STG44 build

I wanted a Shoei replica STG44. Since they were sold years ago they hardly come up for sale. So I decided to build my own with a Denix and AGM replica. They each have some details that are correct and some that are completely wrong. Using parts from both with some reproduction parts I was able to get it to look about as good as a Shoei. Unfortunately it won't have any markings like the Shoei.

It took quite a bit of time and still isn't finished yet. I have many hours in looking up pictures and checking the drawings trying to figure out what is correct. I did learn a lot more about the STG44 from all the research than if I would have just bought a Shoei.

While the Denix looks decent a few feet away it is mostly inaccurate. Many of the parts are held together with wood screws. It's a pretty low quality replica. Though the receiver and grip frame are pretty close to being correct.

Since the AGM is an airsoft replica there were changes made to fit the airsoft internals. The grip frame is shaped completely different and the receiver has the whole bottom cut out. When comparing the parts to drawing I found that the barrel assembly and some of the other parts are almost perfect reproductions.

In the pictures the one on the bottom is the accurate one.

For the receiver I used the Denix. The rear sight was milled off and the AGM used. The ejection port was milled out and the AGM dust cover was fitted. That took quite a bit of time, but it looks much better than the molded dust cover. The AGM mag catch was used. The rear of the receiver was modified slightly for the AGM stock end cap to fit.

For the grip frame the Denix was used. The trigger and hammer were shaped wrong, but the pin holes were in the right location for a real fcg. The holes were drill larger and a reproduction fcg was used. The molded in safety was milled off. Using the drawings a new internal part of the safety was made and the AGM safety was attached. Reproduction grips didn't fit the grip. Since the Denix grips looked decent I reused them.

Both the Denix and AGM stocks are shaped wrong. The AGM metal parts are correct. A reproduction stock was used. The sheet metal was reformed to fit the new stock. Correct looking wood screws were used to hold them on.

The whole AGM barrel assembly was used. All of the molding lines and ejector pin marks were sanded off. The spring hook on the gas plug was cut off. The gas holes on the gas block were drilled.

With all of the parts left over I was able to assemble a 2nd dummy. While it reused all of the inaccurate parts it still looks decent a few feet away. Not needing an inaccurate replica I decided to convert it into a Star Wars blaster.

The A280C and DLT-20A are both based off of the STG44. Actually the DLT-20A was built from a casting of a A280C and some new parts. I haven't decided which one I want yet.

The reproduction trigger and sear were welded together. Spacers were made and welded on to keep the trigger and hammer centered in the grip frame. A Cetme spring was used. It would be better to make a spring with less power so the hammer hits with less force.

Milling out the ejection port and fitting the dust cover was the hardest part of the build. There was a lot of filing and sanding. While the dust cover does close there is a slight gap. There is a slight difference between the Denix and AGM receivers.

The blade on the front sight was milled off. A Mauser blade was fitted.

The o-ring is still needed on the gas plug otherwise it will go too deep before tightening.

The gas vent holes on the gas tube were traced on the gas block. I drilled a small hole in the center and slowly opened up the hole with a tapered deburr bit in a dremel.

Using the drawing I marked out the hole on the bottom of the gas block for the gas port.

The reproduction stock was very close to fitting in the end cap. I filed the stock until it would fit snugly. The stock was a little higher than the end cap so I sanded it down.

I reshaped the sheet metal until it was close to fitting the stock. With it pressed against the stock a mallet was used to tap it against the stock to mark the hole. 1 hole was drilled and counter sunk. With it attached with 1 screw it was reformed around the stock. Then the 2nd hole was drilled and counter sunk. The top piece was slightly recessed in the stock so I sanded the stock down to match.

Amazing build. You're very talented. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Great Job! Love your work, what is your next project?

There is still quite a bit to do for this build. I have to make the final versions of the pins. All the metal parts need the paint stripped and blued. The stock will need to be stained to match the grips.

The Denix bolt carrier is close to the right shape, but is missing the piston and locking lugs. The bolt handle is held on with a wood screw, which was broken when I got it. I also want to try making a bolt.

For the next project I've been collecting some parts for some rebuilds. I have a Marushin mp41 with a broken barrel. I also have a MGC68 that I want to accurize.

Instead of a Cetme spring the Denix spring can be reused. The straight leg of the spring needs an offset bent into it to keep it on the disconnector. The hammer hits with much less force so it is less likely to damage anything.

Nice work Mate

That is great work! I am sure the project is worth its efforts as you are making your own unique model and learning a lot about the real one and its details.

I can understand that once you have seen and handled a SHOEI model you just can't live with an unmodified DENIX ...

I do have a Shoei MKB42, type 1 FG42, and G43. They really are beautiful replicas. I had read somewhere that someone had swapped the stock, handguard, and grip frame on their MKB42 with real parts.

The outside of the AGM receiver looks pretty close to the Shoei. It is a 2 piece receiver like the Shoei. It has the scope mount rails on the rear sight base which is wrong. They were carried over from the MKB42 and used on the MP43, but removed for the MP44 on. I was able to easily grind them off. The bottom of the receiver is open for the airsoft internals to fit. The grip frame is shaped wrong and too wide.

