Hi! I've finally started my MG42 project. Building it from scratch is the only way for me to go. I can't afford the zib nor a deac nor can these be shipped to my country even if i could...Kalbs pointed me to john-tom.com where i found some great plans. After some tweaking and adjusting to make it a little more realistic, i had the plans printed in full scale.
I've decided to build it using cardboard...
Just kidding. I'm made cardboard mockups to give to my sheet steel worker (same guys who fabricated my ppsh parts).
Some differences with the john-tom plans:
1) Barrel shroud and receiver will be one piece instead of separate
2) In the real MG42, the side panels of the barrel shroud do not taper as much as shown in the plans. I've made adjustments to correct this. (thanks to oddball for pointing this out on his videos)
3) I've also enlarged the holes in the barrel shroud.
Even so, there will be discrepancies (a lot) due to the inherent limitations of the fabrication methods used.
Here are the parts from my fabricators:
Wooden stock: still raw
Aluminium Booster cone/flashider
Steel barrel shroud, receiver and topcover
Realsteel Yugo Basket drum magazine:
Modified the an ak hop to feed from 45degrees (Sgt.Heide's idea)
Version 3 gearbox fitting. I had to trim away some tiny parts of the gearbox like the guide lugs for the selector plate (this will be full auto only anyway). It was easier to hacksaw the gearbox than the steel. Pistol grip assembly is still being fabricated. It'l be bigger than normal to accommodate the motor.
Here it is so far...
Still waiting on some drum mag internals to make this able to shoot.
The rest of the stuff i'm waiting for in the mail are mostly for the externals:
bipod, front and rear sight assemblies, feed tray, and a broken charging handle.
Still have a lot to do...
Also, i didn't realize that my fabricator had it made in stainless steel. No wonder it was so expensive. It'l be difficult to paint too...any recommendations?
Also, i didn't realize that my fabricator had it made in stainless steel. No wonder it was so expensive. It'l be difficult to paint too...any recommendations?
Invest in a small palm sander and a high grade sandpaper (4-600) this'll key the surface easily then use a good metal primer, preferrably a dark colour. Although it may be possible to blue the steel.
Great work. 
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Very Impressive!
“I wanted to come to the Volga at a specific location at a specific city. By chance it carries the name of Stalin himself. So don’t think I marched there for this reason – it could carry another name – but because there is a very important goal... this goal I wanted to take – and you know – we are very modest, we have it already."
Adolf Hitler, November 1942
"Comrades, Red Army men, commanders and political workers, men and women guerrillas! It is on your perseverance, staunchness, fighting skill and readiness to discharge your duty to the country that the defeat of the German-fascist army and the liberation of the Soviet land from the Hitlerite invaders depend! We can and must clear the Soviet land of Hitlerite vermin."
Joseph Stalin, November 1942
Nice job yes that’s the way to go with it.
I didn't like my unistrut system so lost hart in the project, but may resurrect it one day.
Then again I may just sell it off as is for someone to finish. 
Just fit a plastic AK grip over the motor and maybe re-shape it with resin etc.
Free speech is expensive these days!
Great stuff
Nice job yes that’s the way to go with it.
I didn't like my unistrut system so lost hart in the project, but may resurrect it one day.
Then again I may just sell it off as is for someone to finish.Just fit a plastic AK grip over the motor and maybe re-shape it with resin etc.
The configuration of the trigger housing and grips is an integral part of the MG-42 - using AK-47 grips, will not look anything like an RS '42
Nice job yes that’s the way to go with it.
I didn't like my unistrut system so lost hart in the project, but may resurrect it one day.
Then again I may just sell it off as is for someone to finish.Just fit a plastic AK grip over the motor and maybe re-shape it with resin etc.
The configuration of the trigger housing and grips is an integral part of the MG-42 - using AK-47 grips, will not look anything like an RS '42
Hence re-shaping it with resin making it in steel ends up too bulky and you have to insulate the motor from the steel. You could bond thin steel around the grip to improve the look.
Free speech is expensive these days!
Thanks!
The grip assembly will consist of a 20mm steel frame and grips made of PVC. Shaped like the RS grip but widened in the anteroposterior axis to fit the motor, but as thick horizontally as the RS grip frame i think. The motor will still be exposed once the grip is installed and will be covered by PVC or resin Grips. Hopefully, it won't be too bulky. By my computations the grip will be 45mm x 34mm thick, with rounded edges.
Nice job , but surely we need some more allied Mg's instead of all the MG34 and 42 Projects! 
Thanks! There are lots of allied MGs out there. The browning 30cal is probably the easiest MG to make into airsoft. 
Good answer and top quality build. I would recommend a Black and Decker Powerfile for easy shaping of the stock.
Thanks for the suggestions! Will look into it.
Did some more planning...Looks like I'll have to wait untill all the parts arrive before i can go any further. I need the feed tray to position the drum mag and plan the feeding method. I need the airsoft drum mag to work on the basket drum. I need the fabricated grip assembly to finalize and secure the gearbox in the receiver. I need the external parts to mark positions in the steel receiver and shroud. Haha. Still loads to do. I wish i had metal working equipment and skills so that i could do all the cutting and drilling but i'll have to wait for everything to arrive, mark it out on the steel receiver, then bring it back to my fabricator to do the welding, cutting, drilling, etc....
Was just excited when the main parts arrived but alas...still have more waiting to do til i can advance. Frustrating!
Will update...
good project so far ,patience is a major component in anything like this and all the fiddly stuff like makeing it work is still to come, give yourself a generous amount of time as a target for completion and dont try to rush the last bits to complete it and you'll have an enviable gun when you'r finished.oh and keep posting lots of pictures of the work in progress.
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
very nice indeed mate.
"Take that you rotton helping of strawberry flan!"
Joseph Porta to "strawberrys and cream", in the sven hassel book ,ogpu prison
looking good
wood rasp, i get 3 for £1 and they are very very sharp,
youl do the bulk of the shaping in under an hr
warren
S&S
team shoot and scoot, TL
Thanks!
Little steps forward while waiting for everything to arrive. Worked on the stock today. I just used a sharp set of chisels, a file, and lots of sanding...
Also enlarged the holes on the receiver to fit rivets for detailing. Thank God for power drills and cobalt drill bits. I was afraid the stainless steel would be too tough for me but the cobalt drill bits went through it like butter.
Any ideas on what i can use for the top cover-receiver hinge? Just plain screws or rivets? Some kind of rubber/silicone coated pins or something?
Looking good, although the choice of stainless is an odd one. Mildsteel would of been my choice!
ÏŸÏŸ
My armoury;
Tanaka Kar98(1942 woodwork and parts), M1 Garand AEG(1940's woodwork and metalwork), MG34, SVT40, Mosin Nagant M44, MP40, PPSH41, Luger and PPK.
Looking good, although the choice of stainless is an odd one. Mildsteel would of been my choice!
Yes it maybe look beautiful but also crazy as a bag of hamsters on speed 
No offence though mate, it is a nice gun just like a nickel-plated Colt Peacemaker would be!
Here is my one that I gave up on, I worked on it like a mad for about 4 weeks then didn't like the slots 
Free speech is expensive these days!
I was as disappointed when i found out they had made it in stainless steel. I thought i specified mild steel like they did with my PPSH some time ago. I guess i just have to work with it (and the increased headaches). Your 42 still looks great oddball. Maybe you should finish it!