M1 Garand or G43

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Jack Package

Jack Package

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I am thinking about getting a new rifle and want to add to my historical collection. I have always loved the large caliber semi auto's of ww2. I was thinking and was gonna add either a 8mm g43 or a 30-06 M1 Garand. Price is no factor and i have never used a g43 but owned a M1 Garand and sold it for a SVT. I was leaning more to the G43 cause i love German rifles but don't know if they are bad shooters like they jam a lot or are really picky with ammo. Just would like so advice from some who has had more experience with the G43 platform.
 
The Garand is a classic. No collection of WWII arms is complete without one. The G43 is similar to the SVT so if you still own the SVT if might be repetitive to have both.
 
I've got Garands (thank you CMP). If I had to get another WW II relic, it would be a G-43. Mind you, I'd rather have a FG-42 ;)
 
When I was a boy I had a friend, a WWII vet, who had a G43. I was not impressed with it, and if I intended to seriously shoot the rifle, I would definitely go with the M1.

However, as a wall-hanger or collector's item, the G43 is fairly rare and would make a fair-to-middling investment.
 
I'm with Vern.
The G43 looks OK, Shoots OK, right up to the point it breaks,
Even the Czechs never got all the bugs worked out with their postwar versions.
Like the G41, a G43 belongs in every super serious WW2 collection but the Garand is far and away a better shooting rifle.
 
I also agree with Vern. The G43 is a great collection piece, but for a shooter I would definitely take the M1 instead. Not that you can't shoot a G43, but if it were mine there would always be a little voice in the back of head wondering if the next shot would be the one to break something.

I think my ideal collectible G43 would be one that was sabotaged (for instance, had the gas port not fully drilled) by the slave laborer who assembled it.
 
The G43 is a great collection piece, but for a shooter I would definitely take the M1 instead
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Indeed. If you don't own a Garand, you should order at least one from the CMP while you still can.
 
I've got mulitiples of all 3 rifles mentioned. However I have only hunted with one of them - the G/K 43. I bought my first one in about 1955 and liked it so well that I retired my K98k bringback that had been my hunting rifle for 3 years. I still have the 98k, but it has not been shot in 50 yrs.
I still hunt with a 43 altho I also now have a mismatch that I rebarreled to 7.62 Nato. I have only had one (1) problem with the 43s - shed an extractor once so now have a G33/40 in camp as a back up. Have Never had to use it, but it's there just in case.
Sarge
 
M-1, SVT 40 Tokarev, G-43 (aka K-43)

I've never fired an M-1 or SVT, but read extensively about both, and both have about equal powerful ammo. The M-1 is the better of the two, in every way.

I have fired the K-43, and it is a sweet shooter. I'd pick it for myself. Some in this thread hunt with it. The 8mm in commercially loaded ammo is a little less powerful than most 30-06's. The K-43 is usually the most expensive and most collectible. It was developed mainly as a sniper rifle, and has no bayonet lug. The original scope is sometimes found with the rifle.

Continue your research to decide which best meets your needs.
 
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You already had an M1 and an SVT..get the G43...make sure it's in good shape then get a shooters kit for it and shoot away...

Mine is a pussy cat and the brass lands about 5 feet away. And it shoots just as well if not better than most M1s it's age using wartime ammo....
 
Ammo Capacity and Reliability

The SVT 40 and K-43 both have 10 rd. box magazines, or can be loaded with stripper clips (chargers). The M-1 was limited to 8 rds. via en bloc clips, but was far more superior to the SVT, which was noted to have the reputation for jamming and other malfunctions.
 
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The G/K.43 is a very desirable collectible, as is the SVT. But as a using rifle the M1 is far superior to either. Still, it might be better to acquire a 43 now, since prices are rising steadily and they are becoming scarce, while the M1 is around in sufficient numbers as to be available a good ways down the road.

The G/K.43 could have been a much better rifle had the Germans had the opportunity to refine it and work out the bugs, but for some reason they didn't have the chance. Something about losing a war, I think.

Jim
 
Opinions

Jim K said:
The G/K.43 is a very desirable collectible, as is the SVT. But as a using rifle the M1 is far superior to either. Still, it might be better to acquire a 43 now, since prices are rising steadily and they are becoming scarce, while the M1 is around in sufficient numbers as to be available a good ways down the road.

The G/K.43 could have been a much better rifle had the Germans had the opportunity to refine it and work out the bugs, but for some reason they didn't have the chance. Something about losing a war, I think.

Jim
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Nazi's : No !:mad:

K-43 : Yes !:D
 
I sold a rare BCD code G-43 a few years ago. They shoot well, but if something breaks, it's done. Spare parts are pretty much impossible to find.
 
G43s are quite rare and as such are incredibly expensive. they were intended to be a rapid follow up sniper rifle but snipers didn't like the accuracy and stuck with their K98s. so I guess from a curio standpoint, they are a good rifle to have as a german style scope would make it a genuine sniper rifle as they all have the scope rails(from what I've read). however I wouldn't be entering it in and vintage military competitions.

the SVT40 is an odd looking design, almost futuristic. it got a bad rap for reliability and rusting issues but that's more than likely due to the fact that russia never trained their conscripts to take care of their guns. given good maintenance, they work just fine, never have heard a range review on accuracy though.

M1 garand has a cult following, is way cheaper and easier to acquire than either of the other two when purchased from the CMP(a few extra hoops to jump through but worth it in the end). they are generally quite accurate, although take down and reassembly is pretty comprehensive.
 
The SVT 40 and K-43 both have 10 rd. box magazines, or can be loaded with stripper clips (chargers). The M-1 was limited to 8 rds. via stripper clips
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The M1 uses the en bloc clip, not a stripper clip. Other large capacity rifles that use stripper clips (the Lee Enfield, the SVT 40 and so on) are slower to load, because they require two stripper clips to bring them up to full capacity.
 
Yes, but with two motions I can load 16 rounds, compared to say the SVT 40 where the same two motions only load 10.

In fact, you can load the M1 so fast that you can maintain a rate of fire that will turn the barrel red hot and ultimately break the rifle down.
 
G43 / k43

The SVT38 & SVT 40 were the inspiration for the German G41 (which was unacceptable), but later morphed into the Walther G43 / K43.

The only thing I don't like about the K43 is that the bolt carrier handle is on the left, but the SVT40 and M1 have theirs conveniently on the right.

For the record, I like the SVT40, K43, and M1, and would be proud to own any and all three. I am just more familiar with the K43.:)
 
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