Original German WWII MG 34 / 42 Basket Belt Carriers in 1943 Dated Transport Frame - Repainted

Original Item: Only One Set Available. This is a fantastic and rare set of MG34/42 Basket Belt Carrier Drums, still in their original transport frame. During World War II, the MG 34 was superseded (although it remained in combat use) by a new GPMG - the MG 42. The MG 42 was more efficient to manufacture and more robust, and had a blistering 1,200rpm rate of fire. These used the same ammunition, belts, and basket belt carriers, which attached directly to the feed tray of the machine guns. This entire set is in fantastic condition and looks to have been stripped and repainted with the correct Panzergrau blue grey paint, definitely an improvement over the many layers of post war apple green we usually see on these.

The carrier frame itself is faintly marked wa 43 on the handle end, for HASAG-Eisen- & Metallwerke GmbH, Leipzig plant, previously known as Hugo Schneider AG. It measures about 12" long, 5 3/4" wide, and 5 1/4" tall, and the felt padding inserts are still present on the securing bar. Both of the basket belt carriers do not have any markings that we can see, which could have been removed by repainting over the years, which often involved sandblasting off the old finish.

Once common, these are now very hard to find on the market, especially with German WWII markings. Complete your MG 34 or 42 display today!

History of the MG 34-

The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German recoil-operated air-cooled machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It accepts the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, and is generally considered the world's first general-purpose machine gun.

The versatile MG 34 was arguably the most advanced machine gun in the world at the time of its deployment. Its combination of exceptional mobility – being light enough to be carried by one man – and high rate of fire (of up to 900 rounds per minute) was unmatched. It entered service in great numbers following AH's repudiation of the Versailles Treaty in 1936, and was first tested by German troops aiding Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War.

History of the MG 42-

The MG 42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "machine gun 42") is a 7.92×57mm Mauser general purpose machine gun designed in NSDAP Germany and used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Intended to replace the more expensive and time-consuming to manufacture frontline MG 34, they ended up produced in tandem until the end of the war.

The MG 42 has a proven record of reliability, durability, simplicity, and ease of operation, but is most notable for its ability to produce a high volume of suppressive fire. The MG 42 had one of the highest average cyclic rate of any single-barreled man-portable machine gun: between 1,200 and 1,500 rpm, which results in a distinctive muzzle report.