STG44

Caliber: 7.92x33mm (7.92mm Kurz)
Length: 940 mm
Barrel length: 419 mm
Weight: 5.22 kg
Shop: 30 rounds

Automation

The Stg.44 assault rifle was a weapon built on the basis of automation with a gas engine with a long stroke of a gas piston located above the barrel. The barrel was locked by tilting the bolt down, behind the insert in the receiver. The receiver is stamped from a steel sheet, also a stamped USM unit, together with a pistol grip, is hinged to the receiver and folds forward and down for disassembly. The butt is wooden, attached to the receiver with a transverse pin and removed during disassembly, a return spring is located inside the butt (thus eliminating the possibility of simply creating a variant with a folding butt). The sector sight, the fuse and the fire mode translator are independent (the fuse lever on the left above the pistol grip and the transverse button for selecting the fire mode located above it), the bolt handle is located on the left and moves along with the bolt carrier when firing. On the muzzle of the barrel there is a thread for mounting a rifle grenade launcher, usually closed with a protective sleeve. The Stg.44 could be equipped with the Vampire active IR sight, as well as the Krummlauf Vorsatz J special kink-barreled device, designed to fire from tanks (and other shelters) at the enemy in the dead zone near the tank.

Impact mechanism

Hammer type hammer mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows single and automatic fire. The fire translator is located in the trigger box, and its ends go out on the left and right sides. To conduct automatic fire, the translator must be moved to the right by the letter "D", and for a single fire - to the left by the letter "E". The rifle is equipped with a fuse against accidental shots. This flag-type safety is located below the fire translator and, in the “F” position, blocks the trigger lever.

The assault rifle is fed with cartridges from a box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds. The cartridges in the store are arranged in two rows.

Sector rifle sight allows you to conduct aimed fire at a distance of up to 800 m. The divisions of the sight are marked on the aiming bar. Each division of the sight corresponds to a change in range by 50 m. The slot and front sight are triangular in shape. Optical and infrared sights could also be mounted on the rifle.

The belated adoption of the StG-44 rifle did not have a significant impact on the course of hostilities. Of course, this model of automatic weapons had a great influence on the post-war development of this class of weapons, including the AK-47. In total, during the years of World War II, more than 415 thousand StG-44, MP43 and Mkb 42 rifles, as well as more than 690 million cartridges for them, were produced.

The development of manual automatic weapons chambered for a cartridge intermediate in power between pistol and rifle was started in Germany before the start of World War II, in the mid-thirties. In 1939, an intermediate cartridge 7.92x33 mm (7.92mm Kurz), developed on an initiative basis by the German company Polte, was chosen as the new base ammunition in 1939. In 1942, by order of the German arms department HWaA, two firms set about developing weapons for this cartridge - C.G. Haenel and Karl Walther.

As a result, two samples were created, initially classified as automatic carbines - (MaschinenKarabiner, MKb). The sample of Walter was designated MKb.42 (W), the sample of Henel, developed under the direction of Hugo Schmeisser (Hugo Schmeisser) - Mkb.42 (H). Based on the test results, it was decided to develop the design of the Henel company, in which significant changes were made, primarily related to the USM device. Due to Hitler's reluctance to begin production of a new class of weapons, development was carried out under the designation MP 43 (MaschinenPistole = submachine gun). The first samples of the MP 43 were successfully tested on the Eastern Front against the Soviet troops, and in 1944, more or less mass production of a new type of weapon under the name MP 44 begins. After the results of successful front-line tests were presented to Hitler and approved by him, the nomenclature of weapons there was again a betrayal, and the sample received the final designation StG.44 (SturmGewehr 44, "assault rifle") AK 47

Caliber: 7.62x39
Type of automation: gas outlet, locking by tilting the shutter
Length: 870 mm
Barrel length: 415 mm
Weight: 4.86

