Rich.Urich

I have collected MP38's and MP40's years ago. I have noticed that there WERE subtle size differences between some German manufactured MP-38's and MP-40 grip plates. Yes, there are also poorly made post war grip plates as well... I have observed a few MP40s with MP38 grip plates on them. In two cases these were vet-bring back Amnesty registered MP40's. The MP38 grip plates fit, but it looks off and slightly misaligned. I have even seen wooden grip plates. I would double check with an original verified set of MP40 grips on your weapon. From www.MP40.nl website: 1.2 Grip plates At first glance the grip plates of the MP40 and MP38 look very similar. If you take a closer look you can see there is a slight differrence in shape. If you disassemble the grips and turn them around you can see that there is a big difference in shape. The MP38 grip plates have small bulges that fall exactly in place with the holes in the aluminum machined handgrip. With the MP40 it's just the other way around. Here the grip plates have molded holes where the metal bulges from the sheet metal handgrip fit exactly into. The grip plates are made of Bakelit or to be precise "Margolit". The grip plates and the foregrip were produced by two suppliers as far as I know at this moment. This was the Vereinigte Isolatorenwerke A.G. or Viacowerke (the secret code was "gbm") from Berlin-Pankow and the "Allgemeine Elektrizitätsgesellschaft which from Henningsdorf". The last one is the in Europe well know electrical appliances company: AEG./Elektrolux. https://www.mp40.nl/index.php?page=mp-40

Looks like they might be MP-38 grips. I have found that MP-38 grips were mis-aligned when trying to put on MP40 lower.

Check your mags for "bte" manufacturer on back of mags. These "bte" tended to be much over-wide.

Years ago, I purchased a number of Dealer Samples from ARMEX. One was an MP-38... one was an MP-40... and one was an MP-38/40 (which I suspect ARMEX had added /40 to the MP-38 stamping on Trigger Housing and corresponding BATF paperwork notated "MP-38/40" as model. The MP-38/40 had the 2-piece cocking handle and cut-out on receiver for same... while the MP-40 had the earlier hook type cocking handle. In no way do I presume the "MP-38/40" was WW2 German designation. Ummm... I think I paid $450 each for these 3 dealer samples back then.

Per www.mp40.nl: MP38 Production: The MP38 has been produced by 2 main factories. These were: "Erma", B. Geipel, G.m.b.H., Waffenfabrik, Erfurt, Zietenstr. 54, (Production Code: 27 or AYF) "Haenel", C.G., Waffen und Fahrrad-Fabrik, Suhl, (Production Code: 122 or FXO)

Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie...

The same dimensions on both.

I strongly suggest reading about the MP38, and early MP40's with the hooked bolt handle in the excellent website on Mp40's: www.mp40.nl No better source for information on the MP38 and MP40.

The "Crimp" was later war... early MP40's didn't have "crimp"

c Post photos of other parts with the same number and letter.

Springs go bad... Firing pins and extractors break... Age and wear gets all of us.

With the bolt placed in the receiver (or better yet a 1 3/8" (??) metal rod (I have used drill rod) to prevent crushing the receiver tube when placed in a soft plastic vice jig I had made to place around the receiver section while in vice. The best way would be to make a tool to slowly push out the sight leaf assembly (sort of like a screw-like front sight adjustment tool) This tool needs to grasp the base of the rear sight while pushing out the leaf sight... and with a dental type pick or tweezers, remove the flat spring when the sight leaf assembly is pushed out of the way far enough. Reverse process with the dental pick or similar device pushing down on the leaf spring while pushing back the sight leaf assembly to the original marking spot. The less desirable way to do this... (because you run the risk of damaging the surfaces and finish of the rear sight parts) is to gently tap out the sight leaf assembly with a plastic/delron/hard wood "punch" just far enough to use the above mentioned tweezers/dental pick to remove the "bad" spring and replace with new one; and then use the above mentioned reverse process. Ideally, find a Class2/3 dealer/gunsmith who has done this repair successfully in the past and pay them to do it right.

You don't. I have seen them usually stamped into place with two rivet like protrusions on base... I have also seen them brazed into place. Also, inside the base of the rear sight assembly is a flat spring that gets in the way when trying to remove the 100/200 meter rear sight flip leaf.

