The Sturmgehwer 44 and its 7.92x33mm Kurz cartridge were very significant developments in the history of light weapons. Early versions were known by the Germans during WWII as the MP43 and the MP44 - (Maschinenpistol 43 , 44) and differ only in relatively small details.
This "Storm-Rifle" was soon to become known as an "Assault Rifle" and its adoption by German Forces in the Second World War came rather too late to make much difference. - Its design and manufacturing method of welding together various stampings was strongly criticised by the allies military experts - so much so that there had to be a strong smell of 'sour grapes' in the air!
German Army studies had indicated that most shooting action occurred at under 200 metres range and didn't need a full power cartridge to be shot from a full-sized rifle. Certainly Specialist troops manning machine guns - and snipers targeting a selected mark at long range needed the full power rounds - but the Sturmgehwer was a deliberate compromise blend of the full-auto heavy machine-gun, the pistol calibre sub-machine gun and the full sized bolt-action Kar 98 'battle rifle'.
Perhaps what was needed was a smaller, handier weapon that fired a lighter cartridge than the rifle, yet more powerful than the 9MM Pistol round, - and might have a full-auto rapid fire capability when needed. - Such a gun was suggested way back in 1918 by Hauptman (Captain) Piderit of the German Small Arms Proofing Committee. - Sadly he was ignored until years later in 1938 when the authorities ordered development of such a weapon - Enter the MP43, MP44, - The StG44. that eventually proved itself very well on the Eastern Front was something of a blending of the competing designs submitted by both Walther and Haenel.
The Mp44 / StG44 proved to be dependable in the below freezing winter conditions when used against the shorter range Soviet Armys PPs and PPSh-41 sub-machine guns - having a muzzle velocity from its 16.5 inch barrel of 2,247 ft per sec (compared to the 2,493 ft per sec of the Kar98). Its rate of fire on automatic was between 550 and 600 rpm.
This new type of 'Assault Rifle' was developed and introduced at a time when Hitler had decreed that all such new weaponry should be put on hold due to administrative infighting through the upper ranks of The Third Reich. So the Armament Office cheated by renaming the weapon while continuing its testing - until they were found-out - stopped and then allowed to again proceed in September 1943 toward its eventual production. - By the end of the war nearly 426,000 had been produced and had proven their value in use with the short 7.92x33mm Kurz Round.
Volksgrenadiers Armed with StG 44s Fighting in The Ardennes (Luxemburg)Dec.1944
Although in no way copies - The Russian AK47 - and the American M-2 Carbine with 30 Round magazines - were built to fulfil the same needs and purposes as the German StG44 - in the full knowledge of the 'STURMGEHWER 44' - and both teams had sample weapons in their hands to compare - thereby helping push forward the trend for the modern "ASSAULT RIFLE"
Marty K.
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