Guns International #: 101396597
Seller's Inventory #: CM20-332

Category - Walther Rifles - Military Rifles - German

Category
Walther Rifles
Military Rifles - German

WW2 1944 Vintage German Walther "ac44" G43 Rifle in 8mm Mauser ** Beautiful All-Matching & 100% Original Rifle! ** SOLD

Description:
This is a very nice all-original and all-matching World War 2 German G43 rifle made by Walther.  Known today by some collectors as "Hitler's Garand", the G43 or Gewehr 43 semi-auto rifle was Germany's answer to the M1 Garand.  It was designed to give the German soldier comparable firepower to the semi-auto rifles in service with the U.S. Military forces they were fighting.  The semi-automatic G43 was developed as an improved version of the earlier G41, using a gas-operated short-stroke piston design that bled off the operating gas from a port in the barrel rather than at the muzzle like the G41.  The G43 was designed to be easy to build and require the least amount of skilled labor as possible.  It used innovative mass-production construction methods that used a large number of cast parts as well as stamped and welded sheet metal trigger housings.  The bolt assembly was unique in that it was designed with two easily replaceable locking lugs that could be swapped out in minutes when worn.  These WW2 G43's came with a 21.5" inch barrel, a 10-round detachable box magazine, a hooded front sight and adjustable tangent rear sight, an integral optics rail on the right side of the receiver, a 2-position safety mounted at the rear of the receiver, and a laminate pistol-grip stock set with a cupped buttplate.  The buttplate has a spring-loaded trap at the rear that was designed to hold spare bolt parts and a cleaning kit.  The top handguards were constructed of either laminate wood or a brown Bakelite, and the nosecap functioned to both hold the handguard on and provide a sling mounting point.  The G43 rifle proved itself very capable on the battlefield when it was used properly as a regular infantry weapon.  It was capable of laying down a lot more firepower than the K98 with reliability, and was certainly accurate enough as a regular infantry weapon.  Where it was determined to have shortcomings was in extreme cold weather on the Eastern Front, and when it was used as dedicated "sniper" rifle with the ZF4 scope and mount attached.  The extreme cold had a detrimental effect on it's reliability, and it simply was not accurate enough to be a true sniping weapon, especially with the relatively poor design of the ZF 4 scope.  The G43 rifle was built by three different companies during it's production run and went on to serve the German Military well to the end of the war, with later rifles being renamed the K43 or Karabiner 43 (design remained the same, different in name only).  This particular example of the G43 is a Walther made example from 1944.  As mentioned previously, it is an all-original and matching gun that is 100% complete and functional except for the small sliding dust cover on top of the bolt which is missing.  These dust covers were often the source of trouble on these rifles when they got dirty and it is not uncommon for it to be missing, having been removed by the German that carried it to improve reliability.  This G43 almost certainly was brought to the States as a "war trophy" by an American G.I. after the war ended and is NOT an import-marked gun.  The original factory blue and phosphate finishes are all in very good condition overall, showing only minor wear and handling marks with no bad spots or eyesores.  As you can see from the pictures provided, this Walther G43 is very handsome and all of the metal parts show a consistent level of patina and finish wear.  All of the numbered parts on this rifle are original and matching, including both of the removeable locking lugs in the bolt (the most frequently mismatched parts on these rifles).  All of the factory stampings and German Military inspection Waffenamts are intact, clean, crisp, and legible.  The bore in this G43 is excellent, bright and clean with sharp lands and grooves still visible in the rifling.  There is no visible pitting or erosion in the bore, only a touch of very light frosting in the grooves.  The original red-glue laminate stock set on this Walther G43 is in beautiful shape overall, free from any real cracks all the way thru the wood, chips, repairs, or major damage.  The laminated wood shows only some very minor handling marks and scratches/dings that you would expect to see on a combat-used rifle from WW2.  While the stock has been very lightly sanded at some point in the last 70 years, the original German Waffenamts are still partially visible on the left side of the butt and the inside face of the pistol grip.  All of the original stock hardware is still intact and in good shape, including the buttplate, recoil lug, band spring, and forend cap.  The original issue cleaning rod is also still in place and in good condition, as-is the front sight hood.  This "ac 44" G43 comes complete with an original WW2-issue 10 round magazine that is 100% functional in good condition overall.  It still has a great deal of the original factory black-painted finish intact, and the original stampings are still crisp and legible.  It is stamped on the lower left side with the maker's code "aye" (a sub-contractor), a "WaAB43" Waffenamt, and "G43".  We have no doubt that this G43 will function just as well today as the day it left the factory if the new owner chooses to fire it.  The action is smooth and slick, and the bolt locks up perfectly into battery when allowed to slam shut properly.  All of the controls on this rifle are in perfect working order, and the 2-stage trigger breaks nicely for a combat rifle with a relatively light pull and no sloppiness.  If you have been looking for an investment-worthy G43 for your WW2 weapons collection this Walther "ac 44" code G43 would be an excellent choice.  You would be hard-pressed to find a better example that is 100% matching and original like this one.                  

SOLD

Curio/Relic: Yes
Manufacturer: Walther ("ac" Code)
Model: G43
Serial Number: 2680k
Caliber Info: 8x57mm (8mm Mauser)
Bore: Excellent
Condition: Very Good / Excellent
Barrels: 21.5" Inches
Manufacture Date: 1944
Extras: Original WW2 "aye" code 10-round Box Magazine, Original Cleaning Rod, Front Sight Hood