[LexKane]

Hello all, just got my hands on an Mg42/59 for a personal project for school (gunsmith college), and was wondering about a few things..

Firstly is the weld, it is tight weld if I remember right, but how does one grind the inside flat after welding the pieces back together? I'm going to go with a dremel and careful movement haha.

Second question is in regards to converting it over to 8mm Mauser and if it's possible (cause original caliber is awesome lol). I've seen other places mention that the mg3 and other 7.62 nato versions are able to easily he swapped over but I'd appreciate a definitive answer before going off to buy 8mm barrels and the like.

And don't worry, I'm going to have aid from my professor for the onhand stuff, just would appreciate answers to questions to help guide in the right direction before getting started. Thanks!

 

[Rocky]

The conversions from 8mm to 7.62 and back are pretty straight forward. The top cover, feed tray, and barrel have to be changed. For it to function more reliably, you would need to change out the booster cone too I believe. 8mm is cool, but 7.62 is more available. From my experience you really need to have a rail guide to make the assembly go easier. There were available on this board not too long ago.

 

[Abominog]

There are reported to be incompatibilities between the MG42 and MG42/59 top cover and feed tray. I have not yet confirmed this myself.

In any event, don't mess with the MG42/59. These are very rare. It's quite common at KCR and gun shows to find boxes of "partial kits", remnants of stuff that got swapped out and separated from the core gun, never to be reunited. Don't do it. If you want 8mm get a M53.

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

Join weapons guild forum, there are some discussions on the 42/59 kits ongoing, unfortunately in a couple of different forum areas (belt fed, bowman, mg42 sections).

When you re-weld the receiver cuts, you need to leave the gap and fill it in. You don't put the pieces tight together. Use the rails and grip stick to set the back cut gap, the top cover to set the middle cut gap, and measure the shroud holes to determine the correct front cut gap.

I use copper backing pieces usually. Then for cleaning up the inside I have a variety of tools: small hand files, 1/2" hand held belt sander, dremel tools, die grinders, etc. It takes a variety of things to get in into those places and clean welds up.

It's highly recommended to use or make a jig. You can spend peanuts on some 3D printed alignment pieces and threaded rod or buy the top of the line jig from Jared Lewman.

If you do make this an 8mm gun, you may need more parts than already mentioned above due to some differences at the booster. To be determined.

And as already mentioned, these are rare kits. Don't make any permanent changes or sell off the original parts unless you want to decrease the value.

I picked up a new MG3 7.62 NATO barrel from BRP, as well as the complete semi auto bolt he sells. Buy the complete semi bolt and don't mess with your original heavy bolt, it is valuable. I'm just waiting on the semi trigger assemblies to be in stock and I should have everything I need to build my 42/59 kit as a semi auto.

Don't forget new rivets and the semi denial/blocking bar.

I'm not sure yet if the heavy buffer needs to be swapped for a standard buffer, or even what parts are compatible. It looks like BRP's semi spring and semi bolt will physically work with the heavy buffer, but not sure about functionality.

 

[LexKane]

The conversions from 8mm to 7.62 and back are pretty straight forward. The top cover, feed tray, and barrel have to be changed. For it to function more reliably, you would need to change out the booster cone too I believe. 8mm is cool, but 7.62 is more available. From my experience you really need to have a rail guide to make the assembly go easier. There were available on this board not too long ago.

That sounds like what I thought I'd need to change in order to achieve it. Thanks!

 

[LexKane]

There are reported to be incompatibilities between the MG42 and MG42/59 top cover and feed tray. I have not yet confirmed this myself.

In any event, don't mess with the MG42/59. These are very rare. It's quite common at KCR and gun shows to find boxes of "partial kits", remnants of stuff that got swapped out and separated from the core gun, never to be reunited. Don't do it. If you want 8mm get a M53.

Yeah.. hearing that makes me reconsider heh.. as much as I'd like one in 8mm I don't want to ruin something that has historical significance, especially something that is in a nice condition as the one I posses. (Picture included for clarification)

Join weapons guild forum, there are some discussions on the 42/59 kits ongoing, unfortunately in a couple of different forum areas (belt fed, bowman, mg42 sections).

When you re-weld the receiver cuts, you need to leave the gap and fill it in. You don't put the pieces tight together. Use the rails and grip stick to set the back cut gap, the top cover to set the middle cut gap, and measure the shroud holes to determine the correct front cut gap.

I use copper backing pieces usually. Then for cleaning up the inside I have a variety of tools: small hand files, 1/2" hand held belt sander, dremel tools, die grinders, etc. It takes a variety of things to get in into those places and clean welds up.

It's highly recommended to use or make a jig. You can spend peanuts on some 3D printed alignment pieces and threaded rod or buy the top of the line jig from Jared Lewman.

If you do make this an 8mm gun, you may need more parts than already mentioned above due to some differences at the booster. To be determined.

And as already mentioned, these are rare kits. Don't make any permanent changes or sell off the original parts unless you want to decrease the value.

I picked up a new MG3 7.62 NATO barrel from BRP, as well as the complete semi auto bolt he sells. Buy the complete semi bolt and don't mess with your original heavy bolt, it is valuable. I'm just waiting on the semi trigger assemblies to be in stock and I should have everything I need to build my 42/59 kit as a semi auto.