Automation

Automation AK works due to the removal of powder gases through the upper hole in the wall of the bore. The gas piston with the rod is rigidly connected to the bolt carrier. After the shutter frame moves away under the action of gas pressure to the required distance, the exhaust gases exit into the atmosphere through holes in the gas tube. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt, while the two lugs of the bolt go into the corresponding grooves of the receiver. The shutter is rotated by the bevel of the shutter frame. The bolt frame is the leading link in automation: it sets the direction of movement of moving parts, perceives most shock loads, a return spring is placed in the longitudinal channel of the bolt frame (by analogy with submachine guns, it is sometimes not quite correctly referred to as “return-combat”). The reload handle is located on the right and is integral with the bolt carrier. When the bolt is unlocked by the bolt frame moving backwards, a preliminary displacement (“breaking off”) of the sleeve located in the chamber occurs. This assists in depressurizing the chamber and prevents the case from bursting during subsequent extraction, even if the chamber is very dirty. The ejection of the spent cartridge case to the right through the receiver window is provided by a spring-loaded ejector mounted on the bolt and a rigid receiver reflector. The "hung" position of moving parts in the receiver with relatively large gaps ensured reliable operation of the system in case of heavy contamination.

Impact mechanism

The percussion mechanism is of the trigger type with a trigger rotating on the axis and a U-shaped mainspring made of double twisted wire. The trigger mechanism allows continuous and single fire. A single rotary part performs the functions of a fire mode switch (translator) and a double-acting safety lever: in the safety position, it locks the trigger, the sear of single and continuous fire and prevents the bolt frame from moving backward, partially blocking the longitudinal groove between the receiver and its cover. In this case, the bolt can be pulled back to check the chamber, but its stroke is not enough to send the next cartridge into the chamber. All parts of the automation and the trigger mechanism are compactly assembled in the receiver, thus playing the role of both the bolt box and the trigger housing. The first batches of AKs had, in accordance with the assignment, a stamped receiver with a forged barrel liner. However, the available technology then did not allow the required rigidity of the box to be achieved, and in mass production, cold stamping was replaced by milling the box from a solid forging, which caused an increase in the weight of the weapon. The rear stop of the guide rod of the return spring enters the groove of the receiver and serves as a latch for the stamped receiver cover.

The machine has a traditional sector sight with the location of the aiming block in the middle of the weapon and the front sight - at the muzzle of the barrel, on a triangular base. The front sight is adjustable in height, covered from the sides with “rack wings”, the sight is graduated up to 800 m. In subsequent modifications, the sight graduation reached 1000 m.Additional info

After the 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge designed by N. M. Elizarov and B. V. Semin was adopted in 1943, work began on the creation of a new small arms system for this cartridge. To replace submachine guns, a new individual automatic weapon was developed - a reliable machine gun with a replaceable magazine and a fire mode switch; magazine carbine - a self-loading carbine with a permanent magazine; rifle-caliber light machine gun - a lightweight light machine gun with magazine or belt feed. Work on the machine was started by A. I. Sudaev, who created a number of original designs in 1944, then other designers joined the development.

In 1946, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov submitted his own model of an assault rifle to the competition. The machine was based on an experimental Kalashnikov carbine, which had previously participated in the competition for a self-loading carbine. After significant improvements, the machine successfully passed the tests and showed good results, surpassing the samples of V. A. Degtyarev, S. G. Simonov, N. V. Rukavishnikov, K. A. Baryshev and other designers. After the completion of military tests, the machine was adopted by the Soviet Army and received the designation AK (“7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle of the 1947 model of the year”). Participation of German specialists in the creation of the machine on the external similarity between them, the work of Hugo Schmeiser in the Izhevsk Design Bureau, the study of the StG-44 by Soviet specialists for borrowing (in August 1945, 50 pieces of Stg-44 were assembled at the Henel plant and transferred to the USSR for technical evaluation).
However, it is worth noting that the similar outlines of the barrel, front sight and gas outlet tube are due to the use of a similar gas outlet engine, which Kalashnikov could not have borrowed from Schmeiser, since it was invented long before that.
The structural differences are quite large and consist in the device for locking the barrel (rotary bolt for AK and skewed bolt for MP-43), trigger mechanism, differences in weapon disassembly (for a Kalashnikov assault rifle, for this you need to remove the receiver cover, and for StG- 44 - fold the trigger box down on the pin along with the fire control handle). It is also worth noting that the AK is lighter than the StG-44 (curb weights of 4.8 and 5.22 kg, respectively).

