German WWII Walther Gewehr 43 8mm Mauser Semi-Auto Rifle 1945 C&R K43 Rare
SOLD FOR: $4,525
WOA# WY240215KN008
Make: Walther. In 1945 “ac” was the German wartime code for Walther.
Model: Gewehr 43 (G43). Later designated as the Karabiner 43 (K43).
Serial Number: 4790d
Year of Manufacture: 1945
Caliber: 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm)
Action Type: Semi Auto, Detachable Magazine
Markings: The underside of the barrel is import marked “CAI. ST. A. VT.”. The left side of the receiver is marked with an “X”, denoting a Russian capture, along with “K43”, “ac / 45” (denoting manufacture by Walther in 1945), and the serial number “4790d”. The “45” portion of the maker/date mark is covered by the stock, but based on the “K43” marking and fairly low yearly serial number, it could have only been made in 1945. The sliding bolt carrier is marked “4790” below the charging handle. The bottom of the butt is marked with the serial number “4790”. The upper buttplate is marked with the serial number “4790”. The lower left side of the magazine is marked “avx”, “WaA204”, and “K43”, denoting manufacture by Sudmetall AG.
Barrel Length: Approximately 21 3/4″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a tall bladed post set atop a serrated ramped base and under a removable protective hood. The rear sight is a V notched sliding escalator. The right side of the receiver has an integral rail for an optic.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece laminate stock has a pistol grip, metal nose cap with sling bar, hole for the included cleaning rod, through bolt, sling well with pass through, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The buttplate shows painted over pitting. The nose cap is in good condition. The handguard is ventilated. The wood shows several scrapes and scratches as well as several small spots of discoloration. The LOP measures 13 1/2″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is dark. The rifling is well defined. There is erosion throughout the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 6/10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the US used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The US military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. The metal shows small scratches and scrapes. The screw heads show light use. Many of the markings are well defined, a few are faded. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with one beautiful original German WWII K-43 10 round blued magazine, with only minor marks on the finish. It appears to function correctly. The rifle also carries a K-98 leather sling attached.
Our Assessment: In the late 1930s, the German military sought to replace the venerable bolt action K-98k Mauser with a new self-loading, semi-automatic rifle. The outbreak of war after their invasion of Poland in September 1939 shelved the idea until 1941, when two legendary German arms makers, Walther and Mauser, were invited to submit trial models for the new rifle. German Ordnance specified a few design features: the barrel could not be drilled for a gas port, meaning it had to use a gas trap or “Bang” system, it could not have any external moving parts when fired, and had to be usable as a bolt action if the automatic mechanism failed. Mauser followed the specs exactly and submitted the G-41(M), whereas Walther deviated, utilizing a reciprocating bolt handle and partially uncovered bolt group, and submitted the G-41(W). At the end of the trial, the G-41(W) was chosen, as Mauser’s weapon proved heavy, costly, delicate, and not particularly well balanced. The G-41(W) was soon adopted as the G-41, but experience on the Eastern Front revealed the Soviet Tokarev SVT-40 service rifle featured a superior action, and was better liked by German soldiers, who used captured examples at every turn. In 1943, the German military adopted the G-43 (eventually re-designated the K-43), which kept the complex but workable bolt from the G-41, and took the short stroke gas piston action of the SVT-40. Some 400,00 G-43s/K-43s were produced by war’s end, and many of those late war rifles had roughly finished receivers to save on manufacturing time and cost.
This K-43 was made by Walther back in 1945, and retains a ton of the original maker’s marks and serial numbers throughout. This is a collectible rifle that can put 8mm downrange as fast as you can pull the trigger! -R.E.
