MP40 Magwell refinished/ waffenamt help.

[madmax1299]

I know I bothered everyone about a magwell a week ago and got no reply but here i am trying again :D. I am looking for a magwell for my BNZ styer MP40 and this one fits the condition I want but it looks to good to be original (I am 50/50 it was refinished). Also the waffenamt clearly says 62, I was under the impression is should be 623 I have already asked for more pics which is posted with this post I can request addition pics if neded. If anyone can has any info on the finish or the 62 vs 623 I would appreciate it!

[StrangeRanger]

There appears to be a faint impression of the "3" in image #1

[TSMGguy]

Broken die, perhaps, with the 3 missing?

It's probably too small a sample to be significant, but my own BNZ 41 MP40 mag well has only one WaA623 stemple, and that's between the top and second reinforcing grooves on the left side. It also has a very small BNZ stamp where your top photo shows the 62 stamp. 

[madmax1299]

Do you think this is original? It looks to be in really good shape which makes me skeptical. In another forum someone said NOS from Austria, or a copy. Not sure a way to check it or everyone's thoughts here on it.

[TSMGguy]

Looks good to me. The rivet matches exactly those on my bnz 41 MP40. JMHO

[madmax1299]

1 hour ago, TSMGguy said:

Looks good to me. The rivet matches exactly those on my bnz 41 MP40. JMHO

thats good to hear, you think the finish is original? Thanks!

[TSMGguy]

Looks to be the original hot dip blue, or something very close to it. I'm not seeing any evidence of buffing or polishing. Again, just an opinion. 

[BRMCII]

The quality of the bluing varies significantly over the years of production of sheet metal MPs and of other types, MG42, which, in my opinion, is a direct function of the brightness of the metal finish, texture of the metal and the alloys. I believe that the factory bluing chemistry of that era was a very refined art until wartime stress and othe emergencies damaged it, and most likely quite uniform and the individual variations at factories  were further created by frequency of chemical replenishment, differences in work temperature, frequency of cleaning the tanks and other variables. 
Having 'blued' many MGs by the common commercial hot dip techniques, including lots of MP40s and other types manufactured by stamping, drawing and pressing steel sheet metal, and seen many original examples of the same types of guns, I have never seen US domestic bluing to mimic the interwar European factory colors, brightness and textures on that type of sheet metal MG manufacturing. 
Only the serious custom vintage rifle and handgun outfits can approach it.

The magwell above looks original well enough, pun there?, and as noted there's no evident prep activity for a reblue, but, of course,  prep can be done without altering the texture of the metal. If it matches your gun to your eye, no reason not to use it. I also see the '3' faintly in the Wa. Good luck.  FWIW

 

[madmax1299]

On 2/13/2023 at 1:27 PM, BRMCII said:

The quality of the bluing varies significantly over the years of production of sheet metal MPs and of other types, MG42, which, in my opinion, is a direct function of the brightness of the metal finish, texture of the metal and the alloys. I believe that the factory bluing chemistry of that era was a very refined art until wartime stress and othe emergencies damaged it, and most likely quite uniform and the individual variations at factories  were further created by frequency of chemical replenishment, differences in work temperature, frequency of cleaning the tanks and other variables. 
Having 'blued' many MGs by the common commercial hot dip techniques, including lots of MP40s and other types manufactured by stamping, drawing and pressing steel sheet metal, and seen many original examples of the same types of guns, I have never seen US domestic bluing to mimic the interwar European factory colors, brightness and textures on that type of sheet metal MG manufacturing. 
Only the serious custom vintage rifle and handgun outfits can approach it.

The magwell above looks original well enough, pun there?, and as noted there's no evident prep activity for a reblue, but, of course,  prep can be done without altering the texture of the metal. If it matches your gun to your eye, no reason not to use it. I also see the '3' faintly in the Wa. Good luck.  FWIW

 

Another forum had someone mention the finish looks "grainy" (compared to other magwell finish) and it was refinished by eastern European countries in a batch that come in 20 years ago, I haven't heard anymore more on the topic tho.