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StG44 disconnector

S

Sturmgewehr

Active member
Posing this question based on recent malfunctions I’ve had with my PTR-44, where the hammer spring tails first slipped off the notches on the disconnector after about 10 rounds, preventing the sear from releasing the hammer. After reseating them, I was able to fire a few more rounds before another failure to fire (slack trigger). Dropped the trigger group and discovered that both tails had again dislodged, and the flat rear end of the disconnector had been completely sheared off. My first instinct was to check for any wobble of the hammer along the axle, which would have caused the hammer to be driven back at an angle and dislodge the spring ends from the disconnector notches. Hammer seemed to rotate straight back between the hammer spring ends with no slop, also sear had no wiggle along the axle. Completely at a loss as to why the disconnector was broken in half, other than being improperly heat treated.

The Sturmgewehr’s trigger group is a Rube Goldberg mess, but I can’t imagine this happening often in the field during WWII. Anyone else experienced this problem in a semi build or SSD repro? Seems to be a weak point in the design if proper trigger function depends on the hammer spring staying seated in the shallow disconnector notches.
 
GunKraut said:
Hammer, trigger and disconnector are U.S. made 922(r) parts by Recon Ordnance.
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So besides questionable metallurgy, are the 922 disconnectors made differently than original specs? I can guess that deeper grooves would retain the spring ends. Tons of supposed originals for sale on gunporker in Europe, but too bad our import laws make it such a PIA to ship them here.
 
disconnector

Sturmgewehr said:
So besides questionable metallurgy, are the 922 disconnectors made differently than original specs? I can guess that deeper grooves would retain the spring ends. Tons of supposed originals for sale on gunporker in Europe, but too bad our import laws make it such a PIA to ship them here.
Click to expand...
Always did think the grooves in the disconnector were somewhat shallow but the spring ends coming off the disc. is not something I've known to be a problem but if the disc. broke they could well come off. I've gotten those parts from Europe with no problem. Just this week got a extractor with spring and pin from a guy over there on Ebay. Came in the mail as "machine part". He included a few extra springs too.
Pete
 
Mine recently broke too after just over 400 rounds. From the sounds of it, it sheared in half in pretty much exactly the same place as yours. Usually, disconnectors are all over gunbroker and ebay but I need one so they are now nonexistent. Dingo has new made SSD ones listed over at his site for 22 bucks so I ordered one just today. I hope it holds up.
 
Wilhelm said:
Mine recently broke too after just over 400 rounds. From the sounds of it, it sheared in half in pretty much exactly the same place as yours. Usually, disconnectors are all over gunbroker and ebay but I need one so they are now nonexistent. Dingo has new made SSD ones listed over at his site for 22 bucks so I ordered one just today. I hope it holds up.
Click to expand...
I send it today, Thank you. Dingo
 
I’ve owned 6 original sturmgewehrs over the years and never had a single problem with any part of the FCG. They only piece that I have had break is the small anvil in the bolt carrier on one rifle. I definitely think the PTRs, while probably to spec, were not of the best quality.
 
Before I even took my PTR-44 to the range for the first time, I replaced the hammer and sear (read stories about the softness of the recon ord parts) with WWII originals from a parts supplier in Sheridan WY. For those not aware, he has some original and repro StG-44 parts for sale but no disconnectors currently:

https://www.robertrtg.com/store/pc/home.asp

As Wilhelm said, now that I need an original disconnector they’ve all dried up. I’ll order a new one from Dingo and hopefully fix the issue.
 
Sen24 said:
I’ve owned 6 original sturmgewehrs over the years and never had a single problem with any part of the FCG. They only piece that I have had break is the small anvil in the bolt carrier on one rifle. I definitely think the PTRs, while probably to spec, were not of the best quality.
Click to expand...

This answers part of my original question, thanks. I know the Germans designed this rifle to be cheaply mass produced and they couldn’t have expected a lengthy service life, especially on the eastern front. Still, it seems incomprehensible that the disconnector and other trigger internals could be such weak points. Chalk it up to more PTR-44 quality control issues.
 
I bought one of the new made SSD bolt carriers from Dingo and he assured me that the new made parts are properly heat treated. He explained that, when our rifles were built, the heat treating was not done in house and there were QC issues. They are now done in house to proper hardness. If that is true, the new disconnectors should be fine. Also remember that, supposedly, some of the fire control parts (including the disconnector) were made in the US for 922 compliance. If that is true, we can't blame those failures on SSD.
 
I have 2x BD44 up here in Canada and they all had original SSD parts in them (no 922r up here) and I had the roll pin fall out of the disconnector, had the hammer shear off and had other small problems with the FCG. Less than 200 rounds since new. Replaced with original WW2 German parts, no problems so far after that... but I really never shoot them anymore because of worry of parts breakage.

You guys are lucky SSD will help you out in the US. No such luck up here. :(

I’m pretty much just buying Soviet and Chicom rifles now, at least they don’t fall apart when you look at them...
 
Wilhelm said:
I bought one of the new made SSD bolt carriers from Dingo and he assured me that the new made parts are properly heat treated. He explained that, when our rifles were built, the heat treating was not done in house and there were QC issues. They are now done in house to proper hardness. If that is true, the new disconnectors should be fine. Also remember that, supposedly, some of the fire control parts (including the disconnector) were made in the US for 922 compliance. If that is true, we can't blame those failures on SSD.
Click to expand...

I got one of his new carriers a couple months ago and have run a couple hundred rounds with it, no problems. The 922(r) parts clusterfu** with the PTR-44 has been well documented. I didn’t intend my post to come off as an SSD bashing session, more of a question of inherent design flaws with the Stg-44 FCG.

Thanks to all who’ve chimed in, the wealth of knowledge among members of this forum is extremely helpful.
 
Another PTR44 broken part. wow … I'm surprised ... yeah. :facepalm: Yup - disconnector victim here too. Mine sheared at the range and was replaced with original WW2 parts. I have to agree with Desert Faux on this point. We spent a F' ton of money of these rifles just to own them. They break. We fix them with another F' ton of money, then we are afraid to shoot them for fear or breaking them … again. I'm sitting on 2000 rounds of brand new PPU and several hundred reloads. I would have blown through all this ammo by now if I wasn't afraid of breaking my fav toy. This rifle is more costly than a 21 year old, perfect 10, DD blonde. It's great that we have some spare parts now. THANKS DINGO !!! and THANKS PETE !!! BUT, we shouldn't be needing them at such low round counts. This isn't WW2 Germany, 4,000,000 Russians aren't knocking at the door, there aren't 1,000 B17s dropping bombs on the factory, forced labor isn't building any of the components to these rifles. I expected MUCH better when I pitched out my $4,300 on this thing +$ +$ +$ +$ +$ +$ +$ +$ ...

I know, I bitch more than anyone about this rifle. So why don't I sell it? Because an original is around 200 $100 bills +/- … that's why, and I just got to have one. :hail:

Dog
 
Mine is going off to the Wizard soon with a whole laundry list of things I want corrected, from a broken disconnector to a loose front sight base with a bunch of stuff in between.
 
Now that these rifles are approaching 10K on the internet I only bring out my 44 on special occasions like a friends request. My fire control group is OEM so I don't relish the idea of having to send it out to St Louis again. :facepalm: Basically my PTR44 rifle has become a collectable and I now treat is as such. :hail:

If I want to shoot the piss out of something like it I will choose my PTR32. Shooting characteristics are close and I don't have to worry about trashing a 10K Gun.:thumbsup:


 
I can't help it. I HAVE to shoot mine. I can't stand just staring at something. Over time, I hope to get a few dents and some rust on there.
 
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