StG 44

The StG 44 (abbreviation of Sturmgewehr 44, "assault

Sturmgewehr 44
rifle 44") is a German selective-fire assault rifle developed
during World War II by Hugo Schmeisser. It is also
known as the MP 43 and MP 44 (Maschinenpistole 43
and 44). The StG 44 was an improvement of an earlier
design, the Maschinenkarabiner 42(H).

The StG 44 was the first successful assault rifle, with

features including an intermediate cartridge, controllable
automatic fire, a more compact design than a battle rifle
with a higher rate of fire, and being designed primarily for
hitting targets within a few hundred metres.[6] Other rifles
at the time were designed to hit targets of over a thousand
meters, but this was found to be in excess of the range in
which most enemy engagements actually took place. MP 44 (StG 44) from the collections of the
Swedish Army Museum
The StG 44 fulfilled its role effectively, particularly on the Type Assault rifle
Eastern Front, offering a greatly increased volume of fire
compared to standard infantry rifles. The StG largely Place of origin Germany
influenced the Soviet AK-47, introduced three years after Service history
the war concluded.[6][7] The StG's influence can still be In service 1943–1945 (Nazi
seen in modern assault rifles, which, after World War II,
Germany)
became the global standard for infantry rifles.[6]
1949–1962 (East
Germany)

Contents Used by See Users

Wars World War II
Description
First Indochina War
History
Background Algerian War
Earlier development Vietnam War (limited)
New requirements Ogaden War (limited)
Design influences Angolan Civil War
MKb 42(H) & MKb 42(W) (limited)[1]
MP 43, MP 44, StG 44 Lebanese Civil War
Late prototypes
Iraq War
Post-1945
Syrian Civil War
Legacy
Production history
Users
Designer Hugo Schmeisser
Non-state groups
Designed 1938–1943
See also
Manufacturer C. G. Haenel Waffen
References
und Fahrradfabrik
External links
Description CITEDEF (post war)
Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Unit cost 70 RM (1944)
€510 current
equivalent
Produced 1943–1945
No. built 425,977
Variants MKb 42(H), MKb
A soldier demonstrates the
42(W), MP 43, MP
transitional MP 43/1 variant, used to
determine the suitability of the rifle 43/1, MP 44
for sniping purposes, October 1943. Specifications
The rifle is fitted with a ZF 4
Mass 4.6 kg (10 lb 2 oz)
telescopic sight.
unloaded[2]
5.13 kg (11 lb 5 oz)
MP 43, MP 44, and StG 44 were different designations for
what was essentially the same rifle with minor updates in loaded[3]
production. The variety in nomenclatures resulted from the Length 94 cm (37 in)
complicated bureaucracy in Nazi Germany.[8] Developed Barrel length 42 cm (16.5 in)
from the Mkb 42(H) "machine carbine", the StG 44
combined the characteristics of a carbine, submachine gun,
and automatic rifle. StG is an abbreviation of Cartridge 7.92×33mm Kurz[4]
Sturmgewehr. According to one account, the name was (a.k.a. 8mm Kurz or
chosen personally by Adolf Hitler[9][10] for propaganda Pistolenpatrone 43)
reasons and means "assault rifle" as in "to assault an
Caliber 8mm
enemy position", although some sources dispute that Hitler
had much to do with coining the new name besides Action Gas-operated long-
signing the order.[11] After the adoption of the StG 44, the stroke piston, tilting
English translation "assault rifle" became the accepted bolt, selective fire
designation for this type of infantry small arm. Over the Rate of fire ~500-600 rounds/min
course of its production, there were minor changes to the
butt end, muzzle nut, shape of the front sight base and Muzzle velocity 685 m/s (2,247 ft/s)
stepping of the barrel. Effective firing range 300 m (330 yd)
(automatic)
The rifle was chambered for the 7.92×33mm Kurz
cartridge.[12][13] This shorter version of the German 600 m (660 yd)
standard (7.92×57mm) rifle round, in combination with (semi-automatic)[5]
the weapon's selective-fire design, provided a compromise Feed system 30-round detachable
between the controllable firepower of a submachine gun at box magazine
close quarters with the accuracy and power of a Karabiner
98k bolt-action rifle at intermediate ranges. While the StG Sights Adjustable sights,
44 had less range and power than the more powerful rear: V-notch; front:
infantry rifles of the day, Army studies had shown that few hooded post
combat engagements occurred at more than 300 metres
(330 yd) and the majority within 200 metres (220 yd). Full-power rifle cartridges were excessive for most uses
for the average soldier. Only a trained specialist, such as a sniper, or soldiers equipped with machine guns,
which fired multiple rounds at a known or suspected target, could make full use of the standard rifle round's
range and power.
The British were critical of the weapon, saying that the receiver could be bent and the bolt locked up by the
mere act of knocking a leaning rifle onto a hard floor.[14] A late-war U.S. assessment derided the StG-44 as
"mediocre", "bulky" and "unhandy", declaring it incapable of sustained automatic fire and prone to jamming,
though the report accepted that its accuracy was "excellent for a weapon of its type".[15]

