Gunsmiths in Canada familiar with G43s?

JasonGTA

JasonGTA

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Canada?
Hey everyone, I have a WWII German G43 that had a bolt carrier with a damaged and then brazed on and painted black stub that I would like properly repaired and finished so that it looks original. I know Apfeltor in the US specializes in G43s, has anyone sent in a bolt carrier for repair? I also remember hearing about a real good smith here in Ontario that does a lot of work with older military firearms, I believe it was something like Vulcan?

The front site base also needs the dovetail filled in since it was opened up for a commercial bead style site...who ever did it didn't even bother to make it fit right either and it looks really bad.

Here are the pics of the damage
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It might be better to have a new front sight made to fit the base than piss around trying to repair the base.
The bolt carrier is ready to be replaced doing anything else would probably be a waste of money.
most Gunsmiths could make the sight and ebay or the EE for a carrier.
 
For your own safety I would replace the bolt carrier. Keep the damaged
bolt carrier if it is matching to your receiver but don’t use it.

Replace the front sight base assembly and front sight since it’s been
Bubba’d.
 
Got the guys at work to build some material, then I fit the site, cleaned it up a little and blued it. I think it turned out quite well!

I also picked up a bolt carrier from another member and put the original matching brased one aside. Now all I need to find is a stock.

View attachment 539615
 
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I purchased G43 which was repaired by Apfeltor. Similar looking welding was done on a carrier but just forward of where it is on your bolt carrier. Rifle still blew up despite shooter's kit installed and only blanks fired through it. I've never shot live out of it and highly doubt seller did after it was repaired. I dont think it was BFA that caused it because rifle didn't even have enough gas cycling back to eject properly. I was firing "G43" specific blanks out of it too, maybe 80-100, back receiver wall cracked and safety/ring behind safety switch went flying in my face. So yea... From what I read online/was told by people who dealt with damaged/repaired G43's I don't recommend firing those things if there was any damage related to over-gassing. I was told if one part goes than chances are very high other parts are also affected to a certain extent. Apfeltor website has a post warning about these things happening even if rifle is fully "tuned" by them.
 
The only way I would shoot this rifle would be with the gas system completely blocked, and only with reduced loads,I have tried it on mine and it turns it into a straight pull bolt action rifle. works OK.
The 'flapper' locking system is quite strong, but the bolt carrier was always the weak spot, that's why the later bolt carriers had a reinforcing rib added.
 
M1-Garand said:
The only way I would shoot this rifle would be with the gas system completely blocked, and only with reduced loads,I have tried it on mine and it turns it into a straight pull bolt action rifle. works OK.
The 'flapper' locking system is quite strong, but the bolt carrier was always the weak spot, that's why the later bolt carriers had a reinforcing rib added.
Click to expand...

Yea, it does kick brass way way out there with milsurp ammo... Receiver walls look a lot less sturdy than SVT too. When I got that G I had a BFA with large enough hole that rifle was stovepiping or failing to cycle all together with bolt slightly moving but not hard enough to kick the brass or grab next round plus shooter's kit was installed so it was definitely not over gassing issue. Pretty sure ammo was not an issue as well. I was using Atlantic Wall G43 specific full length red tips, AW blanks are probably best ones available on the market. I found a K43 on here for my friend, one with milled parts rather than cast. Thing was almost double the price of a G IIRC. We only fired it handful of time with live ammo. He uses it only for reenactment and without a BFA. When it comes to shooting WW2 German guns I'd rather stick with my K98 :) That same person who owns a K43 also has a P38. That thing has 2 cracks on it's slide now. Right in the middle. Both sides cracked. Pistol can still be fired but it's a single action only pistol now :)
 
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There are no cast parts in a G43,all parts are forged (Read Hitlers Garands by Darrin Weaver)
Besides a shooters kit you also have to replace the old tired springs, I did that on mine ,they are at least twice as strong as the old ones, otherwise the poor rifle will beat itself to pieces.
With the strong springs and shooters kit with 1.5mm orifice the brass ejects about 4 feet.

On the P38, they are known for cracking the slides, happened to mine as well from firing Can. military sub machine ammo through it.
Now with the replacement slide it only gets mild handloads.
 
I see you selling it. Disclose everything to the buyer that it might blow up in his face and that the front sight
is a homemade job and not original. Is your replacement bolt carrier a welded repair job too like the first one you posted?
You don’t want anyone to get hurt by dumping a questionable rifle.
If you haven’t fired it I guess you wouldn’t trust it either???


Your EE Advertisement:

Walther G43 Sniper
1944 dated Walther G43 sniper rifle, with original WW2 ZF4 scope. Bolt, bolt carrier, gas system, receiver all match.

Bolt carrier has been repaired and touched up with black paint and the wrist of the stock was modified post war and the ensuing crack was repaired.

