I had a buddy, now gone, who was a WWII combat vet. He knew his rifles and pistols very well. He fought in Europe and saw lots of combat. He told me he never even saw a single K43. We were at a gunshow together and he started talking. He said he only saw K98icon's. Piles and piles of K98's. Also lots of MG34's and MG42's. But didn't even know what a K43 was until years after the war was over. Just my $.02.