This is a little project I've been tinkering with for a while now. It's not quite 100% done yet, but it's close. It's built off a 99% matching 43 BYF rifle (everything but the floor plate was matching original, including all the wood and bolt parts) and uses a vintage Kahles-Wein H/4x60 scope and low turret mounts. The mounts are numbered to the rifle, and it is as close as I could get it to matching up to an original German 1943 sniping manual's illustration of the low turret sniper rifle. I haven't got a chance to shoot it yet, so I am curious to see what kind of accuracy I get from it. But the bore was in really good shape and the rifle was a bringback (no import marks) that had a bad original ejector, so it appears that it might not have been shot much before its original owner parted ways with it. Anyways, hopefully it will shoot as good as it looks.
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Ohhh,thats nice ,is it still in 7,92 ?? Looks great ,please do tell after range shooting. A++
Ohhh,thats nice ,is it still in 7,92 ?? Looks great ,please do tell after range shooting. A++
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
I hope you would not sell it, but to the right person, its worth a ton.
I hope you would not sell it, but to the right person, its worth a ton.
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Nice - I have an all matcching byf 41 with Zeiss Zielvier in SSR mount.
A really fun rifle to own/shoot.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!
What ammo are you using?
I use 200Gr SMK with 47.0Gr of N140 - pretty much spot on on the sight ramp markings.
Nice - I have an all matcching byf 41 with Zeiss Zielvier in SSR mount.
A really fun rifle to own/shoot.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!
What ammo are you using?
I use 200Gr SMK with 47.0Gr of N140 - pretty much spot on on the sight ramp markings.
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
I have been toying with the idea of building one of those for a while. Yours might have pushed me over.
I have been toying with the idea of building one of those for a while. Yours might have pushed me over.
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Having built a few WWII clones, I think that's about as close as you're going to get without getting ridiculous. I think it looks great, nice work!!
here's a couple of my WWII toys, one clone and one bringback:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/bcw1284/CopyofIMG_0126w.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/bcw1284/IMG_0119.jpg
Having built a few WWII clones, I think that's about as close as you're going to get without getting ridiculous. I think it looks great, nice work!!
here's a couple of my WWII toys, one clone and one bringback:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/bcw1284/CopyofIMG_0126w.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/bcw1284/IMG_0119.jpg
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Thanks, all. I've got a few projects in various stages, including a Russian TIGR that I've put into full military SVD specs save for the 24" barrel (those are, at the present, Genuine Unobtainium) with a 1pn51 night scope, a pretty nice Mosin PU, a 1994 SA M1A standard with USGI parts that I am kicking around the idea of an XM-21 replica build out of (if I can come up with an ART-TEL or an ART II scope for it, or maybe a AN/PVS-2 and a replica Sionics SS14 suppressor?) and just picked up a 1960s vintage Remington 700 ADL in .308 that is eventually going to wind up as a decent replica of an M40 (hopefully), so I might be adding some more photos to the gallery.
I know there are some folks that turn their noses up at "fake" sniper rifles, but to me it's better to have one that is mechanically and cosmetically near to an original as possible, than to not have one at all. I don't try to pass any of them off as something they are not, hence the term "replica" instead of "fake". So thank you for the positive feedback; it IS appreciated.
And to answer the questions:
SKH- Yes, it's still in 7,92 all serial numbers are exactly as it came from Mauser in late 1942/early 1943; not restamped and no import marks. The only thing I've done to it was to add on the vintage scope and repro turrets by soldering the rear base and steel epoxying the front on (to avoid messing with the heat treatment to the receiver around the chamber)and replacing the ejector with one that works, and adding an original sight hood and cleaning rod, and a replacement original cupped butt plate (but I saved ALL the original parts. I avoided drilling the receiver so that IF I or someone else up the road ever wants to put it back, they could. I certainly don't intend to, but someone after me might and I wanted to save that possibility. It was not 100% original as the floor plate number didn't match, but a matching bolt gun that hasn't been restamped is still pretty rare so I didn't want to alter anything that couldn't be undone.
Alaskaman11- I didn't have any intention of selling it when I built it and still have no interest in doing so now. I guess IF someone just threw absolutely silly amounts of money at me over it, I might consider it, but I would insist on some sort of unobtrusive marking being added first to show it is what it is, so nobody up the road could pass it off as an original (assuming that it ever COULD be in the first place to an informed buyer- but a novice might get burned, and I would not want to contribute to that sort of thing). But no; it's not for sale. I put WAY too much time, energy, and got lucky finding the exact rifle I did to match the period sniper manual's rifle, to likely ever replace it.
