Wehrmacht assault rifle stg 44. German assault rifle Sturmgewehr (Stg.44). Tactical and technical characteristics of the rifle

Throughout the history of mankind, many samples have been created. According to military experts, among the wide variety of similar products, models such as the German STG 44 assault rifle and the Kalashnikov assault rifle occupy a special place. was widely used by warring parties during the Great Patriotic War. There are many similarities between the German STG 44 assault rifle and the AK. Mostly professionals are aware of all the design features of both models. Not everyone knows that the predecessor of the Belgian development FN FAL, adopted by NATO and becoming the main competitor to many modern models firearms, including AK-47, - German assault rifle STG 44.

This fact gives reason to show greater interest in the weapons of Wehrmacht soldiers. Information about the history of creation, device and technical characteristics The German assault rifle STG 44 is presented in the article.

Introduction to weapons

The STG 44 assault rifle (Sturmgewehr 44) is a German assault rifle created during the Second World War. In total, German industry produced 450 thousand units. According to experts, the German assault rifle STG 44 is the first mass-produced model of assault rifles. Compared to submachine guns used during the war, the rifle has an improved firing rate. This became possible thanks to the use of more than one in the German assault rifle STG 44 (photo of the weapon is presented in the article). powerful ammunition. Such a cartridge is also called “intermediate”. Unlike pistol cartridges used in pistols and submachine guns, rifle ammunition has improved ballistic properties.

About the history of the German assault rifle STG 44

The development of intermediate cartridges, carried out in 1935 by the Magdeburg arms company Polte, laid the foundation for the creation of the German rifle. The caliber of 7.92 mm ammunition made it possible to fire effectively at distances of no more than a thousand meters. This indicator met the requirements for cartridges from the Wehrmacht Arms Directorate. The situation changed in 1937. Now, after numerous studies conducted by German gunsmiths, the management of the Directorate has come to the conclusion that more effective cartridge. Since the existing weapons were structurally unsuitable for the tactical and technical capabilities of the new ammunition, in 1938 a concept was formulated according to which the main emphasis was on light automatic rifle models that would become a worthy replacement for submachine guns, repeating rifles and light machine guns.

Start of production

The history of the production of the German assault rifle STG 44 begins with the conclusion of an agreement between the Armament Directorate and the company C.G. Heanel, owned by Hugo Schmeisser. According to the contract, the arms company was to produce an automatic carbine chambered for a new intermediate cartridge. The MKb rifle became such a weapon. In 1940, the first samples were handed over to the customer. Walther also received a similar order. Two years later, both companies submitted their samples - models MKbH and MKbW - for Hitler's consideration. The latter (MKbW rifle), according to experts, turned out to be too complex and “capricious”. The device provided by C.G. Heanel, was considered the best. This type of rifle is characterized by: robust design and high tactical and technical characteristics. In addition, the reliability, durability of the weapon and ease of disassembly were appreciated. In the documentation this model is listed as MKb.42. The Minister of the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate put forward a proposal, after making some design changes, to send several of these samples to the Eastern Front.

What was improved in MKb.42?

• The trigger was replaced with a Walter trigger system. According to experts, such a replacement will have a beneficial effect on the accuracy of combat during single shooting.
• Changes affected the design of the sear.
• The rifle was equipped with a safety catch.
• The gas chamber tube was shortened and equipped with 7-mm holes designed to allow the remaining powder gases to escape. Thanks to this, difficult weather conditions are no longer an obstacle to using the rifle.
• The guide bushing was removed from the return spring.
• The tide for mounting the bayonet was abolished.
• The butt design has been simplified.

1943-1944

The modified model was already listed in the documentation as MP-43A. Soon it entered service and was supplied to the Eastern Front for military personnel of the 5th tank division SS Viking. In 1943, German industry produced over 14 thousand units of such weapons. In 1944, a new abbreviation was provided for the model - MP-44. Some historians suggest that it was Hitler who renamed the MP-44 to the Stumgever STG 44.

The characteristics of the first German assault rifle were appreciated by the Nazis. The use of such weapons had a positive effect on the firepower of the German infantry. Selected units of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS were armed with German assault rifles (Sturmgewehr) STG 44. By the end of the war, Germany had produced at least 400 thousand weapons. However, these models began to be widely used in the final phase of World War II. The reason for this was the shortage of cartridges for the German STG 44 assault rifle. Photos of the cartridges are presented in the article. According to military experts, a shortage of ammunition prevented the weapon from providing big influence on the course of World War II.

Post-war time

Nazi generals paid a lot of attention to the topic of the German assault rifle STG 44 in their memoirs. Despite the lack of ammunition, the weapon performed at its best. Even after the end of World War II, the first German assault rifle STG 44 is not forgotten. Until 1970, the model was in service with the police and army of both Germany itself and several other Western countries. According to some information sources, during the conflict in Syria, both warring parties used German STG 44 assault rifles.

Device Description

The rifle is equipped with a gas-operated type of automatic operation. Powder gases are discharged through special holes in the barrel. The barrel channel is locked by tilting the bolt. The rifle is equipped with a non-adjustable gas chamber. If it is necessary to clean the machine, the chamber plugs and the auxiliary rod are unscrewed. A special punch is provided for this procedure. The German assault rifle STG 44 is equipped with a trigger-type trigger. The weapon is designed for single and burst firing. The regime is regulated by a special translator, whose location is trigger guard. The ends of the translator are brought out on both sides receiver and are designed in the form of buttons with a corrugated surface. In order to fire in bursts from the German STG 44 assault rifle, the translator should be installed in position D. Single fire is possible in position E. In order to protect the owner from unplanned shots, the designers equipped the weapon with a safety lever, which is located on the receiver below the translator. The trigger lever is locked if the safety is set to position F. The inside of the butt has become the location for the return spring. Such design feature rifle eliminates any possibility of designing modifications with a folding stock.

