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Reply With QuoteDoes anybody here have experience with this rifle or know anybody who does?
If so, how does it compare to the AK-47, and other assault rifles?
The Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) was the world's first truly effective assault rifle. It was introduced by the German army late in WWII, and if the war had continued another year, the SG44 would have replaced every other rifle, light machine gun, and submachine gun in the Wehrmacht, including the antique Karabiner 98k and MP38. After the war the StG44 resulted in the outright replacement of almost every infantry gun in the western world, serving as the direct inspiration for the Russian AK47, the most prolific gun in the world, and the indirect inspiration for practically everything else.
Background
In the early stages of the war, the German army had considered the rifle to be a "support" weapon only. The primary weapon of the infantry was the machine gun, and in a typical squad the soldiers carried considerably more ammunition for their MG34 than they did for their own rifles. The MG34 could pour out considerably more fire than all of the rifles put together, so they were almost an afterthought.
In combat things were never so simple. The machine gun proved to be far too large to be operated on the move, meaning that the troops often had to use their rifles while moving up. Of course the defenders they were moving up on were in fixed positions, and therefore had no limitations in the use of their own machine guns. For an army depending on the fast-moving blitzkrieg, they found themselves outgunned almost constantly. These problems were magnified in the cities and towns, where the weapon could not be brought to bear on their targets before they disappeared into the next building.
For this reason the troops started making increased use of submachine guns, forming squads known as assault troops which could keep up a high rate of fire while on the move. Unfortunately the submachine gun's use of pistol-sized rounds made for poor range, and the assault troops were really only useful in urban settings. Once out in the country it was back to the rifles again.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that the Red Army had been in the process of replacing their own rifles in the immediate pre-war era. Increasing numbers of semi-automatic Tokarev SVT38 and SVT40's were reaching the units, meaning that they outgunned their German counterparts considerably. The army had been attempting to introduce semi-automatic weapons of their own, notably the Gewehr 41, but these were proving rather problematic in service, and were therefore being delivered at a trickle while the problems were being worked out.
Several attempts had been made to introduce very light weight machine guns for these roles, but invariably the recoil from the fairly heavy standard German 7.92mm Mauser round made them too difficult to control. The solution was to use a round of "intermediate" power, somewhere between that of the full rifle cartridge, and the pistol rounds. Experiments with several such intermediate rounds had been going on since the 1930s, but had been constantly rejected for use by the army. By 1941 it was becoming clear that there actually was a problem to solve, and one of the experimental rounds, the Polte 7.92x33mm Kurz Patrone (short cartridge), was eventually selected as the basis for future development.
MKb 42
Contracts for rifles firing the Kurz round were sent to both Walther and Haenel (who's design group was headed by Hugo Schmeisser), who were asked to submit prototype weapons under the name Maschinenkarabiner 1942 (MKb 42), a new designation indicating a "short machine gun". Both designs were largely similar, using a gas-actuated action, with both semi-automatic and fully-automatic firing modes.
The original versions of the Haenel version, the MKb 42(H), fired from the open bolt and used a striker for firing. The receiver and trigger housing with pistol grip are made from steel stampings, which are attached to the barrel assembly on a hinge, allowing the weapon to be "folded open" for quick disassembly and cleaning. The Haenel MKb 42(H) design proved superior to the Walther MKb 42(W), and the army then asked Haenel for another version incorporating a list of minor changes. One was to include lugs for mounting a standard bayonette, another to change the pitch of the rifling. A production run of these modified versions was sent to the field in November 1942, and the users loved it with a few reservations. Another set of modifications added a hinged cover over the ejection port to keep it clean while on the move, and rails to mount a sighting scope. A run of these modified MKb 42(H)'s in late 1942 and early 1943 produced 11,833 guns for field trials.
MP43
While the new version was under development in late 1942, the infighting within the Third Reich was in full swing. Hitler was increasingly upset by this, and after Hermann Göring had created the FG-42 simply to one-up the army's G41 efforts, Hitler gave up and cancelled all new rifle projects completely. This included the production of the MKb 42(H), which was still underway, which he was particularly upset about because it used a new ammunition type which would further confuse the already daunting logistics problems the army was having.
In order to protect what was clearly a war-winning weapon, a new project at Gustloff was started to produce a similar weapon using the original Mauser round, the Mkb 43(G). Whenever Hitler asked about the progress of the rifle, he was always shown one of these prototypes, although there was no intention of ever producing them.
Meanwhile the changes to the original Mkb 42(H) was being made, called the Maschinenpistole 43 (MP43), to disguise it as upgrades to existing submachine guns. Another change was introduced to allow the fitting of the grenade launcher attachments from the earlier MKb 42(H) led to the MP43/1, as opposed to fittings for the launcher from the Kar 98k on the original MP43.
