late war 34 lafette

[m2ball]

I recently bought a 34 lafette with the code ECY 1943. This has the latch for the dismount of the carrage on the bottom of the cradle like the 42 lafette, not on the top right rear like the earlier 34 lafette's. This collapses the searching fire device and lowers the cradle. The slot is still open at the top of the cradle, but no latch. I would like to know when they switched the latch type.

Thanks for the help.

[Schnee]

The release lever on the top is exposed and breaks off or bends rather easy if the lafette is dropped or laid on its top or right side. There is a mention of this in the "Von der Front für die Front" newsletter sent out to the waffenmeisters later in the war. Most lafettes produced in 1943 and 1944 have the lever on the underside.

Your lafette could have been repaired later in the war or done postwar by the country that had it.

Does your lafette have the adjustable trigger or does it actuate the full auto trigger only? Late war MG34 lafettes have the full auto only trigger, similar to the MG42 trigger.

Ryan Schnee


http://www.zwillingssockel.com
reschnee@earthlink.net

[m2ball]

My lafette has the adjustable trigger for single or full auto fire. There seems to be a stub of the latch remaining in the cradle. Also, what color should this lafette be painted.

Thanks again for you quick reply and help.

[m2ball]

Ryan,

I am trying to restore an MG 34 lafette. I was wondering if the recoil piston assembly should be painted or left in the white? It appears as if it has never been painted. Also, I noted that 3 of the four rollers are make of steel and the fouth is aluminum. All have the eagle stamp. This is a ecy 43 dated lafette.

Thanks for the help.

[Ed S]

Ryan,

I am trying to restore an MG 34 lafette. I was wondering if the recoil piston assembly should be painted or left in the white? It appears as if it has never been painted. Also, I noted that 3 of the four rollers are make of steel and the fouth is aluminum. All have the eagle stamp. This is a ecy 43 dated lafette.

Thanks for the help.

The round buffers were not painted, as far as I know. They were anodized and originals are often a very bright green color.

[tomcatshaas]

here is a picture of one with some green anodizing left.

TC

[m2ball]

Sean,

A picture is woth a thousand words.

Many thanks.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

The rollers were made from aluminum, at least the original ones in my Lafette 42 are. Perhaps the steel ones are replacements. Who knows.

[tomcatshaas]

The rollers were made from aluminum, at least the original ones in my Lafette 42 are. Perhaps the steel ones are replacements. Who knows.

The rollers in mine are aluminum too. Mine is dated 41.

TC

[bergflak]

The lafette 34 was manufactured pritty much the same way from 1936 to 1943 (I have never seen a 1944 dated one, as late war stuff is rare here...). The main noticeable feature that changes over the years is the materials used. The early production has a lot of details made of aluminium, but the war-effort forced the manufacturers to change to steel, making the tripod slightly heavier as the war progressed! The most classical part is the optic mounting block, which was made of aluminium until 1943 when it changed to pressed steel. The big wing-nuts on the rear legs changed from aluminium to steel the same year! The traverse arch changed around 1941.

[m2ball]

I think bergflak is correct. The 3 of the four rollers in my lafette are made of blued steel the forth is aluminium. All are stamped in the same spot with the same eagle stamp. I don't think this lafette cradle has been apart since 1943.