About ammunition

Cartridges numbering 30 are contained in a detachable sector double-row magazine. Wehrmacht soldiers equipped their rifles with 25 cartridges. This was explained by the presence of weak springs in the stores, unable to ensure a high-quality supply of ammunition. In 1945, a batch of magazines designed to hold 25 rounds was produced. That same year, German designers invented special locking devices that limited equipment to 25 rounds of standard magazines.

About sights

The German rifle is equipped with a sector sight, which ensures effective shooting at distances of no more than 800 m. The sighting bar is equipped with special divisions, each of which is equal to a distance of 50 m. The slots and front sights in this model of weapon are triangular in shape. Options for rifles with optical and infrared sights were not excluded.

About additional accessories

Included with the rifle were:

• Six stores.
• A special machine with which stores were loaded with ammunition.
• Belt.
• Three barrel covers.
• A special tool used to unscrew the gas chamber. In addition, this device was used to dismantle trigger guards.
• Pencil case. It contained a brush for cleaning the barrel channel.
• Manual.

About grenade launchers

The Wehrmacht Armament Directorate formulated a requirement that an assault rifle must be suitable for firing grenades. The first models of weapons were characterized by the presence of a special thread on which flame arresters were mounted. They decided to use the threaded mount to install grenade launchers on German STG 44 assault rifles. The characteristics of the weapon turned out to be insufficiently reliable for this. It turned out that such a design was futile. In order to adapt the grenade launcher to the assault model, a batch of rifles (MP 43) was developed, in which the front part of the barrel contained a special ledge. In addition, the pedestals for the front sights had to be redone.

The installation of grenade launchers became possible only after these design modifications were completed. Since ammunition for grenade launchers, unlike rifle grenade launchers, was represented by a wide range, the designers faced a problem due to the lack of a special expulsion cartridge. Since during the use of automatic weapons, powder gases are consumed when feeding ammunition, the required pressure was not enough to fire a grenade from a rifle. The designers should have developed a special device.

In 1944, two expelling cartridges were created: one with a charge of 1.5 g was intended for firing fragmentation grenades, and the second with a charge of 1.9 g was intended for armor-piercing cumulative grenades. In 1945, the weapon was successfully tested. However, according to experts, special sights should also be developed for rifles that fire grenades, which was never done.

About curved-barrel devices

Assault rifles were adapted for shooting from trenches and from behind tanks. Such firing became possible thanks to the presence of special curved-barrel attachments. The service life of such devices did not exceed 250 shots. Initially it was planned to use 7.92x57 mm rifle ammunition. But during testing it turned out that the power of such cartridges was too great for curved-barrel attachments, which failed after only a hundred shots. The gunsmiths decided to use 7.92x33 mm cartridges.

1944 was the year the first curved-barrel device for an assault rifle appeared. The nozzle was presented in the form of a 90-degree curved rifled barrel. Special openings were provided for the product through which powder gases escaped. The designers managed to increase the service life of the nozzle, compared to the first samples, to 2 thousand shots. A bevel angle of 90 degrees was provided. However German infantry This indicator of curvature was not satisfactory. The designers had to change the angle to 45 degrees. However, after the tests, it turned out that such a bevel angle entails rapid wear of the nozzles. As a result, the curvature had to be reduced to 30 degrees. With the help of these devices, German soldiers could also fire grenades. Especially for this purpose, the holes in the nozzles were covered, since a large amount of gases was required for the grenade to fly out. The firing range of the rifle grenade launcher was 250 m.

In 1945, the curved-barrel attachment Deckungszielgerat45 was manufactured. With this device you can German soldier it became possible to shoot grenades from full cover. The device was a frame to which a rifle was attached using special latches. The lower part of the frame was equipped with an additional metal butt and a wooden pistol grip. Its trigger mechanism was connected to the trigger of the rifle. Aiming was carried out using two mirrors installed at an angle of 45 degrees.

TTX

• STG 44 refers to automatic weapons.
• Weight - 5.2 kg.
• The size of the entire rifle is 94 cm, the barrel is 419 mm.
• The weapon fires 7.92x33 mm ammunition. Caliber 7.92 mm.
• The projectile weighs 8.1 g.
• The fired bullet has a speed of 685 m/s.
• Automation uses the principle of removal of powder gases.
• The barrel channel is locked by tilting the bolt.
• The aimed shooting range is 600 m.
• Ammunition supply sector store.
• Within one minute you can fire up to 500-600 shots.
• Country of origin - Third Reich.
• The rifle was created by designer Hugo Schmeisser.
• The rifle entered service in 1942.
• The total number of rifle units produced is 466 thousand.

About the advantages and disadvantages

According to experts, the STG 44 is a revolutionary example of automatic small arms. The rifle has the following advantages:

• Excellent accuracy of hits when shooting at close and medium distances.
• Compactness. The rifle was very easy to use.
• Excellent rate of fire.
• Good ammunition characteristics.
• Versatility.

Despite the presence of undeniable advantages, STG 44 is not without some disadvantages. The weaknesses of the rifle include:

• The presence of a weak magazine spring.
• Unlike other rifle models, the STG 44 has a large mass.
• The presence of a fragile receiver and unsuccessful sighting devices.
• The German assault rifle does not have a handguard.

According to military experts, these shortcomings were not critical. By carrying out a small modernization, the weaknesses of the German rifle could be easily eliminated. However, the Nazis no longer had time for this.

