k43 Restore

Kernalvax

Kernalvax

Regular
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Location
Nova Scotia
I picked up a homley k43, a qve made in 1945, figgured it would make a good restore project...good rule of thumb is price your project before you buy the gun...this is going to cost me a fair bit more than I expected.

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What I got
K43 made in 1945
1 x magazine
1 x homley sporter stock

what I need for parts
Sight hood, cleaning rod, cleaning rod nut, stock and fore stock, spring kit, apfeltor gas system, front band spring, front band, dust cover, butt plate and screws


I got the g/k43 spring set from Wolf springs in the states, another good transaction (I got a new spring for my p14 too) the springs made a serious difference in the action. I didn't bother taking photos of the spring kit due to the fact that the new springs were stiff enough that I shot first the bolt and then the action cover over my shoulder and across the room trying to put the bolt assembly back together.
 
Stock set wooo

I ordered the stock set from a guy named Leszek Foks from Poland,

http://lestekf.fm.interia.pl/g43sk/

I was hesitant at first because I couldn't find any reviews of his work but after a couple emails back and forth my fears of getting ripped off were put at ease,
Cost of the stock was 299$ US plus shipping, shipping time was 2 weeks
the stock was better than I expected, and fitting the parts were simple and only needed a touch of sanding to seat the action. Luckly the sporter stock had the recoil bar so I just migrated it to the new stock.

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New stock next to the old sporter stock

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recoil bar installed and a good view of the red glue laminations

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a coat of Raw linseed oil cut with terpentine and a nice coat of tung oil to bring out the laminations, it had a coat or two of linseed oil before I got it but you can never have too much oil :)

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all set in her new wood, i needed to sand a tiny bit at the rear of the stock so the action would sit in behind the recoil bar like it should and a touch on the upper wood so it would sit in where the front sight protrudes forward a bit


all in all what I expected to be the hardest part is done, I've got a butt plate, gas system and other metal bits in the mail coming my way, im having a problem with the front band and front band spring.. originals are selling for alot of money.

Also to be correct this rifle should have a durofol top wood instead of a laminate but i'll get it together and see if it shoots well enough to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a 1940's resin handguard

i'll keep adding here as I keep adding to the rifle :)
 
What did the rifle cost you initially? I should say that you have one lovely rifle. No, the stock is not original but were the Wehrmacht still fighting today they would not hesitate to use Mr. Foks' stocks were they in need of them.
Well done on your find and on your improvements of the same!
 
Kernalvax said:
my initial cost was 100$ :)
Click to expand...

Pffwwwaaaahhhh????????????:eek::eek::eek::eek:

You committed highway robbery on a little old lady who didn't know what she had didn't you???

WOW.

Also, looking pretty good with those new parts. I was going to sympathise with you over the cost of replacement parts, but I'm not as sympathetic anymore:p;)
 
BEAUTIFUL rifle and excellent work! always nice to see an anti-bubba at work!

PS - How much? I'll be nice and give you 200 for the rifle! :p :p
 
You deserve a medal for this. To me, bubbaing a milsurp, especially a beautiful rifle like a Kar 43 or AG42 is an almost unpardonable travesty...

I love those old-school semis with the wood stock and protruding 10 round magazines.
 
a friend of mine picked up a G43 off an ol fella who was hard up for a drink, for 25$ and a ride to the liquorstore he got it off him. note its a G43 not the K43 and all he's missing is the stock im trying to convince him to go your rout with a repro stock that stock looks great, he has everything else so its the matter of the stock so far this fellow you got your stock from is the second guy I've heard of making stocks for G43's theres one other guy in the states but for the life of me I cant remember his name (use's a german name for his company)...dose anyone else here know who im talking about?? he restores g and k 43's only.
 
Got the gas system installed this afternoon, and the front hood sight installed as well

just waiting on the mailman to deliver more parts and hopefully i'll be able to ebay the last 2 missing parts this weekend
 
dub dub dub apfeltor.com

There are some small parts available from Numrich. They are listing repro scopes and bases for about $500 all in. Some parts (minor ones) are compatible with the K98. The other place where there are parts is Europe.

tula said:
a friend of mine picked up a G43 off an ol fella who was hard up for a drink, for 25$ and a ride to the liquorstore he got it off him. note its a G43 not the K43 and all he's missing is the stock im trying to convince him to go your rout with a repro stock that stock looks great, he has everything else so its the matter of the stock so far this fellow you got your stock from is the second guy I've heard of making stocks for G43's theres one other guy in the states but for the life of me I cant remember his name (use's a german name for his company)...dose anyone else here know who im talking about?? he restores g and k 43's only.
Click to expand...
 
thanks! thats the place I was thinking of, he has all the parts minus the stock which was a big bubba job botch up.
 
G43 Parts Sources

Ebay has repro stocks and parts from time to time.

Historical Gun Parts sometimes has parts, the sight is run by Darrin Weaver who wrote the collectors book on G/K43's.

Apfeltor is the guy in the US who reconditions and rebuilds rifles.

Numrich and Sarco has parts.

If you don't want to go through a rebuild yourself, I collect these rifles and would take it off your hands.
 
The rebuild on these is simple as any I've ever done, sourcing the parts is the only problem, its been less of a hassle that any of the enfields I've done

I expected to have to wrestle the old gas system out but even that unscrewed easily and the apelfor gas system installed in about 30 seconds

the biggest trick to refinishing is having a broad range of part sources, and a fat wallet hehehe

-T
 
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