Hungarian 43M rifle with a G.98/40 receiver

[Pat]

I found this at a very small local gunshow this past Friday. It's an odd-ball, even for a family of weapons that are already difficult to find. There are a number of known variations with 43M rifles, but usually differing only if particular components were numbered or not. I've not seen the use of parentheses on model designations except in the case of the G.24(t), but only one letter is encased with those, not the entire designation. A Gunboards member has one that is just like this one, but his is a bolt-only m/m:
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?91612-Hungarian-43M-marked-G98-40

If anyone has any information on this sub-species I'd love to hear it. I haven't taken the action out of the stock, so there might be additional interesting aspects under the woodbine. There is some odd stock graffiti, but nothing so bad that I would pass this up for the price. I didn't think I'd find anything at this show, so I felt very lucky to find this one. Maybe it was the shirt I decided to wear on Friday...?

Pat

 

[Pat]

Hmmm,...

Pat

 

[Wolfsburg]

That is a really cool find! Such an oddball but then again, I like oddballs...

 

[sek2dts]

Ya that's def a really cool find. Thank you for posting.

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[stephen]

Pat, I saw that rifle at a show a few weeks ago and asked about it on forum. This is what I got

Stephen

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?30102-Hungarian-43M

 

[jack944]

later production

I agree with Hambone's theory given the proofing. Question is when it was done...later German produced rifles had more laminate stocks.

 

[Pat]

Pat, I saw that rifle at a show a few weeks ago and asked about it on forum. This is what I got

Stephen

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?30102-Hungarian-43M

Thanks for the link, Stephen. I saw that thread but had forgotten about it, at least in the course of finding/buying this rifle. What show did you see it at?

I agree with Hambone's theory given the proofing. Question is when it was done...later German produced rifles had more laminate stocks.

Diversion for Hungarian production appears to makes sense, Jack. There's even dispute regarding the extent to which Danuvia contributed to 43M production, as prevailing opinion holds that FÉG made these exclusively. Moving production into wine cellars and caves points to places like Gellért Hill, Castle Hill and the Citadel area in Buda as likely candidates. Buda didn't fall until 13 February 1945, while Pest had fallen on 18 January 1945. Not a ton of time in between, but if the rumored assembly continued, it would have provided a little more. There's probably more information available in Hungarian documents, but almost nothing in English.

The barrel shows proof/inspection stamps (Kossuth crest and circled 'E'), but no WaA or Beschussstempeln. The stock is also not stamped, which is correct for Hungarian production and use. This serial number range would put production in 1944. That might be another clue: would post-war assembly include stamping matching serial number components? I have no idea, but it strikes me as more of a wartime step in the process. Maybe Brother Pisgah will be along to check out the pics and offer some thoughts...

Best,
Pat

 

[stephen]

I think it was Angles Camp, guy named Robert I think

I liked it but was not sure and to far out of my area to go back

 

[Pat]

Got it. I found it from the same seller in Placerville.
Best,
Pat

 

[sturmgrenadier]

I found this at a very small local gunshow this past Friday. It's an odd-ball, even for a family of weapons that are already difficult to find. There are a number of known variations with 43M rifles, but usually differing only if particular components were numbered or not. I've not seen the use of parentheses on model designations except in the case of the G.24(t), but only one letter is encased with those, not the entire designation. A Gunboards member has one that is just like this one, but his is a bolt-only m/m:
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?91612-Hungarian-43M-marked-G98-40

If anyone has any information on this sub-species I'd love to hear it. I haven't taken the action out of the stock, so there might be additional interesting aspects under the woodbine. There is some odd stock graffiti, but nothing so bad that I would pass this up for the price. I didn't think I'd find anything at this show, so I felt very lucky to find this one. Maybe it was the shirt I decided to wear on Friday...?

Pat

Nice find Pat!

 

[RyanE]

The rifle is at the tail end of the A block (probably early 1944) so I have no doubt this is a standard 43M using a rejected or surplus receiver. The parentheses are certainly an odd way of cancelling the 98/40 designation.



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[Pat]

I forgot I had this pic of a cut-away 43M from the Museum of Military History on Castle Hill in Buda-

They also had a small mock-up of a fighting position in a house/apartment in the Battle of Budapest-

 

[Pisgah]

Cool example! I agree with the others in that I believe it is a leftover G.98/40 receiver put together as a new 43M. I have not seen one like it before and the parentheses around the model designation on the siderail is new to me. Here is a link to a 43M thread with one example earlier and a second example later:

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?55-43m

I have a 43M with a Nazi firing proof. It is kind of on the opposite end of the spectrum from your rifle (German receiver incorporated into Hungarian production versus otherwise Hungarian marked rifle with German firing proof). I bought it from a member who asked questions about it and posted photos a while ago:

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?4372-Sporterized-43M

I do not have a good idea of why it exists in this form and have not had it repaired yet.

 

[Pat]

Very nice examples in those links, thanks for sharing that! Interesting to see the 'opposite' end of the spectrum as represented by your sporterized example