According to military experts, the German STG 44 assault rifle and the AK are very similar. In 1945, the Americans occupied the city of Sühl. It was in this city that the company of H. Schmeisser was located. Having made sure that the businessman was not a Nazi, the Americans did not detain him, and showed absolutely no interest in STG 44. US soldiers were convinced that their automatic rifles were better than German rifles.

In the Soviet Union, work on the creation of an intermediate cartridge has been carried out since 1943. The impetus for this was the appearance among Soviet designers of captured shooting models. In 1945, all technical documentation on the assault rifle was removed from Schmeisser's enterprises in the USSR.

In 1946, 62-year-old Hugo Schmeisser and his family went to the Soviet Union, namely to Izhevsk. In this city, Soviet designers carried out work to create a new machine gun. A German gunsmith was invited to the enterprise as an expert. Soviet designers used technical documentation for the German Schmeisser assault rifle. It is for this reason that debates about the origin of the Soviet “Kalash” are still raging among specialists and amateurs of automatic small arms. Some argue that the AK is a successful copy of the STG 44.

Finally

Using captured German rifles, Soviet soldiers stormed Berlin. STG 44 had a huge impact on the further post-war development of automatic weapons.

In addition to the Kalashnikov, the design of the German rifle was used by Belgian designers during its creation. Experts do not rule out that the STG 44 was also the prototype for the American rifle, since both models are very similar in design. In the ranking of the best small arms automatic weapons german rifle ranks 9th.

As soon as there is a conversation somewhere on the Internet about a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a flock of schizoids will immediately come running, screaming that the AK is not a Kalashnikov development, but a copy of the StG 44. And the opposite has already been repeatedly proven, and even Western gunsmith specialists laugh at this. But in Russia they don’t plow or sow fools, they will be born on their own. Especially those who like to spit on and crap on any achievements of their country. There is only one way to treat this: labor camps in Siberia.
For any person who held an AK, and even more so served with it, these fabrications are ridiculous. But for people with a weak psyche, young people, they have a detrimental effect.
The story about Kalashnikov copying a German assault rifle was started 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. It appeared in Izhevsk only in 1949, with a ready-made model of the assault rifle that had already been tested and put into service. And Kalashnikov was not the only one who developed a new weapon for an intermediate cartridge. And Kalashnikov was not at the tests a favorite at first. Why did such an eminent designer Schmeisser help him?
Another false fabrication. How could an illiterate peasant Kalashnikov develop an assault rifle? Let's take a closer look at the personality of Hugo Schmeisser. He also did not have a higher technical education. This follows from his biography, the case filed against him in the NKVD. Schmeisser was a hereditary gunsmith, from childhood he studied everything related to the production of weapons. He was a practical designer and not a theoretician. Other engineers, more educated, dealt with theory at his company.
And it's not an automatic nuclear reactor or a spaceship. There would be a theoretical basis, and then you just need to competently translate everything into metal. And such a theoretical basis existed in the USSR. It was created by Vladimir Fedorov, the great Russian gunsmith, creator of the world's first machine gun. Unfortunately, in the twenties and thirties it was realized bring all the ideas of this to life genius designer failed. But his achievements were useful 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 for clarity.

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 managed to fight with it.

StG.44 (SturmGewehr 44, "assault rifle")

Caliber: 7.92x33 mm (7.92mm Kurz)
Length: 940 mm
Barrel length: 419 mm
Weight: 5.22 kg
Magazine: 30 rounds

Automation

The Stg.44 assault rifle was a weapon built on the basis of an automatic weapon with a gas engine with a long stroke of a gas piston located above the barrel. The barrel was locked by tilting the bolt downwards, behind the liner in the receiver. The receiver is stamped from a steel sheet, and the stamped trigger block together with the 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 (thereby excluding the possibility of simply creating a variant with a folding butt). The sight is sectorial, the safety and fire mode selector are independent (the safety lever is on the left above the pistol grip and the transverse button for selecting the fire mode is located above it), the bolt handle is located on the left and moves with the bolt frame when firing. The muzzle of the barrel has a thread for attaching a rifle grenade launcher, usually covered with a protective sleeve. The Stg.44 could be equipped with an active Vampire IR sight, as well as a special Krummlauf Vorsatz J curved-barrel device, designed for firing from tanks (and other shelters) at the enemy in the dead zone near the tank.

Impact mechanism

Trigger-type impact mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows for single and automatic fire. The fire selector is located in the trigger box, and its ends extend outward on the left and right sides. To conduct automatic fire, the translator must be moved to the right to the letter “D”, and for single fire - to the left to the letter “E”. The rifle is equipped with a safety lock against accidental shots. This flag-type fuse is located below the fire selector and in the position at the letter “F” it blocks the trigger lever.

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

The rifle's sector sight allows for targeted fire at a distance of up to 800 m. The sight divisions are marked on the sighting 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 installed 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 type of automatic weapon had a great influence on the post-war development of this class of weapons, including the AK-47. In total, during the Second World War, more than 415 thousand StG-44, MP43 and Mkb 42 rifles were produced, as well as more than 690 million rounds of ammunition for them.