History

Background

In the late 19th century, small-arms cartridges had become able to fire accurately at long distances. Jacketed
bullets propelled by smokeless powder were lethal out to 2,000 metres (2,200 yd). This was beyond the range
a shooter could engage a target with open sights, as at that range a man-sized target would be completely
blocked by the front sight blade. Only units of riflemen firing by volley could hit grouped targets at those
ranges. That fighting style was taken over by the widespread introduction of machine guns, which made use of
these powerful cartridges to suppress the enemy at long range. Rifles remained the primary infantry weapon,
but in some forces were seen as a secondary or support weapon, backing up the machine guns.[16]

This left a large gap in performance; the rifle was not effective at the ranges it could theoretically reach while
being much larger and more powerful than needed for close combat. Weapons for short-range use existed,
initially semi-automatic pistols and, later, automatic submachine guns. These fired pistol rounds which lacked
power, accuracy, and range. They were only useful at very short ranges of no more than 50–100 metres (160–
330 ft). This led to extensive research into creating an intermediate round to fill this gap. This type of
ammunition was being considered as early as 1892, but militaries at the time were still fixated on increasing the
maximum range and velocity of bullets from their rifles.[16]

Earlier development

In early 1918, Hauptmann (Captain) Piderit, part of the

Gewehrprüfungskommission ("Small Arms Examination Committee")
of the German General Staff in Berlin, submitted a paper arguing for
the introduction of an intermediate round in the German Army with a
suitable firearm. He pointed out that firefights rarely took place
beyond 800 metres (870 yd), about half the 2 km (1.2 mi) sight line
range of the 7.92×57mm round from a Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle or less
for MG 08 machine gun. A smaller, shorter, and less powerful round
would save materials, allow soldiers to carry more ammunition, and
increase firepower. Less recoil would allow semi-automatic or even
fully automatic select-fire rifles, although in his paper he called it a
Maschinenpistole (submachine gun). The German Army showed no
interest, as it already had the MP 18 submachine gun firing 9 mm
pistol rounds and did not want to create a new cartridge.[16]

In 1923, the German Army set out requirements for a Gewehr 98

replacement. It had to be smaller and lighter than the Mauser, have
similar performance out to 400 metres (440 yd), and have a magazine A German infantryman armed with an
with a 20- or 30-round capacity. The Bavarian company Rheinisch- StG 44, wearing "splinter"
Westfälische Sprengstoff (RWS) experimented with rounds in the camouflage and a ghillie cap in July
1920s, and German companies developing intermediate ammunition 1944.
for aerial machine guns showed interest. Development of the future
infantry rifle did not start until the 1930s. RWS offered two rounds,
one with a 7 mm bullet and one with an 8 mm bullet, both in a 46 mm case. The German company Deutsche
Waffen und Munitionsfabriken had the 7×39.1mm round, and Gustav Genschow & Co (Geco) proposed a
7.75×39.5mm round. Geco's automatic carbine was the Model A35, a further development of the SG29 semi-
automatic rifle. The weapon was complicated and unsafe to handle.[16]

The German government started its own intermediate round and weapon program soon after. German
ammunition maker Polte of Magdeburg was commissioned to develop the rounds in April 1938 and signed a
contract with the Heereswaffenamt (HWA). At the same time, the HWA contracted C. G. Haenel of Suhl to
create a weapon for the round. HWA requirements were for a rifle that was shorter and with equal or less
weight to the Kar 98k and as accurate out to 400 metres (440 yd); and be select-fire with a rate of fire under
450 rounds per minute. It should be rifle grenade compatible, reliable, maintainable, and have a
"straightforward design". Fifty rifles were to be delivered for field testing in early 1942.[16]

