Photos of original FG42

[villiers]

Have just been reading an article in a German paper about HOME. Dittrich is well known here for his painstaking reproductions of WWII weaponry, and his persistence in obtaining the requisite permission from the Federal German authorities for private ownership. A part of his first production batch was exported to U.S.A. But, although his FG42s and `44s were still being advertised by the importing company, payment was not forthcoming. Dittrich went through a difficult patch, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy and having to fire his twelve empoyees. Apparently, although it is comparatively easy for US citizens to take EU citizens to court, the opposite is practically impossible. So, I would not be surprised if weapons obtained within that original delivery are still being sold, and maybe even cloned in the US. If so, I can only hope that they are defective and cause maximum havoc.

[jmoore]

Dunno where the Dittrich parts went, but the folk who started the US FG42 project went belly up. The current production is now SMG in Texas. I think they bought some of the failed startup's property, but somehow think weren't able to use much.

[villiers]

.... the wages of sin ...

[Lee Enfield]

Have just been reading an article in a German paper about HOME. Dittrich is well known here for his painstaking reproductions of WWII weaponry, and his persistence in obtaining the requisite permission from the Federal German authorities for private ownership. A part of his first production batch was exported to U.S.A. But, although his FG42s and `44s were still being advertised by the importing company, payment was not forthcoming. Dittrich went through a difficult patch, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy and having to fire his twelve empoyees. Apparently, although it is comparatively easy for US citizens to take EU citizens to court, the opposite is practically impossible. So, I would not be surprised if weapons obtained within that original delivery are still being sold, and maybe even cloned in the US. If so, I can only hope that they are defective and cause maximum havoc.

I wouldn't worry about the non-payment, as the guns we've seen have been defective...sometimes in several ways.

I worked on a BD-FG42 until it exceeded my capabilities, and my gunsmith has worked on several BD44s (mostly extractor issues IIRC).

The BD42 firing pin was not concentrically round from the shaft to the bearing surface, so as it shifted in rotation within the piston carrier it would bind in the firing pin channel of the bolt.

The sear & trigger parts were not properly hardened.

The trigger housing flexed enough that it interfered with the free working of the trigger mechanism.

The barrel was not torqued up to the receiver, and the locking taper pin was undersize (the barrel "flopped" when the handguards were removed).

The front sight block came off, and took the bayonet with it (lost in the snow)...

and that's just the issues that I can remember off the top of my head....

[villiers]

Under the circumstances ... I sincerely doubt whether Dittrich would be prepared to consider repairing the U/S parts! But people in clubs in the vicinity with Dittrich products seem to get on quite well with them.

[Lee Enfield]

Under the circumstances ... I sincerely doubt whether Dittrich would be prepared to consider repairing the U/S parts! But people in clubs in the vicinity with Dittrich products seem to get on quite well with them.

In my "not so humble opinion", that many issues is not a coincidence. It was a case of solve 1 problem, and find another....or 2.

As several people pointed out, the SSD guns were (pretty obviously) not meant for live fire of more than blanks for reinactors.


I'm not in the US and I'm sure our importers paid him, although they did mention the unavailability of repair parts for the guns which were returned to them...and the people who attempted to contact SSD themselves didn't have a lot of success either.