According to some sources, the merit of Hugo Schmeisser was the development of cold stamping technology, which he was engaged in until 1952, which played a role in the appearance of a stamped magazine and AKM receiver (since 1959). Meanwhile, similar technologies were used before Schmeiser, including in the USSR in the manufacture of PPSh and PPS-43 submachine guns, which had a predominantly stamped design before the advent of the StG-44, that is, the Soviet side by that time already had some experience in manufacture of small arms parts by stamping. However, it should be noted that Hugo Schmeisser did not leave memoirs about his time spent in the USSR, so any other information about the participation of Schmeisser and other German specialists in the development of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is not currently available.

It is also worth adding to this that the design of the AK used elements of an experimental automatic carbine created by Kalashnikov back in 1944, and experimental samples of the new machine for field testing were ready before the appearance of German specialists in Izhevsk.

Thus, it can be concluded with great certainty that the AK is Mikhail Kalashnikov's own development.
http://www.berloga.net/view.php?id=69608

The fabrications that Kalashnikov ripped off his AK-47 from the Nazi StG.44 stormtrooper have been around for a long time. In general, these fabrications have already been refuted by many people, but opinions about the direct relationship of these automata continue to emerge with enviable regularity. This topic is intended by me in order to give food for thought on the topic of similarities and kinship between AK and StG. I will not say anything new and supernatural here (it is difficult to unearth something new on this topic). I’m just going to express a number of simple thoughts, and to illustrate them I will give a number of pictures put together from different corners of the Internet.

At first glance at the Kalash and Sturmgever, their similarity is striking. Especially if you compare them with some other common assault rifle. For example, with M-16:

There is certainly a certain similarity. But for example: looking at the photographs of the Mauser Kar98 (from DoD) and the Mosin rifle, you will notice at least no less similarity. Or compare again DoDosky G.43 and SVT:

But it seems that you don’t particularly hear the replicas that the mosquito was torn off the Mauser, and the G.43 from Tokarev’s self-loading. But in all the smart books that are written by smart and knowledgeable people (whom I, the ignorant, believe), AK clones are called, for example, the Israeli Galil and the South African Vector, which is completely different from the progenitor:

That is, smart people who write smart books believe that it is possible to talk about the relationship between weapons, judging by its structure, and not by external similarity. Speaking of external resemblance. Do our patients look the same? For greater clarity, I did this: I circled the photos along the contour with a line, scaled the resulting image to 1 to 1 (StG length 940 mm, AK-47 870 mm) and superimposed the resulting images on top of each other:

As they say - find 10 differences ... It can be seen that the Kalash is more compact than the stormtrooper. The most noticeable difference is in the rear of the machines and in the gas outlet assembly. The compact receiver of the AK-47 ends just behind the pistol grip, in a stormtrooper it stretches far. From which we can immediately conclude that the shutter stroke is longer and that the mainspring is longer. The greater distance between pistol grip and magazine suggests a less compact trigger mechanism. The gas outlet assembly and the handguard are made in different designs, the rod sticking forward from the StG gas outlet tube is probably connected to the gas regulator. It's about appearance. Now let's look at the internal structure: the guts of StG44 and AK-47:

Having examined the design, we see the similarity in the design of the following units: the bolt frame, made as a single unit with a gas piston, the gas outlet is carried out into the gas tube (for the StG it is apparently not as easy to remove as for the AK), the reciprocating mainspring is located behind the bolt frame on the line gas piston.

