First K43 ID info requested

[befus]

A little info on me (not that it matters, but just an explanation) I have many posts on other sites and have had a fairly advanced Mauser collection. I do not have a significant number of WWII weapons in general though. I have always desired a G/K43 though. I got a scope years ago and had a chopped G41 and G43 along the way, but decided they were lost causes and passed them on. I had a good weekend last week at Tulsa and finally just bit the bullet and got the K43 below. This forum seems to be the one with those most likely to help and with some degree of expertise, so here we go.

I have read and this is what I think I have, you guys will hopefully tell me exactly what I have. It is a Walther ac/45 K43. Looks to me to be a late war rifle (March 45?) and has the earmarks thereof. Rough finish, two bolt guide ears, vents in the bolt, two notches for recoil lug, flat storage compartment door, and stamped parts. It still retains the bolt hold open. The parts I knew enough to look at matched, including the bolt carrier, bolt, receiver, and lightly penciled lugs. The laminated stock is pretty rough with chatter marks, etc., and the only mark I could find is an eagle at the wrist. It has a rod I forgot to put back in and what looks to me to be some kind of replacement hood. Scope looks right at home. Shooter's kit and springs ordered, you tell me the rest please. Hopefully the link will work.
pix.sfly.com/-ty0vseU

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

I’ll check tonight and see if I have any prior history on it by serial number.

Your rifle is really NICE from everything seen so far. One locking lug I can’t see if it matches or not. And curious on the piston. It “looks like” an earlier one where someone drilled holes in it, but not sure. If it is, not to worry as you can easily get a correct later one and they weren’t numbered. Stock looks really good as the mill marks are present and no final proof stock stamp-okay as the mill marks are there and this is one of the last blocks out before the end. So, it was never final proofed. The front sight hood looks smaller, like a 98k hood, could be the photo too, hard to tell by the photo.

I would have probably bought it if I had attended Tulsa and came across it before you did.

This one is not a shooter. It’s highly collectible artifact. A d block at that-one of the final ones. Everything “wrong” on it is an easy fix. This one (so far) is correct (as in numbered parts and stock) and they are not easy to find in correct condition. Maybe find a good mismatch for a shooter?

Might recheck the stock keel-area just before the butt stock metal. May have to use a flashlight to see it, but it should be an e/WaAC10 stamp for the stock maker. And, check the wood hand guard as there may or may not be a e/WaAC10 stamp at the top somewhere in the middle.

 

[armenjs]

Very interesting about bolt stop being present. Your hood is not a G43, It may have been replaced or original as it came out. cant really tell. You may feel the tension on the spring/hood, repro hoods are way tougher to pull. Can we see your bolt face and hammer. I don't think its been shot at all. Save you shooter kit for your less collectable 43. this one is for inside safe only. Queen....

 

[CanadianAR]

I would also refrain from blasting away with this. Looks to be in nice shape


I have 2423d and it also has the bolt hold open latch.

 

[befus]

Thanks guys. I never want to be disappointed to find out I have a collectable piece, but I was looking forward to shooting one of these. I'll put this one away and continue looking. I feared I might have over paid, but apparently I might not have. I'll look for other markings and take some pics of the requested areas. I do very much appreciate the comments and expertise.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

I would also refrain from blasting away with this. Looks to be in nice shape


I have 2423d and it also has the bolt hold open latch.

2852d no hold open or reinforcing rib on mine. Andrew and the others are spot on with their advice. Do not shoot this one; find a mismatch and put the shooters kit on that one. Btw the scope and mount look good! Shame it's not matched

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Checked my serial number listings and it’s never been reported. Always nice to find a new one.

Shooters will be super easy to find. One like yours....not so easy. Even with the couple of small items that need replacing, it’s a very good one. Just be careful removing the sight hood. Removing it and installing another one could be sloopy and end up scratching the Hell out of the sight base, so just get some insturction and be careful doing it. Scope mount is original like stated above. Many numbered accessories don’t match as they were swapped around in the field often. So a non-matching scope mount is not a big deal at all. Good that you have an original.

Couple of more quick questions:

Firing pin housing number?

Did it have any of the butt stock accessories?

Did you find this on the upper level or lower level? Found on Friday (dealer set up day) or Saturday? -just curious as I am thinking about changing up my Tulsa walk through strategy.

 

[robber3]

Late War K43

Great find !!! This is a very late war Rifle, and it’s very hard to find a matching d block above the 3000 block serial #’s. Normally the bolt group, and or bolt carrier is unnumbered. A lot of these are found with only proofs on a lot of the parts. Most in this serial range do not have a final stock proof, and like most other d blocks it has no final firing proof on the receiver which tells me it was captured at the plant. Do not shoot it as others have stated, find another for a shooter ! Keep it as it is as it appears unmessed with, and desirable !!

 

[halygon]

And curious on the piston. It “looks like” an earlier one where someone drilled holes in it, but not sure. If it is, not to worry as you can easily get a correct later one and they weren’t numbered.

Is that just the 45’s weren’t numbered? My 44 is numbered.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

Is that just the 45’s weren’t numbered? My 44 is numbered.

As the war progressed less parts were serialized to the rifle. What letter block is your rifle.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Is that just the 45’s weren’t numbered? My 44 is numbered.

I'm not around my books right now, but I believe they stopped sometime in mid block '44 Walther rifles. At this moment of writing I can't remember which letter block it was stopped.

