| Error creating thumbnail: File missing Join our Discord! |
| If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here. |
StG 44
Overview
Rifle for intermediate ammunition - project. Germany.: 1930 - 1945
- Phase 1 - Maschinenkarabiner (MKb) Ammo: 7.7×40.5mm or 7.75×39.5mm GECO
Ammunition prototypes date back to 1930. The ammunition designer was Gustav Genschow and Co. (GECO). From 1934, they signed a contract with the Heereswaffenamt to create a carbine equipped with this ammunition. The current designer of the GECO company was Heinrich Vollmer, who based on his Vollmer SG 29 rifle. In 1935, the first prototype of a carbine equipped with this ammunition was created. It was called the Vollmer MKb 35.- Vollmer MKb 35 - Original prototype model from 1935. It had similar dimensions to the Vollmer SG 29. Rate of fire - 1000 RPM.
- Vollmer MKb 35/I - Updated prototype model from 1936. Reduced rate of fire to 400 RPM.
- Vollmer MKb 35/II - Updated prototype model from 1937. Reduced rate of fire to 400 RPM. Weapon dimensions have been reduced.
- Vollmer MKb 35/III - Updated prototype model from 1938. Reduced rate of fire to 400 RPM. Weapon dimensions have been reduced. Most bugs of previous models have been fixed.
- Vollmer MKb 35/II - Updated prototype model from 1937. Reduced rate of fire to 400 RPM. Weapon dimensions have been reduced.
- Vollmer MKb 35/I - Updated prototype model from 1936. Reduced rate of fire to 400 RPM.
- Mauser MKb - It is known that the Mauser company participated in the same project. The only surviving copy is in a museum in France. It was only after the war that it was named MKb 42 (M) which is incorrect due to the ammunition used.
- Walther MKb - The Walther company also took part in the competition. As far as we know, she joined the competition as the last one. And in the end, they did not produce a single model. Only mentions of their participation remain.
- Vollmer MKb 35 - Original prototype model from 1935. It had similar dimensions to the Vollmer SG 29. Rate of fire - 1000 RPM.
- Phase 2 - Maschinenkarabiner (MKb) Ammo: 7.92×33mm Kurz
Ammunition prototypes date back to 1934. The ammunition designer was Polte Werke. The ammunition had better ballistic properties and was cheaper to produce. In 1941, the German army adopted this cartridge. For the needs of the army, a competition for a carbine firing this ammunition was launched.- MKb 42 (H) - Haenel prototype. Until 1942, 50 copies were produced for testing. After the tests, the weapon was put into serial production. A total of 8,000 - 12,000 units were produced until September 1943. By order of the command, production and development ceased.
- MP 43/1 - Despite the ban, work on endurance continues. Changed from MKb (Maschinenkarabiner) to MP (Maschinenpistole) to avoid suspicion. In 1943, a model was created that was a modernization of the MKb 42 (H). The MKb 42 (W) trigger-impact mechanism and the concept of firing from a closed bolt were adapted.
- MP 44 - Improved version of the carbine. This version was officially presented to the German authorities. She got permission for serial production and the official military name StG 44.
- StG 44 - The final production version of the carbine. It was practically no different from the previous version. Apart from a few mechanical changes to improve series production. Officially the first mass-produced assault rifle to be officially named after it.
- MP 44 - Improved version of the carbine. This version was officially presented to the German authorities. She got permission for serial production and the official military name StG 44.
- MP 43/1 - Despite the ban, work on endurance continues. Changed from MKb (Maschinenkarabiner) to MP (Maschinenpistole) to avoid suspicion. In 1943, a model was created that was a modernization of the MKb 42 (H). The MKb 42 (W) trigger-impact mechanism and the concept of firing from a closed bolt were adapted.
- MKb 42 (W) - The second participant in the project. In 1941, 50 examples were produced for testing. Later, 150 more weapons were delivered. The weapon lost the competition and production was discontinued.
