A mixture of old and new. Walther Gewehr 41 and Gewehr 43 rifles

Description of the rifle:

N

German self-loading rifle of 7.92 caliber from the Second World War, which replaced the Gewehr 41 rifle with a modified gas exhaust system copied from the SVT-40 rifle.

R

The Gewehr 43 rifle was developed in 1943, and in 1944 it was renamed Karabiner 43 (K43).

IN

The G43 / K43 rifle is a self-loading weapon built on the basis of a gas-operated automatic system. A gas piston with a short stroke is located above the barrel. The barrel is locked by moving two combat larvae located in the bolt body to the sides. The safety is located on the rear of the receiver, above the neck of the stock. The store is box-shaped, double-row. To equip the magazine from the clip, corresponding grooves were made in the front part of the bolt cover. The sighting device included a sector sight, notched up to 1200 m, and a front sight with a removable fuse.

L

The skin is solid wood, with a pistol grip on the butt neck and a ventilated barrel guard.

The gun belt was attached to the side of the stock. The bayonet mount was abandoned. Making a number of steel parts (including the bolt, magazine, trigger guard) by stamping, and the stock from a pressed plywood board significantly reduced the cost of producing the rifle. For the same purpose, the receiver lining was made of plastic from the end of 1944.

A mixture of old and new. Walther Gewehr 41 and Gewehr 43 rifles

Already in the First World War, self-loading rifles M 1915 and M 1916 served as special weapons for German military aviation. However, development of a self-loading rifle suitable for front-line combat use continued until the early 1940s. Only then was Carl Walther able to develop a suitable weapon.

In the late 1920s, the German military leadership learned of intensive testing of self-loading rifles in Czechoslovakia, the United States and the Soviet Union. The experimental work of the Army Weapons Directorate (HWaA) was hampered not only by the limiting conditions of the Versailles Peace Treaty. The use of powder gas vented through a hole in the barrel wall for reloading was strictly prohibited by the Army Ordnance Department in the 1920s and 1930s. It was feared that due to the hole in the barrel, the initial velocity of the bullet could be significantly reduced, and at the same time, probably, the accuracy of the weapon. But in weapons with automatic weapons that operate due to recoil, significant difficulties arose when using a powerful standard 7.9x57 caliber cartridge.

In 1929–1930, the Army Weapons Directorate tested a model with recoil-operated automatic weapons and a gas-operated weapon with a gas chamber at the muzzle of the barrel. Army Ordnance Directorate officers were unable to decide on either rifle.

In 1935, the Model 98 kurz carbine was adopted as a single type of weapon for the Wehrmacht. By this point in time, Mauser had proposed a new self-loading model chambered for a long cartridge. The Gewehr 35 model rifle was a model with automatic operation, operating due to the recoil of the barrel. Samples with automatic gas systems from Vollmer and Walther, models 35 and A 115, were also not successful. In 1938, testing of both rifles was stopped. By this point in time, the United States had adopted the Garand M 1 self-loading rifle, and the Soviet Union had adopted Simonov and Tokarev weapons.

World War II begins

After the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, the Army Weapons Department was also in no hurry. During 1940, the Ordnance Directorate officially approached the Mauser plant and Carl Walther. Presumably, a request was also made to the companies Krieghoff and Rheinmetall. These enterprises had to submit proposals for a self-loading infantry rifle for consideration. This was supposed to be a gas-operated model, firing a powerful long cartridge of 7.9 mm caliber (sS-7.9-mm-Patrone). The letters "sS" stood for "heavy pointed bullet" (schweres Spitzgeschoss). This cartridge subsequently became standard in the German armed forces after the 98 k carbine was adopted in 1935. In addition, firms received a list of requirements. The central requirements were that the barrel wall should not be drilled to allow gases to escape. During automatic reloading, no part of the weapon should move above the top surface of the bolt box. In the event of automatic failure, the shooter must be able to further use the rifle as a repeater.

In the cities of Oberndorf and Zella-Mehlis, two completely different self-loading rifles appeared, which fully or partially met the requirements. In accordance with the year they were put into service (1941) and the enterprises that produced them, they were called models Gewehr 41 (Mauser) and Gewehr 41 (Walther). In our presentation we want to concentrate on the Gewehr 41 model from Walther.

When viewed from the right side, the Walther Model 41 rifle looks quite long and heavy. Similar signs with the 98k carbine are also noticeable

Old

At first glance, the Walther self-loading rifle is very similar to the standard rifle of the German Wehrmacht. The overall length is almost the same. The long wooden stock and instrument parts of the new rifle were definitely reminiscent of a 98k carbine. The safety lever also bore a strong resemblance to that of the 98k carbine and was also located at the rear end of the receiver. However, the safety only had the “on safety” and “ready to fire” positions, while the 98k carbine additionally had the option of “partial safety.” Like the 98k carbine, the safety flag of the Walther weapon model was moved to the right to turn on the safety mode, and turned to the left to turn it off.

The bolt of the Walther G 41 rifle is in the forward position. Thus, the weapon is locked. The fuse box located at the rear is also noticeable.

After the last shot, the shutter is held in the rear position. An open magazine may remain unloaded

The method of securing the belt was also borrowed. Thus, a regular 98k carbine sling could be used. Its lateral fastening is achieved using a slot in the butt and a sling swivel on the left side. For both rifles it is located on the lower stock ring. In the G 41 (W) rifle, the latter is held in place by a spring latch located between the upper and lower stock rings. The stock forend cap, which is made of sheet metal that wraps around the end of the stock and is supposed to keep the wood from splintering, and the top and bottom stock rings are also very different from those of the 98k carbine. In addition, the G 41 (W) rifle could be equipped with a 84/98 bayonet.

There is a noticeable swivel on the lower stock ring and a slot in the butt for a 98k carbine sling.