Bore is nice, should shoot quite well. I have never fired it so I am not sure how accurate it is.

Looking for $5500 obo + shipping

I also have an apfeltor kit + springs I can include for $130

note: I repaired the front site base back to original spec after the dovetail notch was modified.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
I see you selling it. Disclose everything to the buyer that it might blow up in his face and that the front sight
is a homemade job and not original. Is your replacement bolt carrier a welded repair job too like the first one you posted?
You don’t want anyone to get hurt by dumping a questionable rifle.
If you haven’t fired it I guess you wouldn’t trust it either???


Your EE Advertisement:

Walther G43 Sniper
1944 dated Walther G43 sniper rifle, with original WW2 ZF4 scope. Bolt, bolt carrier, gas system, receiver all match.

Bolt carrier has been repaired and touched up with black paint and the wrist of the stock was modified post war and the ensuing crack was repaired.

Bore is nice, should shoot quite well. I have never fired it so I am not sure how accurate it is.

Looking for $5500 obo + shipping

I also have an apfeltor kit + springs I can include for $130

note: I repaired the front site base back to original spec after the dovetail notch was modified.
Click to expand...

I got full refund for the one that blew up exactly for that reason. Seller did not disclose full history. This particular rifle was in Ontario for a while, changed hands multiple times. I looked into it deeper, asked questions old schoolers within WW2 community and what do you know. This rifle was owned years ago by somebody I know and there was more than one person present when it got damaged for the first time. I was told they actually blew up 2 on the same day.
 
M1-Garand said:
There are no cast parts in a G43,all parts are forged (Read Hitlers Garands by Darrin Weaver)
Besides a shooters kit you also have to replace the old tired springs, I did that on mine ,they are at least twice as strong as the old ones, otherwise the poor rifle will beat itself to pieces.
With the strong springs and shooters kit with 1.5mm orifice the brass ejects about 4 feet.

On the P38, they are known for cracking the slides, happened to mine as well from firing Can. military sub machine ammo through it.
Now with the replacement slide it only gets mild handloads.
Click to expand...

My bad, forged, not cast. K43 has milled parts instead of forged. The G I had came with aftermarket springs as well as shooter kit. It had a big bag of original parts to go with. 4 feet? Wow. K that I was talking about spits Yugo brass probably 10 feet or further but that rifle is not modified in any way. $7000 rifle IIRC correctly that you cant hit a broad side of a barn with. We shot pumpkins at Silverdale with it once at 100m, thing hits 2-3 pumpkins away from the one you are aiming at.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
I see you selling it. Disclose everything to the buyer that it might blow up in his face and that the front sight
is a homemade job and not original. Is your replacement bolt carrier a welded repair job too like the first one you posted?
You don’t want anyone to get hurt by dumping a questionable rifle.
If you haven’t fired it I guess you wouldn’t trust it either???
Click to expand...

As you can see in the EE ad, I do say that I have repaired the front site to its proper configuration and I will be sending a full album of the work done and the process to any potential buyers. I will also be informing potential buyers of the dangers of firing repaired Walther G43s and that this rifle was damage from over gassing. The replacement bolt carrier is in perfect condition.

I don't fire any of my WW2 German collection due to possibly damaging original components and I trust all of them to fire if I really wanted too. And I would feel perfectly comfortable firing light handloads out of this all day long. Which I planned on doing with this rifle until I had a few other items pop up I would like to get.

No need for the attitude, look at my trader rating and speak to anyone who has bought an item from me if you really feel the need. I am not a piece of ####, so maybe you are just projecting?
 
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VuDu666 said:
My bad, forged, not cast. K43 has milled parts instead of forged. The G I had came with aftermarket springs as well as shooter kit. It had a big bag of original parts to go with. 4 feet? Wow. K that I was talking about spits Yugo brass probably 10 feet or further but that rifle is not modified in any way. $7000 rifle IIRC correctly that you cant hit a broad side of a barn with. We shot pumpkins at Silverdale with it once at 100m, thing hits 2-3 pumpkins away from the one you are aiming at.
Click to expand...

All the parts were forged, the early once were externally machined for cosmetic reason, that was soon stopped as it would speed up production by leaving the exposed parts rough forged, of course all the important surfaces were machined.
I don't know what was wrong with your rifle, mine shoots as accurate as my M1 Garand;
Of course I don't shoot surplus ammo through it,only handloads and than only starting loads from the Lyman or Hornady manual.
Too expensive a rifle to blow it up.
 
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It’s not attitude, calling it out is the right thing to do.
A Fast Buck for a questionable rifle to an unsuspecting buyer down the line that eventually will get hurt? Come on.
JasonGTA said:
As you can see in the EE ad, I do say that I have repaired the front site to its proper configuration and I will be sending a full album of the work done and the process to any potential buyers. I will also be informing potential buyers of the dangers of firing repaired Walther G43s and that this rifle was damage from over gassing. The replacement bolt carrier is in perfect condition.

