"This is a beautiful original G-43 rifle that has been in one collection for the last 30+ years and was a GI bring back gun when obtained by that collector. The gun is a RARE Gustloff "BCD" coded rifle with a B series serial number making it rather early BCD production. The SS hoarded existing G43 parts for the rifles that were to be built at the Buchenwald Concentration camp and early BCD guns will have parts from other manufacturers and Waffenamts. These few Gustloff produced BCD coded rifles were all assmebled by the SS plant until a RAF bombing raid destroyed the SS Rifle plant at Buchenwald on Aug 24th 1944, so ending production of Gustloff G43 guns for WWII. This makes the BCD coded guns the scarcest contractor of all German G/K-43 rifle's made during WWII and hardest to find today. This gun is all matching and has many V in a circle marked parts found only on BCD guns, to include the firing pin carrier and locking lugs and the bolt. I did not strip the small parts in the reciever and there may well be more Circle V parts in the rifle. The trigger guard is marked with the proper Waa C 10 Waffenamt used by the sole contractor of G 43 triggerguards, Carl Ullrich. The front bbl band is also Ullrich production but is not marked and they seldom are. Stock is original and matching numbered and has the proper Waa/749 waffenamt as well as the proper ribbed butt plate trap, milled groove front sight ramp ect, for BCD production guns. Most of the Waffenamts I can find on the rifle are Waa 134 but the trigger and connector are Waa 359 (Walther)and as BCD rifle's were aseembled by parts hoarded by the SS before produciton started and then later supplied to Gustloff from other makers, this is not unusual to find. The bolt and all parts are all original and matching where #ed and the firing pin carrier and bolt and lugs are both V in a circle marked as you can see from the pic's. There are two unexplained tiny holes on the stock near the Waa/749 markings and they were there when the collector got the gun from the GI that brought it home. The rifle is 100% original and proper to what I can find and is consistant with the description's in Darren Weaver's fine book "Hitlers Garands" starting on page 100-105 and going so forth. This is a rare chance to own one of the scarcest of the WWII German G-43 semi auto rifles of WWII and one produced by the SS at that! Buyer to pay 40.00 for shipping and that is not with insurance and that runs approx 1.25 per 100.00 dollars of value if you want it. I do ship in professional gun boxes that are new and I use USPO priority mail. Please feel free to email and questions or if you need more pic's of anything. We do need a FFL or C/R for shipment of the rifle to you. NOTE: FREE SHIPPING WITH THE BUY IT NOW PRICE! ($5,500)"
I e-mailed Mr. Greg Newton for his thoughts on this particular rifle, who gladly gave me an in depth analysis of the rifle. I want to personally thank him for opening my eyes to some of these things that I would have never caught.
Initial Thoughts
- Durofol handguard is incorrect for a bcd rifle. It has also been filed down to fit this particular one, on the back right hand side. See picture number 8.
- Gas cylinder is a later phosphate type, which is incorrect. Should be an early Type I cylinder with the two piece machining and divot, blued and serial numbered with electric pencil.
- Gas op connecting rod is the later stepped type instead of early straight type
- Locking lugs are suspect since there is no picture of the serial numbers shown on the front side, which should be electric pencil marked with the S/N. The left locking lug in the last picture is numbered '5' instead of a circle V, which is correct.
- Front sight hood seems to be a smaller K98 version instead of the taller G.43 version, but without more pictures it is hard to tell.
The rifle has the correct early parts listed below seen on all early bcd G.43s:
- Threaded muzzle nut
- Correct closed bolt handle
- No reinforcing rib on bolt carrier
- Ribbed butt plate
- No notch in the scope rail
- Stepped rear front sight base
The rifle also has the more rare acw blued magazine.
