New G43

[Gene]

Serial number on the bolt:

[Gene]

Back of the bolt

[Gene]

Stamp on trigger

[nellyp51]

Fantastic looking rifle Gene, well done.

[Jeff V]

Hi Gene, my ac44 is 6734 n block. durofol handguard. all matching

jeff

[R_Hessian]

Dual lug!

Gene,

Congrads on your rifle, below you will see a "Dual lug" receiver AC ‘45 and a " C " suffix production. I also have a tough time believing that all these hand guards were replaced after the war, if anything they more that likely were replaced during the war ( just a thought ).

One thing we do know for sure is that the later hand guards ( wood ) actually were made at the factory with a little play as they tended to split and break when made to fit tight on the rifle. This is most commonly found on ‘44 and ‘45 issue G/K’s ( the play ).

Having said that then what type of replacement hand guard was replaced on rifles with cracked hand guards in the field?

Robert

[Willi Z.]

Gene, you won't find the older collectors, who have seen these things "out of the woodwork", make such blanket absolute comments. The guys who say this are usually guys who just don't know, are repeating something they have heard, and have limited experience. I too found one, like yours, that was untouched, and from a source that would have never had the incentive, or opportunity, to swap out handguards. My father started collecting G/K43s in around 1961, or so. Neither he nor I have ever seen Durofol handguards on the market as items that one could buy to "upgrade" their rifle. That would imply thata their are wooden handguards around for sale too.

Willi, Robert, Jeff, et al,

Can you guys provide me with the serial number and subsequent letter of the ac44 G43's with Durofol handguards you have or have seen? I posted my find on a G43 website and everyone is saying that a "textbook" as44 G43 should only have a wood handguard and that the prevailing opinion of G43 collectors is that a bakelite handguard is a postwar upgrade. I find this impossible to believe, knowing where this came from and from hearing about other ac44's out there. I can't believe it's a coincidence that GI's or their families wanted to upgrade the handguard on that Nazzy rifle grandpa brought back from the war.

Gene

[Gene]

Willi,

What you say has been true so far, with people quoting Darrin Weaver's book Hitler's Garands as their source of what a "textbook" example should have.

Gene