Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptional and substantially complete German WWII Portuguese contract MG 34 set, centered around matching serial number 4536 and accompanied by its original numbered transit chest, three matching spare barrels in their carriers, matching bolt, bipod, butt stock, ammunition belt, sling, and additional accessories.

Released in the 1970s from military stores (in Portugal), this is one of a limited number of MG 34 machine guns produced by NSDAP Germany and delivered to Portugal during 1944. While it may seem strange that during the late war period Germany was in a position to export much needed machine guns, Portugal paid for the shipment with something even more vital to Germany: Tungsten ore. Upon delivery, Portugal designated the MG 34 as the Metralhadora 7.9mm M/944. Straight off the production line in Bruno, each gun was "dot" coded for Waffenwerke Brünn A.G. of Brno, and marked with a a date and individual contract number on the cop cover. Straight off the production line in Bruno, each gun was "dot" coded for Waffenwerke Brünn A.G. of Brno, and marked with a a date and individual contract number on the cop cover.

These were all stored in transit chests, marked on the top and sides with the model designation used by Portugal:

Met. 7.9mm m/944

and bearing the serial number of the gun inside. Included with each were four spare barrels in barrel carriers, all serial number matched to the gun, along with a spare bolt, anti-aircraft sight, and other components. The transit chests had individual compartments for the bipod and the butt stock to so each could be stowed safely and securely. There was a removable piece to hold in one of the barrel carriers, which on the top had an inlet for the machine gun to keep it securely in placed while in transit. There were additional inlets for the other components, and the chests would have an armorers tool kit present, which held the spare bolt.

This is a substantially complete example of one of these Portuguese contract MG 34s, and it is most likely the best example available on the market today. All of the serialized parts bear matching number 4536, and are in excellent condition, as these were never fielded past testing, and remained in storage for decades before being released.

The centerpiece of the set is the original German WWII MG 34 non-firing display machine gun, assembled from this legally demilitarized parts set around a BATF compliant machined steel display receiver. The fabricated receiver is a mostly solid display component intended to prevent the assembly from functioning as a firearm. The original wartime parts have been fitted around this non-firing receiver to preserve the appearance and handling characteristics of an MG 34 for display purposes. Legal classification can depend on jurisdiction, so prospective purchasers should ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. For most locations in the U.S., this display gun is totally legal to own without a license of any kind. Please note that there is no barrel currently installed in the machine gun. Not Available for Export.

The end of the barrel jacket is marked with the maker code, date, and serial number:-

dot
1944

4536

This indicates manufacture by Waffenwerke Brünn in Czechoslovakia. This factory was the famous Zbrojovka Brno in Brno, Czechoslovakia before being captured by Germany during WWII. The top cover is marked with the contract marking indicating it was part of the shipment to Portugal:

No. 941

1944

It is additionally marked with matching serial 4536, and above this is bpr, for Johannes Grossfuss of Dölbeln in Sachsen, a known maker of feed trays and top covers for both the MG 34 and 42. The feed tray is marked with cof for Carl Eickhorn of Solingen, a legendary manufacturer of edged weapons, and a known make of top covers, feed trays, and other MG 42 components. 

The bipod included is of the early war design, without the central height adjustment knob, and is in excellent condition. It is maker marked kur 43 on the central hub, for Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Werk Graz, Fuhrhofsgasse 44, production in 1943. Next to this is a partial Waffenamt WaA815 marking, correct for this factory.

The wooden butt stock is marked with the serial number 4536 both on the wood and on the attaching iron, and the buffer assembly it attaches to is also matching.

Of note is that there are few Waffenamt inspection markings on most of the components. As this was a gun intended for export, it would not be sent to the usual inspection offices. The barrels do show some proofs, and various maker codes and other markings, so they were most likely sourced from the barrels on hand, and then remarked to go with the machine gun before export.

Included with the gun are three spare barrel carriers, all 4536 marked, and the barrels they contain are also all matching, with the numbers 2, 3, and 5 under the serial number. This means that three of the original serial matched barrels are present. We also noted that all three barrels bear CROWN / BNP British proofs along with the caliber and proof pressure specifications, so this particular example was in Great Britain for a time before being imported into the United States.

It also includes a bolt maker coded dot and serial numbered 4536-II, and of course the serial number matched transit chest, which measures 48" x 12" x 11". Inside are some post war manuals in English, a 50 rd ammunition belt, and a leather sling.

