More Mg-34 goodness (drum mag testing)

[SVT-40]

Went out today with my friend to test his Mg-34 and four 75 round drum mags....Last week we went out, but had problems with reliable feeding.... The barrel extension had developed a very small ridge which would occasionally cause the tip of a feeding round to "catch" and slow the action down to the point where we were getting numerous stoppages....

So we took the gun apart, and removed the ridge... Only a few thousandths, but a big difference...

No stoppages today at all with any of the four drum mags we tested...

The drums are pretty finicky by themselves. They have extremely strong springs, and you must use a loader to compress the springs while you load the individual rounds.....They are actually MG-15 dual feed drums, however will work with a Mg-34....

No belt needed with this setup....
Another beautiful warm day in Northern Arizona!!!!
Enjoy!!!

[knucklehead0202]

*****hole! just kidding, anyway those dual drums are sweet-looking and I'm glad to hear they work like they're supposed to. those damn krauts sure knew how to make some badass guns. there's a reason everyone was in awe of them at the time. I mean, a single-barrel machine gun capable of 1500+ rounds per minute? unheard of at the time. 34's are much more precision, beautiful guns and a bit more tempermental, but amazing nonetheless.

[smle-man]

Very nice! I visited a guy in Texas who had an ad-hoc AFV and cannon collection in his barn and he had several German MG drums scattered around the place.





I thought these wicker shell carriers for the 88mm cannon rounds that he had were pretty cool

[pitfighter]

Nice SVT,

Looks like you had fun.

My doppeltrommel loader was more expensive than the magazine itself - what type loader does your friend use?
I bought mine on the MG42 forum, it is modern, but very efficient.

We had a Helluva time converting our mag to blank fire use - if you get a mis-loaded drum you have to take the ten screws out to remove the tumbled round - blanks are slightly shorter than live rounds - it required welding a spacer and permanently altering the drum.
The milled top-cover's are getting prohibitively expensive, otherwise I'd nab one for my semi '34.
Nice to see it used as it was intended, in FA,

MG34 is good looking, MG42 is a much finer firearm.
Heer knew the the '34 was outdated before the start of the second world war, but had nothing better at the time, hence development of the '42.

SMLE that is a truly neat find, I am jealous would love to find a barn with MG34 parts inside!!!!- your pic is a basket drum - or assault drum, a way of securing a 50 round belt, SVT is shooting a Doppeltrommel (duuble-drum) - a configuration that required a new top cover - that could then mount a co-axel spring driven 75 round mag, that alternated feeds to stop the firearm from becoming unbalanced while shooting - pretty cool really - originated with the MG15 which was really intended as an air to air MG, need a hi rate of fire for it's work, and the drums would be pre-loaded on the ground.
Mags $500 - top cover $1500 - loader $1200 - expensive toys.

[SVT-40]

Nice SVT,

Looks like you had fun.

My doppeltrommel loader was more expensive than the magazine itself - what type loader does your friend use?
I bought mine on the MG42 forum, it is modern, but very efficient.

We had a Helluva time converting our mag to blank fire use - if you get a mis-loaded drum you have to take the ten screws out to remove the tumbled round - blanks are slightly shorter than live rounds - it required welding a spacer and permanently altering the drum.
The milled top-cover's are getting prohibitively expensive, otherwise I'd nab one for my semi '34.
Nice to see it used as it was intended, in FA,

MG34 is good looking, MG42 is a much finer firearm.
Heer knew the the '34 was outdated before the start of the second world war.

SMLE - your pic is a basket drum - or assault drum, a way of securing a 50 round belt, SVT is shooting a Doppeltrommel (duuble-drum) - a configuration that required a new top cover - that could then mount a co-axel spring driven 75 round mag, that alternated feeds to stop the firearm from becoming unbalanced while shooting - pretty cool really - originated with the MG15 which was really intended as an air to air MG, need a hi rate of fire for it's work, and the drums would be pre-loaded on the ground.

It was fun... Yup the Doppeltrommel top covers are $$$$ My buddy has two.. He forgot the second one today, so we were not able to test that one... So we will have to go out again

The loader is similar to the standard German made original... It however is a "home built"... I'll snap a few pics if I can next time we go out...I know about the picky drums and all the screws bad news if a cartridge gets in sideways.....

We were happy these drums functioned as they should, even loaded with 70 rounds... Not a single stoppage.

[smle-man]

Nice SVT,

Looks like you had fun.

My doppeltrommel loader was more expensive than the magazine itself - what type loader does your friend use?
I bought mine on the MG42 forum, it is modern, but very efficient.

We had a Helluva time converting our mag to blank fire use - if you get a mis-loaded drum you have to take the ten screws out to remove the tumbled round - blanks are slightly shorter than live rounds - it required welding a spacer and permanently altering the drum.
The milled top-cover's are getting prohibitively expensive, otherwise I'd nab one for my semi '34.
Nice to see it used as it was intended, in FA,

MG34 is good looking, MG42 is a much finer firearm.
Heer knew the the '34 was outdated before the start of the second world war, but had nothing better at the time, hence development of the '42.

SMLE that is a truly neat find, I am jealous would love to find a barn with MG34 parts inside!!!!- your pic is a basket drum - or assault drum, a way of securing a 50 round belt, SVT is shooting a Doppeltrommel (duuble-drum) - a configuration that required a new top cover - that could then mount a co-axel spring driven 75 round mag, that alternated feeds to stop the firearm from becoming unbalanced while shooting - pretty cool really - originated with the MG15 which was really intended as an air to air MG, need a hi rate of fire for it's work, and the drums would be pre-loaded on the ground.
Mags $500 - top cover $1500 - loader $1200 - expensive toys.

The guy had a collection that was pretty amazing. He had a 88mm flak gun, 40mm Bofers, M5A1, M20, M114, M3 halftrack, French 25mm AT gun, some others that I don't remember now. Everything was live and functioning. The M5 was frequently taken out into the field for firing of the main and coax guns and the .30 mounted on the turret roof.

[pitfighter]

The wicker ordnance baskets are interesting, I visit France quite a lot and they turn up at brocantes/flea markets quite a lot, they use them for bread or other things now.
Sounds like a pretty awesome collection.

Here is my MG15 mag and loader.
The MP44 mags are there just for kicks - the MG15 mag has been permanently neutered and is for blank use only, unfortunately, but it works with them now.

[smle-man]

The dual magazine feeds alternately from one side and the other, is that correct?

[Capybara]

Man, that sound is a very distinct one. Makes me visualize being a soldier, piling out onto Omaha Beach and hearing that.

[pitfighter]

The dual magazine feeds alternately from one side and the other, is that correct?

Yes - to stop it from becoming unbalanced and affecting your aim - although on all the aircraft mounts I have looked at the mount controls the side to side movement -

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVl4wxSfybU/ThxPQSHVXcI/AAAAAAAAGqc/j_lXwckGASc/s1600/practising-MG-15-machine-gun.jpeg

[TRAP55]

I think I need one of these for my Hakim.

[pitfighter]

There was one at SAR last year, that had been converted for use on a G43.

A waste of two rare magazines - but Bubba has to have fun.