Don't forget new rivets and the semi denial/blocking bar.

I'm not sure yet if the heavy buffer needs to be swapped for a standard buffer, or even what parts are compatible. It looks like BRP's semi spring and semi bolt will physically work with the heavy buffer, but not sure about functionality.

Thanks for the info! I already have the brp grip and bolt thanks to gunbroker, even if it was more then I was originally hoping to spend (oh well). And I do plan on getting the jig from Jared Lewman just so that I have an easier time putting it back together. However my main issue is I can't find that blocking bar anywhere at all, but I've seen others mention just welding a block or bolt there in its place without needing to remove the grip mounting bracket, would that work since I can't find the blocking bar?

As for the rest of it I definitely won't be separating any of the parts for this kit since quite frankly I love the thing to much to even think of doing that, even though I'm afraid I won't be able to use certain things like the dust cover for the lower ejection port due to having to widen the slot for brp's trigger group, or the original trigger grip itself. But if I can find someone who knows if I can change out the top cover and the feed tray for 8mm mauser for those odd days when I want to reenact with friends or something that would be great. So I will be checking out that other forum Luke you mentioned.

And oh, if you want to check the kit out to see what I'm working with to give any kind of suggestion I posted a picture of it and would greatly appreciate it!

 

[FNP90]

The booster and flash hider components are not interchangeable between the 42/59 and the MG42-MG3-M53 series.

I advise against trying to convert the Italian guns to 8mm

 

[LexKane]

The booster and flash hider components are not interchangeable between the 42/59 and the MG42-MG3-M53 series.

I advise against trying to convert the Italian guns to 8mm

Good to know! I think at this point as much as I wanted too, for something like this I may just keep it 308. And just keep an eye out for an m53 or something later on.

 

[wangchung]

When I built my semi auto mg42 in 8mm I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the receiver ground the lugs off the bottom of the bolt and cut a 1/4 inch bolt and ground angles on each side of the tip and with the bolt in the gun I put a dime on the flat part of the bolt group that had the lugs ground off installed the 1/4 inch bolt into the receiver resting on the dime and then welded in the 1/4 inch angled bolt into the bottom of the receiver so you couldn't get a full auto bolt into the receiver! If that makes sense at all!

 

[wangchung]

I have an old version of the blocking bar in one of the drawers in my work bench if you need it for your build I can send it to you! Lmk! Thanks Brian!

 

[LexKane]

When I built my semi auto mg42 in 8mm I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the receiver ground the lugs off the bottom of the bolt and cut a 1/4 inch bolt and ground angles on each side of the tip and with the bolt in the gun I put a dime on the flat part of the bolt group that had the lugs ground off installed the 1/4 inch bolt into the receiver resting on the dime and then welded in the 1/4 inch angled bolt into the bottom of the receiver so you couldn't get a full auto bolt into the receiver! If that makes sense at all!

I had to reread it a few times but I can see what you're talking about, and will have to consider that when working on mine for sure!

 

[LexKane]

I have an old version of the blocking bar in one of the drawers in my work bench if you need it for your build I can send it to you! Lmk! Thanks Brian!

Will do! Thanks for the offer! If I fail to find one I'll definitely ask lol.

 

[wangchung]

I'm doing an mg3 right now and I'm going to use a 1/4 inch bolt again but if you need it don't be afraid to ask! Thanks Brian!

 

[wangchung]

Brpguns.com has the blocking block in stock and here's a picture of what you need but if you want mine it's there for you

 

[LexKane]

Hah, it's amazing what others are able to find yet you can enter every kind of phrase and wording but still find nothing haha!

I'll try and pick one up soon as I'm trying to collect everything now, but the money I'm using for this build requires a lot of moving around so it takes time. If I end up missing the stock they got ill be sure to send you a msg. But here is hoping right?[/QUOTE]

 

[wangchung]

Yup! Just let me know if you need it!

 

[Pvt.Joker]

Apparently they go in and out of stock with BRP. When I ordered mine, it showed it as being the last one in stock but when I checked on there yesterday they showed having a couple in stock. So keep checking on the parts you need.And I second the point about hanging onto your kit's original parts. The importer said there are only 300 of these kits coming in total, so once they're gone, they're likely gone from here on. All the rest went to Ukraine from the Italians. I know there's a guy over on Weaponsguild who has been posting on most threads about these trying to buy a heavy buffer from somebody, but it appears that the buffer set up in these is unique to this gun and a regular German/Yugo version will not fit without a number of modifications. I made him an offer on my parts but he complained about the price I set and I basically told him that I didn't want to part out my kit unless it paid me VERY well to do so, so I would just keep what I had. Guess he wanted it cheaper? Oh well. But yeah, aside from the semi-auto mods, I would not do ANYTHING to that kit of yours to "customize" it.
I learned my lesson a LONG time ago. I bought the second-to-last Dragunov military SVD that KBI imported back in 1993 for $2700. Then a person I knew bugged me to sell it to him so I finally gave him a price and damned if he didn't take it! I made a few hundred dollars and ASSUMED I could just get another one later on. Last time I looked, there's another "0" added to the end of the price tags on these. Don't make that mistake, because these may well (due to their rarity over here) follow suit eventually. Good luck with the build!

 

[Jarrett Richey]

As a New member I am also working on one of these and from reading this I have literally learned so much, Thanks Guys !