Most unique K43 VoPo ever...no joke!!!

[agentcq]

Most unique K43 VoPo ever...no joke!!! (Authentic Wood Stock, etc.)

This is not my rifle, but I have permission to share pictures and discuss and of course it is in Canada!
Rifle is marked.
Left receiver:Reichs Eagle, WaA 359, K 43 ac (over) 45 2220 'a' suffix. Two captured 'x's and two VoPo sun bursts (I have stumbled into at least three examples like this recently).
Right receiver:WaA 359
Receiver: Single Lug
Barrel; 335 ac (over) N
So far things are pretty standard for a VoPo. This is where it gets interesting.
Stock is solid wood (walnut?) not a laminate stock. VoPo Sunburst '28' marked on wrist and under the butt marked serial number 2220.
Hand guard cast aluminium which was once painted reddish/brown and only retains ~5-10% paint.
Have any of you ever heard of a rifle like this? Some type of VoPo experimental stock/handguard?
Possibly a left over WWII wood stock remarked by the VoPo?
I have never seen this before...and don't know what to say.

I would have first assumed the hand guard was a repro or home made, but the quality is quite excellent and when it happens to be on the first VoPo rifle I've seen or heard of with a solid wood stock it makes me wonder if it is at least VoPo Legit.

There are many variations with VoPo rifles, but his one breaks many rules.

 

[waffenmeister]

From the couple pictures shown, that stock looks to be Elm.

 

[sprat]

before we both offend someone, I read on another site yesterday. A poster was offended by the abbreviation VoPo it should be Vopo, so consider that in the future as we do not want to offend anyone. this must be the protocol for now on comrade

Nope never seen a alum handguard on any east german rifles, probably a post- import replacement made after the owner or previously owner, who fired the rifle and could not readily find a replacement, they are not easy to find. Of the numerous eg examples 20-50 plus, I have looked at and handled. I have never seen the oddities of this particular rifle here in Amerika! (off to the FEMA camp for sprat, oh wait they already have room for me, see you all there)

I will let the K/G-43 experts comment on the use of a hard wood stock.

another interesting variation

 

[k98dave]

Just a guess in my part but could that handguard actually be a mold for the bakelite material that was used?

 

[Joseph Burke]

Just a guess in my part but could that handguard actually be a mold for the bakelite material that was used?

That's a pretty logical guess as it appears dead on an original Durafol hand guard.

 

[WreckTangle]

The aluminum looks like a casting and not milled. Are there any milling marks?


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[Winchester Cowboy]

The aluminum hand guard looks like it came from a hobbyist doing a sand casting mold, and the impression was maybe taken from a Durofol Hand Guard.

 

[Bavarian Joe]

Holy porosity, Batman.

Definitely sand cast. I wonder how many shots you could get off before it too hot to touch.

 

[Wernher von Beige]

Holy porosity, Batman.

Definitely sand cast. I wonder how many shots you could get off before it too hot to touch.

Agree, with this and the two posts before it.

It's most likely a hobbyist job. Backyard sand casting. Roger that on the porosity -- at the very least should have cast it a little "taller" and milled the bottom flat.

Probably never see another one like it -- unless Amateur Foundryman made some for friends.

 

[agentcq]

Here are some pictures of hand guards.

Top to Bottom:
Original Wood
Original Durofol
Vopo synthetic
Repro Durofol

Certainly a cast and polished aluminum hand guard and the casting must have come from a Durofol or Vopo synthetic guard versus wood guard, as the internal profile is different on a wood guard.

Here are my general conclusions and thank you for help from the collector community and Claus.

Wood (likely elm) stock is either an original vopo stock and possibly WWII German stock that was forced matched by the vopo. Likely vopo if one was a betting man.

Handguard, cast aluminum either by an individual or possibly by the East Germans. If they were experimenting with wood stocks and their own synthetic hand guards due to availability, perhaps they were experimenting with aluminum hand guards as well. Aluminum was scare in WWII Germany, so it is highly unlikely to be any WWII German experiment.

Otherwise it seems to be a standard (but double vopo proofed) K43.

As it is a vopo, I really don't know if the wood stock increases value or not? It is so unique, it is a cool variation, but also so unique that it would likely scare off a lot of purchasers as it simply isn't the 'typical/correct' format. You also have a hand guard that if cast by an individual is unique paper weight with not to limited value and should be replaced. Thoughts?? Long story short, I may be making an offer on this rifle as it is so unique.

 

[GunKraut]

After WW2 East Germany became the king of fiber reinforced pressed resin components, heck, they build entire micro-car bodies out of hot pressed cotton fibers embedded in phenolic resin. It's highly unlikely that with a familiar technique on hand, the East Germans would resort to producing hand guards using lost mold sand casting even for a small production run.

 

[sprat]

since east german firearm rebuilds come in different variations, I rarely set a price rather a range, lots of east german rebuilds were for other organizations than the police( Vopo, Stasi) they are not marked with sunburst. I like this rifle better than the K-98K EG proofed, posted yesterday, I also liked that other EG k/G-43 posted last week

the alum handguard would detract, but I would scour the earth for the right one, since matching is not a requirement

My big distractors are East German firearms that have been monkeyed with ( Bubba) after importation, that's my gauge. IE refinish stocks ( recent), fake proofs to enhance its WW2 lineage, the story, etc along with fake items being added to enhance a firearm, repro slings, sight hoods, blacked out holsters, they always send up red flares for me.
Aluminum handguard man that would add a new dimension


if it were me I would buy it knowing I will come across a handguard one day if the asking price is right is this a private deal??

feel free to pm me, on what I would offer

Regarding the use of plastics, Yes they ( East Germans) used the polymide and other resins for hand gun grips, but not on rifles until the mid- late 60's and even then it was Bakelite. Polymer stocks and handguards did not coming to play till the late 70-early 80's. by the mid 60's K-98's were placed in reserve. Most EG K98k ended up being Warsaw pact military aid sent to the Mideast, SE Asia and Africa .
exception I do recall a article or post on what was believed to be a East German polymide /resin handguard similar to the WW 2 version

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

Just something interesting from my listings:

These two rifles are two that are known before and after the one you posted.

K.43 ac45 #1977a: No scope rail (only information I have on it from Claus Espeholt’s G/K.43 list)

K.43 ac45 #2243a: Reported to have a Durofol handguard, mismatched rifle (Claus Espeholt listed rifle)

 

[atomiclux]

Just a guess in my part but could that handguard actually be a mold for the bakelite material that was used?

Mold? Hum...then why bother to paint it. My money is on it being a home job done a long time ago before Fleabay crap repros began to appear. Just my 2 cents and worth exactly that. Cheers!

 

[agentcq]

Just something interesting from my listings:

These two rifles are two that are known before and after the one you posted.

K.43 ac45 #1977a: No scope rail (only information I have on it from Claus Espeholt’s G/K.43 list)

K.43 ac45 #2243a: Reported to have a Durofol handguard, mismatched rifle (Claus Espeholt listed rifle)

Interesting enough the gent that owns this hard wood VOPO just picked up another K43.

This second rifle is not a capture rifle.
K43, ac over 45 9257a
Dual lug rifle
All matching

Sadly, he wants to keep the hard wood as a shooter. His rifle, so I can understand.