G-43 gas system question

[Griff Murphey]

Thanks for everyone's advice. MJ - I have fitted my first ZB mag to the gun. It works fine, hand cycled. I should know, soon, how it will work live-firing. JMO... I would rather remove a broken case than use the full power stuff, especially questionable, old foreign ball.

[Art]

Gri9ff I would be careful of commercial ammo because the is no primarey extraction like the M1 or M14 to break the case from the chamber wall and the thin web on the case head can or will seperate. Still looking for the mags.

This is true of just about all European autoloaders before the AK 47. The Tokarevs, Ljungman's, SKS and StG 44 as well as the G43 rifles all used tilting bolts without primary extraction which could and did cause problems with full power cartridges like the 7.62x54mmr and 7.92x57mmIS. The gas system is copied (imperfectly) from the Tokarev system which wasn't a rousing success either. I agree that these rifles have become valuable to the point that I wouldn't put one through any heavy use.

[Griff Murphey]

Usually it is fun taking something out of the back of the safe and getting it set up to shoot a match as something different. This is turning into a real time and money pit. I reckon by the time I shoot this three gun between the stuff I bought from Apfeltor, the ZB-26 mags, and ammo, I will have almost 5 bills in this brilliant idea. The only bright spot is that if I spend $400 more I can put a Meopta ZF 4 and repro mount on it... For a CMP Vintage sniper shoot.