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BCD 43 Opinions

forssmann

Junior Member
Hi, I have the opportunity to buy this rifle online but wanted some opinions on it. Sale price is $1400, matching, with a sling (not sure if its an original sling). Should there be acceptance proofs on the butt stock? Also, there are some markings on the barrel that I don't know about. One looks like "oh 8H8887 43" and the other looks like an A followed by a zigzag.
All the pictures of the rifle found here
https://imgur.com/a/JpfJnUr

thanks,
Forssmann
 
It looks good to me. Serial in the stock channel looks off but my eyes are not 100% at the moment. Looks to have the H on the right side of the stock, too hard to tell if there is an e/749 there too. Cross lug should have an "f" on it. Barrel may be a wartime replacement, may not but those numbers look good for lot number and maker codes. I've always thought "ch" barrels were replacement barrels but may be wrong. Aside from that no alarms are going off to me. Sling looks good too. From those pics I'd say the price is good for it with a rod, hood AND sling if the stock serial is ok. Didn't see a hand guard photo though or sight slide serial.
 
Last edited:
bcd43

Bolt has been renumbered so would recommend against any purchase.
Sorry Dave but didn't want to go against your appraisal but bolt is bad.
 
Bolt has been renumbered so would recommend against any purchase.
Sorry Dave but didn't want to go against your appraisal but bolt is bad.
I've ran this rifle by a few people who seem to also have funny feelings about it. I'll pass on this rifle and hold out for a better one. Thanks for your opinion
 
Bolt has been renumbered so would recommend against any purchase.
Sorry Dave but didn't want to go against your appraisal but bolt is bad.

No offense taken at all Bruce. My bad eyes this morning missed it, diabetes can be a real pain. Glad the OP got your take on it. Next time maybe I should put on my reading glasses.
 
Bolt has been renumbered so would recommend against any purchase.
Sorry Dave but didn't want to go against your appraisal but bolt is bad.


i was looking to buy this too. Bruce, how can you tell? I have all 3 of the books. Is it the number on top? it looks like a part of slash behind the one on the top of bolt? is that the clue?

looking to learn

Tom
 
bruce, was it the bolt shroud that gave it away? That is the only thing I notice. The bolt root looks fine.
 
..Note: lack of machine marks on bolt flat; different numbering dies

Excellent points here. It's nearly impossible for them to match the underlying machine marks. 1 and 5 are the biggest offenders of the font type but props for at least using period font. They're getting better... unfortunately.
 
bruce, was it the bolt shroud that gave it away? That is the only thing I notice.

That was the first thing I noticed too. They get that wrong a lot because it's hard to remove enough material to get the original numbers off without really changing the size and contour of that flat.
 
This is a BDC4 I recently picked up. How do these numbers look?

bCnD5Tmh.jpg
 
Yep. It jumps out at you with a side by side. Unlike Bruce, us mere mortals require side by side photographs sometimes. :moon:

Those bcd 43 fonts span from early to late. Many times there are changes in dies, different dies, sometimes within the same production run. But this is not one of those instances, that bolt is humped. The confusion is caused by the cocking piece and safety, which probably started life as unnumbered armorer replacements. Many of those became available in the last 10 years.
 
Go here and find a bcd 4 that is close in serial to compare and come back and tell us what you think. The answer is obvious. This is the give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish thing because we won't always be at the shows to hold your hand :happy0180: :

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?45-Picture-Reference-Index
OK. I think they are good. Specifically, because I see machining marks on the bolt root and have seen at least two other examples with similar fonts for the "3" on the bolt root and gas flange (which I note are different styles).
 
OK. I think they are good. Specifically, because I see machining marks on the bolt root and have seen at least two other examples with similar fonts for the "3" on the bolt root and gas flange (which I note are different styles).

What is the letter suffix on your bcd 4? If it has a letter suffix, why isn't it on the bolt? Notwithstanding suffix or not, compare:
The subject bcd 4:
bCnD5Tmh.jpg

Vetted original bcd 4:
011.jpg
 
No suffix that I can see. It's a five-digit SN: 21031. The rifle has also been sporterized many years ago so highly unlikely to have been humped.
 

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