maxfaxdude Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 It's finally here. With a lot of help from Dan Shea here and Greg Felton in the UK, I was finally able to import a genuine MG34 Patronentrommel double drum from England into the U.S. It was not easy and the whole process took over 1 year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damifino Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Wow! Very nice. What other parts need changed too run it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryo Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 Very nice. Got that very valuable MG34 top cover or the winder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted April 30, 2021 Report Share Posted April 30, 2021 Yes, very nice. what do you need....the tray/winder/loader, the top cover, maybe a new latch for this one (it may be an MG15 latch and won't clear the cover), then maybe you go down the rabbit hole and get the AA tripod. If you're real seriously deranged you get a second one and the two drum carrier and spend the rest of your life looking for bench style loader?Some days I can't believe I went all in on that stuff, but the thrill of the hunt is all consuming! Nice find, there were a couple making the rounds last year but I was unable to connect on one, but I don't recall them being this nice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted April 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2021 Yes, very nice. what do you need....the tray/winder/loader, the top cover, maybe a new latch for this one (it may be an MG15 latch and won't clear the cover), then maybe you go down the rabbit hole and get the AA tripod. If you're real seriously deranged you get a second one and the two drum carrier and spend the rest of your life looking for bench style loader?Some days I can't believe I went all in on that stuff, but the thrill of the hunt is all consuming! Nice find, there were a couple making the rounds last year but I was unable to connect on one, but I don't recall them being this nice?I have a genuine German WWII top cover (repros are out there), 2 winding keys and the bench top loader as well. I don't have the special key winder yet that is used to make adjustments to the spring tension -- still looking for that one! If anyone has one or know of one for sale, please let me know! I will post more photos of all that I have this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted May 2, 2021 Report Share Posted May 2, 2021 Check your drawers! There is another option to getting one (even though you likely will never use it). Like PT-34 drums the tool supposedly had been included in some of the tool kits but generally vanished just like the drums? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 Patronentrommel 34 pics: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 2 Trommelhalter top covers used for the Patronentrommel 34 (Genuine WW2 German production on the top. Reproduction on the bottom). The genuine German top cover appears to be better machined of higher quality steel. Genuine WW2 German. Notice the Waffenamts have been obliterated. Many of these reportedly came out of Eastern Europe. Typical German preoccupation with serializing everything: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 Genuine wartime wooden frame stamped 1940 to load the double drum magazines: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) Thumb-actuated loader for the double drum that has no markings whatsoever but appears to be well-made and is consistent with wartime production: Edited May 3, 2021 by maxfaxdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) The whole loading assembly with drum. This adds weight and bulk but most drums were apparently used by motorized units. Edited May 3, 2021 by maxfaxdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 The WW2 German Trommelhalter top cover fits onto my MG34 with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 The Patronentrommel 34 double drum fits very snugly but nicely into the Trommelhalter top cover. The drum needs to be rotated into and out of place and this takes some getting used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) I've also got a Patronentrommel 13 for my MG13. The thumb-actuated loader works on this drum as well. Also notice that the back is similar to the Patronentrommel 34 which allows for spring tension adjustment with special adjusting key. Edited May 3, 2021 by maxfaxdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 Here's my collection of German double drums with accessories including 2 Patronentrommel 15 double drums which are quite common in the U.S. Notice the two drum winding keys to each side of the the MG13 charger guide in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 What I'm still looking for is the Stellschlüssel which is the winding key pictured below that allows you to adjust the tension on the Patronentrommel 13 and 34. (This cannot be done on the Patronentrommel 15). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted May 3, 2021 Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 Very nice. Congrats! I think a saw that drum on a UK website some time ago: it was quite expensive but very rare and very nice, nearly impossible to find.A bought one 15 years ago, not as nice, i traded mine with Reidar Dae and you can see it on his websiteBest regards Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted May 3, 2021 Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 I see the wooden frame is dated 1940 and it is stamped with a prewar Reichswehr eagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryo Posted May 4, 2021 Report Share Posted May 4, 2021 That is a beautiful collection. I would love to get a top cover and drum for my MG34. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2021 Thank you all for the compliments. It took a lot of time and money to assembly this collection....not to mention some legal trouble. Importing the MG34 Patronentrommel double drum almost didn't happen as the seller tried to export it out of the UK without an export permit -- a Big No No! UK Border Force confiscated the magazine and it took over 550 British Pounds in fines and 9 months to get back. Luckily, no one went to jail. But the seller got a very stern warning from the British government. Dan Shea (of SAR) and Greg Felton (a well known UK arms importer-exporter) were instrumental in making the UK export/US import happen and at a very reasonable price I might add! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 It gets quite addictive. I had/have no intentions of getting into aircraft guns, yet back in the day I couldn't resist buying 3 sets of PT-15 drums in carriers for $400 a set at the creek. Why....the craftsmanship and I figured I'd use them in a 34 someday....and the price, seemed like such a deal! Some bits and pieces in the pics. A few repro items as well acquired in group purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted May 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 It gets quite addictive. I had/have no intentions of getting into aircraft guns, yet back in the day I couldn't resist buying 3 sets of PT-15 drums in carriers for $400 a set at the creek. Why....the craftsmanship and I figured I'd use them in a 34 someday....and the price, seemed like such a deal! Some bits and pieces in the pics. A few repro items as well acquired in group purchases.Nice collection sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincylance Posted June 2, 2021 Report Share Posted June 2, 2021 I had an original top cover and a real MG34 drum. Sold the drum for $6k and the top cover for $2.2k about 10 years ago when I sold my C&R MG34. It all worked like a charm and DT15 drums also worked perfectly too. I even had the loader assembly with the wood base and winder as you have pictured. I had the winding keys too. Sold it all to Ryan Schnee including a minty 34 lafette, a Portuguese parts kit and a panzermantel front end. The MG34 sure had a lot of bits and pieces to collect. Cincylance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxfaxdude Posted June 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 I had an original top cover and a real MG34 drum. Sold the drum for $6k and the top cover for $2.2k about 10 years ago when I sold my C&R MG34. It all worked like a charm and DT15 drums also worked perfectly too. I even had the loader assembly with the wood base and winder as you have pictured. I had the winding keys too. Sold it all to Ryan Schnee including a minty 34 lafette, a Portuguese parts kit and a panzermantel front end. The MG34 sure had a lot of bits and pieces to collect. CincylanceThe top cover Trommelhalter was $1750 about 1 year ago. I bought the Patronentrommel 34 for ~ $5200 in Jan 2020. Regardless of the money and time involved, it's definitely an addiction! I've heard that Ryan is a very big collector of this stuff as well. And a very big thanks to JohnsonLMG41 for getting me the lead on the winding/adjustment key for the double drum which I was able to purchase from AAS in France! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted June 3, 2021 Report Share Posted June 3, 2021 When it comes from AAS then it is most probably a copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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