Differences: first of all, the absence of a stem from the stormtrooper return spring catches the eye (probably because it is so long). Secondly, the butt (the part installed in it) apparently serves as the basis for the spring in the StG. Thirdly, access to the trigger mechanism in the StG is probably carried out from behind (folded back pistol grip). And the most important thing, in my opinion, is the shutter. In StG, the shutter is locked by its vertical movement. The shutter moves quite strongly, millimeters, in my opinion, by 5. It is foolish to assume that in the process of creating his assault rifle, Kalashnikov did not familiarize himself with the captured StG.44. I got acquainted. An indirect confirmation of the fact that Kalashnikov did not disdain to adopt someone else's experience (in which I see nothing wrong - generally accepted world practice in any field of design activity) is a prototype submachine gun, apparently the first experience of Kalashnikov, after which he was noticed as gunsmith:

The design is ripped off Thompson, definitely. But IHMO acquaintance with the stormtrooper gave Kalashnikov a benefit in the sense that it was seen how NOT to make an assault rifle. The similarity of the Kalash with the StG is determined by the ergonomics of the assault rifle (which I wrote about here) and the classic layout scheme. Well, maybe even material and processing technology. No more. What could have happened (and happened) as a result of improving StG.44 can be seen in the example of G.3 and subsequent HK developments, up to G.41:

And in the end, some personal impressions. I saw StG live, in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Kyiv (which is under the laurel statue of the Motherland). The abundance of all sorts of stamped protrusions immediately caught my eye, apparently the machine gun contains more details than AK. The assault rifle is healthy, noticeably larger than the Kalash, especially in terms of the height of the receiver. The main thing is the shutter. Right in the ejection window of the cartridge case, the gap between the bolt and the bolt frame shone - about 5 mm by eye, as I mentioned above. Clog it, open to all winds, and the machine gun will not shoot ...


The Second World War seriously spurred the development of weapons and military equipment. The armies that entered the war, sometimes, came out of it with a completely different face and more advanced weapons. The German armed forces were also at the forefront of technical thought.

As a result of the defeat of Germany, many ideas ended up abroad, promoting novelties in other countries. One of the first mass models known in the world was the Sturmgever 44 assault rifle, one of the first such specimens chambered for an intermediate cartridge.

The history of the creation of Sturmgever

Even in the interval between the world wars, theorists and the military were concerned with the issue of uniformity and fundamentally new technical characteristics of firearms among soldiers. Rifle cartridges were unnecessarily powerful. They retained lethal force for an average of a couple of kilometers, while a real battle was carried out on average at a distance of 300 meters.

However, the problem was not in the strength of the cartridge, but in its large dimensions and the complexity of its use in automatic weapons. The pistol cartridge showed itself well at distances up to 200 meters, then both penetrating power and shooting accuracy greatly decreased. As a result, the armed forces of the countries of the world met the Second World War, armed with rifles and submachine guns.

A new type of weapon and ammunition made it possible to use logistics much more efficiently.

An increased amount of ammunition carried and transported due to uniformity, an increase in the strength, range and density of fire by a unit, all this and much more was given by the new cartridge.

Intermediate ammunition, which has the lethality of a rifle cartridge and is suitable for automation, has been sought since the beginning of the 20th century. The unitary cartridges created at that time were not widely used and had almost no effect on the armament of the soldiers. Only in 1940 did the German Polte engineers manage to create a successful cartridge, 7.92 × 33 mm Kurz (short).

According to the plans of the High Command, the Wehrmacht was to be rearmed, instead of submachine guns and rifles, soldiers were to receive a universally uniform
weapon.


Even earlier, in 1938, an agreement was concluded between the Armaments Directorate and the Schmeisser company on the development of a new type of weapon for an intermediate cartridge. In 1940, he handed over the developed sample for research, and at about the same time a new contract was concluded with the Walter company with the same technical assignment. In early 1942, at a meeting with Hitler, both options were demonstrated.

