There is a picture of a G-43 with what appears to be a 20 Rd. Magazine, in the book OUT OF NOWHERE. I had no idea the Germans ever made them. Has anyone here ever seen one?
There is a picture of a G-43 with what appears to be a 20 Rd. Magazine, in the book OUT OF NOWHERE. I had no idea the Germans ever made them. Has anyone here ever seen one?
Somebody has referred to them as modified WW1 GEW trench mags.
Well the photo I'm referring to made it, at least to me, look like a giant G-43 mag. I did some checking just now and Wikipedia says "an unknown number of late war G-43s were converted to 7.92X 33mm caliber, using standard Stg-44 magazines..." Perhaps that's what I saw....
Interestingly Jackson Armory in Dallas has two G-43s (at least they did a couple of months ago) made or rebuilt in Brazil, .30'06 cal., modified to use U.S. BAR mags. I was told they were a real issue weapon in the Brazilian forces. Wikpedia confirmed Brazlian production by Itajuba.
Last edited by Griff Murphey; 07-23-2011 at 09:33.
The G-43 extended magazine in the book "Out of Nowhere" appears to be in 7,92x57mm not 7,92x33, they did have experimental magazines for these rifles. A common magazine that is adopted to the G-43 is the MG13 magazine which holds 25 rds. The German WW1 trench magazine is without feed lips and has a smooth sides being designed for a bolt action using strpper clips.
Some of the G-43 rifles made in Brazil for the 30-06 have been for sale here in the US.
Thanks! The book is at my office and I'll report back tomorrow. What you suggest about the MG-13 mag sounds right.
I haven't examined one of the trench mags for the '98 but I do own its opposite number; the '03 air service one and it did not make sense to me you could adapt something made to replace an M-98 floorplate as a magazine to work in a G-43. At least, not without welding-on new feed lips etc.
The extended G-43 magazine pictured in "Out of Nowhere" is not the MG13 magazine as the indents on the sides are different
RCS:
Yes, I just looked at an MG-13 mag on the web and you are absolutely right. The detents on the MG-13 mag look very close to the G-43, however.
But that said... "Close" in magazines is not very "close," sometimes....
Some "authorities" installed 25 round "air service" magazines in m1903 snipers (W&S). While it makes fun picture is there any real reason to believe these oversized magazines were really used as sniping equipment?
Regards,
Jim
I don't think I said the Air Service mag was ever used in sniping. I said that TYPE of magazine, which replaces the magazine floor plate, did not seem to be practical for conversion (of a Gew 98 trench mag) to fit in the G-43 without welding up mag lips, etc. In fact I think the A/S mag would have been VERY impractical on any type of 03 sniper variant, because the shooter would have had to fire a very high prone and may NOT have been able to use some concealment and support otherwise available due to the huge box mag.
Last edited by Griff Murphey; 07-31-2011 at 07:55.
Griff, you didn't make the comment about the 03 w/Air Service mag but back in the 60's a little booklet on sniper rifles was published that did. Just for good measure the author also included a grenade launching boot on the buttstock.
I agree with your points. The size and weight would make these very impractical for sniping use. The one exception might be for a sniper firing from a prepared armored loophole.
Regards,
Jim