The details on the Denix receiver are slightly different. With some filing and sanding it could be made to look closer to the orginal. The reason I went with the Denix receiver is because it is 1 piece, the bottom isn't cut out, and the grip frame slot is the correct width.

The Shoei, AGM, and Denix all have the same hole spacing for the grip frames. Since a real MKB42 grip frame fits on a Shoei a real STG44 grip frame should fit on a Denix.

One thing that I was disappointed with my Shoei is the stock. The stock is made out of a soft wood, shaped wrong, and finished horribly. I've seen other Shoei's that had some like mine and others that looked good.

On my Shoei the back of the stock comes down at too steep of an angle. Also the edges of the stock are rounded over. They should only be rounded on the top. The bottom and back should have sharp edges.

While trying to get a reproduction stock for my STG44 I ended up getting a MKB42 stock. It was listed as a STG44 stock and before I studied some pictures it thought it was one too.

There is quite a bit of confusion with reproduction stocks. They are all listed as being STG44, but many times that's not the pattern being sold. Some like the ones IMA sells are MKB42. The STG44 drawings floating around have a MP43 stock, so they are being replicated. The STG44 stock was shrunk down so that they would fit in the same racks a K98s.

MKB42 on the left with MP43 underneath. STG44 on the right.

That's an amazing build Thanks for posting

I finally had some more time to work on the STG44. I was able to remove the broken wood screw that held on the bolt handle. The hole was then drilled all the way through and tapped for a 4mm socket head cap screw.

The bolt handle looks pretty close to the real thing except for the chamfer on the inside. Using a counter sink bit I added the chamfer. After checking the drawings I found that it should be 60 degrees.

I've also been working on stripping the finish from all the parts. I've had quite a bit of difficulty with the AGM parts.

The Denix metal parts can be stripped with blue and rust remover. I've been doing some quick passes over the part with a torch to burn through the clear coat. Once it's removed the blue and rust remover quickly strips the finish.

I've tried several types of strippers on the AGM parts and nothing seems to remove it. For the steel parts I finally decided to just burn off the paint with a torch. Since the steel is thin it doesn't require much heat to start burning the paint.

Once the paint was removed from the steel parts I used some cold blue. Oil was wiped on to stop the reaction then wiped off. It ended up being a close match to hot blued parts and the grip frame that I had already blued.

Since the Denix's receiver pin is made of zinc I remade one out of a 3/8" bolt. I thought about drilling and tapping for a button head screw, but decided to use a e-clip. For the divots I started the holes with a center drill. Then finished with a drill bit that I rounded over.

I striped the finish off the grips and stock. They ended up being close to the same shade so I shouldn't have to stain to match. In the process the grooves on the Denix grips almost disappeared. Like they were pressed into the grip instead of milled.

Since there was still a slight groove I was able to recut them with a triangle needle file. I didn't recut the top groove to match the reproduction grips. A sanding sponge was used to slightly round over the tops of the groove. The edge of the grips were also rounded over a little more. Now they look pretty close to the reproduction grips.

I made the final trigger and hammer pins out of 5x30mm stainless solid rivets. I wanted steel rivets, but the only ones I could find were very expensive and needed to be ordered in several hundred packs. I thought about turning some from bolts, but using the rivets was a lot easier.

To start I slightly turned down the head to 8.5mm. The rest of the head was turned down to 7mm leaving 1mm to resemble a washer. It was spot drilled and the divot formed with the same 5mm rounded drill bit that I used for the receiver pin. A 1mm slot was cut 27.6mm from the head for a 4mm e-clip. The end was rounded over slightly and drilled with a 2mm bit.

I chose to blacken the rivets the same way that a cast iron pan turns black. The rivet was heated slightly with a torch and dipped into cooking oil. It was quickly pulled out and allowed to smoke. The oil starts to polymerize and turn black. The process was repeated a few times.

That completes the components of the grip frame. All that's left is to put the finish on the grips and blue the safety. After the few years of planning and many hours of work it feels good to be just about done with a major component.

It is coming along beautifully, well done!

I finally had some success with stripping the paint from the AGM parts. I'm pretty sure that it's powder coating. After some searching I found that Permatex gasket remover is supposed be a pretty good stripper. In the videos I watched it would start stripping in a few minutes.

After leaving the Permatex on the part for a few hours it didn't look like much was happening. After washing it off I was able to scrape some of the paint off with my fingernail. That's better than I've had using any other stripper. Even letting the part soak in a stripper for a few days didn't even start to affect the paint.

Since the Permatex is expensive and the paint was already softened I decided to try a 2 minute stripper. This time it was stripping the paint. Though it took longer than 2 minutes. It was more like 1 full day.

Once most of the paint was loose I put it in a ultrasonic cleaner with degreaser to clean it. When it was completely clean I dried it off and blued it. All the work paid off since the part looks much better blued than it did painted black.

With the 1st coat of tung oil on the stock it is starting to look pretty good. It did swell slightly when I stripped the finish so I will have to do a little filing for the final assembly. The grain did raise slightly so it no longer feels like a perfectly machined surface. It now has a little texture that feels like a used stock.