Man, I love the older generation

[Trent]

So yesterday I took my "new to me" German MG-42 over to my grandparents house after picking it up at the LGS. The LGS was crowded, very much so, and it was just a transfer so I didn't pop open the box and check it. Drove a few blocks to where my grandfather and grandmother live, so I could take some time going over everything.

I bring this big heavy box in, Grandpa is in the kitchen, Grandma is off at the hospital getting physical therapy.

"Hey grandpa.. you're gonna love this one."

When I pulled that MG42 out his face lit up like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. (He's 80, BTW)

We spent some time looking things over, and spent quite awhile talking about his dad, who served in Saipan, and uncle, who fought in the battle of the Bulge, and my grandma's brother who fought (and was wounded) on Okinawa.

Was a great conversation, but eventually I loaded it all up in my car and drove home.

I was home maybe 5 minutes when my 76 year old grandma rings my cell phone.

"Hey grandma!"

"Hey young man. I heard you bought yourself a new toy."

"Yup, big one."

"So when do I get to shoot it???"

I about choked myself giggling.

Man, I wish my generation was more like THEIR generation.

 

[johnnydollar]

That's cool.

 

[Trent]

Speaking of, on a directly related topic.. this got me thinking... is it safe for people on Oxygen who carry portable oxygen tanks to go shooting?

I told her "whenever you want!"

But now I'm wondering how it can be done safely.

My grannie wants to shoot a big gun, I'm not going to stand in her way, but she can't go anywhere without that oxygen tank.

 

[SilentStalker]

Man, I have always wanted one of those. How much did that set you back?

 

[Nickel Plated]

Speaking of, on a directly related topic.. this got me thinking... is it safe for people on Oxygen who carry portable oxygen tanks to go shooting?

I told her "whenever you want!"

But now I'm wondering how it can be done safely.

My grannie wants to shoot a big gun, I'm not going to stand in her way, but she can't go anywhere without that oxygen tank.

Perfectly safe.

Congrats on the buzzsaw. Is it a full auto?

 

[mortablunt]

Sounds epic. Got pics?

 

[Trent]

NP: No, this is a BRP manufactured semi. We're not allowed to have full auto in Illinois.

Our governors (many of whom are / have been in prison themselves) have never trusted civilians with them.

(EDIT: I have one other thing worth saying on the matter - As much as they distrust civilians to own guns responsibly, I distrust those politicians to run the government responsibly.)

SS: It sure wasn't cheap. $4600. Somewhat of a premium on what they cost when they were still being made by BRP (listed at 4K when they were being produced, about 8-10 years ago). But it's not like any new parts kits are out there growing on trees.

 

[230RN]

Twelve hundred-ish rounds per minute....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N59msUnyy1g

Wow.

I like that barrel-change.

Terry, 230RN

 

[Trent]

230RN - Barrel change should be faster than damn near anything else out there. I don't have an assistant, spare barrel, time or inclination to practice, but I could see how it could be done very, very fast if practiced by a crew; it's so simple...

1200 rpm is stupid fast. I'm glad, in a very real way, this one is a semi - cheapest ammo I could find locally was still just a hair over 55c a shot!

The thought of pulling the trigger and having a 200 round belt disappear in 10 seconds flat... that's on the order of $660 per minute to shoot.

 

[230RN]

I also like the straight-line recoil as shown at 1:20 or so in the video I linked above. Keeps your sights in line. Looks like it's mounted on some kind of "track" to maintain elevation.

The Villar-Perosa submachine gun had a similar rate of fire, also described as "ripping a piece of canvas," but that was a twin-barreled device and it did not shoot a high-powered round:

(URL of image of Villar Perosa MG deleted by me. It's from a Russian site and I seem to have picked up a Rogue spybot from it.)

Terry, 230RN

 

[Trent]

I haven't shot it yet, so don't know how it will "track" on recoil, but I'm expecting very good.

By the way the integral bipod is BY FAR the best I've ever seen on a rifle. At first I'm like "good grief this thing is flimsy" - sooo easy to rock the gun back and forth.

But it's adjustable for elevation, allows you to subtly adjust elevation due to the 20 degrees or so of movement forward and rearward.

And it SWIVELS.

Most fixed bipods do NOT swivel laterally. This one, the legs stay planted where they are, and it allows you to traverse the machinegun left and right using the center of the bipod as a pivot point. Plus it swivels in the OTHER direction (yaw, same axis that Harris swivel bipods allow).

Gives you the same flexibility and range of motion as a good TRIPOD.

It's incredible.

 

[WALKERs210]

I have always had a love for the mechanical function of the MG42. The one thing that really impressed me about rate of fire was seeing a man fire at paint cans. Sealed cans will explode if hit with a speeding bullet, but this one had at least three bullets passing thru the can before the paint can started to deform and explode. Makes you wonder just how anyone on the beaches of Normandy even made it 100 ft from waters edge.

 

[splithoof]

Should be perfectly safe to discharge; does she use a nasal canula or a mask?

 

[PocketRocket]

Trent - But it's not like any new parts kits are out there growing on trees.

It would be wise to get a parts kit while they are still available. I wasn't thinking about parts breaking down when I purchased my Interdynamics KG-9 when the Feds decided they were not going to allow the manufacture of this open-bolt "handgun" after a date that was in the near future at that time.

