Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle

[David]

Generally regarded as the 'Father of Assault Rifles' the Sturmgewehr 44 was based on the previously developed Maschinenpistole MP 43. Despite Hitler's orders to abandon develop of the weapon and put resources towards development of other machine pistols, German Army officials secretly continued it, changing the project name from Maschinenpistole 44 to Sturmgewehr 44. It is said that Hitler himself added the name of 'Sturmgewehr', or assault rifle, to the title of the weapon after being impressed by it.
Originally, the weapon system was designed as a machine pistol, similar to a submachine gun in its battlefield role. It was around this time that Hitler ordeed production of standard bolt-action rifles to decrease in favor of the more automated and automatic firing systems of machine guns.
The StG 44 more use on the Eastern Front than against the West, with more and more battlefield personnel requesting the weapon system on the frontlines. Developed by Louis Schmeisser, it fired the new Polte Kurz (short) 7.92mm round from a 30-round detachable box feed. The soldier in possession of such a weapon became a new breed of soldier, not having to rely on the supporting fire of a machine gun team to advance. The soldier could now suppress the enemy positions with the very weapon he would use to overtake the position. German SS troops were the first to be armed with the rifle, with many being used in the Battle of the Ardennes in the West Front, though a bulk of the success was found in the East Front against the Soviets.
Variations included a StG 44 with a curved barrel to allow for firing around corners (pictured at the bottom of this page). A large amount of development time and resources was put into this ability, resulting in another show of poor management on the part of the German Army when these resources could have been put forth in other areas. The general idea of the curved barrel was to provide tank crews the ability to fire at enemy troops near or on their tanks through weapon portholes, thus keeping the crew and tank safe from being overrun.
The curved barrel operated with a series of holes punched into the barrel. This decreased the velocity of the exiting round, but nonetheless could provide a lethal blow to a nearby combatant. The holes in the barrel could jettison the oncoming gas and force the round through the curved section, whereas the full velocity of the round in the weapons original role would have the round tear right through the curved protrusion. Three different barrels were proposed firing at 30, 40 and 90 degree angles.
In any case, this particular project did not see the light of day, though vast amounts of research and resources were allotted to the fruitless effort. Nevertheless, the weapon in its original "assault" rifle form saw great success for the German Army against the Russians. The StG 44 would find its place in the history of small arms as the "father of the modern day assault rifle". Another accessory developed for the weapon system was an infrared night scope known as the 'Vampir'.
The weapon survived the Second World War long enough to see service with the Czechoslovakian Army and combat in the Arab-Israeli War. Few can be found today, though if encountered, would most likely be with third world armies, especially prevalent on the continent of Africa.
Specifications for the Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle:

Designation: Sturmgewehr StG 44
Classification: Assault Rifle
Caliber: .30 Caliber (7.92x33mm Kurz)
Length: 37 inches
Weight: 11lbs, 4oz (unloaded)
Magazine Capacity: 30-round detachable box
Rat of Fire: 500 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity: 2,125 feet per second

ABOVE: The StG 44 Assault Rifle with Proposed Curved Barrel Attachment