BasraBoy- As far as ammo for this one, I have about 120 rounds of FNM target ammo for it which will give me reloadable brass, and about 900 rounds of Argentinian 8mm with bad primers to pull down for the bullets (that I got for $40) and was planning on trying Varget and AA2520 with them once I start loading for it. Every rifle is different as to what shoots good out of them, but its a place to start.
Emilio- Go for it; they are a fun project and while I don't agree with their politics, those Germans sure knew how to make a beautiful firearm! There are a couple of really good replica mounts out there; Robert Speilauer in Austria makes the BEST ones and does great mounting work if you do a turret mount, and Igor (Mikes2HB on evilbay) also sells nice mounts. You don't have to go as nuts on them as I did on this one to get a great shooter; lots of room all along the spectrum for what you want to put in it. For a first time build, though, I would really suggest a nice short side rail build. That way you don't have to have the scope completely dismantled and soldered into the rings.
bcw1284- Nice G/K43 you have there! And the 03A4 project is going to turn out great too, I'd wager. And yes, I'll admit I *did* get a little carried away on trying to make this one as near to perfect as I was able. It will never BE an original sniper, granted, but I wanted it to be close enough to have a really sharp displaying piece that I could also go shoot without stressing out over breaking numbered parts on a $10,000+ original. Best of both worlds...
Thanks, all. I've got a few projects in various stages, including a Russian TIGR that I've put into full military SVD specs save for the 24" barrel (those are, at the present, Genuine Unobtainium) with a 1pn51 night scope, a pretty nice Mosin PU, a 1994 SA M1A standard with USGI parts that I am kicking around the idea of an XM-21 replica build out of (if I can come up with an ART-TEL or an ART II scope for it, or maybe a AN/PVS-2 and a replica Sionics SS14 suppressor?) and just picked up a 1960s vintage Remington 700 ADL in .308 that is eventually going to wind up as a decent replica of an M40 (hopefully), so I might be adding some more photos to the gallery.
I know there are some folks that turn their noses up at "fake" sniper rifles, but to me it's better to have one that is mechanically and cosmetically near to an original as possible, than to not have one at all. I don't try to pass any of them off as something they are not, hence the term "replica" instead of "fake". So thank you for the positive feedback; it IS appreciated.
And to answer the questions:
SKH- Yes, it's still in 7,92 all serial numbers are exactly as it came from Mauser in late 1942/early 1943; not restamped and no import marks. The only thing I've done to it was to add on the vintage scope and repro turrets by soldering the rear base and steel epoxying the front on (to avoid messing with the heat treatment to the receiver around the chamber)and replacing the ejector with one that works, and adding an original sight hood and cleaning rod, and a replacement original cupped butt plate (but I saved ALL the original parts. I avoided drilling the receiver so that IF I or someone else up the road ever wants to put it back, they could. I certainly don't intend to, but someone after me might and I wanted to save that possibility. It was not 100% original as the floor plate number didn't match, but a matching bolt gun that hasn't been restamped is still pretty rare so I didn't want to alter anything that couldn't be undone.
Alaskaman11- I didn't have any intention of selling it when I built it and still have no interest in doing so now. I guess IF someone just threw absolutely silly amounts of money at me over it, I might consider it, but I would insist on some sort of unobtrusive marking being added first to show it is what it is, so nobody up the road could pass it off as an original (assuming that it ever COULD be in the first place to an informed buyer- but a novice might get burned, and I would not want to contribute to that sort of thing). But no; it's not for sale. I put WAY too much time, energy, and got lucky finding the exact rifle I did to match the period sniper manual's rifle, to likely ever replace it.
BasraBoy- As far as ammo for this one, I have about 120 rounds of FNM target ammo for it which will give me reloadable brass, and about 900 rounds of Argentinian 8mm with bad primers to pull down for the bullets (that I got for $40) and was planning on trying Varget and AA2520 with them once I start loading for it. Every rifle is different as to what shoots good out of them, but its a place to start.