At the start of World War II, German infantry were equipped with weapons comparable to those of most other
military forces. A typical infantry unit was equipped with a mix of bolt-action rifles and some form of light,
medium or a general-purpose machine guns.[17] A problem with this mix was that the standard rifles were too
large to be effectively used by mechanized and armored forces, where they were difficult to maneuver in the
cramped spaces of an armored vehicle. Submachine guns, such as the MP 28, MP 38, and MP 40 were issued
to augment infantry rifle use and increase individual soldiers' firepower, but lacked range and accuracy beyond
100 metres (110 yd).

New requirements

During the invasion of the Soviet Union, increasing numbers of semi-automatic Tokarev SVT-38 and SVT-
40s were used by the Red Army – mostly elite units and non-commissioned officers – while some Soviet rifle
companies were completely equipped with PPSh-41 submachine guns.[18]

After experiencing high volumes of automatic fire from these weapons, German commanders re-thought their
small arms requirements. The German army had been attempting to introduce semi-automatic weapons such as
the Gewehr 41, but these proved troublesome in service, and production was insufficient to meet requirements.
Several attempts had been made to introduce lightweight machine guns or automatic rifles, but recoil from the
powerful 7.92×57mm Mauser round was too difficult to control in automatic fire.

By 1941, it was becoming clear that action needed to be taken. Although various experimental rounds had
been developed to one degree or another by this point, the Army instead decided to select yet a new design,
the Polte 8×33mm Kurzpatrone ("short cartridge"). This used a spitzer bullet and basic cartridge design of the
standard 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle cartridge, cutting down the cartridge from the original 7.92×57mm Mauser
to 7.92×33mm Kurz.[4] It was understood that this was not ideal, but it would minimize logistical problems.

Design influences

The German 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered FG 42 battle rifle/automatic rifle was one of the first inline
firearms incorporating a "straight-line" recoil configuration and an elevated sight line over the bore axis. The
inline design helps reduce muzzle rise during automatic fire.
 Top to bottom: late FG 42 and early
FG 42 with their rear and front sights
collapsed down and StG 44

Details

Handle assembly Muzzle assembly

MKb 42(H) & MKb 42(W)

Contracts for rifles firing the 7.92×33mm Kurz[4] round were issued
to both Walther and Haenel (whose design group was headed by
Hugo Schmeisser), were asked to submit prototype weapons under
the name Maschinenkarabiner 1942 ("machine carbine") or MKb
42. Both designs were similar, using a gas-operated action, with The early Haenel MKb 42(H)
selective fire. Since both rifles shared the title of Maschinenkarabiner
42 the letters (H) and (W) were added to differentiate the two. In this
case (H) and (W) were the first initial of each guns manufacturer Haenel Waffen und Fahrradfabrik and
Walther Waffenfabrik AG. The MKb 42(H) along with the less
successful MKb 42(W) were predecessors of the later MP 43, MP 44,
StG 44. The majority of the MP 43's features came from the MKb
42(H), with the hammer firing system and closed bolt coming from
the MKb 42(W).
Walther MKb 42(W)

MP 43, MP 44, StG 44

As work moved forward to incorporate this new firing system, development halted when Hitler suspended all
new rifle programs due to administrative infighting within the Third Reich. Hitler ordered that newer
submachine guns were to be built, and he strongly disagreed with the use of the Kurz ammunition. To keep the
MKb 42(H) development program alive, the Waffenamt (Armament Office) re-designated the weapon as the
Maschinenpistole 43 (MP 43) and, making a few improvements, billed the weapon as an upgrade to existing
submachine guns.

