the real thing/aluminum

Had a long conversation with an elderly sweet grandpa at wife's restaurant today, he was with the Luftwaffe Ist Abn Div in Holland from Dec 44 to March 45, was a MG42 gunner, wore the abn helmet, tunic,yellow collar tabs, ect, attended jump tng but never jumped because all the planes were shot down, carried a MG 42 w 2oo rd belt on shoulder, paratrooper knife in left trouser leg pocket, fork & spoon in other, double claw belt w canteen, eier grenaden (egg grenades ?) and a LUGER. Was issued it, carried it, test fired it, never used it,doesn't remember what kind, threw it, the MG, & ammo in a dike somewhere in northern Germany before capture by USA. All offices, NCOs, squad leaders, and MG Gunners were issued either a P38 or Luger.

Had problems with aluminum MG rounds, they melted in the barrel. They loaded their own belts from loose rounds, had to be careful. Have you ever heard of aluminum casings?