The magazine of the G 41 (W) self-loading rifle was loaded from above with one cartridge at a time or, which is faster, using a clip of five cartridges from a 98k carbine. However, it was necessary to use two clips, since the integral magazine protruding from the middle part of the stock could hold ten rounds. All this made it easier to train personnel in the future.

From below you can see the integral magazine protruding outward. This magazine holds ten rounds. The magazine can only be equipped from above

New

Naturally, the self-loading rifle differs from the 98k carbine: it is equipped with a longitudinally sliding bolt with locking by retractable lugs. The bolt assembly consists of the bolt itself with a wedge with a firing pin placed inside it and a bolt frame. The cylindrical bolt is equipped with two movable lugs. The bolt carrier looks quite massive. It can slide in two guide grooves located on both sides of the receiver. The bolt frame, convex from the outside, passes into the bolt with its front lower protrusion through a longitudinal milled groove. There this protrusion engages with the wedge recess. The movements of the bolt frame transmitted by this protrusion control the wedge, the lugs and the bolt itself. The self-loading rifle is equipped with a trigger mechanism, which is mounted on the downward protruding parts of the side walls of the receiver. When fired, the trigger hits the firing pin, which moves obliquely in the bolt wedge.

Since, according to the tactical and technical requirements of the Army Weapons Directorate, the barrel should not be drilled, Walther designers installed a nozzle gas chamber on the muzzle of the self-loading rifle. When fired, powder gas filled this chamber. The gas pressure sharply threw back the ring-shaped piston and the pusher located behind it, stamped from sheet metal. The latter is located above the barrel of the G 41 (W) rifle and is covered with a long plastic cover. The front of the receiver, which also forms the base of the sight, is cut above and parallel to the barrel axis. In the process described above, the rear end of the follower protrudes outward from the guide groove in the head of the receiver and strikes the front upper surface of the bolt carrier. It receives this impulse and slides back in its guide grooves. Its lower protrusion carries the wedge inside the bolt. During this process, the lugs rotate and emerge from the supporting surfaces at the head of the receiver and recess into the bolt cylinder. In this way, unlocking occurs. The bolt frame continues to roll back. At the same time, with its protrusion it moves the shutter. The bolt and bolt carrier roll back together. In this case, the spent cartridge case is removed from the chamber and reflected. At the same time, the hammer is cocked and the return spring is compressed. During the subsequent roll-up, the bolt removes the cartridge from the magazine and sends it into the chamber. After this, the protrusion of the bolt frame through the wedge squeezes the lugs into the locked position. The G 41 (W) rifle is ready to fire again.

Nozzle gas chamber on the muzzle. The front sight safety is from a 98k carbine. The bayonet attachment and cleaning rod are also similar to those of the 98k carbine

The designers generously turned a blind eye to the second requirement of the Army Weapons Directorate, that there should be no moving part above the upper surface of the bolt, since during automatic reloading the bolt frame rolls back after each shot and then rolls back again. They also partially fulfilled the requirement that if the automatic system fails, it is necessary to provide a device for reloading: the rifle is equipped only with a short cocking “button” on the right side of the bolt frame.

Supplies

At the end of 1940 or at the beginning of 1941, the Ordnance Department ordered Walther and Mauser each to produce 5,000 new self-loading rifles. Operating instructions were issued on May 26, 1941. They were intended specifically for the army. For the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), in June 1942, a blue shooting manual was issued for the 41 (W) rifle under the name “D. (Luft) T. 6193."

On July 2, 1941, a memo from Walther's 3rd Department told Director Holl that 1,200 examples were ready for delivery. However, there is also a remark from the group of the Chief of Staff of the Army Weapons Directorate that Walther has limited production capacity for the production of self-loading rifles. In addition, an indication was received from this group of the Chief of Staff that, as a result, the limited production capacity of the Walther company could be used to manufacture the MP 42 model. In combination with the 7.92x33 “kurzpatron” used in it, it was known as the 42 automatic carbine ( W) and as the predecessor of the StG 44 assault rifle. When in January 1941 the company submitted drawings of the MP 42 to the Armament Directorate, it received an order for the production of 200 units (!) for upcoming military tests. Then, in January 1942, despite great difficulties, Walther was able to deliver the first 5 thousand units of G 41 (W) self-loading rifles.

Minor improvements

The first G 41 (W) rifles were equipped with a button that protruded from the left side in front of the bolt box at the level of the charging handle, and was protected by the wood of the stock. By clicking on it, you could turn off the shutter delay. At the end of 1942 it was abandoned. The guide grooves for the bolt have been lengthened. Up to the rifle with serial number 8000, it was possible to engage the safety when the trigger was pulled. But this was strictly forbidden to the soldiers. This could damage the trigger mechanism. Starting with the sample with serial number 8001, due to the locking lever, engaging the safety was only possible with the hammer cocked. In the early phase of production, the upper and lower stock rings, as well as the spring that connects both of these parts, were made by milling; later they were produced by sheet stamping. Only in 1943 was the wooden stock replaced with one made of plywood board.

The first G 41 (W) rifles were equipped with a button to turn off the bolt stop. Short designation for the Model 41 rifle

SS shows interest

Subsequently, with the outbreak of the war with Russia on June 22, 1941 and the successful use of Soviet self-loading rifles, SS units also turned their attention to the G 41 (W). The Army Weapons Directorate was officially in charge of the supply of small arms to SS units. But in the first years of the war, the officers of the Army Weapons Directorate looked down on the “political soldiers” of the SS units. First, Wehrmacht units were equipped, then SS units. The latter were inclined to arbitrarily supply themselves with weapons from various sources. This situation changed in the middle of the war. Now, by order of Hitler, SS units were the first to receive new, better weapons.