- MKb 42 (H) - Haenel prototype. Until 1942, 50 copies were produced for testing. After the tests, the weapon was put into serial production. A total of 8,000 - 12,000 units were produced until September 1943. By order of the command, production and development ceased.
- Phase 3 - Sturmgewehr (StG) Ammo: 7.92×33mm Kurz
Already in 1944. After the introduction of the StG 44, work began on simplifying the design. The weapon was to be officially named StG 45.- MKb Gerät 06 - The first prototype model. The weapon was cheaper to produce and had similar ballistic characteristics to the StG 44.
- MKb Gerät 06H - Maschinenkarabiner Gerät 06 Halbverriegelt ("Machine Carbine Device 06 Half-locked"; abbreviation MKb Gerät 06H). Improved version of the previous prototype.
- StG 45 (M) - Official military name. It is practically the same model as MKb Gerät 06H. The stock and the sight have been minimally changed.
- MKb Gerät 06H - Maschinenkarabiner Gerät 06 Halbverriegelt ("Machine Carbine Device 06 Half-locked"; abbreviation MKb Gerät 06H). Improved version of the previous prototype.
- StG 45 (G) - "Grossfuss Sturmgewehr". Only a few pieces were produced. Each one was different from each other, which suggested the work on the weapon. It was never put into production. Other name for this gun is "Horn Sturmgewehr". Kurt Horn is a weapons designer.
- StG 45 (H) - "Haenel Sturmgewehr". The design would use the MP 43/1 as a base and various structural elements from the earlier MKb 42 (H). Several test examples were produced. Other name for this gun is "Schmeisser Sturmgewehr". Hugo Schmeisser is a weapons designer.
- MKb Gerät 06 - The first prototype model. The weapon was cheaper to produce and had similar ballistic characteristics to the StG 44.
StG 44
The StG 44 (German: Sturmgewehr 44, "Assault Rifle 44"). Others name.: The MP 43/1 (German: Maschinenpistole 43/1, "Submachine Gun 43/1") and the MP 44 (German: Maschinenpistole 44, "Submachine Gun 44"). was a German automatic rifle developed during World War II, and generally considered the first mass produced assault rifle in the world. It was developed from the earlier Haenel MKb 42 (H) "machine carbine" prototype. During development the project was hidden from Hitler, who had ordered it cancelled, by referring to it as a submachine gun (Maschinenpistole); during this time it was known as the MP 43 and MP 44. When the deception was discovered (supposedly due to an officer requesting "more of these new rifles") it was demonstrated to the German high command, and Hitler himself re-named it the "Sturmgewehr." This literally translates as "storm rifle;" this is storm as in "to storm a castle," hence the translation "assault rifle." The three versions were essentially minor updates for production purposes.
The claim that the StG 44 was the first assault rifle is a contentious one; other weapons which could be termed early assault rifles have existed before (for example, the Russian Fedorov Avtomat). Rather, the StG 44 was the first to be mass produced, and the first to be referred to as an assault rifle. While the StG 44 was well received by troops and is often depicted as some kind of superweapon in modern videogames, it suffered from a number of issues throughout production. The materials used in the mass-production StG 44 were of poor quality due to war expediency, and British analysts (who praised the earlier MP 43) found the bolt could be totally immobilised by pinching the sides of the receiver with the fingers of one hand, while the rifle could be totally destroyed by the simple act of leaning it against a doorframe and then knocking it over. The stock was prone to breakages, and American analysts criticised the 11.5 pound weight of the loaded weapon as excessive considering the relatively small round used, comparing the StG 44 unfavourably to the M1 Carbine.