Additional info

The development of hand-held automatic weapons chambered for a cartridge intermediate in power between pistol and rifle began in Germany even before the outbreak of World War II, in the mid-thirties. In 1939, the 7.92x33 mm intermediate cartridge (7.92mm Kurz), developed on the initiative of the German company Polte, was chosen as the new base ammunition. In 1942, by order of the German arms department HWaA, two companies began to develop 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 Walter company sample was designated MKb.42(W), the Haenel company sample, developed under the leadership of Hugo Schmeisser, was designated Mkb.42(H). Based on the test results, it was decided to develop the Henel design, which included significant changes, primarily related to the trigger 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 Soviet troops, and in 1944 more or less began mass release a new type of weapon under the name MP 44. After the results of successful front-line tests were presented to Hitler and approved by him, the nomenclature of the weapon was again changed, and the sample received the final designation StG.44 (SturmGewehr 44, “assault rifle”)

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

Automation

AK automatics work by removing powder gases through the upper hole in the wall of the barrel bore. The gas piston with a rod is rigidly connected to the bolt frame. After the bolt frame moves away to the required distance under the action of gas pressure, the exhaust gases escape 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 fit into the corresponding grooves of the receiver. The shutter is rotated by bevelling the bolt frame. The bolt frame is the leading element of the automation: it sets the direction of movement of the moving parts, absorbs most shock loads, and a return spring is placed in the longitudinal channel of the bolt frame (by analogy with submachine guns, it is sometimes not entirely correctly called “return-combat”). The reloading handle is located on the right and is integral with the bolt frame. When the bolt is unlocked by the bolt frame moving backwards, the cartridge case in the chamber is pre-displaced (“disturbed”). This helps relieve pressure in the chamber and prevents the case from rupturing during subsequent removal, even if the chamber is very dirty. Blowout 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 the moving parts in the receiver with relatively large gaps ensured reliable operation of the system even with heavy contamination.

Impact mechanism

The impact mechanism is a trigger type with a trigger rotating on an axis and a U-shaped mainspring made of double twisted wire. The trigger mechanism allows for continuous and single fire. A single rotary part performs the functions of a fire mode switch (translator) and a double-action safety lever: in the safety position, it locks the trigger, the sear of single and continuous fire and prevents the rear movement of the bolt frame, 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 travel is not enough to chamber the next cartridge. All parts of the automation and trigger mechanism are compactly assembled in the receiver, thus playing the role of both the bolt box and the body of the trigger mechanism. The first batches of AKs had, in accordance with the specifications, a stamped receiver with a forged barrel insert. However, the available technology did not allow achieving the required rigidity of the box at that time, 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 return spring guide rod fits into the groove of the receiver and serves as a latch for the stamped receiver cover.

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

After the adoption of the 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge designed by N. M. Elizarov and B. V. Semin into service in 1943, work began to create new system small arms chambered 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; repeating 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 gun 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 presented his model of an assault rifle to the competition. The machine was based on an experimental Kalashnikov carbine, which had previously participated in a competition for a self-loading carbine. After significant modifications, 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 finishing military tests The assault rifle was adopted by the Soviet Army and received the designation AK (“7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1947”). imageParticipation German specialists in the creation of the assault rifle, it is widely believed that the AK is a modified copy of the German StG-44 assault rifle, based on the external similarity between them, the work of Hugo Schmeisser in the Izhevsk Design Bureau, the study of the StG-44 by Soviet specialists for borrowing (in August 1945, at the Henel plant there were 50 Stg-44 pieces were assembled and transferred to the USSR for technical evaluation).
However, it is worth noting that the similar outlines of the barrel, front sight and gas tube are due to the use of a similar gas engine, which could not have been borrowed by Kalashnikov from Schmeisser, since it was invented long before.
The design differences are quite large and consist in the barrel locking device (rotary bolt for the AK and skewed bolt for the MP-43), firing mechanism, differences in disassembling the weapon (for a Kalashnikov assault rifle, this requires removing the receiver cover, and for the StG- 44 - fold down the trigger box along with the fire control handle on the pin). It is also worth noting that the AK is lighter than the StG-44 (curb weights 4.8 and 5.22 kg, respectively).

According to some sources, Hugo Schmeisser's merit was the development of cold stamping technology, which he worked on until 1952, which played a role in the appearance of the stamped magazine and receiver of the AKM (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, by that time the Soviet side already had some experience in production of small arms parts by stamping. However, it should be noted that Hugo Schmeisser did not leave memoirs about the 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 currently unavailable.

It is also worth adding 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 gun for field testing were ready before the appearance of German specialists in Izhevsk.

Thus, we can conclude with great confidence that the AK is Mikhail Kalashnikov’s own development.

Fabrications that Kalashnikov tore off his AK-47 from the Nazi Sturmgewehr StG.44 have been circulating for a long time. In general, these fabrications have already been refuted by many people, but opinions about direct relationship of these machines continue to pop up with enviable regularity. This topic is intended by me in order to give food for thought on the topic of the similarities and kinship of AK and StG. I won’t say anything new or supernatural here (it’s difficult to dig up anything new on this topic). I’ll just express a number of simple thoughts, and to illustrate them I’ll give a number of pictures collected together from different corners of the Internet.

At the first glance at the Kalash and the Sturmgewehr, their similarities are striking. Especially when you compare them with some other common assault rifle. For example, with M-16:

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

But it seems that we don’t really hear remarks about how the Mosinka was torn off from a Mauser, and the G.43 from a Tokarev self-loading gun. But in all the smart books that are written by smart and knowledgeable people(which I, who don’t know, believe) are called AK clones, for example, the Israeli Galil and the South African Vector, which is completely different from its progenitor:

That is, smart people, those who write smart books believe that we can talk about the relationship between weapons, judging by its structure, and not by its external similarity. Speaking of external similarities. Are our patients really that similar to each other? For greater clarity, I did this: I traced the photographs along the contour with a line, brought the resulting image to a scale of 1 to 1 (length StG 940 mm, AK-47 870 mm) and superimposed the resulting images on each other:

As they say, find 10 differences... It can be seen that the Kalash is more compact than the Sturmgewehr. The most noticeable difference is in the back of the machines and in the gas outlet assembly. The compact receiver of the AK-47 ends just behind the pistol grip; in the Sturmgewehr it extends far. From which we can immediately conclude that longer length the bolt stroke and a longer recoil spring. The greater distance between the pistol grip and the magazine suggests a less compact firing mechanism. The gas outlet assembly and forend are made in different designs; the rod protruding 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 the StG44 and AK-47:

Having examined the design, we see similarities in the design of the following components: the bolt frame is made as a single unit with a gas piston, the gas outlet is carried out into the gas tube (in the StG it is apparently not as easily removed as in the AK), the recoil spring is located behind the bolt frame in line gas piston.