Tests showed the inconsistency of the Walther model, it was unnecessarily capricious and difficult to operate. The Schmeisser model, on the contrary, proved to be convenient, and it was decided to arrange front-line tests.

After successful use in the East and the elimination of minor shortcomings, in 1943 a model of a fundamentally new small arms was adopted under the marking MP-43A or MP-431.

The name of the weapon was chosen for a long time. The first years it was believed that the engineers were working on an automatic carbine. In 1944, the Fuhrer proposed the name assault rifle, and this name was assigned to all samples of this type of weapon in the west. An interesting fact: initially, Hitler was against a new type of personal small arms.

He was presented with a variant tested in the troops, repeatedly refined, highly appreciated by the generals, who enjoyed Hitler's confidence. Under pressure from positive reviews, the Fuhrer had to give in, and StG.44 was put into mass production.

Weapon design

Automation is based on the removal of powder gases from the bore. They move the shutter back, and locking occurs by skewing the shutter. The percussion mechanism of the trigger type.

The machine is capable of both automatic fire in bursts of various lengths and single shots.

Ammunition is produced in a magazine way, from a sector two-row magazine for 30 rounds. The sight allows you to shoot at eight hundred meters. Separately, it is worth highlighting the return spring, located in a wooden butt. This does not make it possible to produce weapons with a folding butt.


Since the weapon went to the troops, in fact, "raw", it has many disadvantages, as well as advantages:

  • unsuccessful aiming devices, taking into account the fact that the machine gun fires accurately at small and medium combat distances;
  • a lot of weight compared to rifles and submachine guns, but good ergonomics and compactness;
  • insufficient strength of the receiver,
  • spring weakness in the store;
  • unfinished handguard, uncomfortable for the shooter;
  • excellent rate of fire from the positive sides of the weapon.

It is worth noting that almost all the shortcomings are associated with "childhood illnesses" or wartime conditions. These shortcomings are quite easily eliminated, which was also shown by operating experience, since from the moment they were put into service until the end of the war, the machine guns were modernized several times and, literally on the assembly line, the weapon was improved.

If Germany had more time and resources, history could have changed dramatically due to the massive use of new weapons, analogues of which either had worse characteristics or were in development.


Of interest are the developments to improve the StG.44, carried out by German designers until the very end of the war. In addition to mounts for sights and grenade launchers, a device was developed for firing at night. The sight "Vampire" made it possible to see the target at a distance of up to one hundred meters. The downside was the weight of the sight, more than 2 kg., As well as a 13-kilogram power supply worn behind the back.

Combat use

Initially, the new assault rifle was used in the SS division "Viking". In the future, these weapons also came into service only with the elite units of the German army. In total, 400 thousand samples were made, which was not a very large number, but this was not the main problem.

There was a catastrophic lack of ammunition for the machine gun, the industry could not cope with orders for the front.

This, and the fact that the weapons hit the troops en masse in 1944, when the issue of the defeat of Germany remained a matter of time, did not allow the rifle to make a significant contribution to the fighting.

Meanwhile, the Allies took a closer look at the new weapons. The Americans did not like the Sturmgever, the generals considered the M1 carbines to be a much better weapon. True, this did not prevent the American infantrymen from using captured samples with pleasure throughout the war. The Soviet army appreciated the capabilities of the assault rifle.


The saturation of the PPSh did not affect the use of a fundamentally different captured weapon, and its small mass use is associated with the main trouble, an insufficient amount of ammunition. Trophy samples influenced the intermediate cartridge 7.62 × 39 designed in the Union.

Post-war life StG.44 and interesting facts

Speaking of the German assault rifle, one cannot fail to mention the discussion related to its role in the creation of the . After the end of World War II, Schmeisser, who did not stain himself as a Nazi criminal, was released. He was immediately offered cooperation with the Soviet authorities, and he spent a long time in Izhevsk, at an arms factory.