In 1941 and 1942, the command of SS units constantly requested new self-loading rifles in large quantities from the Armaments Directorate. In his letter to Chief Lieutenant of the Army Weapons Office Loehr dated December 23, 1941, the chief of the SS central arsenal, SS Oberführer Heinrich Gaertner, expressed a desperate request: “The SS units at the front have long been crying out for an urgent supply of automatic carbines . As you know, this one... was developed by Walther, and is also in mass production.” In this regard, a request was sent that the Walther company, along with the Wehrmacht order for 10 thousand G 41 (W) units, could produce 3 thousand samples for SS units. For this purpose, the necessary material could even be allocated from the SS limits. On February 7, 1942, the Chief of Staff of the Army Weapons Directorate informed the Chief of the SS Central Arsenal that the following request for 5 thousand G 41 (W) had been accepted. However, Walther was not equipped for mass production. Therefore, its production capacity was insufficient, since it was occupied by other orders under contracts for the Wehrmacht. Due to limited materials, the resumed production of the second batch of 5 thousand pieces could only begin in April 1942.

For a long time there was a movement of letters back and forth between the central SS arsenal and the Army Weapons Directorate. On August 4, 1942, the final message from the Ground Forces Armament Directorate was received. The desired three thousand G 41 (W) will be unevenly divided over future months from August 1942 to February 1943 and supplied to the SS by Walther.

Second manufacturer

Since the Walther company could not produce new self-loading rifles in the desired quantity, in 1942 the Army Armament Directorate turned to the Berliner-Luebecker Maschinenfabrik (BLM) machine-building plant. For use at the front, by the end of 1942 or the beginning of 1943, this company was supposed to supply 70 thousand G 41 (W) rifles. At the end of 1942, Berliner-Luebecker Maschinenfabrik abandoned the production of 98k carbines.

G 41 (W) becomes G 41

During military tests, it quickly became clear that the Walther G 41 rifle was superior to the Mauser model. Although the Mauser weapon was more consistent with the original requirements, it was still more complex, less effective, heavier and more expensive to manufacture than the Walther version.

At the end of 1942, the Walther rifle became the Gewehr 41 rifle. About the adoption of the G 41 rifle with the abbreviated name “Gew” by the German armed forces. 41" and under the short name "G 41" was reported on December 21, 1942 in the periodical "News of the Ground Forces" (Allgemeinen Heeresmitteilungen), published by the Supreme Command of the Ground Forces. The accessories listed were a muzzle gas chamber, a key and a protective cap for the muzzle chamber and a belt already adopted for the 98k carbine. The description said: “Gew rifle. 41 is a self-loading weapon (with muzzle exhaust), with rigid locking, which is intended for single-shot shooting only. The magazine holds 10 rounds." It was also noted: “From a Gew rifle. 41 can be fired with all types of cartridges intended for rifles and carbines mod. '98."

Both companies supplied weapons until the beginning of 1944.

The opinions of various authors differ greatly on the number of weapons that firms produced and on their total number. W. Darrin Weaver, who wrote the fundamental work on the 43 rifle (and its predecessors), gives the following numbers for the 1943 production year: Walther - 20999, BLM plant - 96477 units. Another author comes from 91,597 copies in 1943. Hugo Wedekind, technical director of the BLM plant, offers the following data: 1943 - 64636, 1944 - 22384. The then Reich Minister of Arms and Ammunition Albert Speer, in his post-war work, also believes that in 1943 90 thousand G 41 rifles were manufactured. Another author cites 122,800 as the total number. Many excerpts from Army Ordnance Department documents on the G 41 rifles adopted between September 1942 and March 1944 report a total number of 112,907 units (see table).

Certain sources confirm that in the acts of the management group for industrial equipment (Wa I Ru..) of the Army Armament Directorate, which, in cooperation with industry, acquired the necessary equipment, under the heading “Summary of the status of weapon equipment” contains an estimated acceptance quantity of 8 thousand pieces in December 1942 and 10 thousand monthly from January to April 1943. In its production plans in December 1943, the management group reported the monthly production of 10 thousand units from January to April 1944. In May and June 1944, the G 41 rifles were no longer to be produced, since their production ceased due to their replacement by the G 43 model. From July to December 1943, 5 thousand units were to be transferred to Bulgaria every month, that is, to a total of 30 thousand G 41.

G 43

During the winter campaign of 1941–42. Until January 1942, German industry supplied the Wehrmacht with 6,673 self-loading rifles, mainly G 41 from Walther. Of course, soldiers, by order of the Wehrmacht command or without it, with great success used Soviet self-loading rifles ABC 36 captured in large quantities (ABC 36 is an automatic rifle - Translator's note), SVT 38 and SVT 40, as well as their varieties.

The Gewehr 43 rifle was a proven weapon from Walther. This model has a slightly modified locking mechanism and trigger mechanism of the G 41 (W) rifle

Taking into account the positive experience of using Soviet weapons, the Walther company began to rework the G 41 rifle. From the original version of the weapon, the new rifle retained only a partially modified bolt and trigger mechanism. The cocking handle moved to the left. The barrel, like that of Soviet self-loading rifles, is drilled to vent gases. The gas cylinder, gas piston and pusher are located above the barrel. Thus, the gas chamber on the front of the barrel disappeared and thus the heaviness on the muzzle, characteristic of the previous model, disappeared. In addition, it was easier to manufacture parts, as a result of which the new rifle was cheaper to produce. A shortened stock and a detachable ten-round magazine were added, allowing soldiers to reload their weapons faster and easier. The device for attaching the bayonet has disappeared. The weapon received the designation “Gewehr 43” and was adopted by the Wehrmacht on April 30, 1943. The total number of rifles was about 500,000.

Unlike the G 41 (W) rifle, the G 43 model has a drilled barrel and no muzzle chamber. Also, the G 43 could have a detachable magazine.