I don't fire any of my WW2 German collection due to possibly damaging original components and I trust all of them to fire if I really wanted too. And I would feel perfectly comfortable firing light handloads out of this all day long. Which I planned on doing with this rifle until I had a few other items pop up I would like to get.

No need for the attitude, look at my trader rating and speak to anyone who has bought an item from me if you really feel the need. I am not a piece of ####, so maybe you are just projecting?
Click to expand...
 
Coyote Ugly said:
It’s not attitude, calling it out is the right thing to do.
A Fast Buck for a questionable rifle to an unsuspecting buyer down the line that eventually will get hurt? Come on.
Click to expand...

As I said before, I will disclose all information to any potential buyer. Never in my years of buying and selling 100s of firearms have I had an issue with something I have sold. Go through my EE feedback and see for yourself.

And in the usual CGN fashion, the thread gets derailed and arguments ensue lol.
 
My feeling is this is going to be the rifle that blows up on you.
It doesn’t matter how many firearms you sold that determines if this
rifle is going to have an issue, only a competent gunsmith can determine that.
You should check the headspace and have every part inspected for cracks
given the failure of your bolt carrier.
Personally I would not touch this rifle with a 10 foot pole.
This isn’t the only rifle out there and I would be very fussy as there are better ones out there - no modifications,
breakages and repairs. It’s either unsafe relic grade or shooter grade after inspected by a gunsmith.
I have no doubt you’re an excellent seller but it’s the the rifle in question under scrutiny with it’s history of the
Bolt Carrier failure. Safety is number one. You don’t want your customer to get hurt or injured.

JasonGTA said:
As I said before, I will disclose all information to any potential buyer. Never in my years of buying and selling 100s of firearms have I had an issue with something I have sold. Go through my EE feedback and see for yourself.

And in the usual CGN fashion, the thread gets derailed and arguments ensue lol.
Click to expand...
 
M1-Garand said:
All the parts were forged, the early once were externally machined for cosmetic reason, that was soon stopped as it would speed up production by leaving the exposed parts rough forged, of course all the important surfaces were machined.
I don't know what was wrong with your rifle, mine shoots as accurate as my M1 Garand;
Of course I don't shoot surplus ammo through it,only handloads and than only starting loads from the Lyman or Hornady manual.
Too expensive a rifle to blow it up.
Click to expand...

I dont own that K, I just found it on here for the person who wanted to buy one. He wanted a G but K came along and he bought it. A lot more expensive than a G43. Im talking about like 3 grand more expensive. According to the research him and I did, looking at blocks and corresponding serial numbers and all it seems that this rifle was made in March or April of 1945, really last runs. Front part of the receiver, one where rear sight sits looked totally different from what G43 I bought. There are tool marks visible on it. Owner didnt take it apart entirely, at least not while I was present, so I don't know what rest of it looks like. I honestly dont know what to tell when it comes to rifle being totally inaccurate. It was purchased for collection and is being used during reenactment events at museums. Blank rounds with no BFA. Rifle is mechanically sound and looks like it has no damage, we fired it, maybe 50-60 rounds through it, owner wont mess around with it nor is willing to send it to gunsmith to deal with accuracy issue. Thing is just too expensive and rare to be messed with. There is another G43 that's being brought out to reenactment events on regular basis, that thing actually works well with blanks and a tack driver with live ammo but it does chew up tips of blanks like machineguns do, Funny thing is, that guy's been sitting on 6 effin G43 mags... Rifle only came with 1 or 2, than he went to see an order gentleman who has huge collection of milsurp stuff, man had several deactivated Maxims, so on and so forth. Long story short, man had 4 magazines and no rifle to go with it. Sold it for pocket change because he had no idea what they were for :)
 
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Coyote Ugly said:
My feeling is this is going to be the rifle that blows up on you.
It doesn’t matter how many firearms you sold that determines if this
rifle is going to have an issue, only a competent gunsmith can determine that.
You should check the headspace and have every part inspected for cracks
given the failure of your bolt carrier.
Personally I would not touch this rifle with a 10 foot pole.
This isn’t the only rifle out there and I would be very fussy as there are better ones out there - no modifications,
breakages and repairs. It’s either unsafe relic grade or shooter grade after inspected by a gunsmith.
I have no doubt you’re an excellent seller but it’s the the rifle in question under scrutiny with it’s history of the
Bolt Carrier failure. Safety is number one. You don’t want your customer to get hurt or injured.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt touch any G43 with a 10 foot pole after what happened to one I bought. There are couple of them kicking around within Ontario WW2 community, one is actually quite nice, almost pristine and all, gets brought out all the time but every time guys fire live ammo out of it and Im offered to take it for a spin I just pass. That comes from a person who fired enough questionable firearms including things from 19th century :)
 
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