By Jim Dickson
This is the most complete manual on the repair of the MG42 and M53 (the Yugoslavian version) I have ever seen.
It is 186 full size 8.5 X 11 inch pages and was a real beast to translate forcing John to learn Serbo-Croatian and taking 10 weeks to translate. We can be glad he did though as this is the most detailed guide for inspection, disassembly, repair, reassembly, and testing of the MG42, it’s tripod, and belt loader that is available.
(Editor’s note: The MG42 is often pictured with a bipod.)
Even the disassembly and reassembly of permanent assemblies is covered in minute detail. Whatever it takes to make this gun work you will find it herein.
This is important since the MG42 is still the best general purpose light machinegun ever made. When it first came out in WW2 the Americans were laughing at “The cheap stamped metal machinegun” but when our best machinegun expert, Colonel George Chinn examined it he declared that the inventor should be given Germany’s highest medal and a million-dollar prize. He tried hard to get the U.S. to adopt it but they weren’t going to adopt anything their enemy invented ever. Col. Chinn would even demonstrate that he could add sand and the roller locking system would act like a hammermill and pound the sand into fine silicon lubricant for the gun without ever stopping firing. He pointed out its ability to put its rounds on target compared to the wild spraying of the BAR and how many soldier’s lives that would save. The top Brass’s attitude was summed up in their classic response to anyone saying something would help the soldiers, “Nobody gives a rat’s ass about the soldiers!”
The MG42’s sophisticated WW2 tripod, which the Yugoslavs also adopted, is by far the most effective tripod ever issued. The Germans used this tripod with their other machineguns such as the 08-15 from the First World War and the MG34. It was never adopted by the U.S. as it would require too much training of the troops and the U.S. has long had a problem with .50 caliber Browning machineguns blowing up because they won’t take the time to teach the troops a simple thing like adjusting the headspace on a .50 caliber machinegun.
Indirect fire, a staple of European machinegun tactics was likewise not taught as it requires training the machine gunner to work as an artilleryman in effect.
The German tripod comes with a telescopic sight, absorbs recoil with adjustable springs, has an automatic searching fire device, adjustable legs, and is designed for accurate indirect fire. It even has a brilliantly designed slide rule like calculator for this as well as a slope indicator, both issued separately. All this does require a well-trained intelligent gunner.
Machine guns run on belts and belts have to be loaded with cartridges. The MG42’s belt loading machine is also fully covered.
This is the finest manual available for anyone working on an MG42 and well worth it’s $42 price which includes priority mail for U.S. Addresses. It is available from:
John A. Baum
5678 State Rt.45
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
Please reference “Yugo M53 Repair” when ordering
