The G43 was intended to become the standard infantry rifle for the Wehrmacht (replacing the Kar 98k), but production never ramped up sufficiently, and the concept of the intermediate-caliber Sturmgewehr took over by the end of the war. Mechanically, the G43 uses a flap-locking system copied directly from the earlier Walther Gewehr 41 coupled with a gas pistol system derived from the Soviet SVT-38/40. Most G43s were significantly over-gassed when they left the factories, because reliable operation in the cold and mud of Russia was much more important than having a long service lifespan. This rifle has had its gas system replaced with a “shooter’s kit” from Apfeltor, which reduces the gas system pressure to only what is necessary to run the gun in clean conditions. Without this modification, parts breakage is likely with extended shooting.
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