Eventually the truth surfaced and Hitler ordered the project stopped once again. However in March 1943 he allowed a the run to continue for evaluation purposes, which they then continued until September. That month the first service reports of the gun started to filter in, and Hitler allowed for continued production.
MP44/StG44
On April 6, 1944, Hitler issued the following decree:
a) The former MG42 is to retain the same designation
b) The former self-loading rifle, known as the Gewehr 43, shall receive the designation Karabiner 43 (K43).
c) The former new MP, known as the MP43, shall receive the designation MP44.
In July 1944 at a meeting of the various army heads about the eastern front, the universal answer to "what do you need" was "more of the new rifles". This caused some confusion, but once Hitler realized what was going on he agreed to allow its full production. Seeing the possibility of a propaganda win, the rifle was again renamed as the StG44, to highlight the new class of weapon it represented, literally "assault rifle, model 1944", thereby introducing the term.
By the end of the war, some 425,977 StG44 variants of all types were produced. The assault rifle proved an invaluable weapon, especially on the Eastern front, where it was first deployed. A properly trained soldier with an StG44 had a greatly improved tactical repertoire, in that he could effectively engage targets at long range across open terrain, or in close range urban fighting, as well as provide cover fire in all situations as a machine gun role.
An intriguing addition was the Krummerlauf, a bent barrel with a persicope sighting device for shooting around corners. It was produced in several variants, an "I"-version for infantry use, and a "P" version for use in tanks (to cover the dead areas in the close range around the tank to defend against assaulting infantry), versions with 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°, and a version for the StGw 44 and one for the MG 42. Only the 30° "I" - version for the StG44 was produced in any numbers.
The wisdom of the assault rifle concept has been born out in that, with the exception of a few specialized positions such as the sniper, virtually every soldier in every army today carries a descendant of the StG44.
Specifications
Caliber: 7.92x33mm Kurz
Muzzle velocity: 685m/s (2,055 fps)
Action: Gas operated, tilting bolt
Overall length: 940mm, 37"
Barrel length: 419mm, 14.35"
Weight: 5.22kg, 10.85 pounds unloaded
Rate of fire: 500-600 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
Sights: Tangent U-notch rear, Blade front
Does anybody here have experience with this rifle or know anybody who does?
If so, how does it compare to the AK-47, and other assault rifles?
Got anysuch articles on the Uzi/Galil/Negev?
I heard a story that the Uzi, the AK-47 and the M-16 were all created by three buddies.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
I'm not familiar with the Galil or Negev, my dad has owned Uzis. (not entirely sure whether he still does)
I am 100% positive that the UZI, M-16 and AK-47 were invented by 3 men who had NEVER met (until after the fact in the case of the -16 and -47).
Eugene Stoner worked for aircraft maker Fairchild Republic (of A-10 fame as everybody knows :D ) and was intrigued by the use of lightweight metals and synthetic (I think) materials that went into aircraft manufacturing. He decided that such materials would make excellent rifle components and so eventually developed the AR-15 for Armalite.
Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov saw the potential of the MP-44 Sturmgewher (my all-time favorite personal weapon of World War II) and developed the Avtomat Kalashinkova-47. Interestingly, while both weapons have a strikingly similar appearance, they don't have much in common on the inside. The Sturmgewher is a complex, precision manufactured rifle, whereas the AK is anything but. To this day, Comrade Kalashnikov bristles at the idea that his AK-47 is a direct copy of the Sturmgewher Having never field stripped either rifle, I have to take his word for it.
I know relatively little about Uziel Gal, so maybe our Israeli compatriots can give us a rundown on him. The UZI 9mm is one of the greatest success stories of small arms. If I am not mistaken, the IDF only recently took it out of service.
Can't say if they've been taken out, just last week I was ona bus that was inspected by a gaurd with a mini-Uzi. Interesting fact though, Uziel Gal didn't want the gun named after him.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
Let me guess, the Galil is named after him too?
Dunno, but I don't think so.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
UZI is really heavy for it's size. That's always been the one knock on the weapon.
I've fieldstripped plenty of AKs, but never a Stg44, so i can't say how they compare internally.
I am definitely of the opinion that the M-16 is easier and faster to field strip than the AK is.
I like the Mini-Uzi. Same bullets, same everything except its much, much smaller. You could probably put it in your hip pocket without the clip inside
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
I was under the impression and so was the History channel that the the SKS was based on the Stg44. The Ak-47 is not based on Stg44.I've fieldstripped plenty of AKs, but never a Stg44, so i can't say how they compare internally.
The UZI is a useless weapon.
