Trying to find a decent MG34 ... is this one?

[Harvington]

I've been looking to add an MG34 (deactivated) to my collection for some time, and have come across a number of examples. I always fail to find a "fully matching numbers" gun; they seem super rare here in Europe, which is perhaps not unexpected - it would presumably be unusual to find a wartime gun in which no parts have broken and needed replacement during its active service life. I've now come across the MG34 that is shown in the attached pictures, which seems to be >95% matching (the bolt and front sight are mismatched; the buttstock collar looks to be period force matched; the rest is matching, although many of the small parts are engraved rather than stamped). The buttstock is not numbered.

 

I was wondering what the collective view was on this gun? About as good as it'll find, or do I keep hunting? A few other positives are that it is sympathetically deactivated (the main parts move, rather than everything being welded shut) and that it's an early Mauser gun (waA26, S/243), which I understand is a little more sought after than the later DOT manufactured guns. It also seems that all parts are WaA26 marked, even the replacements, so it's fully Mauser.

 

All thoughts / advice gratefully received.

[Annihilator]

I think it will be difficult to find a better one. The large X on the receiver indicates a russian capture as well as the electrostenciled numbers.

[hawksnest]

If guns could talk, what stories they might tell.

[Ryo]

I've never seen a serial # on an MG34 trigger before.. Mine certainly doesn't have it but of course, that doesn't mean it shouldn't have it.. Just find it interesting.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Ryo

[Wandering38]

The serial on the trigger is correct for a gun this early, and the electric pencil numbers on the internal parts are original german and correct also (not Russian). I see no evidence of renumbering (except for the buffer). It was standard german procedure to electric pencil small internal parts because they were hand fitted, but stamping them could deform them. Just like every other german gun, the earlier examples are numbered more extensively than later examples. It is correct for an mg34 of this year to be numbered on the trigger with a stamped number. Around late 1940/1941 they switched to electric pencil on the trigger, and then after 1941/42ish stopped numbering triggers entirely.

 

 

The Russians did indeed use the electric pencil post war, but only on the major parts. They didnt normally renumber the smallest parts. On the large parts, they would typically grind off or strike out the german numbers, leaving very obvious scars. This gun has definitely been reblued, but it has NOT been renumbered, with the exception of the buffer, which clearly is marked off-center with a new number and the old number defaced yet visible. The stock cup is also a replacement, as is the stock. The original stock in this date range would have had the metal corners. The X does indicate Soviet capture, but this gun is mostly factory-original. I would be very proud to own that.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Wandering38

[Harvington]

Thanks for the replies ... very helpful!

[Zohan]

Why is a nonfunctional Mg34 worth more than a brand new Glock 19 with a box, paper?   To me it’s because of this guns history and a story you can imagine this gun could tell.   Battlefield life expectancy of a ww2 gun was a few days to weeks.   They routinely got captured, distorted, broken and cannibalized for parts to keep other guns going.     
WW2 guns went from the factory directly to front line.   Extremely small number of ww2 specially German gun is still in a 100% matching “like new” condition.    It is more cool to see those guns as if they just came from the war.  

Just my 2¢