The Misunderstood Gewehr 41

By Danny

There are a few common misconception about the German semi-automatic rifles of WW2, two of the most repeated pertain to nomenclature. First, people assume since the rifle is called the Gewehr 41, that the German semi-automatic rifle idea came about in 1941 after learning the hard way that a semi-automatic rifle was necessary. In fact, Walther and Mauser's semi-automatic rifles predate WW2. In early as 1938, Walther and Mauser were working with the German government to develop semi-automatic rifles. In that same year, both companies submitted designs for testing. The number "41" in the rifle's designation was chosen because the Germans thought the rifle would be finalized and mass production started by 1941.

The second common misconception, or rather common mistake, is when a 1943 produced Gewehr 41 is referred to as a "Gewehr 41(W)". This is most likely an attempt to differentiate the Walther designed Gewehr 41 from Mauser's rifle. However, this is redundant as there is only one true Gewehr 41. Earlier Walther rifles marked "G41(W), had features that were later omitted from the finalized "G41" marked rifles. One such feature that was dropped was the bolt-release button. When the German military officially adopted Walther's rifle, they then designated it THE "Gewehr 41". Walther rifles made after this announcement drop the "(W)" and will just be marked "G41".  In other words, there are technically 3 different G41 rifles; the "G41(W)", the "G41(M)", and the "G41".  Calling a "Gewehr 41" a "Gewehr 41(W) is a misnomer. 

The G41 is a rather heavy rifle. My example weighs exactly 10 pounds and 14 ounces, so almost 11 pounds. Walther's version of the Bang gas system requires quite a bit of additional steel at the muzzle, making the rifle front heavy. This extra weight at the muzzle tends to make the rifle feel even heavier than 11 pounds when being shouldered and fired. In comparision, the later Gewehr 43 rifle weighs 9 pounds and 10 ounces, just slightly less than a typical M1 rifle. On the positive side, this extra weight helps to tame the 7.92x57 cartridge, making it a rather pleasant rifle to shoot.

The profile of the G41 is rather distictive, even from the later G43, as the trigger and triggerguard appears to be undersized. Also note the polished externals that are absent on the exterior of the later G43/K43.

The G41 has a fixed 10-round magazine that was reloaded by the standard issue 5-round stripper clips. From our modern perspective, this is less than ideal. However, this on par with other semi-automatic rifles of the era such as the French MAS 40 and slightly later Swedish AG-42. Even the Soviet SVT-40, in practice, was most commonly loaded via chargers as spare magazines were scarce. 

Note the bolt handle is positioned on the right side of the bolt carrier, opposite of the later G43. This was done to keep the manual of arms similar to the Mauser bolt-action rifles, where the right hand is used to manipulate the action.

Here is a close up of the receiver markings. Note the waffenamt marking in-between the "43." and the serial number.  Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik used the waffenamt code of 214.

My example here is a G41 made by Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik (BLM), who were given the manufacturer code of "duv". Rifles made by Walther will be marked "ac". Almost all G41s were made in 1943. BLM G41 production and Walther G43 production overlapped briefly in late 1943, as BLM finished producing rifles for their G41 contract before moving on to producing the Gewehr 43.

Here you can see the waffenamt and serial number stamps onto the bolt housing. G41 bolt housings were made from milled steel and do not have the same fragility issues as G43/K43 bolt housings that were made from stamped sheet metal. The safety can be seen here as well and in principle works similarly to a Mauser rifle. When to the left the gun is able to fire, but when flipped over 180 degrees to the right then the rifle is on safe. 

The handle on the G41 bolt carrier is on the opposite side as the later G43. Ergonomically it is easier to pull back on the bolt using your right hand and then reload with your right hand similarly to a K98k. This was changed on the G43 because it was assumed shooters would be using the left hand to change magazines.

Here with the bolt retracted we can see the magazine follower and single guide rail on the left side of the rifle. The bolt is also visible in this picture with it's waffenamt and proof mark. G41 bolts and a few other internal components were left "in the white".

Typically the larger the space is in-between the trigger guard and magazine, the more inefficient a rifle's action is. Here you can see the large gap underneath the G41 and the 3 screws needed to secure such a long  triggerguard assembly.

The screws holding the trigger guard onto the G41 use a spring-loaded detent to inhibit the screw from rotating inadvertently. This makes removing the trigger guard screws a two-handed affair; one to push down the detent and another for the screwdriver. 

The magazine can removed for cleaning. It too is numbered to match the rifle. 

It is interesting to note the uneven serial numbering on the front sight base. Many would assume that stereotypical German precision would not allow for such an occurance. However, it is not uncommon to find serial numbering done at various depths and spacing.

The Bang system on the G41 is a surprisingly simple design. The nosecone can be unscrewed and taken off the rifle, then the sleeve and piston ring can be removed for cleaning. The front sight is attached to the sleeve and is protected by a sight hood. Although this G41 sight hood looks identical to a K98k sight hood, it is slightly taller as the G41 front sight blade is longer. It is common to find K98k sight hoods on G41 and G43 rifles today as many are unaware of this height difference. 

Here, the rifle's serial number is stamped on the bottom of the stock. The prominence of the markings here are a good indicator if a stock has been sanded or refurbished.

An often overlooked and worn down stamp on the wrist of the stock.

Waffenamts stamped onto the side of the stock with the same 214 code as on other parts.

With hindsight, the G41 is the epitome of the phrase "too little, too late".  If mass production had started in 1941, then firearm historians might look back on the rifle more favorably. As it is, the Gewehr 41 pales in comparison to other late-WW2 era infantry weapons.  The additional firepower of the rifle might have been appreciated by the German infantryman when compared to the standard bolt-action K98k. 

With only about 118,000 made, the rifle's impact on the war is negligible. As a collectors piece, the rifle makes a great addition to any WW2 rifle collection. Also, I have it on good authority from Jared of the Milsurp World podcast that the G41 is very accurate when compared to other WW2 era semi-autos.