Disassembly and assembly

After checking for unloading, the moving parts are retracted and secured with a latch located next to the cocking handle, then the weapon is put on safety. After this, the guide rod protruding backwards from the bolt box is pressed forward, and now the bolt box, along with the moving parts, can be separated from the receiver upwards. The back of the bolt box with moving parts must be rested against a hard surface and the guide rod must be pressed into it. To unlock, the latch on the bolt frame must be moved to the left. Now the spring-loaded bolt can be slowly pushed up from the bolt box. You can then separate the bolt carrier from the bolt, remove the guide rod from the bolt box, separate the long recoil spring and, holding the short recoil spring, lift the bolt box latch upward. After this, the locking wedge and lugs can be removed from the bolt, the pin in the locking wedge can be knocked out to the right, and the firing pin with the firing pin can be removed.

Bolt frame, return mechanism assembly, bolt with wedge, firing pin and firing pin, as well as adjustable lugs and bolt box

Assembly is carried out in reverse order.

Master Gerhard Ortmeier MA, translation by Nikolai Yezhov

TTX:

Rifles | Germany

Mauser Gewehr 88

The M-88 rifle was adopted for service in 1888. In 1905 and 1914. two modifications were carried out: Gewehr 88/05 and Gewehr 88/14. In addition, China produced an unlicensed copy under the designation Hanyang 88. The rifle was produced by Haenel, Steyr-Mannlicher, Imperial Arsenals of Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt, and Spandau, Hanyang Arsenal. A special feature of the rifle was the magazine, which was loaded using a pack of cartridges. During shooting, the pack of cartridges was in the magazine until the last cartridge, after which it fell out through a hole in the lower part of the magazine. This speeded up weapon reloading. In World War II, rifles were used in China, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. In total, about 2 million rifles and carbines were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1245 mm; barrel length – 740 mm; weight – 3.8 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; sighting range – 2 km.

Mauser Karabiner 88 carbine

Based on the M-88 rifle, since 1890 a carbine of a similar caliber was produced and adopted by the cavalry. It differed from the rifle in having a shortened barrel, the absence of a ramrod and bayonet attachment, a different method of attaching the belt, and a bolt handle bent down. In 1891, it was modernized, receiving the designation "Gew.91" and a hook in the muzzle, designed to place carbines in the sawhorse. In addition, a number of carbines chambered for the 7x57 mm cartridge were produced. These carbines were intended for sale in South America. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 950 mm; barrel length – 445 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.1 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; sighting range - 1.2 km.

Automatic rifle FG42-I

Automatic rifle FG42-II

The automatic rifle was developed for the German Airborne Forces. In 1943, 2 thousand rifles were produced without taking into account the comments of the selection committee. The machine was unofficially designated FG42-I. From the beginning of 1944, production of a thoroughly redesigned machine gun with the unofficial designation FG42-II began. The latest version was designated FG42-III in many documents. In addition to the above-mentioned companies, Wagner & Co also produced the machine gun. By the end of the war, about 7 thousand rifles were produced.

Assault rifle Sturmgewehr MP-43/MP-44/StG-44

The machine gun was produced since 1943 and served to equip the elite units of the Wehrmacht. The prototypes of the machine gun were designated MKb-42, and the serial ones MP-43. There is a known modification of the MP-43/1, which had the ability to install a 30-mm grenade launcher by screwing it onto the barrel. At the beginning of 1944, the machine gun received the designation MP-44, and at the end of the year it was renamed StG-44. Automatic gas-type rifle with removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel wall. The trigger mechanism was a hammer type, which allowed for single and automatic fire. The fire selector is located in the trigger box, and its ends extend outward from the left and right sides. To conduct automatic fire, the translator had to be moved to the right to the letter “D”, and for single fire - to the left to the letter “E”. The machine gun is equipped with a safety lock against accidental shots. Fire at a distance of up to 400 meters was carried out with single shots, and at the close approaches the fighters switched to firing in short bursts. The sighting device was too high and the strong flames escaping from the barrel of the weapon unmasked the shooter. The machine gun could be equipped with mounts for quadruple “optics” (ZF-4) and infrared night vision sights. The machine's ammunition consisted of 6 magazines. A total of 446 thousand units were produced during the war. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 940 mm; barrel length – 419 mm; weight without ammunition – 4.9 kg, weight with ammunition – 6 kg; magazine capacity – 30 rounds of 7.92x33 mm; initial bullet speed – 690 m/s; rate of fire - 500 rounds per minute; sighting range – 600 m.

Self-loading carbine Volksturmgewehr Gustloff (FG-45)

A self-loading carbine (Volkssturm rifle/VG.1-5) was produced from the end of 1944. A special feature of the carbine was an automatic system with a semi-blowback action when it was braked by powder gases. Trigger mechanism of hammer type. Firing was carried out only in single shots from a closed bolt, but some examples had a firing mode translator and the ability to fire in bursts. The carbine was fed with cartridges from detachable box magazines of the Stg-44 assault rifle. The carbines were made with extensive use of stamping from sheet steel, riveting and welding, with a minimum of machining of parts. Their quality was at the lowest level, and when firing there were delays due to contamination of the mechanism with powder soot. In addition to being cheap and easy to manufacture, the carbines had low recoil, a large-capacity magazine, and fairly high firing efficiency at close combat ranges. Fixed sights did not allow accurate fire at different firing distances. In total, about 10 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 885 mm; barrel length – 378 mm; weight without cartridges - 4.6 kg; magazine capacity – 30 rounds of 7.92x33 mm; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; sighting range – 300 m.

Volkssturmgewehr VG-1 carbine

The VG-1 carbine was produced in 1944-1945. and served to arm Volkssturm soldiers as the cheapest and simplest weapon with low performance characteristics. The rifle is repeating, with manual reloading and manual locking by turning the bolt. Sights are non-adjustable. In total, about 100 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1092 mm; barrel length – 589 mm; weight – 3.8 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm.