 

[halygon]

As the war progressed less parts were serialized to the rifle. What letter block is your rifle.

AC 44 - G block

 

[befus]

Checked my serial number listings and it’s never been reported. Always nice to find a new one.

Shooters will be super easy to find. One like yours....not so easy. Even with the couple of small items that need replacing, it’s a very good one. Just be careful removing the sight hood. Removing it and installing another one could be sloopy and end up scratching the Hell out of the sight base, so just get some instruction and be careful doing it.

Couple of more quick questions:

Firing pin housing number?

Did it have any of the butt stock accessories?

Firstly, thanks again for the kind comments and expertise from everyone. I am away from home until tomorrow, so I will check the bolt face, hammer and firing pin housing then. No accessories in the butt compartment. Can't have everything I guess .

Now, a couple of questions about the current configuration of the piece. I checked earlier, and the gas cylinder (?) that has the holes drilled in it, does have a number penciled on it. It is not the number of this rifle IIRC. If this weapon was actually captured at the factory as robber3 suggested, might it be that this gas cylinder was the one used at the factory, possibly rejected earlier for some reason? I find it hard to believe that a rifle in this condition would have another WWII era cylinder put in it if indeed it was not shot? Now for future sale value I might be better off getting one normally correct for this late war rifle possibly? The cylinder and likely the sight hood are the only parts currently thought to be incorrect at this time, right?

Check PM's T T 2.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

AC 44 - G block

yours should be numbered, your stock should be numbered externally as well.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

Firstly, thanks again for the kind comments and expertise from everyone. I am away from home until tomorrow, so I will check the bolt face, hammer and firing pin housing then. No accessories in the butt compartment. Can't have everything I guess .

Now, a couple of questions about the current configuration of the piece. I checked earlier, and the gas cylinder (?) that has the holes drilled in it, does have a number penciled on it. It is not the number of this rifle IIRC. If this weapon was actually captured at the factory as robber3 suggested, might it be that this gas cylinder was the one used at the factory, possibly rejected earlier for some reason? I find it hard to believe that a rifle in this condition would have another WWII era cylinder put in it if indeed it was not shot? Now for future sale value I might be better off getting one normally correct for this late war rifle possibly? The cylinder and likely the sight hood are the only parts currently thought to be incorrect at this time, right?

Check PM's T T 2.

It's very unlikely that that piston is original to the rifle. A lot could have happened in the last 70 odd years. Check under your handguard for carbon, there should be a small stain that was left after it was test fired. It is a common belief that these rifles that lack final firing proofs on receiver and stock never left the factory. I've also seen a majority of c and d blocks without sight hoods, it's possible they were captured on the line without a sight hood installed in the Walther factory.

 

[halygon]

yours should be numbered, your stock should be numbered externally as well.

Not stock numbered.

But this does answer my question - not all but some had numbered pistons. Thank you.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

Not stock numbered.

But this does answer my question - not all but some had numbered pistons. Thank you.

Send a photo of your stock, you can pm me

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

It's like with any of these WWII German weapons, there was no exact serial number where something (most things anyway) just stopped. There will almost always be overlaps. So, if serial numbering e-penciling stopped in the g block, at the point that stopped; there will be a few that won't have any, then some scattered here and there that will, then a stop, until finally no more numbering. It's like a "taper affect". It's never so easy as "at this serial number "X" stopped happening".

The piston on the OP's rifle is not original to his gun. I would guess that somewhere in time between 1945 and a few weeks ago, it was replaced. Why? Well, these rifles are known for the damage they inflict on themselves. Over powered modern ammo in these rifles accelerate the wear and damage. Some "bow" the back of the receivers, plus all the other problems. This looks like an attempt at a previous owner to try and tame the power of the modern ammo he was using or going to use. Drilling holes in a piston looks like where someone thought that the extra "blast" would go out the holes they drilled in. A bubba job if you will.

It is thought these c and d blocks were still in the factory when obtained by U.S. soldiers. But, there is no absolute proof some didn't make it out to the Germans (I don't think anyway). It is possible some did make it out I would think. And, it's also possible they didn't make it out. (The P38forum there is an excellent set of threads about the late P.38 ac45's at the factory's capture that is a good read).

I also have a K.43 ac45 a block that has NO final stock or receiver proof. It also had no front sight hood (and never did as the rails were not buggered up). It was a "closet find", but not by me. The rifle still smells horribly of either a horder's attic/basement/closet. This rifle, I would classify as the same as a K.43 ac45 c and d block as it has the same characteristics with no front sight hood/final proof and grease all in it.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

I need to make a correction. The “piston” I keep refering to is incorrect. I meant “gas cylinder” NOT PISTON ! Sorry guys for my inaccuracy.

 

[befus]

OK. Trying to do right by you fellows and this rifle and I have a final couple of requests to fulfil. I don't really understand the photo posting here, but will attempt to get the shots I took today to load here in the thread. I have pics of the hammer, bolt face, the firing pin carrier(?) and bolt group, some proofs I found on the lugs which I hope are not bad things, and a stamp on the top of the hand guard which Tiger 2 Tank thought might be there (I looked hard but no luck finding one on the stock, but I wasn't really sure where the keel was and found nothing in any case). That is all from this end unless someone has other requests. Thanks again.