Much time was wasted trying to make the MP 43 a replacement for

the Karabiner 98k rifle. This goal was eventually realized to be
impossible; the MP 43 cartridge was too weak to fire rifle grenades,
too inaccurate for sniping, and the weapon was too short for bayonet
fighting. In September 1943, it was decided that the MP 43 would
supplement rather than replace the Kar 98k. As a result, the optical
sight base, grenade-launching extended muzzle thread, and bayonet
lug were removed.[16]
Grenadiers operating in the area of Adolf Hitler eventually discovered the designation deception and
Aachen, Germany in December 1944 halted the program again. In March 1943, he permitted it to
recommence for evaluation purposes only. Running for six months
until September 1943, the evaluation produced positive results, and
Hitler allowed the MP 43 program to continue in order to make mass production possible. The weapon made
extensive use of (for the 1940s) advanced cost-saving pressed and stamped steel components rather than
machined parts. The first MP 43s were distributed to the Waffen-SS; in October 1943, some were issued to the
93rd Infantry Division on the Eastern Front. Production and distribution continued to different units. In April
1944, Hitler took some interest in the weapon tests and ordered the weapon (with some minor updates) to be
re-designated as the MP 44. In July 1944, at a meeting of the various army heads about the Eastern Front,
when Hitler asked what they needed, a general exclaimed, "More of these new rifles!". The exclamation
caused some confusion (Hitler's response is reputed to have been "What new rifle?"), but once Hitler saw the
MP 44 being demonstrated, he was impressed and gave it the title Sturmgewehr. Seeing the possibility of a
propaganda gain, the rifle was again renamed as the Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44), to highlight the new class of
weapon it represented. The designation translates to "Assault rifle, model 1944", thereby introducing the term
"assault rifle".

A common belief of Hitler's influence over the Sturmgewehr was that he was against an intermediate rifle
round. In reality, he could have ordered the project to be canceled entirely if he wanted to, especially if it had
been hidden from him. Numerous reports and company correspondence reveal frequent presentation of the
rifle's stages of development to Hitler. Rather than being opposed to the entire idea, his apprehension seemed
to be from reluctance to send a new weapon to the front in too small numbers. Industry would not be able to
replace some 12 million Kar 98k rifles in a short time, and the already strained logistics structure would have
to support another cartridge. While the Sturmgewehr required specialized tooling to manufacture it, it
consumed less materials and was faster and easier to make than a Kar 98k. Without suppliers to quickly
produce components, companies could not manufacture sufficient numbers to replace the Kar 98k quickly.
 Introducing the new assault rifle in quantities that would not make an
impression on the front would be counter-productive. Hitler instead
wanted to introduce it on the largest scale possible, which has been
misinterpreted as his resistance to new technology.[16]

Production soon began with the first batches of the new rifle being
shipped to troops on the Eastern Front. By the end of the war, a total
of 425,977 StG 44 variants of all types were produced and work had
commenced on a follow-on rifle, the StG45. The assault rifle proved a
StG 44 equipped Volksgrenadiers valuable weapon, especially on the Eastern front, where it was first
fighting in the Ardennes, December deployed. A properly trained soldier with a StG 44 had an improved
1944 tactical repertoire, in that he could effectively engage targets at longer
ranges than with an MP 40, but be much more useful than the Kar
98k in close combat, as well as provide covering fire like a light
machine gun. It was also found to be exceptionally reliable in extreme cold. The StG 44's rate of fire was 540
rpm.[19]

