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Strange G41 or G43 bolt

GunKraut

Senior Member
I ran into an odd bolt, thinking it was a G41 bolt judging by the milled flats on each side. Upon closer inspection, the bolt showed several features typical for G43 bolts such as as the longer cam ridge on the bottom and the straight plateau connecting the locking lug openings. A typical Walther G41 bolt would have a shorter cam and a deep groove between the locking lug openings to accommodate the taller G41 firing pin carrier. In the second picture the strange bolt is the one below, in the third picture it's the top one. Both are proofed 359 for Walther. Obviously it has less material removed than a typical G41 bolt and would resemble a G43 bolt if it weren't for the flats on the sides. Could this be a transitional bolt from late G41 production or early G43 production? There is one more observation: The bolt was probably operating in a heavily over pressured gas system as the rear end of the bolt is pretty smashed from slamming into the back of the bolt housing. The tab sticking out of the recoil spring retainer has been deeply impressed into the rear end of the bolt and this imprint resembles the square tab of the G41 retainer and not the rounded tab of the G43 retainer. Any suggestions?
 

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Thank you Brian. Judging by the imprint a square recoil spring retainer tab left behind, I assume this bolt was most likely operating in a milled bolt housing as I haven't observed square tabs used in stamped bolt housings. But then again, my assumptions may be totally off...
 

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