Deactivated WWII German MG34 - Operation Barbarossa

This is an early WWII German MG34 dated 1939. The makers code is S/243 - Mauser Werke, Borsigwalde. In 1939 Mauser Werke made an estimated 12,440 MG34s. The known serial number range ran from 7475 to 9917a. This example is number 8277a from that batch. 1939 also saw the lowest amount of MG34s produced during a full year of wartime production with only an estimated 44,181 completed by all 5 makers. This example has features only seen on early MG34s, it has extra cooling/ventilation holes on the barrel jacket at the receiver end, extra lugs just above the bipod legs to enable use on a vehicle. The Bakelite stock has also been strengthened with a brass band. This was added to prevent the bakelite from splitting during extreme temperatures during Operation Barbarossa in Russia. The gun it is covered in a plethora of Nazi acceptance stamps. A rare survivor!