Condition overall is truly excellent, and the term “Museum Grade” is particularly appropriate for the visual quality and completeness of this grouping. The metal components retain an exceptionally well preserved appearance, the serial numbered accessories remain together, and the original Portuguese transit chest presents the entire set as it was intended to be transported and stored.

For the advanced German WWII machine gun collector, Portuguese military collector, or museum display, serial number 4536 has an unusual combination of qualities: 1944 dot Waffenwerke Brünn production, extensive matching numbers, three matching spare barrels and carriers, a matching bolt and stock assembly, identifiable subcontractor markings, British proof history, and its original numbered Portuguese Met. 7.9mm m/944 transit chest. As a substantially complete non-firing display grouping with unusually strong visual and historical continuity, it would form a centerpiece in any serious German WWII small arms or Portuguese military collection.

The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German recoil-operated air-cooled machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It accepts the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, and is generally considered the world's first general-purpose machine gun.

The versatile MG 34 was arguably the most advanced machine gun in the world at the time of its deployment. Its combination of exceptional mobility - being light enough to be carried by one man - and high rate of fire (of up to 900 rounds per minute) was unmatched. It entered service in great numbers following AH's repudiation of the Versailles Treaty in 1936, and was first combat tested by German troops aiding Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. Nonetheless, the design proved too complex for mass production, and was supplemented by the cheaper and simpler MG 42, though both remained in service and production until the end of the war.

History

The MG 34 was based on a 1930 Rheinmetall design, the MG 30. The Swiss and Austrian militaries had both licensed and produced the MG 30 from Rheinmetall shortly after patent. The MG 30 design was adapted and modified by Heinrich Vollmer of Mauser Industries. Vollmer modified the feed mechanism to accept either drum magazines or belt ammunition. He also increased the rate of fire. The MG 34's double crescent trigger dictated either semiautomatic or fully automatic firing modes.

In the field, the weapon could operate in offensive or defensive applications. The offensive model, with a mobile soldier, used a drum magazine that could hold either 50 or 75 rounds of ammunition. In a stationary defensive role, the gun was mounted on a bipod or tripod and fed by an ammunition belt. Belts were carried in boxes of five. Each belt contained 50 rounds. Belt lengths could be linked for sustained fire. During sustained fire, barrels would have to be changed at intervals due to the heat generated by the rapid rate of fire. If the barrels were not changed properly, the weapon would misfire. Changing barrels was a rapid process for the trained operator and involved disengaging a latch and swinging the receiver to the right for the insertion of a new barrel. Accordingly, stationary defensive positions required more than one operator.

The MG 34 was the mainstay of German Army support weapons from the time of its first issue in 1935 until 1942, when it was supplanted by the next generation Maschinengewehr 42 or MG 42. Although the 34 was very reliable and dominant on the battlefield, its dissemination throughout the German forces was hampered due to its precision engineering, which resulted in high production costs and a relatively slower rate of production. For its successor, the MG 42, the Germans instead used mass production techniques similar to those that created the MP 40 submachine gun. However, the Germans nevertheless continued widespread production of MG 34s until the end of the war.

The MG 34 was used as the primary infantry machine gun during the 1930s, and remained as the primary armored vehicle defensive weapon. It was to be replaced in infantry service by the related MG 42, but there were never enough quantities of the new design to go around, and MG 34s soldiered on in all roles until the end of World War II. The MG 34 was intended to replace the MG 13 and other older machine guns, but these were still being used in World War II as demand was never met.

It was designed primarily by Heinrich Vollmer from the Mauser Werke, based on the recently introduced Rheinmetall-designed Solothurn 1930 (MG 30) that was starting to enter service in Switzerland. Changes to the operating mechanism improved the rate of fire to between 800 and 900 rpm.

The new gun was accepted for service almost immediately and was generally liked by the troops, and it was used to great effect by German soldiers assisting Nationalist Spain in the Spanish Civil War. At the time it was introduced, it had a number of advanced features and the general-purpose machine gun concept that it aspired to was an influential one. However, the MG 34 was also expensive, both in terms of construction and the raw materials needed (49 kg (108.0 lb) of steel),[citation needed] and its manufacture was too time-consuming to be built in the numbers required for the ever-expanding German armed forces. It was the standard machine gun of the Kriegsmarine (German navy).