A primary use of the MP 44/StG 44 was to counter the Soviet PPS

and PPSh-41 submachine guns, which used the 7.62×25mm Tokarev
round. These cheap, mass-produced weapons used a 71-round drum
magazine or 35-round box magazine and though shorter-ranged than
the Kar 98k rifle, were more effective weapons in close-quarter
engagements. The StG 44, while lacking the range of the Kar 98k,
had a considerably longer range than the PPS/PPSh submachine guns,
more power, an ability to switch between a fully automatic and a
default semi-automatic fire mode and surprising accuracy. The StG 44
was an intermediate weapon for the period; the muzzle velocity from
its 419 mm (16.5 in) barrel was 685 m/s (2,247.4 ft/s), compared to
760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) of the Karabiner 98k, 744 m/s (2,440.9 ft/s) of the
British Bren, 600 m/s (1,968.5 ft/s) of the M1 carbine, and 365 m/s
(1,197.5 ft/s) achieved by the MP40. Furthermore, the StG 44's inline
design gave it controllability even on full-auto. In short, the StG 44
provided the individual user with unparalleled firepower compared to
that of all earlier handheld firearms, warranting other countries to soon
embrace the assault rifle concept.
A gunsmith inspects an StG 44 rifle
barrel. Galician front, 10 October
The 1st Infantry Division of Army Group South and 32nd Infantry
1944
Division of Army Group North were selected to be issued the rifle,
both being refitted from heavy losses on the Eastern Front;
ammunition shortages meant the 1st ID was the only division fully
equipped with it. The Kar 98k was retained as a specialist weapon for sniping and launching rifle grenades,
while MP 40s were used by vehicle and artillery crews and officers. The StG 44 was issued to all infantry
soldiers and employed for accurate short-range rapid-fire shooting (similar to how the MP 18 was used when it
went into service). The assault rifles in a squad added firepower when the machine gun had to cease fire or
move. When attacking a position, Kar 98k riflemen would use grenades against it at close-range, while StG 44
riflemen would fire in rapid semi-automatic or automatic bursts to keep the defenders suppressed. The
magazine follower spring had a short service life, so soldiers were ordered to load no more than 25 rounds to
reduce wear of the spring. In January 1945, a magazine was introduced fitted with a fixed plug to restrict its
capacity to 25 rounds.[16] While the StG 44 was capable of fully automatic fire, German soldiers were directed
to use it primarily in semi-automatic mode. Fully automatic mode was to be used only in emergencies, for short
bursts of two or three rounds.[20]
One unusual addition to the design was the Krummlauf; a bent barrel
attachment for rifles with a periscope sighting device for shooting
around corners from a safe position. It was produced in several
variants: an "I" version for infantry use, 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°
bends, a version for the StG 44 and one for the MG 42. Only the 30°
"I" version for the StG 44 was produced in any numbers. The bent
barrel attachments had very short lifespans – approx. 300 rounds for
the 30° version, and 160 rounds for the 45° variant. The 30° model
StG44 with Krummlauf bent barrel
was able to achieve a 35×35 cm grouping at 100 m.[21] attachment

Some StG 44s were fitted with the Zielgerät 1229 infra-red aiming
device, also known by its codename Vampir ("vampire"). This device
consisted of a large scope, rather like modern starlight scopes, and a
large infra-red lamp on top, the scope being able to pick up the infra-
red that would be invisible to the naked eye. The user had to carry a
transformer backpack powered by a battery fitted inside the gas mask
canister. Electric cables connected the power unit with the IR
reflector, with the cathode ray tube mounted on the rifle imaging IR
from the spotlight. The Vampir had only 15 minutes of battery life, but
was able to sight within 200 meters in total darkness. A conical flash
hider was added to the barrel to keep the muzzle flash from blinding
the shooter.[16]
Zielgerät 1229 infra-red aiming
device, also known by its codename
At the end of the war, Hugo Schmeisser claimed that 424,000 MP
Vampir ("vampire")
43/MP 44/StG 44 rifles were built between June 1943 and April 1945
in four plants: 185,000 by C.G. Haenel in Suhl; 55,000 by J.P. Sauer
& Sohn in Suhl; 104,000 in Erfurt; and 80,000 by Steyr-Daimler-
Puch AG in Steyr, Austria. This was fewer than the 1.5 million ordered, and far fewer than the 4 million
planned.[16]

Some 822 million rounds of 7.92×33mm Kurz ammunition were produced from 1942 to 1945. At the
beginning of March 1945, the troops had 273.9 million rounds, with a replenishment reserve of 69.6 million
rounds on standby.[22]