I think you're right about the SKS Praxus. If I recall correctly, both the Stg44 and the SKS use the same 7.62mm x 39 cartridges
No the Stg-44 uses 7.92x33, where as the SKS uses 7.62x39. Remember the Stg-44 used a scale down version of the cartridge fired from K98. I believe the gas system/etc is based on the one from the Stg-44.
Last edited by Praxus; 24 Jan 04, at 21:48.
Right! My bad! :Beer
Like I said, I just looove the Stg-44.:ar15
The Assault Rifle
By Ralph Zuljan
The MP-44 was the first operational assault rifle and its introduction influenced the development of small arms in all of the armies that encountered its firepower. Its introduction during the Second World War caused a debate about the what kind of rifle constitutes the ideal infantry weapon that continues to this day.
Combat experience on the Eastern Front during 1941-42 caused the German Army to reconsider the basic armament of an infantry soldier. Analysts discovered that it was rare for a soldier to engage the enemy with a rifle at distances greater than 400 meters. They also found that automatic weapons were more likely to be used and were deemed to be more practical (even though the troops only had 9mm submachine guns which lacked satisfactory combat range). The Germans concluded that, in place of the standard long range rifles in service, what was needed was a rifle that had the automatic fire attribute of a machine pistol but somewhat greater range.
What the German engineers eventually produced was the MP-44 (there were a couple of intermediary weapons developed and tested, one of which was actually initiated by the Luftwaffe for its paratroopers). The MP-44 used a shortened version of the standard round used at the time and it had the ability to fire automatic or semiautomatic. It had a 30-round clip. Overall, it satisfied the conditions set out perfectly and it was extremely popular at the front.
In principle, arming infantrymen with assault rifles provided each individual with substantially greater small arms fire. On any given length of front, they are able to put up literally a wall of lead compared to an opponent armed with one of the period's standard bolt-action or semiautomatic rifles. Consequently, troops armed with assault rifles were theoretically more likely to force their opponent to ground and win an engagement, all other factors being equal. The basic idea behind the assault rife is that on the typical battlefield, the probability of hitting (or grounding) the enemy is greater with a lot of bullets fired relatively inaccurately than with a few bullets fired accurately.
Hitler is said to have been opposed to the assault gun philosophy. He felt the lack of long range firing ability, the reputed tendency to not aim properly, etc., were serious conceptual flaws. The German Army, aware of the Fuhrer's opposition, hid development and production of the assault rife from Hitler by designating it a machine pistol; Hitler liked and supported the production of the submachine guns. The secret was accidently revealed to Hitler when an officer, visiting the headquarters from the Eastern Front, asked Hitler about the MP-44 requested more of them. Hitler was furious. However, the evidence from the front spoke for itself and Hitler finally approved its production. He designated the new weapon the assault rifle (Sturmgewher 44).
The Germans intended to re-equip all of their infantry with the MP-44 (as a replacement for both the submachine guns and bolt-action/semiautomatic rifles). Since the rounds were smaller (shorter) than the standard German rifle round, many more could be carried. Period photographs of German infantry equipped with the MP-44 suggest a soldier carried three additional clips in a standard carrier. Thus, the "ideal" German soldier in 1944-45 would be going into combat with 120 rounds. That represents a lot of "punch" for an infantryman of this period. Of course, the Germans never got close to that ideal.
An analysis of combat behavior by the US Army after the war showed that the willingness of soldiers to even fire their weapon decreased proportionately with the distance from a machinegun. Part of the rationale for equipping the troops with an assault rifle was that it gave everybody a machine gun of sorts. The German introduction of the MP44 effectively altered the dynamics of infantry combat since it combined the (useful) range and (most of the) accuracy of a rifle with the raw firepower of the submachine gun. Perhaps possession of an assault rifle got more of those terrified soldiers to fire in the direction of the enemy. To some extent the probability of causing enemy casualties is determined by the number of rounds directed towards the enemy and in so far as soldiers are directing rounds towards the enemy they are contributing to the battle. (Of course, firing with some amount of aim will increase a given soldier's contribution.)
I have never encountered any studies of the actual impact of the MP-44 on the battlefield. It would be interesting to find out how many units were equipped with it and how they performed relative to units armed with the regular assortment of rifles and submachine guns. Perhaps they performed rather well on the Eastern Front because the Soviets adopted the concept of the assault rifle many years before the US and UK did (even though they had all the pertinent data). The US did not produce a real assault rife until the adoption of the M-16 in the 1960s. Did the MP-44 cause a significant (noticeable) change in the combat performance of German infantry? Would its use help to explain the rather definite qualitative advantage the German units had in combat against the Allies (even later in the war when Allied training and experience were comparable and sometimes better)?
Originally published in "World War II" at Suite101.com on November 1, 2002.
Revised edition published in "Articles On War" at OnWar.com on July 1, 2003.
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