At the same time, the young designer Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was working on the creation of his own weapons in Kovrov, on the basis of an arms factory.

One way or another, we can talk about the external similarity between StG.44 and AK, but if you look inside, the difference becomes obvious. Despite the single principle, the removal of powder gases, the design itself is significantly different.

Finding the return spring, locking, the principle of disassembly, many other small differences make it possible to talk about different samples. The provocative question of whether Kalashnikov made an assault rifle or Schmeisser remains on the conscience of lovers of cheap sensations and searches in an empty dark room of a cat.


In the post-war period, the machine was used by the army of both Germanys, the IDF in many wars with Arab countries, as well as in military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and some African countries. The spread of other types of weapons did not allow the machine gun to spread widely, but it made its contribution to the war.

There is evidence of its use in the conflict in Syria, already in the 21st century. He got there from Israeli warehouses, burdened with obsolete machine guns.

The StG.44 received unexpected success in Soviet cinema.

During the filming of Pirates of the 20th Century, the director and writers decided that it would be nice to equip the villains with something new. Since rumors about the American M16 had already reached the public, but the film studios could not get fake samples, it was decided to slightly “modernize” the German StG.44.

A handle was welded to it on top to resemble the “black rifle” of American soldiers. It is not clear why, but they welded the connection of the butt and the receiver, eliminating the possibility of disassembling and cleaning the weapon. Soviet citizens, especially of school age, were shocked by the appearance of new weapons in the cinema, and this made the pseudo-M16 a good advertisement. This was followed by the appearance in several more films about the "friendship" of the Soviet and American people.

As a result, hundreds of samples of Eugene Stoner's real creations were purchased for the warehouses of film studios, leaving this interesting hybrid to the delight of film lovers. Periodically, StG.44 flashes in films about the war and a variety of shooters.

Video

According to the results of military tests of automatic carbines of firms and carried out in late 1942 - early 1943 on the Soviet-German front, it was decided to develop the Haenel design, created under the leadership of Hugo Schmeisser. Significant changes were made to the original design of the MKb.42 (H) assault rifle, primarily related to the USM device and the gas exhaust mechanism. Due to Hitler's reluctance to start production of a new class of weapons, the development was carried out under the designation MP 43 (Machinen Pistole - submachine gun).

The first samples of the MP 43 were successfully tested in 1943 on the Eastern Front against the Soviet troops, and in 1944 more or less mass production of a new type of weapon begins, but already under the new name MP 44. After the results of successful front-line tests were presented Hitler and approved by him, the nomenclature of the weapon was changed again, and the sample received the final designation StG.44 (Sturm Gewehr-44, assault rifle). The name Sturm Gewehr carried a purely propaganda meaning, however, as it sometimes happens, it stuck tightly not only to this sample, but to the entire class of manual automatic weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge.

In general, the MP 44 was a fairly successful model, providing effective single-shot fire at a distance of up to 600 meters and automatic fire at a distance of up to 300 meters. He was the first mass model of a new class of weapons - assault rifles, and had an undoubted influence on all subsequent developments, including, of course, the Kalashnikov assault rifle. However, it is impossible to talk about Kalashnikov's direct borrowing from the Schmeiser design - as follows from the above, the AK and MP 44 designs contain too many fundamentally different solutions (the receiver layout, trigger device, barrel locking device, etc.). The disadvantages of the MP 44 include an excessively large mass of weapons, sights too high, which is why the shooter had to raise his head too high when shooting prone, and even shortened magazines for 15 and 20 rounds were developed for the MP 44. In addition, the butt mount was not strong enough and could collapse when using weapons in hand-to-hand combat.

