Matching qve45 K43 sold at Auction

[AN-94]

I recently tried my luck on a qve45 no letter block I found online and just didn't have enough funds to afford what it sold for but I think it's a nice rifle to post here for reference. Am I right to assume that this is the going rate for a matching K43 these days? And is there any price difference between a Walther and a BLM K43 or are they pretty much even? Link below is the rifle I tried to win, hopefully it went to a forum member. Really hope I can find another one like it (I love the 2 tone Durofol/laminate combo).

German K43 Eagle proofs QVE 45 maker code ser. | Proxibid

Bid in a Proxibid online auction to acquire a German K43 Eagle proofs QVE 45 maker code ser. 3281 from Janzen Auctioneers.

www.proxibid.com

 

[mrfarb]

Doesn’t say what it
Sold for so….

 

[AN-94]

Doesn’t say what it
Sold for so….

Oops, thought it did.
Sold for $4750 + 15% premium.

 

[mrfarb]

Looks like time to sell!

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Looks like a really nice one from what is shown. Wish we knew what’s under the hood. Too bad you couldn’t have bought it. I’ve lost out on nice ones too and it sucks.

In my experience there’s no price difference between Walther or BLM rifles. It goes by condition and if it’s totally original or not. That’s where your price rates are at.

That’s actually about right price wise. They can go for more. Nothing in the G/K.43 world now is cheap, except mag pouches for some reason. I guess there’s a ton of them that came from Russia which flooded the market that could be why.

If anyone is taking note, first report of this one in my serial number listings. Always neat to find a new one to add.

 

[AN-94]

Good to know there's no difference between makers price wise, it sounds like I'll need to keep saving up for one then if condition and originality are the things to watch for. Hard to believe that a little over a year and a half ago, they were less crazy than this. What happened that made the market so hot for them?

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Very limited supply of non-molested ones and considerable interest in them from collectors willing to pay for them. Probably 90% of these rifles have been molested in some way. Mostly it’s the stocks that have been sanded and jacked with. Next thing is the mismatched and re-stamped parts. The “90%” is just my personal, unscientific guess as to how many have been messed with overall.

Original G.43 bcd rifles, now those command a bit higher price if the condition is nice. They are really far and few between.

It’s not just G/K.43’s, but other WWII guns have seen this kind of jump in prices. The ones I can think of now are Radoms, P.38’s, Lugers. Just to name a few. Radom pistols especially it seems.

 

[RampantLion]

Looks like a really nice one from what is shown. Wish we knew what’s under the hood. Too bad you couldn’t have bought it. I’ve lost out on nice ones too and it sucks.

In my experience there’s no price difference between Walther or BLM rifles. It goes by condition and if it’s totally original or not. That’s where your price rates are at.

That’s actually about right price wise. They can go for more. Nothing in the G/K.43 world now is cheap, except mag pouches for some reason. I guess there’s a ton of them that came from Russia which flooded the market that could be why.

If anyone is taking note, first report of this one in my serial number listings. Always neat to find a new one to add.

I would add that a few variations of mag pouches that supposedly came from Russia are cheap. Fabric pouches and late war pebbled pouches are extremely rare and command very high premiums.

 

[ls6man]

I would agree with these sentiments…

The extreme majority of G/K 43’s have issues…mostly stock sanding and stuff applied to the stocks.. or are mismatched. While some collectors don’t mind a stock which has been steel wooled or lightly sanded…I personally believe it takes the rifle down a tier and I most likely am not interested in it. Same thing with stock finishes applied post war.

Finding a truly unmolested rifle is very difficult and due to scarcity and collector interest… “you” often have to pay top money or even over top. While it sucks sometimes at least there “are no excuses “ which to me is important.

I bought this “no letter block” QVE earlier this year through GB.. the bidding went a little higher than I hoped. I’m into it for essentially the same as the OP’s rifle. However it is truly a “no excuses “ rifle which is totally complete.. sight hood, rod, sling, manual and spare parts kit.. so a “turn key” example in excellent condition. The milled action cover I felt like was a bonus.