Volkssturmgewehr VG-2 carbine

The VG-2 carbine, like other rifles intended for the Volkssturm, was produced in 1944-1945, had an extremely simplified and cheaper design, rough finish, and low service life. The rifle is repeating, with manual reloading and locking by turning the bolt. In total, about 50 thousand units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1068 mm; barrel length – 595 mm; weight – 3.9 kg; magazine with a capacity of 10 cartridges 7.92x57; sighting range – 100 m.

Rifle G-41 (W)

G-41 (W) rifle with a 25-round magazine from an MG-13 machine gun

The G-41 (W) self-loading rifle was also produced by BLM in 1942-1943. The rifle had low reliability, sensitivity to contamination (including due to the original bolt sliding along guides on the outer surface of the receiver, which were very susceptible to contamination), and heavy weight. If necessary, it was equipped with an optical sight, as well as a bayonet. In total, about 145 thousand rifles were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1130 mm; barrel length – 545 mm; weight without cartridges - 5 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; initial bullet speed – 745 m/s; sighting range – 800 m.

Rifle G-41(M)

The G-41(M) self-loading rifle was produced in 1941. It had a manual safety on the receiver cover and could be equipped with a standard bayonet. Due to many claims from the military, it was discontinued. A total of 6.7 thousand units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length - 1172 mm; barrel length – 550 mm; weight without cartridges – 5 kg; Magazine capacity – 10 rounds of 7.92x57 mm.

Gewehr 43 rifle

Gewehr 43 rifle with 30-round magazine

The G-43 self-loading rifle (Kar.43.) is a modernized version of the G-41, which began production in 1943. The rifles had a simple finish; casting and stamping were widely used in their design; the outer surface of many parts had very rough processing and coating. The automatic rifle was built on the basis of a gas exhaust system. A gas piston with a short stroke is located above the barrel. The safety is located on the rear of the receiver, above the neck of the stock. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. Magazines could also be loaded directly on the weapon using standard 5-round clips. Based on the G-43, a number of experimental developments were created, including an automatic rifle capable of burst fire, as well as a variant chambered for the 7.92x33mm Kurtz cartridge, which used 30-round magazines from the Stg-44. For use as a sniper weapon, the rifle was equipped with a ZF-4 optical sight.

Sniper rifle with optical sight G-43 (W)

Until the end of the war, 53.4 thousand rifles with “optics” were produced, and the total number of rifles produced reached 403 thousand. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92; length – 1115 mm; barrel length – 560 mm; weight without cartridges and optics - 4.2 kg; magazine capacity – 10 or 30 rounds of 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 745 m/s; rate of fire - 30 rounds per minute; sighting range – 800 m.

Mauser Gew-98 rifle

Mauser Gew rifle. 98 with optical sight

The Mauser 98 rifle was put into service in 1898 and was produced until 1945. The advantages of the rifle include: good ballistics; excellent bolt with powerful ejector; fast and convenient charging; the magazine is completely hidden in the stock, which protects it from damage; convenient and reliable flag-type fuse; block mounting of the bolt clutch assembly with mainspring and fuse. To install an optical sight, the bolt handle was bent down. Gewehr 98 rifles were also used in World War II, but most of them were converted into carbines. The rifle was produced by at least 15 companies, and was in service with Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Peru, China, and was produced in Austria, Poland and other countries. In total, more than 24 million units were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm;; length – 1250 mm; barrel length – 740 mm; weight – 4.1 kg magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 760 m/s; sighting range – 2 km; rate of fire - 15 rounds per minute.

Mauser 98k carbine (Kar.98k)

Mauser 98k carbine with ZF-41 optical sight

The carbine was put into service in 1935 and was a shortened, modified version of the Mauser 98 rifle. It had an integral double-row magazine loaded with clips, a downward-curved bolt handle, a cavalry swivel mount, and a clip ejector. The carbine was equipped with a bayonet and a short cleaning rod. For use as a sniper weapon, specimens that gave maximum accuracy were selected from standard screw guns. About 200 thousand rifles were equipped with optical sights. Muzzle grenade launchers were developed for the carbine, which were attached to the barrel using a folding clamp. There are also two types of silencers for a carbine, with a similar mount for a grenade launcher. The carbine was produced by 10 companies in Austria, Germany and Slovakia. In total, about 14.6 million units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1110 mm; barrel length - 600 mm; weight – 3.9 kg; magazine capacity – 5 rounds – 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed – 880 m/s; rate of fire - 15 rounds per minute; sighting range - 1.2 km.

Mauser 98a carbine (Kar 98a)

Mauser 98AZ carbine (Artillery Carbine)

The Kar-98a carbine was a shortened version of the Gewehr 98 rifle, created for cavalry, signalmen and artillerymen. It was produced in 1899-1908. In 1908, the production of the “1898AZ” model began, which was distinguished by the presence of a hook under the muzzle of the barrel for mounting in a sawhorse, a bayonet fastening and a handle bent downwards with a corresponding recess in the stock. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1110 mm; barrel length – 600 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.9 kg; magazine capacity – 5 cartridges 7.92x57 mm; initial bullet speed - 830 m/s.

Carbine Volkssturmkarabiner VK-98

The carbine was developed on the basis of the Mauser 98k for arming Volkssturm units. It was produced at the beginning of 1945 by the Austrian order of the Wehrmacht. The VK-98 carbine is a single-shot bolt action weapon. There was no store. To fire each subsequent shot, you must load the rifle manually, placing one cartridge into the chamber. The short wooden stock had a simple finish. Sights consist of openly located, non-adjustable front and rear sights. They were shot at a distance of 100 m. In total, at least 5 thousand units were produced. Performance characteristics of the carbine: caliber – 7.92 mm; length – 1030 mm; barrel length – 530 mm; weight without cartridges - 3.2 kg.