In total, about 500,000 copies of the MP 44 / StG.44 were produced, and with the end of the Second World War, its production ended, but it was in service with the GDR police until the mid-1950s. The airborne troops and a number of police forces in Yugoslavia used these assault rifles until the early 1980s (officially withdrawn from service in 1983, replaced by locally produced copies of the M64A and M70AV2 AKM) under the designation "Automat, padobranski, 7,9 mm M44 , nemacki". Cartridges of caliber 7.92x33 mm were produced in Yugoslavia until the 1970s.

The MP 44 was an automatic weapon built on the basis of a gas engine with a long stroke of the gas piston. The barrel was locked by tilting the bolt down, behind the receiver insert.
The receiver is stamped from a steel sheet, also the stamped body of the trigger trigger mechanism (USM), together with the pistol grip, is pivotally attached to the receiver and leans down and forward when disassembling the weapon. The butt is wooden, during disassembly it was removed after removing the spring-loaded transverse pin.

The power of the machine is from detachable box-shaped steel magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds. The magazine latch is push-button, located on the side surface of the neck of the magazine receiver (a similar design was later used in the American M16 rifle).
The sight is sectorial, the fuse and the translator of fire modes are independent, the translator is in the form of a transverse button above the pistol grip, the fuse is in the form of a lever on the left side of the USM body, above the trigger guard. The bolt handle is located on the left and moves along with the bolt carrier when firing. On the muzzle of the barrel there is a thread for mounting a rifle grenade launcher, usually closed with a protective sleeve.

The MP 44 could be equipped with an active IR-sight "Vampire" as well as a special krummlauf Vorsatz J, which was put on the barrel of a weapon and designed for firing by the crew from inside the tanks through hatches at the enemy in the dead zone near the tank. This device was an arcuately curved "extension" of the barrel, which had a series of holes on the outside of the curved barrel, designed to release powder gases in order to avoid rupture of the barrel with increased friction of the bullet. Because of this, the initial speed of a bullet deviated 30 degrees down from the axis of the weapon decreased to about 300 m / s, which was quite enough, since this weapon was intended for close combat - shelling infantry within a radius of 30-40 meters from the tank . To aim the weapon, a special mirror system was used, put on a curved nozzle. In total, about 10,000 Krummlauf Vorsatz J kits were produced. In addition, the Krummlauf Vorsatz P and Krummlauf Vorsatz V kits were developed, but were not mass-produced, providing a bullet trajectory deflection down by 90 and 40 degrees, respectively.


As soon as a conversation about a Kalashnikov assault rifle starts somewhere on the network, a flock of schizoids will immediately run up with cries that the AK de is not a development of Kalashnikov, but a copy from the StG 44. And the opposite has been repeatedly proven, and even Western gunsmiths laugh at this. But in Russia, they don’t plow and sow fools, they themselves will be born. Especially those who like to spit and crap any achievements of their country. It is treated in only one way. Labor camps in Siberia.
For any person who held an AK, and even more so served with him, these fabrications are ridiculous. But for people with a fragile psyche, young people, they have a detrimental effect.
The story about Kalashnikov copying a German assault rifle was launched by the Americans back in the early seventies, in particular by Colt. It was necessary to somehow justify the failure with the release of the M-16.
The main statement of these gentlemen is that the AK-47 was developed by Hugo Schmeiser. The designer of the StG 44, who was in Soviet captivity and worked in Izhevsk.
But Kalashnikov developed his assault rifle in Kovrov. He appeared in Izhevsk only in 1949, already with a ready-made model of an assault rifle that had already been tested and put into service. Yes, and more than one Kalashnikov developed a new weapon for an intermediate cartridge. Yes, and Kalashnikov was not tested at first, a favorite. Why did such an eminent designer Schmeiser help him.
Another of the false fabrications. Like, how could an illiterate man-bast-worker Kalashnikov develop an assault rifle. Let's take a closer look at the personality of Hugo Schmeiser. He also did not have a higher technical education. This follows from his biography, the case brought against him by the NKVD. From childhood, he studied everything related to the production of weapons. He was a practical designer and not a theorist. Other engineers, more educated, were engaged in theory at his company.
Yes, and an automaton is not a nuclear reactor or a spaceship. There would be a theoretical base, and then you just need to competently embody everything in metal. And there was such a theoretical base in the USSR. It was created by Vladimir Fedorov, the great Russian gunsmith, creator of the world's first automaton. Unfortunately, in the twenties and thirties, it was not possible to realize all the ideas of this ingenious designer. But his achievements came in handy after the war. So Kalashnikov did not start from scratch at all.
As for plagiarism. Take a closer look at the American M-16. It is much more similar to the StG 44.
Below are pictures to illustrate.


