Walther Gewehr 43 (G43 / Gew 43) Self-Loading, Semi-Automatic Rifle (1943)
With help from the Soviets, the Gew 43 improved upon the Gew 41 but was never the semi-automatic rifle envisioned by the German Army.
While outwardly similar to the Gew 41, the Gew 43 fielded a number of improvements over its predecessor. The bolt locking system of the former was retained but the aforementioned gas system itself was of an all-new design. Additionally, the 10-round magazine was now made a detachable box though still utilizing the capable 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge. This cartridge was the same as used in the standard-issue German Army Kar98 service rifle. A sight mount was directly machined onto the receiver for the fitting of an optional Zf42 series optical crosshair sight.
With production ramping up, the Gew 43 was delivered into the hands of German soldiers by the end of 1943 and placed into action immediately against the Red Army. From there, the series would go on to see combat elsewhere though, owing to limited availability, it tended to be found mostly with German special units. The appearance of the Gew 43 led to the stoppage of all production for the Gew 41 series but the Gew 41 still saw operational use - such was the dire state of the German Army towards the end of the war that any automatic weapon was better than none. German troops lucky enough to handle the newer Gew 43 ultimately respected her powerful and rugged man-stopping, self-loading qualities but the series often lacked when compared to her contemporaries.
The powerful 7.92x57mm Mauser rifle cartridge, when coupled with a scoped Gew 43, made for an effective sniper weapon system. The weapon's self-loading action worked well as the operator did not need to operate a manual bolt mechanism to ready the next shot - he could simply keep scanning for available targets and fire repeatedly until his magazine ammunition supply was spent. The optical sighting scope was fitted to the upper rear end of the receiver along two support points and all Gew 43 sniper rifles for the German Army were issued (when possible) in this simply-modified fashion.
At any regard, the Gew 43 surpassed the original Gew 41. Attempts were constantly being made to simplify the production process with plastic and even laminated wood used in the furniture to replace valuable materials needed for the German war effort. The latter months of the war saw Gew 43s leaving factories with some rather rough finishes due to haste. In 1944, the "Karabiner 43" was even brought online as an a more simple form of the base Gew 43 design. Though designated as a carbine in name, the Karabiner 43 was only shorter than the original by some 2 inches to help make her a more portable weapon system. This version was further differentiated by its larger trigger guard.
When the war in Europe concluded in May of 1945, production of the Gew 43 still continued to some extent thereafter. The Czech Army became a notable post-war operator, admiring the system's usefulness, particularly in the sniper role. In all, 402,713 Gew 43 rifles were produced - seemingly a large amount but a figure that did not truly reflect complete success for the gun. Comparatively, the American war-winning M1 Garand self-loading rifle saw production figures reach 6 million and even Soviets managed 1.6 million units of their Tokarev SVT-40 semi-automatic rifles. With that said, at least fifty Garands were produced for every one Gew 43. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Walther Gewehr 43 (G43 / Gew 43)
Self-Loading, Semi-Automatic Rifle
Country of Origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: Carl Walther Waffenfabrik AG / Berlin-Luebecker Maschinenfabrik - Nazi Germany
Initial Year of Service: 1943
Overall Length: 1130mm (44.49in)
Barrel Length: 546.00mm (21.50in)
Weight (Empty): 9.04lbs (4.10kg)
Cartridge: 7.92x57mm Mauser
Action: Gas-Operated, Semi-Automatic
Feed: 10-round detachable box magazine
Muzzle Velocity: 2,328ft/sec (710m/sec)
Rate-of-Fire: 30 rounds per minute
Range: 1,640ft (500m; 547yds)
Sights: Folding Rear; Front Post; Optional Scope
Variants:
Gew 43 - Base Production Series Designation
Karabiner 43 - Simplified production form of the Gew 43 rifle; appearing in 1944.
Operators: Czechoslovakia; Nazi Germany
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
