Marstar/SSD BD-38 review (now with pics & VIDEO!)

I have NO IDEA what lube works best, I assume oil. The instructions are HORRIBLE. "German made english" with babelfish, most likely.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
The Wehrmacht oil was something like, 'Ballistol' part lube part cleaner. I would use straight ordinary machine oil.
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5W30 Mobil 1 Synthetic, for those -40 C days at the range. ;)

That will, "Get your Panzer Running" on the coldest winter day! I think Steppenwolf did this song too along with "Born to be Wild" !
 
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ok, well someone has pm'd me to let me know that on an original, the sear remained depressed as long as the trigger is depressed. Not so on this S/A version. Hmm... not sure how to work around that.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Not sure if this was a problem with the WWII SMGs, but the stripping drill requires that trigger be held before you can separate the upper from the lower. Is there any extra sear "lift" because it is a semiautomatic?
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I have a functioning MP.40 and can confirm this. To disassemble you need to pull out the locking stud and rotate it half a turn, then pull and hold the trigger and then you can rotate the upper receiver to un-lock it from the lower part.

Beautiful MP.38 Claven, I'll definatly be saving my pennies for when their FG.42 replica comes out!
 
bas: thanks for the info :) Sadly, on the BD38, when you pull the trigger rearward, the sear depresses only long enough to release the bolt once and then rebounds upward. I think it's because it is a semi-auto only gun.

CM: The BD44 is a nice gun - I've held one a couple times now. Ammo is a reloading-only proposition, but the components (brass, dies, projectiles) are not hard to obtain.
 
I had a chance to fire one this weekend. The gun itself was amazing... reliability was not. It was having a lot of failures to fire, and some failures to even release the bolt. However, when the owner did finally get it to cycle, it went FA on me for all 5 rds. :jerkit:. Neat gun, or it will be when it has the bugs worked out.
 
Claven: sounds a little like the PPSh when it's on semi, every time you pull the trigger it clicks as the sear is pulled down then released. Somewhat of a design flaw on the BD.38 and a real shame on such a nice gun.

Clead: Was he using WWII magazines or post war ones? Were they hand loads or old 1950's surplus? Something I have heard with manufacturing 8mm kurz brass is that you need to watch the neck thickness or you'll have feed issues.
 
Claven2 said:
Here is the receiver scratching below the bakelite stock line. It seems to be from the sear skipping along the receiver when the gun is disassembled and reassembled. It was already like this when I got it. I've stripped the gun twice now and it it getting progressively worse (a little at a time).

Anyone here ever had a real MP38? Was/is this an issue on the originals?

PB032133.jpg
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The scratching adds Character and you don't really see it. It's just like a truck. The box gets scratched sooner or later.
 
Clead said:
I had a chance to fire one this weekend. The gun itself was amazing... reliability was not. It was having a lot of failures to fire, and some failures to even release the bolt. However, when the owner did finally get it to cycle, it went FA on me for all 5 rds. :jerkit:. Neat gun, or it will be when it has the bugs worked out.
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Are you talking about the BD38 or the BD44?

I've been dry-firing the BD38 quite alot (won't get to the range until the weekend) and it's certainly never failed to release the bolt.
 
Sorry. I should have mentioned which I was shooting.. it was a BD-38. Several different 9mm factory loads IIRC. I don't think it was the ammo, since it just didn't seem to want to drop the bolt.
 
Man those are nice, I read that even the bakelite stock was sourced from the manufacturer that supplied MP40's during WWII. Too bad the waA's have x's instead of Swastikas. Great review, beautiful pictures. How would you rate the quality of parts, fitting and overall worksmanship?
 
koalorka: It's fit, finished and machined beautifully. No issues there. Top nothch work, probably done on a CNC mill.

Clead: Sounds like perhaps your friend needs to avail himself to some warranty. I haven't had mine out firing yet, but as I said, releasing the bolt is no problem whatsoever on my example.

Was it a Marstar gun or a TSE gun?
 
Wouldn't it be nice if there was a BD-M3 Grease Gun and a BD-Thompson
Machine Gun (M1A1 and 1928), both in .45 ACP, considering that's the other calibre they haven't done yet.
 
Wow, how did I miss this thread? What a nice-looking piece you have there. Do you have to shoot pretty stout 9mm loads with it to cycle the bolt or will it work well with light target ammo?

I find myself in the unfortunate position of having no 12(x) to collect much of any WWII German military arms that so interest me.

PS - your flag is upsidedown
 
MauserMike said:
Wow, how did I miss this thread? What a nice-looking piece you have there. Do you have to shoot pretty stout 9mm loads with it to cycle the bolt or will it work well with light target ammo?

I find myself in the unfortunate position of having no 12(x) to collect much of any WWII German military arms that so interest me.

PS - your flag is upsidedown
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Eh... Mike, the whole point of these new replica guns is that they're restricted only. Anyone with the proper licence can get them. No 12.xx BS.
 
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