Rifle (shotgun) M-30 Luftwaffe Drilling

The rifle (three-barrel shotgun) was produced in 1941-1945.
for Air Force pilots who fought in North Africa. It was intended for the survival of the crew in the wild. This shotgun was a three-barrel combination shotgun of a “breaking” design: two horizontal “smooth” barrels of 12 or 16 gauge and a third rifled barrel chambered for the 9.3x74R hunting cartridge, located at the bottom center. The ammunition was stored in a special box, where the gun was also stored. The ammunition consisted of 20 rifle cartridges with a semi-jacketed bullet, 20 cartridges of 12 or 16 caliber with a bullet and 25 cartridges with shot. A total of 2,456 rifles were produced. Rifle performance characteristics: caliber 12 or 16; length – 1143 mm; barrel length – 635 mm; weight – 3.4 kg. Share to:

History of creation

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At the beginning of World War II, the Wehrmacht did not pay enough attention to self-loading rifles.

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When German soldiers invaded the Soviet Union, they were shocked that the Tokarev and Simonov SVT 38 and
SVT 40
and
ABC 36

K98
bolt-action rifles and G41 semi-automatic rifles( W) in service with the Germans.

Operation of the StG-44 assault rifle

In total, before the end of the war, German enterprises produced about 440,000 StG-44s, although sometimes under different names. However, after the war, production of the StG 44 continued, so that the first assault rifle long outlived the regime that gave birth to it. Only officially, the StG-44 was in service with: the GDR (in the police from 1948 to 1956), the German army, the Yugoslav Airborne Forces (1945 to 1950), Syria (1950-1965), Switzerland, France and other countries. After being withdrawn from service, many StG-44s fell into the hands of all kinds of rebels, oppositionists and terrorists around the world through the black market, and are still used by them. In particular, many StG-44s are used by illegal groups in what is now Syria.

Produced: in Germany, and after the end of the Second World War in Yugoslavia, Argentina (under the designation CAM 1), the USSR had complete sets of drawings. Also produced in limited quantities in Turkey, USA, and China (simplified).

Despite all the advantages, the new weapon did not have any significant impact on the course of the fighting of the Second World War. Firstly, the advantages (high accuracy of combat at close and medium distances, high penetrating effect of the bullet, tactical versatility) of the StG-44 assault rifle were offset by its disadvantages (heavy, inconvenient sight, no handguard, sensitive to moisture and dirt). Secondly, they never managed to produce it in sufficient quantities, and until the surrender of Germany, the StG-44 remained a weapon of the “chosen ones,” i.e. all kinds of elite formations. It makes no sense to downplay the role of the StG-44 - despite all its shortcomings, it was truly the first real assault rifle, a conceptually new weapon that changed the battlefield, and in many ways, shaped the familiar appearance of all modern armies of the world.

German assault rifle StG-44

Gif animation with a review of the G43 rifle in 3D

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German gunmaker Walther, maker of the G41(W) rifles, copied "designed" the simple gas mechanism used by the Tokarev
SVT38
and
SVT40
, and developed the Gewehr 43 design.

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In addition to technical improvements aimed at improving the tactical and ballistic characteristics of the rifle, some of the improvements concerned design changes aimed at speeding up and reducing the cost of the production process.

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Production of the G 43 began in 1943. In 1944 the design was renamed Carabinier 43.

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402,713 rifles were produced between 1943 and 1945;

53,435 of them were produced in the sniper version equipped with a Zielfernrohr 43 sight with 4x magnification. A sniper version of the G43 rifle with a ZF4 optical sight was tested in Döbritz in October 1943 along with the MP43/1. The sniper version was designated K41 mit Gw ZF 4-fach, and as a sniper weapon it was significantly superior to the scoped MP43, but seriously inferior to the standard Kar98k. Until the end of the war, German designers worked to improve the rifle, but achieved only very limited success. After World War II, most of the G43 remained in service with the Czechoslovak Army.

Use of captured German rifles and machine guns in the USSR

By the time of the attack on the USSR, the actions of the Wehrmacht infantry department were built around the MG34 machine gun, which was operated by three people. Non-commissioned officers could be armed with MP28 or MP38/40 submachine guns, and six riflemen could be armed with K98k rifles.

K98k repeating rifle

During World War II, the bulk of German infantry was armed with 7.92 mm Mauser 98k rifles, which were designated Karabiner 98k or K98k in German sources.
This weapon, adopted in 1935, used successful solutions from the Standardmodell rifles (Mauser Model 1924/33) and Karabiner 98b, which, in turn, were developed on the basis of the Gewehr 98. Despite the name Karabiner 98k, this weapon was actually a full-fledged rifle and It was not much shorter than our Mosinka. Compared to the original Gewehr 98, adopted in 1898, the improved K98k rifle had a shorter barrel (600 mm instead of 740 mm). The length of the stock was slightly reduced, and a recess appeared in it for the bolt handle bent down. Instead of the “infantry” swivels of the Gewehr 98 on the K98k, the front swivel is combined into one piece with the rear stock ring, and instead of the rear swivel there is a through slot in the butt. After loading the cartridge clip, it began to be ejected when the bolt was closed. A new SG 84/98 bayonet was introduced, significantly shorter and lighter than the bayonets provided for the Mauser 98. The K98k rifle was equipped with a short cleaning rod. In order to clean the bore, you need to screw two cleaning rods together. The wooden stock has a semi-pistol grip. The steel butt plate is made with a door that closes the compartment for weapon accessories. In order to reduce the cost of production after Germany entered the war, wooden parts were replaced with plywood.

