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German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

Frank Green

Frank Green

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 27, 2006
2,865
7,046
wisconsin
www.bartleinbarrels.com
#1
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Here is one for you. The gun started out as completely nothing. So I didn't wreck a collectors piece. Over time I picked up a stripped receiver, trigger assy., mag release, hammer assy., rear sight, etc.......We made and I installed a new barrel and chambered it in .308 Win. with 5R rifling and a 1-11 twist. Chambered and headspaced in .308 win./obermeyer reamer. I modified the contour so it flows more smoothly and made it as heavy of a contour as I could. If you look at the front sight end of the barrel you can see there is no relief cut behind the front sight. There is a nice shoulder that the front sight butts up against. The handguard is original and the stock is original but off of another gun. The only thing wrong with the butstock is the black staining on it. Trying to figure out how to clean it off. Being as this is going to be a shooter I installed an adjustable gas system and glass bedded the stock so it doesn't crack etc....Still need a correct butt plate and a recoil lug/bolt assy that goes in the stock to fill the hole. Being glass bedded I really don't need it but like I said to fill the hole is the only reason. It's been functioned tested and some small range work done to date. Gun functions and cycles with no problems. Only accuracy work done at the range has been with open sights and it shot to expectations. The last time to the range I did get a chance to zero the scope but the scope bands also loosened up on me. By the time I figured out what was going on I ran out of ammo. So in the not to distance future I will get it back out and do some more accuracy testing. Will keep you posted. Still have finishing work to do like bluing or cerakoting the barreled actions as the barrel is c.m. and is in the white. Refinishing the stock etc...

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
#4
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

here's what an all matching # k43 looks like, and no I'd never part with it, lol.

IMG_0119.jpg


I like yours though, i'm glad you put it back into service... and .308 is a good choice for practicality's sake. Is that one of the Numrich clone magazines? If so, how does it feed? i've been thinking of buying a couple to augment my old warhorse.
 
#5
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

Thanks guys for the nice comments!

BCW1284, No the two mags I have are originals and not repos. I have another G43 as well. No modifications where needed to the mags etc...gun feeds and functions just fine.

Yes for practicality sake and shooting etc....the .308win. is more versatile than the 8mm. A broader range of bullets are available, brass selection etc....

I also made a new op rod etc....for my gun. The original rod was to short. This is one reason why G43's break bolt carriers etc...My gas cylinder rod (the piece that goes over the piston), I'm going to be making a new one as well. Most of the ones I've seen even some of the after market ones have to much run out (holes are not straight etc...) and this causes the gas/operating rod system to bind. I want to see what I can do to wring out all the accuracy I can out of the gun.

Still more work to do!

Nice looking stick you got there as well!

Later, Frank
 
#8
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

You want about .010 to .030 clearance between the op rod and where it contacts the bolt carrier from what I've found out. An easy way to check this is to pop your hand guard off and with the bolt and carrier in the closed position and have a set of feeler gages in hand. Gently pull the gas piston part of the op rod to the rear so it moves the whole op rod assy. until you feel it touch the bolt carrier and hold it there. Don't put to much pressure on it that it starts moving the carrier and bolt back. While holding it use the feeler gages and put them into the gap where the gas piston part of the op rod would bottom against the piston itself. Measure the gap. If the gap exceeds .030 make a washer and shim the piston out till you set the gap properly. To much of a gap between the op rod and the carrier leads to cracked and busted carriers. You get more of a hammering effect on the carrier. I've got my gun set right now at about .008". You don't want the op rod sticking out as this will cause the carrier and bolt to possibly not go all the way into battery. Maybe my .008" is to tight? Don't know yet until I get more range time. The only thing I think it might effect is accuracy. Why? The bolt and carrier start to move before the bullet has left the barrel. I know on M14's, AR's etc...when this happens accuracy goes to hell.

Also if your going to shoot the gun at all get one of the shooters kits with a new piston and it will come with different set screw plugs with holes drilled in them. By changing the gas plug hole size you can adjust the gas system to limit the amount of gas pressure going thru the system. From what I gather the gas port drilled in the barrels is about .005" to big. A good place to start is going smaller on the gas plug. Say start with the .070 hole size. Depending on the ammo you are shooting thru the gun if it's not cycling all the way go up in size of the ports until you get proper function. You want the bolt/op rod to come about a 1/4" back from the back end of the receiver. Place a piece of tape on the action cover and you can check it that way. If the bolt and carrier are bottoming out against the receiver this is what leads to receiver damage, cracking etc....

Later, Frank
 
#10
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: usmcMT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great job Frank.I've an Hakim project in 308 I've been putting togeather. </div></div>

Thanks! Never thought of a Hakim. I've almost picked one up a couple of times but just hasn't been a priority and other irons in the fire.