Complete parts kits (everything except the receiver and the shrouded barrel) were $150 (sold by Rhino) which seemed like a lot of money when the gun sold for $250 at the time of the Fed's initial edict. Now they are just about impossible to find at any price

 

[Trent]

Walker - the thought of running across a beach towards one of those scares me, and that's 70 years AFTER it all happened. I had a friend who visited the beaches a couple of years ago while on vacation in Europe.. the photos he took.. were chilling.

Seeing the Nazi emblem on the top cover and barrel of this rifle invoked similar chills.

Splithoof - nasal canula

PocketRocket - Came with three spare firing pins, spare complete bolt assembly, a spare (and I believe heavier) recoil spring, and spare trigger parts. I believe the trigger parts are the ones removed from the firing assembly during conversion from full to semi.

I'm looking for a spare barrel or two (good luck..) and a tripod. Plus a couple of extra belts. Only came with 2 50 round segments plus a short "feeder" segment with the pull through tab.

 

[Trent]

Oh parts kits run for around 2K... that's a stretch for obtaining additional spares.

 

[x_wrench]

my aunt burned her face pretty bad, while lighting a cigarette of all things, wearing an oxygen cannula. 78 years old, dying from COPD, and she still had to smoke. :banghead: i would suggest that she takes several good deep breaths, and rather quickly turn the oxygen off for the few moments she fires the weapon. then turn it back on. repeat as necessary. there is no sense in her getting seriously hurt from having a little fun. and yes, most of the old folks i know, are much better than most of the my generation people i know. and i am getting up there. to many wimps in my generation to suit me. and it seems to get worse and worse every generation. if the politicians can wait a few more generations, they will not have to outlaw guns. the only thing people will know how to operate will be keyboards and video games.

 

[powell&hyde]

Wow, my relatives also talked about these, is there a chance you can post a picture of your new MG-42?

 

[JFtheGR8]

my aunt burned her face pretty bad, while lighting a cigarette of all things, wearing an oxygen cannula. 78 years old, dying from COPD, and she still had to smoke. i would suggest that she takes several good deep breaths, and rather quickly turn the oxygen off for the few moments she fires the weapon. then turn it back on. repeat as necessary. there is no sense in her getting seriously hurt from having a little fun.

I agree. Turn her flow up a little to get her oxygen level in her blood a little higher and turn it off and take it off while shooting. Keep the tanks away from anything flammable as oxygen is an accelerant and a good one at that. In my experience many people that are on home oxygen don't need it on 100% of the time anyway.




Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android

 

[50 cal]

My grandaddys eyes lit up the same way when I came home with my 1919a4. He was in the battle of the bulge. Yep, the older generation rocks. Congrats on the belt fed Trent.

 

[armoredman]

Trent, I used to do the home oxygen delivery and run an indoor range. Here's what you do.
First, get the local delivery guy to drop off a 50 foot tube. Use that, (and probably jack up the delivery system about about .5LPM to make up for the extra length), and keep the actual tank/system behind something, like the car. Make sure you have an extra cannula and tube. The gunfire ISN'T going to set off the oxygen in the tube, just keep lit flames and such away from the delivery system. Remember, oxygen is not an explosive, it's an accelerant. If they have a liquid oxygen delivery system, keep it away from petroleum products - pure O2 and petroleum make a nasty bomb waiting for a match. That's why we always cautioned our patients to never use petroleum based products for nasal lubrication.
Last note, keep an extra E or D tank in the care for an emergency while out with the grandparents.

Full disclosure - it's been 12 years since I did that - things have changed, but chemistry hasn't.


Edit to add - MG42? My jealousy knows no bounds...

 

[splithoof]

^^^That sounds like the best way to handle O2 for a shooting enviroment. Well said.

 

[JFtheGR8]

^^^That sounds like the best way to handle O2 for a shooting enviroment. Well said.

Not really. I'm a respiratory therapist. Lots of experience with O2. Seen lots of patients with that funny looking burn pattern on their faces. Any ignition source near that nasal cannula could make it light up like a fuse. Not worth the risk. The tank isn't the most dangerous aspect here. It's the combination of the oxygen (accelerant), the cannula, hair or clothing (combustibles) and the firearm (ignition source).


Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android

 

[JustinJ]

Man, I love the older generation

That is something a young person is never supposed to say.

 

[Trent]

I'm not TOO young.. Justin J; I'm 35. Or, as I tell my wife (after doing something dumb) - I'm old enough to know better and young enough not to care.

But I understand what you mean - we've lost enough that it is measurable.

My grandfather has told me (a LOT.. he's forgetful) how he used to take his 22 rifle to school with him, throw it in his locker. Then on the way home switch buses to the city bus, to catch a ride to the north side of town, to go rabbit hunting.

Yes, when he was in school, he'd take a RIFLE to school, on a school bus, on a CITY bus after school, WITH ammunition, to go hunting after school.

My children aren't allowed to even MENTION firearms at school. Punishment is non-flexible - they so much as draw a picture of a gun or make the wrong gesture with an index finger and cocked thumb, they are expelled. Period. No if's and's or but's... And my kids go to a COUNTRY school with a graduating senior class averaging a whopping 22 students a year...

He lived before the IL FOID card.. and many other laws. Hell, he didn't even bother to GET an FOID card until 2006, when he let me run a gun shop out of the front of his home. (building is zoned commercial, city couldn't stop me.. although they certainly tried).

Rather than get an FOID card, he quit shooting.

My grandfather used to help run the gun shop when I was off at my day job during the week, then I'd take over in the evening. He's a great old guy.