SKS-FILES FORUM

General Milsurp Weapons => Milsurp Rifles & Carbines => German => Topic started by: Greasemonkey on August 25, 2018, 09:46:14 PM

Title: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: Greasemonkey on August 25, 2018, 09:46:14 PM
I dug this up locally, a 1944 German G43 semi-auto in 8mm Mauser... a lesser known Nazi weapon when you consider the K98, Luger, P38, Mg42 and others. Pretty much, it's a rough copy of the SVT40 as you will see in the gas system. It's also one weapon that was never manufactured by Mauser, 3 German firms made them, Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik, Wilhelm Gustloff-Werke and Walther. Designed and made late in the war, it never saw the typical enhancements and upgrades the other weapons saw during their service life. Before the war ended, over 400,000 were made and used later by East Germany and other nations, mainly as police weapons.

This example seems to have very low wear and matching numbers with the exception of the magazine, the stock has a penciled number under the nose cap. The bore is bright and shiny. I have no clue if it's a pre '68 import or bringback, as there are no import stamps. I did do a cursory operational test, I loaded 5 rds of Prvi 8mm in it, and let it rip, to my surprise, recoil was fairly low as the gas system negates it some.


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/pzqhw7l4ag6mnao/SAM_3382.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/nj9vlamlqb14bs6/SAM_3384.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/vaowzk7eqeogwcl/SAM_3365.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/f034f5rszpiuzsd/SAM_3368.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/roujrg9mxqc4iv4/SAM_3369.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/1t06qv97xcwxz7a/SAM_3403.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/pmuqooeewsg2x3p/SAM_3404.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/kl2vt8k45huv5lc/SAM_3405.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/rdnd4jk1a8rsen5/SAM_3366.JPG?dl=0)

A few stock stamps.. it has a laminated stock, like most K98 rifles..
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/trrz1eycg9azrbm/SAM_3367.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/jdyw47jbf04oy0c/SAM_3376.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/xzvjspkgoukyr0z/SAM_3377.JPG?dl=0)

Sights and action.... and no, I didn't alter the photo of the bolt handle, it's a left side cocking knob.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/y2r8xobj4pdfycl/SAM_3396.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/4yubjh5qvkbekk0/SAM_3395.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/kfmhzcpyosopb92/SAM_3371.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/z1pqayzfkntrsh5/SAM_3370.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/6up4xhh9xx8ebat/SAM_3397.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/1owg1pd7qubau5o/SAM_3373.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/6a9yw5tsix1qi9l/SAM_3375.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/i0jys40n0q2ttqg/SAM_3406.JPG?dl=0)

Dust cover, it slides forward to the bolt and covers the action, when fired, it opens up automatically and remains open till closed manually.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/7zfgjeuiyl4m0cm/SAM_3374.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/o8novvvgvqjro6w/SAM_3402.JPG?dl=0)

And now the gas system....kinda just like an SVT.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qj02l2rfestj1ar/SAM_3372.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/2p6om2habqp1t9a/SAM_3378.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/4v6jgeh635qftfy/SAM_3379.JPG?dl=0)

And it has a storage space in the butt stock.. it had a manual dated 5.44 written in German, a replacement firing pin and extractor inside.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/9pniaqfgew0u0tm/SAM_3386.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/xvc1h0j5g8ioup0/SAM_3388.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/s4f44tn517y04gz/SAM_3391.JPG?dl=0)
Title: Re: Walther Karabiner 43
Post by: carls sks on August 26, 2018, 08:36:17 AM
nice shape, I like it.  thumb1
Title: Re: Walther Karabiner 43
Post by: running-man on August 26, 2018, 09:07:03 AM
Wow, nice pickup GM!  Are these pretty rare up in your parts?  I've never seen one locally here in NM.
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: Greasemonkey on August 26, 2018, 11:44:16 AM
Wow, nice pickup GM!  Are these pretty rare up in your parts?  I've never seen one locally here in NM.

I seen two several years ago at the Nations Gun Show in Chantilly Va... thats a huge 3 day show here in Virginia, usually if your looking for something specific, it would be there, and it will cost you, dearly.

As for finding one in the wild for sale here in the backwoods of Va.. this is the only one I've seen.
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: Phosphorus32 on August 26, 2018, 02:28:21 PM
That’s absolutely gorgeous  thumb1

That stock is really crisp and the E 359 appears correct for a Walther. The manual and spare parts are great bonus items.  :)
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: martin08 on August 28, 2018, 08:27:46 PM
Rare in these parts, too.  I've seen exactly one in the last ten years of haunting shops and shows.  It was a little different, as a Russian Capture with X-mark and black dipped metal.

Your example blows it away.
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: Phosphorus32 on August 29, 2018, 04:09:05 PM
Did I mention you need to send that old Walther to me to save yourself the risk of getting the stock nicked up in a gun rack fight by placing it next to your Garand  :o  I'll even send you back a nice battle-hardened Sino-banian and some NC Star stripper clips just to be nice  thumb1


Like Matt, I've only seen one in the wild, at a small local gun show a couple of years ago. It was sitting on a "do not touch" labeled rack with a don't bother to touch price tag  rofl
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: Greasemonkey on August 29, 2018, 05:52:39 PM
Nope.... nea1 It can sit between the Garand and...the SVT-40, just to see what happens. :)  I'm sure........errrrr I hope after all these years, they might be able to get along.


And if M08 has only seen 1, you've only seen 1, I've seen 2 others, like you said, "don't touch" with a "It's beyond your paygrade" price tag, I wonder how many are actually in the states.
Title: Re: Walther Gewehr 43
Post by: MxwllBkr on August 29, 2018, 06:22:52 PM
Very nice! It’s one very high on my “NEED” list...... I have seen 3 in NH over the last 10 years. All where priced very high over comparable GB auctions......