Differences: the first thing that catches your eye is the absence of a rod on the return spring of the Sturmgewehr (probably why it is so long). Secondly, the basis for the spring in the StG is apparently the butt (the part installed in it). Thirdly, access to the trigger mechanism in the StG is probably from the rear (folded pistol grip). And the most important thing, in my opinion, is the shutter. In the StG, the bolt is locked by moving it vertically. The bolt moves quite a lot, about 5 millimeters, in my opinion. It is foolish to assume that in the process of creating his assault rifle, Kalashnikov did not get acquainted with the captured StG.44. I got acquainted. Indirect confirmation that Kalashnikov did not disdain to adopt other people’s experience (which I don’t see anything wrong with - generally accepted world practice, in any field of design activity) serves prototype submachine gun, apparently Kalashnikov’s first experience, after which he was noticed as a gunsmith:

The design is clearly ripped off from Thompson. But IMHO, familiarization with the Sturmgewehr gave Kalashnikov a benefit in the sense that he saw how NOT to make a machine gun. The similarity between the Kalash and the StG is determined by the ergonomics of the machine gun (which I wrote about here) and the classic layout. Well, maybe also the material and processing technology. No more. What could (and did) happen as a result of improving the StG.44 can be seen in the example of G.3 and subsequent HK developments, up to G.41:

And finally, some personal impressions. I saw StG live, in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Kyiv (which is under the Laurentian statue of the Motherland). The abundance of all sorts of stamped protrusions immediately caught my eye; apparently the machine gun contains more details than the AK. The machine gun 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 cartridge case ejection window there was a gap between the bolt and the bolt frame - about 5 mm by eye, as I mentioned above. If it were clogged up, open to all winds, the machine gun wouldn’t fire...

(c) hranitel-slov.livejournal.com

The Second World War seriously stimulated the development of weapons and military equipment. Armies that entered the war sometimes emerged from 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 Germany's defeat, many ideas ended up abroad, promoting new products in other countries. One of the first mass-produced models known in the world was the Sturmgever 44 assault rifle, one of the first such examples chambered for an intermediate cartridge.

The history of the creation of Sturmgever

Even during the break between the world wars, theorists and military personnel 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 the real battle took place on average at a distance of 300 meters.

However, the problem was not the strength of the cartridge, but its large dimensions and difficulty of use in automatic weapons. The pistol cartridge performed well at distances of up to 200 meters, after which both penetration and shooting accuracy greatly decreased. As a result, the armed forces of the world's countries faced World War II armed with rifles and submachine guns.

The new kind weapons and ammunition made it possible to use logistics capabilities 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 the unit, all this and much more was provided by the new cartridge.

Intermediate ammunition with lethality rifle cartridge and suitable for automation, have been sought since the beginning of the twentieth century. Created back then unitary cartridges were not widely used and had almost no effect on the armament of soldiers. Only in 1940, the engineers of the German Polte managed to create a successful cartridge, 7.92x33 mm Kurz (short).

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

Even earlier, in 1938, an agreement was concluded between the Armament 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 the contract was concluded. new agreement, with the Walter company with the same technical specifications. At the beginning of 1942, both options were demonstrated at a meeting with Hitler.

Tests showed the failure of the Walter model; it was too capricious and difficult to operate. Schmeisser's 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 sample of a fundamentally new small arms was put into service under the marking MP-43A or MP-431.

It took a long time to choose the name of the weapon. In the early years, it was believed that 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. Interesting fact: Hitler was initially against a new type of personal small arms.

He was presented with an option that had been tested by the troops, revised several times, and was highly appreciated by the generals, who enjoyed Hitler’s trust. Under pressure from positive reviews, the Fuhrer had to give in, and the StG.44 was put into mass production.

Weapon design

Automation is based on the removal of powder gases from the barrel bore. They move the bolt back, and locking occurs by tilting the bolt. The impact mechanism is of the trigger variety.

The machine gun is capable of conducting automatic fire in bursts different lengths, and single shots.

Ammunition is supplied by magazine method, from a sector-type double-row magazine with 30 rounds of ammunition. The sight allows you to shoot at eight hundred meters. Separately, it is worth highlighting the return spring, located in the wooden butt. This does not make it possible to produce weapons with a folding stock.

Since the weapon went into service with the troops, essentially “raw,” it has many disadvantages, as well as advantages:

• unsuccessful aiming devices, taking into account the fact that the machine gun fires accurately at short and medium combat distances;
• heavy weight compared to rifles and submachine guns, but good ergonomics and compactness;
• insufficient strength of the receiver,
• weakness of the spring in the magazine;
• unfinished forend, inconvenient for the shooter;
• excellent rate of fire from the positive aspects of the weapon.

It is worth noting that almost all the shortcomings are associated with “childhood diseases” or wartime conditions. These shortcomings are quite easily eliminated, as demonstrated 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, the weapons were improved on the assembly line.