Late prototypes

In a somewhat unrelated development, Mauser continued design work

on a series of experimental weapons in an effort to produce an
acceptable service-wide rifle for the short cartridge system. One of
these prototypes, a product of the engineers at the Light Weapon
Development Group (Abteilung 37) at Oberndorf, was the MKb The Gerät 06 ("device 06") prototype.
Gerät 06 (Maschinenkarabiner Gerät 06 or "machine carbine device An attempt to further simplify the MP
06") first appearing in 1942. This gun used a unique gas piston- 43/44 and StG 44 series of weapons.
delayed roller-locked action derived from the short recoil operation of The pictured example is incomplete;
the MG 42 machine gun but with a fixed barrel and gas system. It was it was captured in 1945 and
realized that with careful attention to the mechanical ratios, the gas evaluated at Aberdeen Proving
system could be omitted. The resultant weapon, the Gerät 06(H), was Ground after the war.
supposedly slated for adoption by the Wehrmacht as the StG 45(M).
The operating principle lived on in postwar designs from
CEAM/AME, CETME, and most famously, Heckler & Koch.
Towards the end of the war, there were last-ditch efforts to develop cheap so-called Volksgewehr rifles in the
7.92×33mm[4] caliber. One of these, the VG 1-5 (Volkssturmgewehr 1-5), used a gas-delayed blowback action
based on the Barnitzke system, whereby gas bled from the barrel near the chamber created resistance to the
rearward impulse of the operating parts, which ceases when the projectile leaves the muzzle, allowing the
operating parts to be forced rearward by the residual pressure of the cartridge case. This principle has been
used most successfully in the P7 pistol.

Post-1945

The Sturmgewehr remained in use with the East German Nationale

Volksarmee with the designation MPi.44 until it was eventually
replaced with domestic variants of the AK-47 assault rifle. The
Volkspolizei used it until approximately 1962 when it was replaced by
the PPSh-41. It was still used by other public security formations
thereafter.[23] The ammunition was manufactured there at least until
1961.[23] Other countries to use the StG 44 after World War II
included Czechoslovakia (although it was not officially adopted)[23] Officers of the East German
and Yugoslavia, where units such as the 63rd Paratroop Battalion Volkspolizei parading through the
were equipped with it until the 1980s,[24] when the rifles were streets of Neustrelitz in 1955. The
ultimately transferred to Territorial Defense reserves or sold to friendly StG 44 remained in service with the
organization until the early 1960s.
regimes in the Middle East and Africa. France adopted captured StG
44 for colonial Foreign Legion units.[23]

Argentina manufactured their own trial versions of the StG 44 made by CITEFA in the late 1940s and early
1950s,[25][26] but instead adopted the FN FAL in 1955, because it used the then more common and powerful
7.62×51mm NATO round, which also lacked connections with the Third Reich.

New semi-automatic civilian reproductions of the MKb 42(H), MP 43/1, and StG 44 are being manufactured
in Germany today by SSD (Sport Systeme Dittrich) and distributed by HZA Kulmbach GmbH[27] in the
original 7.92×33mm Kurz chambering and accepting the standard magazines. The PTR-44 by PTR Industries
was produced for a short while, but was soon discontinued due to high prices and lack of demand. A .22
rimfire copy of the StG 44 by GSG (German Sports Guns) has also been manufactured in great quantity for a
lower price, but it is the only widely available reproduction of the StG. Talks have been made by HMG (Hill
& Mac Gunworks) to mass-produce a StG-44 replica in different calibers, including the original 7.92×33mm
Kurz, but also more modern calibers, like 7.62×39mm, 5.56×45mm NATO and .300 AAC Blackout, but these
have yet to be released.[28]

7.92mm Kurz ammunition is currently manufactured by Prvi Partizan of Serbia.

Legacy
The StG 44 was the first assault rifle-type weapon to be accepted into widespread service and put into mass
production.[29] "The principle of this weapon — the reduction of muzzle impulse to get useful automatic fire
within actual ranges of combat — was probably the most important advance in small arms since the invention
of smokeless powder."[30] The StG 44's effect on post-war arms design was wide-ranging, as made evident by
Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47, and later Eugene Stoner's M16 and its variants. The Soviet Union was quick to
adopt the assault rifle concept. The AK-47 used a similar-sized intermediate round and followed the design
concept, but utilized a rotating bolt as a part of its firing action.[31][31] In 1944 the US added an automatic fire
capability to the M1 carbine, and issued it as the M2 carbine with 30 round magazines, fulfilling much the
same function. Kits were distributed to convert M1 carbines to M2s.
The extent to which the Sturmgewehr influenced the development of
the AK-47 is not clearly known. Apart from external layout similarity
and the gas-operation principle, the AK-47 was not a copy of the
German gun because the AK-47 used a very different mechanism.
However, tens of thousands of Sturmgewehrs were captured by the
Soviets and were likely provided to Kalashnikov and his team, so it is
likely that he knew of it while designing the AK-47. The 7.62×39mm
cartridge, however, was more directly influenced by the 7.92×33mm
cartridge used in the StG 44. In July 1943, the Soviet Technical
Council of the People's Commissariat for Armament (NKV) met to A .22 rimfire copy of the StG 44 by
consider new foreign weapons firing lower-powered rounds. Two German Sports Guns (GSG)
rounds that were studied were the American .30 Carbine and German
7.92 Kurz, captured from MKb 42(H) rifles undergoing troop trials.
The meeting concluded that the 7.92 mm cartridge was an important development and that the Soviets needed
to design a reduced-power round. The first prototype 7.62 mm M1943 round was created a month later and
used the 7.92 Kurz design method of using the same caliber bullet as their standard rifle round (7.62×54mmR)
in a shorter case.[29]

