Original German WWII MG 34/42 Patronenkasten 34 Steel Ammunition Can Modified for Longer Cartridges - 1941 Dated

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting example of a WWII German manufactured and marked Steel Patronenkasten 34 (Cartridge Box 34) 250 round can, designed to contain five 50 round steel belts (belts not included). Plentiful during the post war years, this example was modified so that the internal width is 90mm, quite a bit longer than the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, which has an overall length of 82.00mm. One entire side of the can was removed, and then a new section of sheet steel welded on to add an extra 8mm. The lid was similarly modified, and it now measures approximately 14 3/8" x 3 3/8" x 6 5/8". There were a variety of cartridges used during WWII, and the U.S. Springfield .30-06 cartridge in particular was 85mm long, and does not fit in cans designed for 8mm mauser, so we assume this is the cartridge it was updated for.

The lid of the can still has the original manufactures markings, including a 1941 date in an oval, as well as a German Waffenamt WaA491 proof mark by the top handle. The ammo can is in very good condition, having been repainted after alteration, which is still well retained.

A very interesting example, ready to research and display!

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.