AK-47 and StG 44 for comparison.

Disassembled StG 44 for comparison. Both samples are disassembled.
M-16.
Once again StG 44.

M-16 disassembled.
StG 44 disassembled, for comparison.
The Americans were well acquainted with the German machine gun and even had time to make war with it.

A unique and extremely rare German-made blanked assault rifle (automatic) shp mp 44 or stg 44 sturmgewehr - Stg 44 Sturmgewehr. Factory-finished Hammer weapon. Number 5793. Caliber blank 7.62x39mm. The history of the Stg 44 assault rifle began with the development by Polte AG (Magdeburg) of an intermediate cartridge 7.92 × 33 mm of reduced power for firing at a distance of up to 1000 m, in accordance with the requirements put forward by the HWaA (Heereswaffenamt - Wehrmacht Weapons Department). In 1935-1937. numerous studies were carried out, as a result of which the initial tactical and technical requirements of the HWaA for the design of weapons for the new cartridge were revised, which led to the creation in 1938 of the concept of light automatic small arms capable of simultaneously replacing submachine guns, magazine rifles and light machine guns in the troops . On April 18, 1938, the HWaA entered into a contract with Hugo Schmeisser, owner of C.G. Haenel Waffen und Fahrradfabrik ”(Suhl, Thuringia), a contract for the creation of a new weapon, officially designated MKb (German Maschinenkarabin - automatic carbine). Schmeisser, who headed the design team, handed over the first prototype of the assault rifle to the HWaA in early 1940.

At the end of the same year, a contract for research under the MKb program. received by Walther under the leadership of Erich Walther. A variant of the carbine of this company was presented to the officers of the artillery and technical supply department of the HWaA in early 1941. According to the results of firing at the Kummersdorf training ground, the Walther submachine gun showed satisfactory results, however, fine-tuning its design continued throughout 1941. In January 1942, the HWaA demanded that C.G. Haenel" and "Walther" to provide 200 carbines each, designated MKb.42 (H) and MKb.42 (W), respectively.

In July, an official demonstration of prototypes of both companies took place, as a result of which the HWaA and the leadership of the Ministry of Armaments remained confident that the modifications of the machine guns would be completed in the very near future and production would begin at the end of summer. It was planned to produce 500 carbines by November, and by March 1943 to increase the monthly production to 15,000, but after the August tests, the HWaA introduced new requirements in the TTZ, which briefly delayed the start of production. According to the new requirements, a tide for a bayonet was to be mounted on the machines, and it was also possible to mount a rifle grenade launcher. In addition to this, C.G. Haenel had problems with a subcontractor, and Walther had problems setting up production equipment. As a result, not a single copy of the MKb.42 was ready by October.

The production of assault rifles grew slowly: in November, Walther produced 25 carbines, and in December - 91 (with a planned monthly production of 500 pieces), but thanks to the support of the Ministry of Armaments, the firms managed to solve the main production problems, and already in February the production plan was exceeded (1217 machine guns instead of a thousand). A certain number of MKb.42s, by order of the Minister of Armaments Albert Speer, went to the Eastern Front to undergo military trials. During the tests, it was found that the heavier MKb.42(H) was worse balanced, but more reliable and simpler than its competitor, so the HWaA gave its preference to the Schmeisser design, but required some changes to it.