I would like to pick up another FN49. I did have one of the Argentine Navy models that had the detachable magazines. Gun was really beat up though and I sold it years ago. Way before I started working for a barrel maker and had access to lathes etc....I would like to get a 7x57mm gun or a .30-06 gun and play with it.

Later, Frank
 
#11
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

I'll have to check my op rod tolerances. I don't shoot mine much, it's too much of a relic for me to do that to it. When I do occasionally shoot it, I use the new production green case 8mm (Romanian). It's a pretty light load compared to some of the crap i've run across (like turk, yikes). I figure that probably isn't as punishing as the wartime surplus garbage that's out there.
 
#12
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bcw1284</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll have to check my op rod tolerances. I don't shoot mine much, it's too much of a relic for me to do that to it. When I do occasionally shoot it, I use the new production green case 8mm (Romanian). It's a pretty light load compared to some of the crap i've run across (like turk, yikes). I figure that probably isn't as punishing as the wartime surplus garbage that's out there. </div></div>

Brad, For the most part I don't shoot any surplus ammo anymore unless it's non-corrosive and current manufacture. Yes the Turk stuff is bad! The corrosive ammo over time the powder and primer compound break down and don't have the burning characteristics like when they are new. I found this out with a pressure test barrel I did around 10 years ago and one of the guys at Hornady ran some test on original WW2 ammo, 50's dated ammo and new handloads I made for one of my guns that ammo wasn't available for anymore. He found that the old surplus ammo was on a regular basis exceeding max. working pressures.

To date my K43 in .308win. has around 80 rounds thru it. About 60 rounds of that has been handloads which where 42-44gr. of Varget and mostly 155 Lapua's. The only factory ammo I've shot thru it has been Black Hills 175gr. match ammo. In the next week or so plan on going to the range. Will shoot another 30-40 rounds thru it. Going to play with the scope on rechecking the zero and try and shoot some groups for accuracy.

Later, Frank
 
#13
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

I look forward to your range report, i've thought about putting the repro scope mounts on mine just for more utility.

I believe you about the ammo, a friend of mine had some italian surplus that was very scary... major overpressure, blown out primers, hang fires, all kinds of crap. He shot about 5 rounds then promptly broke the whole lot down for the bullets.
 
#14
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

Brad, Watch the repo mounts. Some the bolt handle etc...won't clear the mount. I got mine off of a guy on gunbroker. He has his set up on a gun and shows pictures so you know everything clears etc....also on the scope from what I've been hearing don't get the scope that Numrich sells. Seems to be a lot of complaints about them. They say to get an original scope or one of the post war Czech scopes which was made by one of the plants that made the German WW2 scopes. Mine is a post war Czech scopes. Think it's called Mepota or something like that. The adjustments work fine and scope seems to hold zero good etc...and pretty decent for clarity looking thru it. The Czech scope are reasonable on price.

Later, Frank
 
#15
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

I had heard the same about the numrich optics. I'd like to get a czech scope for mine, and it would be oddly fitting for my rifle because it actually came from Czech after the war. The man who brought it back was a GI who was stationed there as the war closed and he remained there with peacekeeping forces. He was in a railroad unit whose job was to recover German railroad property. According to this soldier, one train they found was full of weapons, including many excellent condition k43's. He brought back the k43, a Mauser 98, and many other souvenirs including: a cigarette lighter that looks like a Luger, some random bayonets, and a myriad of other small items.

Thanks for the info on the mounts, i'll try to find one of those like you have.
 
#20
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Frank Green</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: usmcMT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great job Frank.I've an Hakim project in 308 I've been putting togeather. </div></div>

Thanks! Never thought of a Hakim. I've almost picked one up a couple of times but just hasn't been a priority and other irons in the fire.They made the Hakim in 7.62. Never knew that when I started my project. Mags run fine.Want to mount a scope. Got my hands on a AG42B. Took it out of the stock to find that it was drilled and tapped for the M41 scope base. The sweed boys on GB's claim no knowledge of any optics on AG42B's. Piss on them. Don't need their help. Too easy to put one and one yogeather..

I would like to pick up another FN49. I did have one of the Argentine Navy models that had the detachable magazines. Gun was really beat up though and I sold it years ago. Way before I started working for a barrel maker and had access to lathes etc....I would like to get a 7x57mm gun or a .30-06 gun and play with it.

Later, Frank </div></div>
 
#23
Re: German G/K43 with Zf4 scope project in .308 win.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Parga</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach </div></div>

Parga, Thanks for the tip! It worked like a million bucks! Still a real faint here and there but what a improvement!

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
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