7.92 mm K98k rifle
Depending on the version and year of manufacture, the weight of the rifle was 3.8-4 kg.
Length – 1110 mm. The K98k was typically fired with the 7.92x57mm sS Patrone, originally designed for long-range use, with a heavy, pointed bullet weighing 12.8g. The muzzle velocity was 760 m/s. Muzzle energy – 3700 J. An integral box-shaped double-row magazine with a capacity of 5 rounds is located inside the stock. The magazine is loaded with cartridges when the bolt is open through the wide upper window in the receiver from clips of 5 rounds or one cartridge at a time. Sights consist of a front sight and a sector rear sight, adjustable for firing range from 100 to 1000 meters. A well-trained shooter is capable of firing 12 aimed shots per minute. The effective firing range with mechanical sighting devices was 500 m. A sniper rifle with an optical sight could hit targets at a distance of up to 1000 m. Rifles with the best accuracy of combat were selected for the installation of optical sights.

A shooter armed with a K98k rifle with a ZF39 optical sight mounted on it

Most often, four-fold ZF39 sights or simplified one-and-a-half-fold ZF41 sights were used. In 1943, the ZF43 quadruple telescopic sight was adopted. In total, about 132,000 sniper rifles were produced for the German armed forces.

During World War II, the Gewehrgranat Geraet 42 rifle grenade launcher was introduced, which was a 30-mm mortar mounted on the muzzle of a rifle. The cumulative grenades were fired using a blank cartridge. The target firing range of cumulative anti-tank grenades was 40 m, normal armor penetration was up to 70 mm.

A German infantryman loads a rifle grenade

In addition to the mortar for firing grenades, a HUB23 shot silencer could be attached to the muzzle of the rifle, paired with which a special Nahpatrone cartridge was used. Ammunition with an initial bullet speed of 220 m/s ensured reliable destruction of a tall target at a distance of up to 200 m.

At the end of 1944, production of a simplified version of the K98k, known as the Kriegsmodell (“military model”), began. This modification had a number of changes aimed at reducing the cost and labor intensity of production with some deterioration in the quality of workmanship and finishing. The barrel life also decreased and shooting accuracy deteriorated. The production of K98k rifles was carried out at ten enterprises in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. In total, from 1935 to 1945, more than 14 million rifles were delivered to the customer.

The K98k is one of the best bolt action repeating rifles out there. It has high reliability, durability and long service life, simplicity and safety in handling. During World War II, K98k rifles were widely used by all branches of the German armed forces in all theaters of war in which German troops took part. However, with all its positive qualities, by the beginning of the 1940s, the K98k rifle as an individual weapon for an infantryman no longer fully satisfied the requirements. It did not have the required rate of fire and was a relatively bulky and heavy weapon for combat operations in populated areas. The rate of fire was limited by how quickly the shooter could operate the bolt and load the 5-round magazine. However, these shortcomings were characteristic of all repeating rifles without exception. The K98k's low combat rate of fire was partly compensated for by the fact that the Germans relied not on rifles, but on single machine guns to provide the unit's firepower.

Although, according to weapons experts, the German MG-34/42 were the most successful machine guns of World War II, relying on them as the basis of the squad’s firepower was not always justified. For all their advantages, these German machine guns were quite expensive and difficult to manufacture, and therefore there was always a shortage of them at the front. The use of machine guns captured in occupied countries only partly solved this problem. And submachine guns had high firepower, but had a short range. Taking into account the saturation of all branches of the military with automatic weapons, it was extremely desirable to arm the infantry with a rifle that surpasses the K98k in rate of fire.

Self-loading and automatic rifles

At the end of 1941, the active army received two types of self-loading rifles for military testing: G41(W) and G41(M), which were very similar in appearance. The first was developed by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik, the second by Waffenfabrik Mauser AG. The automatic rifles worked by removing part of the powder gases. Self-loading rifles were fired using the same ammunition as the K98k repeating rifle. Both rifles failed the test and were sent for revision.

Self-loading rifle G41(M)

The G41(W) and G41(M) rifles turned out to be sensitive to dust. Their moving parts had to be heavily lubricated. As a result of powder carbon deposits, the sliding parts stuck together, making disassembly difficult. Burning of the flame arrester was often observed. There were complaints about excess weight and poor shooting accuracy.

In 1942, after military tests, the G41(W) rifle entered service. Its production was established at the Walther plant in Zella-Mehlis and the Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik plant in Lübeck. According to American data, more than 100,000 copies were produced.

Self-loading rifle G41(W)

The weight of the rifle without cartridges was 4.98 kg. Length – 1138 mm. Barrel length – 564 mm. The initial bullet speed is 746 m/s. Combat rate of fire – 20 rounds/min. Food was supplied from an integral 10-round magazine. Effective firing range – 450 m, maximum – 1200 m.

But, despite being adopted and put into mass production, many of the shortcomings of the G41(W) were not eliminated, and in 1943 production of the modernized G43 rifle began. In 1944 it was renamed the Karabiner 43 (K43) carbine. On the G43, the unsuccessful gas exhaust unit was replaced with a design borrowed from the Soviet SVT-40 rifle. Compared to the G41(W), the G43 has improved reliability and reduced weight. A significant part of the parts were made by casting and stamping; the outer surface was very roughly processed.

Self-loading rifle G43 with optical sight

The weight of the G43 rifle without ammunition is 4.33 kg. Length – 1117 mm. Food came from a detachable 10-round magazine, which could be refilled with 5-round clips without removing it from the weapon. Some of the rifles had a 25-round box magazine from an MG13 light machine gun. Thanks to the use of detachable magazines, the combat rate of fire increased to 30 rounds/min.

Self-loading rifle G43 with a magazine from an MG13 light machine gun

The production of G43 rifles was launched at enterprises that previously produced G41(W). Until March 1945, a little more than 402,000 self-loading rifles were delivered. According to the plans of the German command, each Wehrmacht grenadier (infantry) company was supposed to have 19 self-loading rifles. However, in practice this was not achieved.

Approximately 10% of G43s had optical sights, but in terms of shooting accuracy, the G43 “sniper” rifles were significantly inferior to the K98k rifles. However, in street battles, where the firing range in most cases was not great, G43s with sniper scopes performed well.