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

Interesting 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 for firing at night was developed. The Vampire sight made it possible to see a 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 the 13 kg power supply carried on the back.

Combat use

Initially, the new assault rifle was used in the SS Viking division. Subsequently, these weapons also entered service only with elite units. German army. A total of 400 thousand samples were produced, which was not a very large number, but the main problem wasn't about it.

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

This, and the fact that the weapon was delivered en masse to the troops in 1944, when the question of Germany’s defeat remained a matter of time, did not allow the rifle to make a significant contribution to combat operations.

Meanwhile, the Allies took a closer look at the new weapons. The Americans did not like the Sturmgever; the generals considered the M1 carbines much more the best example weapons. True, this did not stop American infantrymen from happily using captured models throughout the war. Soviet army appreciated the capabilities of the assault rifle.

The saturation of PCA did not affect the use of a fundamentally different captured weapons, and its low widespread use is associated with the main problem, the insufficient amount of ammunition. Captured samples influenced the 7.62×39 intermediate cartridge designed in the Union.

Post-war life of StG.44 and interesting facts

Speaking about the German assault rifle, one cannot fail to mention the discussion surrounding its role in the creation. After the end of World War II, Schmeisser, who had not tarnished 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 is working on the creation of his weapons in Kovrov, on the basis of a weapons factory.

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

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

In the post-war period, the machine gun was used by the armies 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 proliferation of other types of weapons did not allow the machine gun to become widespread, but it made its contribution to wars.

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

The StG.44 received unexpected success in Soviet cinema.

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

A handle was welded on top to make it look like the “black rifle” of American soldiers. It is unclear why, but they welded the connection between the stock and the receiver, eliminating the possibility of disassembling and cleaning the weapon. Soviet citizens, especially school age, were shocked by the appearance of a new weapon in the movie, and this made the pseudo-M16 good advertising. This was followed by appearances in several more films about the “friendship” of the Soviet and American people.

As a result, hundreds of samples of real creations by Eugene Stoner were purchased for the warehouses of film studios, leaving this interesting hybrid to the delight of movie blip fans. From time to time, the StG.44 appears in films about war and various shooting games.

Video

At a monument to gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov unveiled in Moscow, an image of a drawing of the German StG 44 assault rifle was discovered instead of an AK-47. The Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), which oversaw the construction of this monument, stated that this was a mistake by the sculptor and his apprentices, and thanked the person who revealed this. It was also stated that the drawing of the German StG 44 assault rifle would soon be removed from the new monument.

Photo: ©RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

The military-historical editor of Rolling Wheels magazine, Yuri Pasholok, rightly drew public attention to the “oddities” of the new monument.

Pasholok posted a photo of the monument and a scan of a drawing of a German machine gun on Facebook.
“Don’t say it was them by accident. You have to beat someone for this, painfully and publicly,” the expert commented on his unsightly discovery.

Let us recall that the author of the monument to the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov is Salavat Shcherbakov. His chisel belongs to the stone patriarch Hermogenes, Alexander I in the Alexander Garden, as well as the recently opened, but already famous Monument to Prince Vladimir.

The fact that the Kalashnikov monument contains a diagram of the German StG 44 assault rifle is quite symbolic. (Let us clarify that the concept of “machine gun” is used in relation to small arms of this kind precisely here, in Russia. In the rest of the world, another classification is accepted - “submachine gun” and “assault rifle”. But we will call it as we like for us, not for the world - “automatic”!) The fact is that outwardly our AK-47 suspiciously strongly resembles just this technical work of the talented designer Hugo Schmeisser, which was used by special units of the Third Reich - mountain riflemen (including their second division "Edelweiss"), as well as units of the "Waffen-SS". We have specifically posted below interesting material about Soviet and German small arms during the Second World War, where, in particular, this same StG 44 is described and shown in illustration form.

There is nothing wrong with the fact that Kalashnikov, to one degree or another, adopted the achievements of the Germans. This is normal practice for the military-industrial complex of any country - any achievement of the enemy is immediately implemented into its own defense structures. This was the case, for example, with the tanks of the French company Renault, which were created during the First World War, in 1916-17, and which for the first time used a turret of circular rotation (360 degrees). This innovation was immediately adopted by tank builders all over the world - and are still in use today! And what - all the armies of the world consider themselves “humiliated” after this?!

Moreover, the Germans, when they captured warehouses with a large number of our excellent SVT-40 rifles, did not consider it shameful to officially arm their units with them - its shooting characteristics were so good! (By the way, this will be discussed below).

After the war, special groups from both the USSR and the USA intensively hunted for the technical secrets of the Nazis - documentation, technologies and finished products. Our outstanding rocket designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev - “Colonel Sergeev” - was in one of these special forces. It was from Germany that the V-2 engines were delivered, which helped Korolev develop his own rocket engines. They then stood at the entrance to the Museum of Cosmonautics, located on the territory of RSC Energia. At one time I made a publication on this topic in one of the central newspapers of Russia, where I worked at that time. And how funny the situation looked when I visited this Museum again. and... didn’t see these units! In response to my astonished question, the guide, looking at me with pewter eyes, firmly began to assure that they had never been here: apparently, the management of the concern, after publication in the press (and it was the first at that “perestroika” time), considered it “shameful” for S P. Korolev and “lowering his authority as a designer” is the fact that he used the developments of “some Germans.” Truly funny!

