Testing the FG42-repro

I'm really impressed.
It's a beautiful gun that I've only ever seen in black and white footage before.

Amazing lack of muzzle climb but one heck of a shove backwards!
 
This is the type of arm the Canadian soldiers were up against with their LB #4's in the Battle of Ortona, and probably other battles in the Italian Campaign.

According to Winston Churchhill: "The Soft Underbelly of Europe"


According to General Mark Clark: "Tough old gut"
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I would so love to have one of these in un-neutered condition. :D

Belay that, I think I would rather have a Johnson LMG. The more North American friendly version. :D
 
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RickR1100 said:
My question is simply: how did they get permission to make these as select fire!?!? LOL! When I lived there, they did have civilian gun ownership, but it seemed to be a much bigger hassle and more restrictions than Canada. I would GUESS that these guys had special circumstance permission to make these...I can't imagine any customers could buy these in full automatic except perhaps official purchases by Western armies for museums and laboratories...maybe a handful of Americans with dealer status (Class2 or 3 dealers? Dunno how that works).
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It's probably because they're an arms manufacturer. The ones they sell are semi.
 
Its funny to see such advanced weapons out of the 1930's meanwhile next shot show should have all firearms manufacturers making 1911's and AR15's...
 
...just had a look at the videos...

Wow. Super cool. Being a frugal Canuck, I wouldnt mind this being semi-auto only & available in Canada... Herr Dude must have gone through a $1000 worth of 7.92x57 just for these vids!!

Very nice, I now put my name forward as sales rep for North America. lol
 
Kayser Sose said:
Wow. Super cool. Being a frugal Canuck, I wouldnt mind this being semi-auto only & available in Canada.
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There IS a legal semi auto only version available, just like the DB-38 etc. I believe it is even the same company. I am also pretty sure that someone actually brought one in. I don't remember who,(Wolverine?), but it was $10,000+ and I don't know if it ever sold.
 
Wolverine brought in a dozen of the first model FG42 reproduction. The one in the video is the second model, and I have not heard that they are even in production yet. The one we saw here is probably serial number 1.
 
I counted 19 rounds on the mag load so those would be 20 round mags. Seem like you would be changing mags a lot on full auto. As originally issued was it able to be belt fed or equipped with saddle magazines?
 
Wolverine has the semi auto version of the FG-42, the SSD BD 42, listed in its June newsletter for $10K. Complete with crate, scope, bipod, bayonet and an assortment of mags.
 
just to whet your appitite- 308 winchester and belt fed?the 308 wouldn't be ALL THAT HARD to accomplish- basically a 30 caliber barrel and make the action 6mm shorter; if you even needed to do that
 
t-star said:
just to whet your appitite- 308 winchester and belt fed?the 308 wouldn't be ALL THAT HARD to accomplish- basically a 30 caliber barrel and make the action 6mm shorter; if you even needed to do that
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Please just stop, looking at this gun already has my stomach growling and eating its way to my spine, I want one so bad...picturing it in .308 just makes it so much worse :D
 
t-star said:
just to whet your appitite- 308 winchester and belt fed?the 308 wouldn't be ALL THAT HARD to accomplish- basically a 30 caliber barrel and make the action 6mm shorter; if you even needed to do that
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Keep in mind that those 20 round mags will be pinned and there are restrictions on which guns are permissible to be belt fed. Not sure if a repro FG-42 would or even could be belt fed. Perhaps another member can enlighten us as to the legalities of belt fed MGs.
 
y'know those look an awful lot like m14 mags- if we can't belt feed, how about a commonly used mag?
 
The FG42 was never belt fed, she used 10 or 20 side mounted box mags. After the German Fallschirmjager had suffered severe losses during their invasion of Crete they decided on a light weight semi auto rife with the accuracy for sniping and the full auto capability for emergency use. This was a revolution concept at the time and in my opinion one of the most fascinating firearms ever produced. She attempted to do the impossible and again in my opinion, given the tight criteria, the time and conditions for her development she was a success.
 
Thanks John. Too bad the mags have to be pinned. Any thought on why the Germans only went with 20 round mags? I'm wondering why they didn't copy the Bren or Czech ZB mags.
 
fugawi said:
Thanks John. Too bad the mags have to be pinned. Any thought on why the Germans only went with 20 round mags? I'm wondering why they didn't copy the Bren or Czech ZB mags.
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I'd guess that balance and obstruction would be an issue with a 30 round mag of that size and in that location. Hell, you may as well ask why most 7.62 x 51 mags are 20 rounds instead of 25 or 30.
 
chanman said:
I'd guess that balance and obstruction would be an issue with a 30 round mag of that size and in that location. Hell, you may as well ask why most 7.62 x 51 mags are 20 rounds instead of 25 or 30.
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I would think that it might be more of a feed issue with a full size cartridge although that wasn't the case with the Bren or the ZB. With the 7.62x51 NATO the FN C2 used 30 round mags. Possibly more of a weight issue with a rifleman's weapon when you put full size cartridges in a large capacity mag. The Germans didn't go to a high capacity mag until the 7.92x33mm Kurz and the Soviets not until they adopted the 7.62x39mm and fielded the AK 47.
 
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