1911]

Have you started it yet or are you just piecing it together what rear receiver you gonna use?

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

Just gathering the pieces I intend to use. I have made a barrel shrould bushing though and have a Wiselite center section and a portion of the ratch section but not rear most buffer section yet. I plan to follow Pirates build tutorial and install a denial stud/block before I weld any of the rest of the receiver together.

Sharpsshooter

[rocco1911]

You should check out the IMA rear receiver sections they are Quite re-buildable I just got finished welding one back to life & have another to go

[KMURPHY]

Glad to hear that

[Bil]

Rocco-don't you ever sleep/work??Or are you like me and do them both at once to save time? ---bil

[rocco1911]

You got it combine the two & save energy

[www.Prussia.us]

Bil and Rocco, I think Heidi Fleiss tried that but ran into problems

As to the build, it looks like a great project.

[rocco1911]

Have ya made any progress on the build so far?

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

I got the booster cone repair section made (not installed yet) and the rear receiver section mated to the barrel shroud but not before I install a denial pin and milled the gripstick opening longer so a FA GS can't be installed. I also got the recoperator mounted and the rails fit with temporary screws. Rivets latter. I am actually making 2 of them at the same time. I bought 3 on a group buy kits from Weaponer. I have the second receiver tacked together but not finished welded but I have install the denial pin. The second one is made with a Wiselite cam section so the GS opening is not even there yet. I am finding that Pirates advice of getting everything super clean with no grease or slag is imparative. The welds will pin hole and have slag inclusions if you don't and will have to be ground out and redone. The cam section openings are milled and the cam section is fitted on both as well as the feed trays and top covers.
I milled the FA sear catch off of one bolt and put the barrel in and dropped the bolt in. It locked up with a nice snap and unlocks when you push on the end of the barrel. I received one AR FCG but am waiting for the second on to arrive.
I am finding that this project is much easier than the MG47s I have made and about as easy as the BREN I just built following Pirates tutorial. I will try to post some pictures latter this evening.
Bil, I am using both the center receiver section I bought from you a while back to make a compleat rear receiver on the second one and a MF42 3 cut rear receiver section from IMA on the first.

SS

P.S. I dont have a spell check on my laptop so sorry of any spelling errors. I can't spell worth a damn, I'm an Engineer, not an English teacher, so you are going to have to expect that.

P.P.S. Moderators, This post should probably be moved to the build it yourself forum.

[Bil]

Sounds good-I wouldn't worry about spell check,I don't think anyone here uses it! It has been a lot quieter here since you stopped YELLING! Good luck with the builds,glad to hear some of my old stuff is getting used. ---bil

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

Here are some pictures of the second mg53 I am building on a IMA MG42 3 cut receiver. There is one picture of the first I pieced together from a Wiselite cam section and some Bil's left over receiver parts. The booster cone repair section I made buts is not compleatly broached yet. I plan to thru broach the slots then install a stop pin in one slot as I don't have a shaper to cut a blind slot. Use to but never used it so I sold it 12 years ago.

[rocco1911]

Very nice job so far keep posting your progress I never seem to bring a camera into the shop when I work Maybe one of these days I'll post some build pics seen as I have quite a few left to build well yours looks great so far cant wait to see how you finish that barrel booster piece off

[Michael J]

Man, you work like a machine ! I suppose this build ain't all that time consuming if you can come up with the cash for parts, and have access to your own shop. Keep the pics coming!

[par0thead151]

Sharp shooter, are you talking about a 223 beltfed?
please keep me updated as I AM VERY INTERESTED.
my email is my handle on here @gmail, please shoot me a line if you have anything concrete with this 223 beltfed build.
would it use minime links?
I bought a m249 top cover for just this purpose, as i hypothetically can use the mg47 design and use the m249 top cover, just need to get feed trays..

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

I got alot done on the 3 cut receiver build. The receiver is all welded together and I broached the 3 keyways in the booster repair section, the 3 wide ones. I don't have a broach for the small one so I left it out and ground it off the small lug on the barrel guide bushing. It will still only fit in one way. I drill and tapped one of the keyways for a threaded pin to stop the guide bushing from going to far forward. After locktiteing the threaded pin in place I filled the booster cone thread form on the end of the pin. You can hardly tell it's there. I got a catch welded on the bolt body for the cocking handle lug to engage in and got the gripstick housing mounted in the opening I machined longer so a FA gripstick will not fit. Haven't got the FCG installed in the GS, the firing pin made yet or the bolt extension either.
I assembled the gun to check the fit of all the pieces (except the FCG) and with a little minor filling it all fitup great and seem to function like they are supposed to. I decided to get one gun done first so if I make a mistake hopefully I won't do it on the second one. I will take a bunch of pictures and post them tomarrow but I have run out of energy for to this weekend to do any more.

SS

[SHARPSSHOOTER5090]

Here are some pictures of what I have got done on my MG53 so far.

[par0thead151]

you sure do work fast...
then again i bet you have a lot of time behind a mill/lathe, and a very strong drive to finish projects....
well done so far.