Alexey Anatolyevich Cheverda

Small arms of World War II

By the end of the 30s, almost all participants in the coming world war had formed general directions in the development of small arms. The range and accuracy of the attack was reduced, which was compensated by the greater density of fire. As a consequence of this, the beginning of mass rearmament of units with automatic small arms - submachine guns, machine guns, assault rifles.

Accuracy of fire began to fade into the background, while the soldiers advancing in a chain began to be taught shooting on the move. With the advent airborne troops There was a need to create special lightweight weapons.

Maneuver warfare also affected machine guns: they became much lighter and more mobile. New types of small arms appeared (which was dictated, first of all, by the need to fight tanks) - rifle grenades, anti-tank rifles and RPGs with cumulative grenades.

Small arms of the USSR

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the rifle division of the Red Army was a very formidable force - about 14.5 thousand people. The main type of small arms were rifles and carbines - 10,420 pieces. The share of submachine guns was insignificant - 1204. Easel, hand and anti-aircraft machine guns there were 166, 392 and 33 units, respectively.

The division had its own artillery of 144 guns and 66 mortars. The firepower was supplemented by 16 tanks, 13 armored vehicles and a solid fleet of auxiliary vehicles.

Mosin rifle

Main small arms infantry units The USSR of the first period of the war certainly had a famous three-line rifle - the 7.62 mm rifle of S.I. Mosin model 1891, modernized in 1930. Its advantages are well known - strength, reliability, ease of maintenance combined with good ballistic qualities, in particular, with an aiming range of 2 km.

The three-line rifle is an ideal weapon for newly recruited soldiers, and the simplicity of the design created enormous opportunities for its use. mass production. But like any weapon, the three-line gun had its drawbacks. The permanently attached bayonet in combination with a long barrel (1670 mm) created inconvenience when moving, especially in wooded areas. The bolt handle caused serious complaints when reloading.

On its basis it was created sniper rifle and a series of carbines of the 1938 and 1944 model. Fate gave the three-line a long life (the last three-line was released in 1965), participation in many wars and an astronomical “circulation” of 37 million copies.

At the end of the 30s, the outstanding Soviet weapons designer F.V. Tokarev developed a 10-round self-loading rifle cal. 7.62 mm SVT-38, which after modernization received the name SVT-40. It “lost weight” by 600 g and became shorter due to the introduction of thinner wooden parts, additional holes in the casing and a decrease in the length of the bayonet. A little later, a sniper rifle appeared at its base. Automatic firing was ensured by the removal of powder gases. The ammunition was placed in a box-shaped, detachable magazine.

The target range of the SVT-40 is up to 1 km. The SVT-40 served with honor on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. It was also appreciated by our opponents. Historical fact: having captured rich trophies at the beginning of the war, among which there were many SVT-40s, the German army... adopted it for service, and the Finns created their own rifle - TaRaKo - on the basis of the SVT-40.

The creative development of the ideas implemented in the SVT-40 became the AVT-40 automatic rifle. It differed from its predecessor in its ability to fire automatically at a rate of up to 25 rounds per minute. The disadvantage of the AVT-40 is its low accuracy of fire, strong unmasking flame and loud sound at the moment of firing. Subsequently, as automatic weapons entered the military en masse, they were removed from service.

Submachine guns

Great Patriotic War became the time of the final transition from rifles to automatic weapons. The Red Army began to fight, armed with a small number of PPD-40 - a submachine gun designed by the outstanding Soviet designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev. At that time, PPD-40 was in no way inferior to its domestic and foreign counterparts.

Designed for a pistol cartridge cal. 7.62 x 25 mm, the PPD-40 had an impressive ammunition load of 71 rounds, housed in a drum-type magazine. Weighing about 4 kg, it fired at a rate of 800 rounds per minute with an effective range of up to 200 meters. However, just a few months after the start of the war it was replaced by the legendary PPSh-40 cal. 7.62 x 25 mm.

The creator of the PPSh-40, designer Georgy Semenovich Shpagin, was faced with the task of developing an extremely easy-to-use, reliable, technologically advanced, cheap to produce mass weapon.

From its predecessor, the PPD-40, the PPSh inherited a drum magazine with 71 rounds. A little later, a simpler and more reliable sector horn magazine with 35 rounds was developed for it. The weight of the equipped machine guns (both versions) was 5.3 and 4.15 kg, respectively. The rate of fire of the PPSh-40 reached 900 rounds per minute with an aiming range of up to 300 meters and the ability to fire single shots.

To master the PPSh-40, a few lessons were enough. It could easily be disassembled into 5 parts made using stamping and welding technology, thanks to which during the war years the Soviet defense industry produced about 5.5 million machine guns.

In the summer of 1942, the young designer Alexey Sudaev presented his brainchild - a 7.62 mm submachine gun. It was strikingly different from its “bigger brothers” PPD and PPSh-40 in its rational layout, higher manufacturability and ease of manufacturing parts using arc welding.

PPS-42 was 3.5 kg lighter and required three times less manufacturing time. However, despite the obvious advantages, mass weapons he never did, leaving the PPSh-40 to take the lead.

By the beginning of the war, the DP-27 light machine gun (Degtyarev infantry, caliber 7.62mm) had been in service with the Red Army for almost 15 years, having the status of the main light machine gun infantry units. Its automation was powered by the energy of powder gases. The gas regulator reliably protected the mechanism from contamination and high temperatures.

The DP-27 could only fire automatically, but even a beginner needed a few days to master shooting in short bursts of 3-5 shots. Ammunition of 47 rounds was placed in a disk magazine with a bullet towards the center in one row. The magazine itself was mounted on top of the receiver. The weight of the unloaded machine gun was 8.5 kg. An equipped magazine increased it by almost another 3 kg.