I personally do put a 10% premium on DUV/QVE over AC, with BCD being another 10-15% over DUV/QVE. I say that simply because I see fewer “no excuses,” DUV/QVE rifles.. especially QVE. I know the Brits captured the factory but feel like most of their production probably went east.

Given the scarcity of truly unmolested rifles I feel the new norm for one (without manual/spare parts or sling) is @$4500.

Greg

https://imgur.com/a/uiSCS4t

 

[Joseph Burke]

Looks a nice rifle based on at least what's shown of the stock. The incorrect sling is a big detraction for me as is the missing dust cover. Why? Well, you can't say this one is right as rain.
What about the internals: is it matching? Cleaning rod and sight hood original? If no, then that's another detraction. The reversed recoil lug raises questions for me especially since it's a Berlin-Lubecker rifle. I have a Walther and a Gustloff where it's opposite the norm but that's quite unusual in my opinion for a BLM rifle in particular as they were very consistent in quality and the production details all the way to the very end. My own experience is that these auction houses can be dumping grounds for rifles/firearms with intentionally undisclosed discrepancies with crappy listing images and in the end there is no recourse for the buyer as most are "as-is" with no exception. Always heavily scrutinize auction house pieces.
You might have missed a bullet by avoiding this one, but I'm curious if we'll see it posted here soon and hopefully it's worth the selling price, plus the premium, plus the sales tax, plus the shipping costs. and plus the packaging costs.
Me, I have my doubts based simply on the crappy listing because it's literally like drawing straws on whether it's a really nice rifle or an undisclosed turd.

 

[AN-94]

I thought given how poorly the listing was described and the lack of photos, I might have had a chance at getting this one a bit cheaper. Obviously didn't work out but if I'm paying full retail on a K43, I better have someone show me the bolt components and the receiver under the wood for damage. Didn't notice the recoil lug being reversed, thanks for pointing it out. It's a shame most K43s had their wood messed with, would be nice if more survived untouched. I do really want a nice matching qve45 with Durofol handguard though, guess it's back to saving up and looking for one.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

I had to look twice, but this one does have a dust cover. I thought at first it didn’t either. At the very end, some original qve45 rifles have been reported with stock numbers being off by a few numbers. No telling what the deal is with the stock recoil lug.

 

[Joseph Burke]

I had to look twice, but this one does have a dust cover. I thought at first it didn’t either. At the very end, some original qve45 rifles have been reported with stock numbers being off by a few numbers. No telling what the deal is with the stock recoil lug.

Sure enough. I overlooked the dust cover. Although a petty item, missing pieces really stir my doubt.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Yeah, that's just what nice ones cost these days. The one caveat I'll add is that I might be willing to pay that in person at the auction, but the internet fees (anywhere from 15-30%) that you get bidding via Proxbid would take that right out of what I would consider reasonable. Some auction houses have their own hammer fee even for in-person,* so always read the fine print for that particular auction house before bidding.

*I mean, they're all taking a cut, even Gunbroker. Point being check whether the fee comes out of the final price before the seller gets paid, or if it's tacked onto the final price as an additional charge for the buyer. It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other territory but you still need to keep an eye on it so you can best judge how high you want to bid.

 

[heavy_mech]

Yeah, that's just what nice ones cost these days. The one caveat I'll add is that I might be willing to pay that in person at the auction, but the internet fees (anywhere from 15-30%) that you get bidding via Proxbid would take that right out of what I would consider reasonable. Some auction houses have their own hammer fee even for in-person,* so always read the fine print for that particular auction house before bidding.

*I mean, they're all taking a cut, even Gunbroker. Point being check whether the fee comes out of the final price before the seller gets paid, or if it's tacked onto the final price as an additional charge for the buyer. It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other territory but you still need to keep an eye on it so you can best judge how high you want to bid.

Those fees, hidden or disclosed can add a considerable amount to the price. Buyers should definitely be aware of this and read terms and conditions.