Because of its manufacturing costs, which prevented speedy wartime production, the StG 44 was scheduled to be replaced with the StG 45, but the war ended before the new rifle could be issued for field trials. Due to administrative errors and the chaos of the war, around one hundred thousand StG 44s were never delivered to the front lines and were seized by the Soviet army from depots and warehouses after the war ended, ultimately being provided to client states: this is why StG 44s are not an uncommon sight in conflict zones even today. These surplus StGs were sufficiently common that they were often visually modified to stand in for M16s in Soviet-era Russian movies. For still mysterious reasons, these mockups were actually not created in the likeness of the serial M16, but early AR-15 prototypes. So, the Mosfilm version was actually created in the likeness of variants with black furniture, a narrow forend, and the upper charging handle of the AR-10 pattern. The Lenfilm version was created according to the appearance of the slightly later version with familiar outlook but with bright furniture.
In Russia, some surplus StG 44s have now been converted into civilian semi-auto rifles named the "MP44-O" ("O" stands for "охотничий"; okhotnichiy, i.e. "hunting"). Also, new semi-automatic civilian reproductions of the MKb 42 (H), MP 43/1, and StG 44 are being manufactured in Germany today by Sport Systeme Dittrich.
Specifications
(1943 - 1945)
- Type: Assault Rifle
- Caliber: 7.92x33mm Kurz
- Weight: 10.2 lbs (4.6 kg) unloaded
- Length: 37 in (94 cm)
- Barrel length: 16.5 in (41.9 cm)
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,247 ft/s (685 m/s)
- Feed System: 30-round detachable box magazine
- Fire Modes: Semi-Auto/Full-Auto
The StG 44 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The White Darkness (Bílá tma) | German soldiers | 1948 | ||
| Wolves' Lairs (Vlcie diery) | German soldiers | 1948 | ||
| Little Partisan (Malý partyzán) | Oldrich Vykypel | Commander of partisans | 1950 | |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Action B (Akce B) | UPA fighters | 1952 | ||
| The Tank Brigade | German soldiers | 1955 | ||
| Ernst Thälmann - Leader of his Class | German soldiers | 1955 | ||
| Canal (Kanal) | German soldiers | 1957 | ||
| At That Time, at Christmas... (Tenkrát o vánocích) | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| A Time to Love and a Time to Die | German soldiers | 1958 | ||
| The Bridge (Die Brücke) | Frank Glaubrecht | Jϋrgen Borchert | Inexplicably switched with an MP 40 during shooting scenes | 1959 |
| The Mad Executioners | Seen in the police museum | 1963 | ||
| Battle of the Bulge | Dana Andrews | 1965 | ||
| Where is the General? (Gdzie jest general?) | German soldiers | 1964 | ||
| A Tale About Nipper-Pipper (Skazka o Malchishe-Kibalchishe) | Enemy soldiers | Magazines removed, some with Gewehr 98 bayonets | 1965 | |
| The Adventures of Werner Holt (Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt) | Klaus-Peter Thiele | Werner Holt | 1965 | |
| Manfred Karge | Gilbert Wolzow | |||
| German soldiers | ||||
| Strike First Freddy (Slå først Frede!) | Kolick's henchmen | 1965 | ||
| The Hunchback of Soho | Seen in Gen. Perkins' "war room"; without buttstock and magazine | 1966 | ||
| Carriage to Vienna (Kocár do Vídne) | Ladislav Jandoš | Young partisan | 1966 | |
| Funeral in Berlin | East German Police & Border guards | 1966 | ||
| What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? | Sergio Fantoni | Capt. Oppo | 1966 | |
| US Army soldiers | ||||
| Zhenya, Zhenechka and "katyusha" | German soldiers | 1967 | ||
