This rifle is probably the rarest and most desirable of all the WWII fully automatic weapons we have had the opportunity to sell, as the Mkb.42(H) is truly the grandfather of the German Assault rifles, and also for any follow-on assault designs produced after WWII to include the vaunted AK47. Consequently this would be a pivotal piece in any advanced WWII German or military assault rifle collection and is probably the only fully registered, fully transferable Mkb.42 (H) available for sale! The story for this rifle really started in 1935-37 with the requirement from the German High Command to develop a new intermediate-range 7.92mm cartridge. That design was completed and finalized in 1938 upon which the Heerswaffenamt issued the requirement for a new fully automatic assault rifle to be developed using this new intermediate-range cartridge. In 1939/40 the C.G. Haenel firm was tasked with producing a prototype design using the 7.92mm Kurz round. Not to be outdone the Walther company also decided to develop and submit a prototype design on their own to compete the Haenel Company for a future contract. Both rifles looked somewhat similar with the Haenel design eventually being accepted as the superior weapon. It was truly a revolutionary design in that it used a short operating rod housed inside a full-length gas tube, located above the rifle barrel. The tube was connected to the barrel via a front gas block which bleed off gases to cycle the action. The rifle was quite unique in that it was mostly fabricated from sheet metal stampings with a limited number of machined parts; basically the bolt, barrel assembly and some springs. The design was well received by the German High Command and Haenel was awarded a follow-on contract for further production development of this weapon. This rifle design was continually improved upon throughout the war and eventually evolved into the MP 43/44 designs issued to various Waffen-SS troops during the Battle of the Bulge. The Mauser factory continued to improve the design which finally evolved into the last configuration which was the "StG 44"; (which by the way we also have one of those rifles for sale in this auction). As part of this follow-on work the Haenel company included a concept in this weapon with a new design that included two small bumps or bulges on each side of the rear sight base. These bulges would form the base of a yet to be developed future sniper scope/mount design. This new scope mount followed the same concept as the Mk 42 rifles in that they were truly a flat sheet metal design, folded and welded with minimal machined parts. They were actually more of a shooting aid than a true sniper scope/mount. These stamped sheet metal sniper scope mounts are extremely rare with only a handful even known in the world today. There is a fairly detailed write up on these early super rare rifles and the even rarer "sheet metal" sniper scope mounts in the book "The German Sniper" by Senich on page 369-381. This basic weapon is fully functional and is marked on the left rear side of the receiver: "Mkb.42.(H)" with a small "fxo" manufacturers mark on the underside of the receiver. There is a small import mark on the underside of the front portion of the receiver. It has an all blued wartime finish with a walnut (not laminated) stock. The ultra rare, sheet metal scope mount is an original WWII version that is correctly unnumbered, that is correctly stamped on the left side with an intertwined "M/W" surrounded by a wreath. This proof mark is the factory mark of the "Merz-Werke" of the Merz Brothers, Frankfurt. This company was the prime producer of stamped receivers for the MP43/44 rifles. The scope rings are even steel stampings that screw into a threaded nut located on the mount itself. The scope is also an early all blued version marked with "ZF 41/1" on top of the tube. This rare assault rifle comes with an original leather sling and one original "Mkb/42" marked magazine.

Excellent with 98% of the original blued finish overall with just minor edge and high spot wear. The walnut stock is also in excellent condition showing only minor handling marks on the sides. The ultra rare sheet metal scope mount is also excellent. It too retains 98% of its original blue finish with a clear sharp proof mark on the left side of the mount. The scope is also in like new condition with 98% of its blued finish overall, with clear sharp markings and clear optics. This super rare rifle is all original and probably can not be upgraded or even duplicated! (We could not find any other comparable auction sales!) Certainly for the truly super advanced WWII German Weapon collector. NOTE: This item is restricted as a National Firearms Act (NFA), Fully Automatic Weapon that is currently registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF&E) that has been classified as a “Curios or Relic” as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478. Before bidding on this item, it is the sole responsibility and obligation of the bidder to understand and comply with all the State and Federal transfer laws and restrictions that apply in their current place of residence.