WesWorld

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral
I can only remember chrome electroplating of large calibre guns, it is fairly expensive. Really, any self-loading rifle will be more expensive than a standard bolt-action piece.

I agree with this. The US eventually chromed the most corrosion exposed function parts of its service SLRs, during WW II as it found that salt water and rifles don't like each other, but it was a rich nation. I'd expect less or no chroming and more bluing and lots of emphasis on proper lube and cleaning for poor nations like Persia or Siam with the ZH-29.

I'm wondering what the cost of the rifle would be? About $200.00 1939 for a 1939 Garand, $600.00 for a Thompsom, I'd expect the ZH-29 to be as expensive as a comparable SLR-maybe a little more as scale economies aren't quite there yet.

As for standardization? I've already expressed a preference for more metal furniture since wood doesn't do that well in jungle. Shorten the rifle and reconfigure the cooling fins, just a tad as the rifle is a bit long for a Thai soldiier.

I'll play with it and see what I can do.

H

Quoted

Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
Go for it, figuring out the details of such a thing was down the line for me.

As for chroming interior parts, had the thought some russian rifles did that historically, just poked about and can't find that info- I am likely misremembering.

The thought had been that is useful for limiting fouling and corrosion. For the Dutch, the access to the South Afrikan chromium sources and extensive tropical commitments make the expense less unreasonable vs. need. I may look for the precedent again later.

I've shortened the barrel about 10% and given it a standard 20 round double stacked mag. I assume little or no chroming for the operating fuinction cycle parts, and a hollow metal Bergman type stock for the rifle with a pistol type grip. Forward furniture is metal with cooling fins.

H.

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
I'm having a bit of a problem with the pistol grip, honestly. If you want to use a folding stock a la M1A1 Paratrooper, that's fine; otherwise I think the standard stock is probably going to be used. Not even all SMGs used pistol-grip stocks at this point.

I think that actually makes more sense. I've shortened the barrel even more, and this time we assume the eject port as well as the working faces of the firing chamber are chromed. Expensive, but feasible.

H.