| Billion Dollar Brain | Midwinter's troops and Soviet soldier | 1967 | ||
| The Shield and the Sword (Shchit i mech) | German and Soviet soldiers | 1968 | ||
| I Was Nineteen (Ich war neunzehn) | Aleksey Eybozhenko | Sr. Lt. Sascha Ziganjuk | 1968 | |
| Jaecki Schwarz | Lt. Gregor Hecker | |||
| Dieter Mann | Unteroffizier Willi Lommer | |||
| German soldiers | ||||
| Che! | Cuban rebel | 1969 | ||
| The Eighth (Osmiyat) | Georgi Georgiev-Getz | "Osmiyat" | 1969 | |
| Nikola Anastasov | "Chaplin" | |||
| Treasures of the Flaming Cliffs (Sokrovishcha pylayushchikh skal) | A mercenary | 1969 | ||
| Black Sun (Chyornoye solntse) | Ambroise Mbia | Robert Moussombe | Heavily visually modified in two different versions | 1970 |
| Rein Aren | Freddy "Africa" | |||
| Government troops, guerilla fighters, mercenaries | ||||
| My Zero Hour (Meine Stunde Null) | Manfred Krug | Gefreiter Kurt Hartung | 1970 | |
| Alfred Müller | Gefreiter Blumhagen | |||
| The Stolen Train (Otkradnatiyat vlak) | Dimitar Buynozov | Damyan | 1971 | |
| She No Longer Talks She Shoots | Annie Girardot | Rosemonde | 1972 | |
| André Pousse | Max | |||
| Chronicle of the Night (Khronika nochi) | African soldiers | Standard and visually modified with FN FAL style handguard | 1973 | |
| I Serve at the Border (Ya sluzhu na granitse) | Border guards of unnamed state | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1974 | |
| They Fought for Their Country | German soldiers | 1975 | ||
| Long Miles of War (Dolgie vyorsty voyny) | German soldiers | 1975 | ||
| Poem of Kovpak: Carpathians, Carpathians... (Duma o Kovpake: Karpaty, Karpaty...) | Soviet partisans | 1976 | ||
| Port | German soldiers | 1976 | ||
| Mama, I'm Alive (Mama, ich lebe) | Eberhard Kirchberg | Karl Koralewski | 1977 | |
| Uwe Zerbe | Walter Pankonin | |||
| Mikhail Vaskov | Sgt. Kolja | |||
| Night Over Chile (Noch nad Chili) | Chilean soldiers | 1977 | ||
| Escape to Athena | Telly Savalas | Zeno | 1979 | |
| Pirates of the XXth Century (Piraty XX veka) | Nikolai Yeryomenko, Jr. | Sergey Sergeevich | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1979 |
| Pavel Remezov | Doctor | |||
| Viktor Gordeev | Yura Mikosha | |||
| Viktor Zhiganov | Stetsenko | |||
| Pirates | ||||
| The Hijacking of Savoy (Pokhishchenie Savoi) | Aleksandr Mikhajlov | Gido Torstensen | 1979 | |
| Leonid Bronevoy | Jean Challot | Standard and Visually modified to resemble M16 | ||
| Scharf's henchmen | ||||
| Personal Safety Not Guaranteed (Lichnoy bezopasnosti ne garantiruyu) | A bandit | 1980 | ||
| Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | Rebel Alliance soldiers | As the "BlasTech A295" | 1980 | |
| From the Bug to the Vistula (Ot Buga do Visly) | German soldiers | 1980 | ||
| Santa Esperansa | Vladimir Lomizov | Carlos | Visually modified to resemble AR-10/AR-15 | 1980 |
| Laimonas Noreika | Felisindo | |||
| Vladimir Tikhonov | Pablo Kanepi | |||
| Chilean soldiers | ||||
| The Professional | African soldiers | 1981 | ||
| Incident at Map Grid 36-80 (Sluchay v kvadrate 36-80) | US Navy sailor | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1982 | |
| The Fall of the Condor (Padeniye kondora) | Evgeniy Leonov-Gladyshev | Manuel | Visually modified to resemble AR-10/AR-15 | 1982 |
| Chilean soldiers | ||||
| Copper Angel (Medny angel) | Policemen and gangsters | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1984 | |
| Until the End (Až do konce) | Daniel Netušil | Sigi | 1984 | |
| The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission | German soldiers | 1985 | ||
| Come and See (Idi i smotri) | SS soldier | 1985 | ||
| The Detached Mission (Odinochnoye plavanye) | Nikolay Lavrov | SSG Eddie Griffith | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1985 |