After World War II, many Western countries continued using their existing full-caliber rifles. Although the
7.62×51mm NATO round adopted post-war was still a full-power cartridge, the trend towards the adoption of
less powerful rounds was already under way in the West. For example, the M1 Garand had initially been
developed for the .276 Pedersen (7 mm) round, a cartridge less powerful than the standard .30-06 Springfield.
The U.S. Army's adoption of the M1 carbine in 1941 proved the utility of a small, handy, low-powered rifle
that required little training to use effectively. Franchi of Italy-based the actions of both the LF-58 carbine and
the LF-59 battle rifle on the StG-44.[32]

United States and, later, NATO developed assault rifles along a roughly similar path by at first adding
selective-fire capability in a reduced power, full-caliber cartridge. The Soviet Union lightened the AK-47 and
introduced the AKM. The U.S. developed the concept of small-caliber, high-velocity (SCHV) bullets and
further reduced the weight of their firearms with the introduction of the M16 (5.56 mm). The Soviet armed
forces followed suit with the introduction of the SCHV AK-74 rifle (5.45 mm).

Users
Somalia
Syrian National Coalition for Revolutionary and Opposition Forces[33]

Former users

Algeria[34][35]
Argentina (three built for trial purposes only)[26]
Burkina Faso
Croatia[36]
Czechoslovakia[7]
Djibouti
France: used post-war in French Indochina[35]
Nazi Germany
West Germany
East Germany
Hungary[37]
 Italian Resistance (captured)[38]
Soviet partisans (captured)
North Vietnam
Yugoslavia[39]

Non-state groups

Captured StG 44 were used by Polish partisan groups during World War II, including Warsaw Uprising in
1944, although they were not a commonly captured weapon.[23] Relatively large numbers of StG 44 were
used post-war by Polish anti-communist resistance groups until the 1950s.[23]

After World War II, the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc states supplied allied regimes and guerrilla
movements with captured German arms, such as the StG 44, along with newly manufactured or repackaged
7.92×33mm ammunition. French forces discovered many in Algeria and determined the origin to be from
Czechoslovakia. Examples also found their way into the hands of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, and
the PLO.[40] It is still used in very limited numbers by militia and insurgent forces in the Middle East[41] as
well as some countries in the Horn of Africa. StG 44s have been confiscated from militia groups by U.S.
forces in Iraq.

In August 2012, the Syrian Al-Tawhid Brigade posted a video clip on their YouTube channel showing a cache
of StG 44[42] in their possession, which they claim to have captured amongst 5,000 StG 44 rifles and various
ammunition from a weapons depot in the city of Aleppo. Photos later surfaced of the rebels using them in
combat.[33] In September 2013, a photo showed a Syrian rebel with a Sturmgewehr 44 hooked up to a
makeshift remote weapon station. The gun was controlled by a wired joystick, vision was provided by a video
camera mounted behind a scope, and the picture was displayed on an LCD screen.[43]

See also
Calzada Bayo CB-57
Cei-Rigotti
EPK (Pyrkal) machine gun
Fedorov Avtomat
HIW VSK
List of assault rifles
PPSh-41
Vollmer M35
Wimmersperg Spz

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2. Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) D1854/3 Manual
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External links
Meet the StG-44: The First Assault Rifle Ever (https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-stg-44
-first-assault-rifle-ever-and-nazi-invention-113821) (The National Interest)
The real story behind the legendary StG-44 (https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/gearscout/ta
cticool/2019/12/12/tbt-the-real-story-behind-the-legendary-stg-44-sturmgewehr-rifle/) (Military
Times)

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