1. Please post photos. 2. Manufacture of the ORIGINAL MP40 will be on the front end of the receiver (usually) as well as who the receiver tube manufacturer was (usually) 3. Manufacture of the trigger housing / lower receiver assembly (if matching to the original receiver!) will have the year of production and who manufactured the trigger housing / lower receiver assembly AND who the complete MP40 assembly was. 4. If the trigger housing / lower receiver assembly is mis-matched to the receiver then it is a replacement. 5. Trigger housing / lower receiver assemblies that are lacking in manufacturer codes (bnz, 660, ayf, 122, fxo, 27) are then assumed to be a depot / field repair spare replacement.

Time for the Trump Administration to get involved with removal of "Burdensome Regulations" such as this! Contact the White House and find out who you should direct a letter about requesting these ITAR regs be changed... also check with NRA-ILA.

Don't forget the $2250.00 fee to State Department yearly for "manufacturers": https://blog.princelaw.com/2012/08/10/department-of-state-is-stepping-up-enforcement-of-itar-related-to-manufacturers/ I know of licensed manufacturers / gunsmiths who thought they could get away with not paying this fee... they got caught and had to pay the fee and back assessments they missed.

DZelenka​, I research MP38/40's and I have a database on MP38/40 parts created... would you check and your "bte" coded mags for the WaA stamp number? Thanks Rich Urich

Photo #1 shows oversize magazine "bte42" which is oversize not fitting into magwell Photo #2 shows correctly sized magazine "bte43" which will fit easily into the same magwell. Both mags have WaA inspector stamps as having passed inspection.

Over the years I have come across some original WW2 German MP40 mags that simply would not fit into a MP40 mag well. Here are some photos and dimensions of one mag that would not fit any MP40 I had, compared with another that fits all the MP40's I had.

Having built and repaired many many MP40's as a Class 2 over the years, I have found the following... Quality Extractors (there are some cheap poor quality ones out there) ​Eventually these will break Spare firing pins and bolt (original or FPB with recoil assembly) preferably "as new" condition ​​Depending on how many rounds you will put through your weapon the bolt and receiver channel will start to wear. WW2 weapons were never fired as much as how many rounds have gone through MP40's since 1945. NOTE: Not all MP40 bolts are exactly the same in diameter and may need "fitting" Also, the bottom cam face that mates with the sear will eventually wear (get rounded) Also, I have had to replace a few cocking handles that came off... very inconvenient when at the range and the handle falls off. MAGAZINES!! Can't have enough quality mags THAT WORK IN YOUR WEAPON. A worn magazine is the first thing I look at when diagnosing a "misbehaving" MP40. Make sure the magazine you are purchasing fits into your mag well... I have had a few original WW2​ MP40 magazines that would not fit into an original magazine well... Make sure the feed lips on the magazine are not too well worn... Depending on how many rounds will go through MP40, consider buying a new manufactured MP40 barrel. They are readily available from a number of sources. Again, WW2 weapons were never fired as much as how many rounds have gone through MP40's since 1945. Consider MP40 springs for the recoil assembly and magazines from Wolfe Springs...

How did Steyr, Haenel, Erma ship their completed MP's to the Wehrmacht depots? How many MP's in a crate? Any photos of a crate of MP's?

Back in the 1970's... at an Eastern PA Gun show... I bought a quantity of "as new" condition MP40 magazines that were said to have been made by a fabricator in PA for a military contract for friendly forces in South Vietnam. The mags were without any WaAmts but each magazine had an electro-penciled 4-digit number at the bottom of the mag where normally it would have been stamped "MP38 u 40" I believe the mags were parkerized and functioned well in my MP40's. Also, I have seen a video on TV of the fall of Libya, and some kid with an MP-40 had a mag inserted into the magwell that had a single groove down the side (instead of double grooves normally on MP40 mags.)

I will take the band.

I have collected MP40's since the 1970's. In that time I have had (3) original WaA marked MP40 magazines that were so over-size that they were near impossible to fit a number of MP-40 mag wells. Somewhere I have photos and measurements of the latest acquisition MP40 magazine bought 2 years ago.

Who is listed on the Form 4 as the Manufacturer?