It was a powerful weapon with an effective range of 1.5 km and a combat rate of fire of up to 150 rounds per minute. In the firing position, the machine gun rested on a bipod. A flame arrester was screwed onto the end of the barrel, significantly reducing its unmasking effect. The DP-27 was serviced by a gunner and his assistant. In total, about 800 thousand machine guns were produced.

Wehrmacht small arms

Basic strategy German army- offensive or blitzkrieg (blitzkrieg - lightning war). The decisive role in it was assigned to large tank formations, carrying out deep breakthroughs of the enemy’s defenses in cooperation with artillery and aviation.

Tank units bypassed powerful fortified areas, destroying control centers and rear communications, without which the enemy quickly lost their combat effectiveness. The defeat was completed by motorized units of the ground forces.

Small arms of the Wehrmacht infantry division

The staff of the German infantry division of the 1940 model assumed the presence of 12,609 rifles and carbines, 312 submachine guns (machine guns), manual and heavy machine guns- 425 and 110 pieces, respectively, 90 anti-tank rifles and 3,600 pistols. Wehrmacht small arms generally met the high wartime requirements. It was reliable, trouble-free, simple, easy to manufacture and maintain, which contributed to its serial production.

Rifles, carbines, machine guns

"Mauser 98K"

"Mauser 98K" is an improved version of the "Mauser 98" rifle, developed in late XIX century by the brothers Paul and Wilhelm Mauser, founders of the world famous arms company. Equipping the German army with it began in 1935.

« Mauser 98K"

The weapon was loaded with a clip of five 7.92 mm cartridges. A trained soldier could shoot 15 times within a minute at a range of up to 1.5 km. The Mauser 98K was very compact. Its main characteristics: weight, length, barrel length - 4.1 kg x 1250 x 740 mm. The indisputable advantages of the rifle are evidenced by numerous conflicts involving it, longevity and a truly sky-high “circulation” - more than 15 million units.

At the shooting range. Rifle "Mauser 98K"

The self-loading ten-shot rifle G-41 became the German response to the massive equipping of the Red Army with rifles - SVT-38, 40 and ABC-36. Its sighting range reached 1200 meters. Only single shooting was allowed. Its significant disadvantages - significant weight, low reliability and increased vulnerability to contamination - were subsequently eliminated. The combat “circulation” amounted to several hundred thousand rifle samples.

MP-40 "Schmeisser" assault rifle

Perhaps the most famous Wehrmacht small arms of the Second World War was the famous MP-40 submachine gun, a modification of its predecessor, the MP-36, created by Heinrich Vollmer. However, as fate would have it, he is better known under the name “Schmeisser”, obtained thanks to the stamp on the store - “PATENT SCHMEISSER”. The stigma simply meant that, in addition to G. Vollmer, Hugo Schmeisser also participated in the creation of the MP-40, but only as the creator of the store.

MP-40 "Schmeisser" assault rifle

Initially, the MP-40 was intended to arm the command staff of infantry units, but later it was transferred to the disposal of tank crews, armored vehicle drivers, paratroopers and special forces soldiers.

However, the MP-40 was absolutely unsuitable for infantry units, since it was exclusively a melee weapon. In a fierce battle in open terrain, having a weapon with a firing range of 70 to 150 meters meant for a German soldier to be practically unarmed in front of his enemy, armed with Mosin and Tokarev rifles with a firing range of 400 to 800 meters.

StG-44 assault rifle

Assault rifle StG-44 (sturmgewehr) cal. 7.92mm is another legend of the Third Reich. This is certainly an outstanding creation by Hugo Schmeisser - the prototype of many post-war assault rifles and machine guns, including the famous AK-47.

The StG-44 could conduct single and automatic fire. Its weight with a full magazine was 5.22 kg. At a target range of 800 meters, the Sturmgewehr was in no way inferior to its main competitors. There were three versions of the magazine - for 15, 20 and 30 shots with a rate of up to 500 rounds per minute. The option of using a rifle with an under-barrel grenade launcher and an infrared sight was considered.

Creator of "Sturmgever 44" Hugo Schmeisser

Not without its shortcomings. The assault rifle was heavier than the Mauser-98K by a whole kilogram. Her wooden butt couldn't stand it sometimes hand-to-hand combat and just broke down. The flame escaping from the barrel revealed the location of the shooter, and the long magazine and sighting devices forced him to raise his head high in a prone position.

« Sturmgever "44 with IR sight

In total, before the end of the war, German industry produced about 450 thousand StG-44s, which were used mainly by elite SS units.

Machine guns

By the beginning of the 30s, the military leadership of the Wehrmacht came to the need to create a universal machine gun, which, if necessary, could be transformed, for example, from a manual one to an easel one and vice versa. This is how a series of machine guns was born - MG - 34, 42, 45.

The 7.92 mm MG-42 is rightly called one of the best machine guns of World War II. It was developed at Grossfus by engineers Werner Gruner and Kurt Horn. Those who have experienced it firepower, were very frank. Our soldiers called it a “lawn mower,” and the allies called it “Hitler’s circular saw.”

Depending on the type of bolt, the machine gun fired accurately at a speed of up to 1500 rpm at a range of up to 1 km. Ammunition supply was carried out using machine gun belt for 50 - 250 rounds. The uniqueness of the MG-42 was complemented by a relatively small number of parts - 200 - and the high technology of their production using stamping and spot welding.

The barrel, hot from shooting, was replaced with a spare one in a few seconds using a special clamp. In total, about 450 thousand machine guns were produced. The unique technical developments embodied in the MG-42 were borrowed by gunsmiths from many countries around the world when creating their machine guns.

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