Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 546 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1943
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Gewehr 43 sniper variant was the primary German semi-automatic sniper rifle of the later stages of World War II, fitted with the ZF 4 (Zielfernrohr 4) 4x magnification telescopic sight. Designed by Walther and heavily influenced by the Soviet SVT-40's gas system, the G43 gave German designated marksmen a semi-automatic capability that the bolt-action K98k could not provide. Approximately 53,435 scoped sniper variants were produced out of a total of 402,713 G43/K43 rifles manufactured, serving primarily on the Eastern Front where rapid follow-up shots against Soviet infantry were essential.
The G43 sniper was born of necessity after German forces on the Eastern Front found themselves outgunned by Soviet snipers equipped with semi-automatic SVT-40 rifles. Ironically, the G43's gas system was a direct copy of the SVT-40 it was designed to counter. German snipers valued the semi-automatic capability for engaging multiple targets in rapid succession, though many still preferred the K98k for long-range precision work.
The G43 was renamed K43 (Karabiner 43) in 1944, though the weapon itself was identical. The gas system was a short-stroke piston design copied from the Soviet SVT-40 after German engineers studied captured examples. The ZF 4 scope was itself based on the Soviet PU scope design. While the semi-automatic action provided a higher rate of fire than the K98k, accuracy was generally considered inferior to the bolt-action rifle for precision sniping. The rifle could also be loaded using two standard 5-round stripper clips through the top of the receiver with the scope mounted.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Carl Walther GmbH
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1943 to 1945
- Variant of
- Sniper
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 546 mm
- Overall length
- 1115 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.40 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.70 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 746 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3560 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 1200 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Zf4 4x telescopic sight
Semi automatic action
Detachable magazine
Gas operated short stroke piston
Iron sights retained
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 4.40 kg | 5.40 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1115 mm | 1150 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 546 mm | 620 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper
How much does the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper weigh?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper weighs 4.40 kg (9.70 lb) empty and 4.70 kg (10.36 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper hold?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper is 1115 mm (43.9 in) long overall, with a 546 mm (21.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper is made by Carl Walther GmbH (Germany). It was designed by Carl Walther GmbH.
When was the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper introduced?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper was introduced in 1943 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper operate?
The Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Wehrmacht
- 1943
- Waffen-SS
- 1943
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/gewehr-43-sniper' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "gewehr-43-sniper", "name": "Gewehr 43 (G43/K43) Sniper", "manufacturer": { "id": "walther", "name": "Carl Walther GmbH", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1886, "website": "https://www.carl-walther.de", "logoUrl": null, "description": "German manufacturer of sporting, competition, and defense firearms. Founded in 1886, Carl Walther is known for precision weapons technology.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "d65d37557d49efec8a72ef6019ef9e5cab9430c505d88b909eaad72b3bf3cfb3" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1943, "barrel_length_mm": 546, "weight_empty_g": 4400, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}