| Rogue American soldiers | ||||
| The Battalions Request Fire (Batalyony prosyat ognya) | German soldiers | 1985 | ||
| R Document (Dokument R), The | Security guards | Visually modified to resemble IMI Romat variant | 1985 | |
| Secrets of Madame Wong (Tayny madam Vong) | Hong Kong police | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1986 | |
| Interception (Perekhvat) | US soldiers | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1986 | |
| The Jaguar (Yaguar) | Sergey Veksler | Jaguar | Visually modified to resemble AR-10/AR-15 | 1987 |
| Artyom Kaminsky | Fernandes | |||
| Adel Al-Khadad | Arana | |||
| Chilean military school cadets | ||||
| Curse of Snakes Valley (Klatwa doliny wezy) | Security guards | 1987 | ||
| Island of Lost Ships (Ostrov pogibshikh korabley) | Islanders | Original and visually modified to resemble M16A1 | 1987 | |
| The Russians Are Coming | Gert Krause-Melzer | Günter Walcher | Movie was filmed in 1968 | 1987 |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Cargo 300 (Gruz 300) | Afghan mujaheddins | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1989 | |
| Gangsters of the Ocean (Gangstery v okeane) | Lev Durov | Russian boatswain | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1991 |
| Pirates | ||||
| Road Hawks (Stervyatniki na dorogakh) | Mafia member | Custom "StG-44k" | 1990 | |
| Sniper | Criminal | 1992 | ||
| Casino | Police officers | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1992 | |
| Deserter (Dezertir) | A brigand | 1997 | ||
| Downfall | German soldiers | 2004 | ||
| Joy Division | Ricci Harnett | Sgt. Harry Stone | 2006 | |
| The Island (Ostrov) | German soldiers | 2006 | ||
| The Bridge | François Goeske | Albert Mutz | 2008 | |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Brother's War | Tino Struckmann | Capt. Klaus Mueller | 2009 | |
| What Men Talk About (O chyom govoryat muzhchiny) | A German soldier | 2010 | ||
| Memorial Day | German soldiers | 2011 | ||
| Iron Sky | Moon Nazis | With sci-fi embellishments | 2012 | |
| Fury | Brad Pitt | Staff Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier | 2014 | |
| The Guy from Our Cemetery (Paren s nashego kladbishcha) | at the gun shop | 2015 | ||
| 1944 | Estonian SS soldiers | 2015 | ||
| Battery Number One (Edinichka) | A German soldier | 2015 | ||
| Overlord | Mathilde Ollivier | Chole | 2018 | |
| Dominic Applewhite | Private Rosenfeld | |||
| German soldiers | ||||
| Jojo Rabbit | German soldiers | 2019 | ||
| Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan | Vietcong soldier | 2019 | ||
| The Axe. 1943 (Topor. 1943) | A German soldier | With a mockup of Zielgerät 1229 Vampir night vision device | 2021 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission: Impossible | guards | "The Exchange" (S03E12) | 1968 | |
| Born by Revolution: On the Night of the 20th (Rozhdyonnaya revolyutsiey: V noch na 20-e) | A Soviet soldier | Seen in documentary footage | 1976 | |
| Mirage | Regimantas Adomaitis | Frank Morgan | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1983 |
| Ints Burans | Ed Black | |||
| TASS Is Authorized to Declare... (TASS upolnomochen zayavit...) | Nagonian soldiers | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 1984 | |
| Confrontation (Protivostoyanie) | A Soviet soldier | Seen in documentary footage | 1985 | |
| Dead Man's Tale (Chto skazal pokoynik) | Evgeniy Voskresenskiy | "Lame" | Visually modified to resemble M16 | 2000 |
| Aleksey Buldakov | "Ponytail" | |||
| Gangsters | ||||
| Band of Brothers | German soldiers | Seen on a wall in "Curahee" (Ep.1), used in "The Breaking Point" (Ep.7) | 2001 | |
