Is this the way the starter tab should be retained under the pressed steel footman loop welded to the baskets exterior ? http://www.ebay.de/itm/GURTTROMMELT...121240329092?pt=Militaria&hash=item1c3a7c9b84 I slid a couple 7.62 casings in a belt just to test fit things but this just looks wrong to me for some reason. If the starter tab does not go under the footman loop what purpose does the loop serve? I am also still looking for a handfull or two of Romanian steel casings to make a short belt.
MG34/42 basket question
- Thread starter XRCD011
- Start date
That site is not in the Queen's English. I wonder if the rabidly anti-firearm ownership owners of the evil empire of E-Bay know there be firearm stuff on their German site. In any case, MG34's and 42's were in 8mm Mauser, not 7.62. Different size case.
- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
Pay no attention to sunray.... his posts are 90% useless or incorrect...
Anyway... You know, I never thought about what purpose the footman loops served... ? I will check with mine when I get home and post back here.
But, it does look as though that might be their purpose! (To hold the starter tab from dangling all over)
Thanks very much, I await your input on the question re. footman loops. For some reason I just cannot see the first couple of rounds (as shown in the Ebay.De site) on the belt exposed on the outside of the basket (and getting a nice velvety coating of dust). To me it would make more sense to keep all the rounds inside and semi clean. Anyways it just something I am figuring out so it all looks correct. The spring steel starter tab easily flexes enough around the radius of the basket but its the reach to the loop that exposes the first rounds if the tab is in fact retained by the loop.
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- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
Yeah, I'd agree with gaff... Everyone I've talked to who has an MG34/42 or has used one, pretty much says to just leave the first 4 or 5 links empty and go that route... I have found same in regards to actually shooting with the starter tabs, they seem to cause more problems than they're worth...
But anyway, on to the pics!! (Please, mind the iPhone pics done with horrible GunRoom lighting while rushing to get to work on time)
Thanks for making this thread! Now I know what that "footmans loop" actually does!!!
It seems to work quite well, and all the live linked rounds stay in the Gurttrommel with the door closed while in transport.
Though, if one were to use it this way (on the MG34 at least) you need to open the top cover to load the belt if you attach the drum before un-attaching the starter tab... otherwise you would do it the easier way of removing the starter tab from the Footmans loop, shoving it through the feed tray to the other side, then attach the basket to the side of the MG, pull the tab tight, (thus aligning the first round in the feeding mechanism), pull the bolt back, and mow down some trees!
Cheers!!
**EDIT** Come to think of it, I guess one could use the "footman loop" on the GT34 to attach a D Ring to on ones webbing/load bearing gear.... or maybe for attaching a breadbag strap or something similar to 2 baskets and slinging around the neck?
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Interesting, glad we are all learning something new on this subject. I agree that with the basket attached it would be open the cover lay the three flats of the belt on the feed tray, close cover, and pull the belt to the bullet stop after opening the baskets gate/door. If anyone has a translation of the gun drills I believe it would say that or something close to it. I think it looks alot cleaner then a bunch of tabs hanging and flapping about the basket. One last point is I could see the use of tabs being VERY handy while wearing heavy mittens or gloves which I will give a try at doing to either prove or disprove that idea.