Emilio- Go for it; they are a fun project and while I don't agree with their politics, those Germans sure knew how to make a beautiful firearm! There are a couple of really good replica mounts out there; Robert Speilauer in Austria makes the BEST ones and does great mounting work if you do a turret mount, and Igor (Mikes2HB on evilbay) also sells nice mounts. You don't have to go as nuts on them as I did on this one to get a great shooter; lots of room all along the spectrum for what you want to put in it. For a first time build, though, I would really suggest a nice short side rail build. That way you don't have to have the scope completely dismantled and soldered into the rings.
bcw1284- Nice G/K43 you have there! And the 03A4 project is going to turn out great too, I'd wager. And yes, I'll admit I *did* get a little carried away on trying to make this one as near to perfect as I was able. It will never BE an original sniper, granted, but I wanted it to be close enough to have a really sharp displaying piece that I could also go shoot without stressing out over breaking numbered parts on a $10,000+ original. Best of both worlds...
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Beautiful piece!!!
i actually have a Brno factory k98 that was made in one of the labor camps. it was a captured gun that had the wafenampts polished off unfortunately and then a bring back i guess because of no import marks, has a winter trigger guard and front sight hood too, and i put a reproduction leather sling ion it. itt looks pretty good, but i was wondering where i could but a cleaning rod, and a scope and mounts (real or replica) also is it hard mount the rings and scope to a stock rifle? thanks for your help. w the extra money I'm makin over here in Iraq, i might actually get to work on this project and my Carlos Hathcock rifle project too
Beautiful piece!!!
i actually have a Brno factory k98 that was made in one of the labor camps. it was a captured gun that had the wafenampts polished off unfortunately and then a bring back i guess because of no import marks, has a winter trigger guard and front sight hood too, and i put a reproduction leather sling ion it. itt looks pretty good, but i was wondering where i could but a cleaning rod, and a scope and mounts (real or replica) also is it hard mount the rings and scope to a stock rifle? thanks for your help. w the extra money I'm makin over here in Iraq, i might actually get to work on this project and my Carlos Hathcock rifle project too
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
Sandman555, thank you. There are two different sizes of cleaning rod (a 10" and a 12", as I recall), so you would need to see which one fits yours. Also, be aware that the reproduction cleaning rods out there supposedly have a different pitch of thread and will bugger your original threads up slightly. Better to get an original rod if you can find one. I don't have a repro rod to compare it to, but I believe there are photos online showing the originals next to the repros and the differences. I can check around and see if I can find someone with an original for sale for you, but I don't know of any offhand.
The turret mount IS pretty involved to mount the rings to the scope, and the bases to the rifle. If you decide to go ahead with it, I can get you in touch with a guy who is the best I know of in the world for doing this. Just let me know. But for what is involved in building one, there IS a reason why the turret mount guns cost so much (even the replicas).
Sandman555, thank you. There are two different sizes of cleaning rod (a 10" and a 12", as I recall), so you would need to see which one fits yours. Also, be aware that the reproduction cleaning rods out there supposedly have a different pitch of thread and will bugger your original threads up slightly. Better to get an original rod if you can find one. I don't have a repro rod to compare it to, but I believe there are photos online showing the originals next to the repros and the differences. I can check around and see if I can find someone with an original for sale for you, but I don't know of any offhand.
The turret mount IS pretty involved to mount the rings to the scope, and the bases to the rifle. If you decide to go ahead with it, I can get you in touch with a guy who is the best I know of in the world for doing this. Just let me know. But for what is involved in building one, there IS a reason why the turret mount guns cost so much (even the replicas).
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
DV - got mine form Miltech. Ed does damn fine work...and he is always prepared to go the extra mile.
Post some pics on a separate thread so as not to hijack this one!
I liked his work so much I've got a Zeiss Zielsechs I'm trying to get around to asking him to get me another rifle for....
Miltech pics:
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1830193#Post1830193
DV - got mine form Miltech. Ed does damn fine work...and he is always prepared to go the extra mile.
Post some pics on a separate thread so as not to hijack this one!
I liked his work so much I've got a Zeiss Zielsechs I'm trying to get around to asking him to get me another rifle for....
Miltech pics:
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1830193#Post1830193
Re: My 43 BYF K98 low turret replica
DV and BasraBoy, My only personal dealing with Miltech was to sell them a M84 scope for an M1D once a while back. Friendly people to deal with, paid quickly and very professional. From what I've seen of their work in person, they do a nice job of building rifles so I would think that your projects should come out nice.
DV and BasraBoy, My only personal dealing with Miltech was to sell them a M84 scope for an M1D once a while back. Friendly people to deal with, paid quickly and very professional. From what I've seen of their work in person, they do a nice job of building rifles so I would think that your projects should come out nice.
