#K.43

In my last article on the K.43 I said that if I was able to get my grubby paws on an SVT-40 I’d do a comparison of the gas systems. Well, after getting extremely lucky on a GunBroker listing, I’m able to do just that.

Today’s Photo of the Day comes courtesy of my inability to keep my wallet closed. The Karabiner 43, or K.43, is a Second World War era semi-automatic rifle chambered in 8mm Mauser. Sometimes referred to as “Hitler’s Garand” (most notably by the book of that title) this rifle was created to replace the more finicky Gewehr 41. The Gewehr 43 (G.43) uses a gas system very similar to that of an SVT-40, a three-part short-stroke gas piston. In fact, a side-by-side comparison of the SVT-40’s gas system and the Gewehr 43’s gas system shows some parts that look almost interchangeable. Though of course, they are not.