| The Wife of the Returnee | A German soldier | 2006 | ||
| Ash (Pepel) | Farkhad Makhmudov | "Pepel"'s henchman | 2013 | |
| A German soldier | ||||
| Front | A German soldier | 2014 | ||
| The Continental: From the World of John Wick | seen in armory; "Theater of Pain" (S1E03) | 2023 |
Video Games
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade | Fuse | 1999 | |
| Kerberos members | |||
| Hellsing Ultimate | Vampire Nazis | 2006 - 2012 | |
| Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow | Erica Hartmann | With Krummlauf | 2014-2015 |
| Brave Witches | Waltrud Krupinski | Sometimes with fictional grenade launcher based on the Leuchtpistole 34 | 2016-2017 |
| Gundula Rall | |||
| Nikka Katajainen | |||
| Edytha Rossmann | |||
| Karlsland soldiers |
MKb 42 (H)
%27_designed_from_the_MKB42(H).jpg){kind=link}
_zf41.jpg){kind=link}
The MKb 42 (H) (German: Maschinenkarabiner 42 (Haenel), "Machine Carbine 42 (Haenel)") was a prototype developed by C.G. Haenel for the contract of the creation of automatic weapons for the 7.92x33mm Kurz cartridge. Another project for this assignment was the Walther-made MKb 42 (W), but Haenel's design proved to be superior. By July 1942, 50 pre-production MKb 42 (H) rifles had already been submitted for testing, and from November 1942 to April 1943, Haenel produced and supplied about 8,000 new assault rifles which were tested in combat against the Soviet army. Based on the results of these tests, it was decided that the MKb 42 (H) deserves undoubted attention, but required revision; these revisions resulted in the MP 43 / StG 44 series of rifles.
Specifications
(1942 - 1943)
- Type: Assault Rifle
- Caliber: 7.92x33mm Kurz
- Weight: 4.9 kg
- Length: 940 mm
- Barrel length: 364 mm
- Muzzle Velocity: 640 m/s
- Rate of fire: 500 rpm
- Feed System: 30-round detachable box magazine
The MKb 42 (H) and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst Thälmann - Leader of his Class | KZ prison guards | 1955 | ||
| Higher Principle (Vyssí princip) | Jan Skopecek | SS man | 1960 | |
| German soldiers | ||||
| Death Is Called Engelchen | German soldiers, Partisans | 1963 | ||
| On the way to Berlin (Na puti v Berlin) | German soldiers and officers | Converted to 7.62x39mm | 1969 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killing Floor | "MKb42" | Added in a patch in 2012 | 2009 | |
| Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad | "MKb 42(H)" | 2011 | ||
| Killing Floor 2 | "MKb42" | stocks removed and are fitted with bayonets | 2016 | |
| Sniper Elite 4 | "MKb 42" | 2017 | ||
| Enlisted | MKb 42(H) | 2021 | ||
| MKb 42(H) with ZF41 | ||||
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | 221 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade | Kerberos members | 1998 |
MKb 42 (W)
.jpg){kind=link}
_2.jpg){kind=link}
The MKb 42 (W) (German: Maschinenkarabiner 42 (Walther), "Machine Carbine 42 (Walther)") was a different prototype for the same contract as the MKb 42 (H), made by Walther instead of Haenel. However, preference was given to a sample from Haenel, and MKb 42 (W) developing was discontinued. In total, about 200 MKb 42 (W)s were manufactured (before Walther was removed from the competition in early 1942) and most of them remained at Walther's factory until the end of the war.
Specifications
(1942)
- Type: Assault Rifle
- Caliber: 7.92x33mm Kurz
- Weight: 4.4 kg
- Length: 933 mm
- Barrel length: 409 mm
- Muzzle Velocity: 650 m/s
- Rate of fire: 600 rpm
- Feed System: 30-round detachable box magazine
The MKb 42 (W) and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enlisted | Walther MKb 42(W) | 2021 |