A very unusual German automatic rifle is the FG42 (German: Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 - paratrooper rifle of the 1942 model). This weapon, created for Luftwaffe paratroopers, also entered service with mountain rifle units. Single copies of the FG42 were at the disposal of the most experienced Wehrmacht and SS troops.

The automatic operation of the FG42 rifle works by removing part of the powder gases through a transverse hole in the barrel wall. The barrel bore was locked by rotating the bolt, which occurs as a result of the interaction of a curved groove on the bolt and beveled planes on the bolt frame stand when the latter moves. Two lugs are located symmetrically in front of the bolt. The butt contains a buffer that reduces the impact of recoil on the shooter. When firing, cartridges are fed from a box magazine with a capacity of 20 cartridges with a double-row arrangement, mounted on the left side of the rifle. The striker-type trigger mechanism allows for single and automatic fire.

Automatic rifles FG42/1 and FG42/2

The first modification FG42/1 had many disadvantages: low strength, low reliability and insufficient service life. Shooters complained about the high likelihood of spent cartridges getting into the face, uncomfortable holding of the weapon and poor stability when shooting. Taking into account the identified comments, a more reliable, safe and convenient automatic rifle FG42/2 was developed. However, the cost of manufacturing the rifle turned out to be very high. In order to optimize the production process and save scarce materials, it was planned to switch to the use of stamping from steel sheets. It was necessary to reduce production costs, since, for example, the labor-intensive milled receiver was made of very expensive high-alloy steel. Due to delays caused by the need to eliminate deficiencies, the Krieghoff company began manufacturing a batch of 2,000 rifles only at the end of 1943. During mass production, improvements were made to the FG42 design to reduce cost, improve ease of use and reliability. The last production modification was the FG42/3 (Type G) with a stamped receiver.

Although the FG42/3 rifle still remained expensive and difficult to manufacture, it had very high performance and was quite reliable. The barrel and butt were on the same line, due to which there was practically no recoil shoulder, which minimized the tossing of the weapon when firing. The recoil was significantly reduced by a massive compensator-flame arrester mounted on the muzzle of the barrel. The sighting devices consisted of a front sight attached to the barrel and an adjustable rear sight placed on the receiver. A significant portion of production rifles were equipped with optical sights. For close combat, the rifle is equipped with an integral tetrahedral needle bayonet, which, in the stowed position, folds back and is parallel to the barrel. FG42 was equipped with folding lightweight stamped bipod.

The weight of the late modification weapon without cartridges was 4.9 kg. Length – 975 mm. Barrel length – 500 mm. The initial bullet speed is 740 m/s. Effective range with iron sight – 500 m. Rate of fire – 750 rounds/min.

For a number of reasons, it was not possible to establish mass production of the FG42 in Germany. In total, about 14,000 copies were produced. The FG42 automatic rifle began to enter service too late to fully demonstrate its combat qualities and advantages. Nevertheless, the FG42 is an interesting and unique automatic rifle, one of the most interesting examples of weapons designed and produced in the Third Reich.

Automatic assault rifles chambered for intermediate cartridges

Even before the outbreak of World War II, it became clear to designers and military personnel in different countries that rifle cartridges were too powerful to solve most problems inherent in individual infantry weapons. In 1940, designers from Polte Armaturen-und-Maschinenfabrik AG proactively created a cartridge with a dimension of 7.92×33 mm, which, after being put into service, received the designation 7.9 mm Kurzpatrone 43 (7.9 mm Kurz). This ammunition occupied an intermediate position in energy between the 9 mm Parabellum pistol cartridge and the 7.92 mm Mauser rifle cartridge.

Cartridges 7.92×57 mm and 7.92×33 mm

The steel sleeve, 33 mm long, had a bottle shape and was varnished to prevent corrosion. Serial ammunition 7.9 mm Kurz SmE weighed 17.05 g. Bullet weight - 8.1 g. Muzzle energy - 1900 J.

The Third Reich developed a number of machine guns (assault rifles) chambered for the 7.9 mm Kurz cartridge, some of which were brought to the stage of mass production. In July 1942, an official demonstration of machine guns chambered for the intermediate cartridge Maschinenkarabiner 42(H) (MKb 42(H)) and Machinenkarabiner 42(W) (MKb42(W)) took place. The first was developed by CG Haenel, the second by Carl Walther Waffenfabrik. The automation of both models was based on the principle of removing part of the powder gases.

Experimental assault rifle MKb42(W)

The winner of the competition was revealed by military tests on the Eastern Front. Based on their results, provided that a number of shortcomings were eliminated and certain changes were made to the design, the MKb42(H) was recommended for adoption. As changes were made to the design of the bolt, trigger mechanism and gas outlet unit, the MP43/1 and MP43/2 “submachine guns” were born. In June 1943, serial production of the MP 43/1 began. Until December 1943, when this model was replaced at the production facilities by a more advanced modification, more than 12,000 copies of the MP 43/1 were produced. Even at the design stage of the weapon, much attention was paid to its manufacturability and cost reduction, for which stamping was used in the manufacture of the receiver and a number of other parts.

Experimental assault rifle MKb42(N)

Massive use of the MP43 on the Eastern Front began in the fall of 1943. It was found that the new machine gun combines the positive qualities of submachine guns and rifles, which increases the firepower of infantry units and reduces the need for light machine guns.

After receiving a positive conclusion from the active army, an official decision was made to accept the new machine gun for service. In April 1944, the name MP43 was replaced by MP44, and in October 1944 the weapon received its final name - StG 44 (German: Sturmgewehr 44 - “Assault rifle 44”).

StG 44 assault rifle

The weight of the unloaded weapon was 4.6 kg, with an attached magazine for 30 rounds - 5.2 kg. Length – 940 mm. Barrel length – 419 mm. The initial bullet speed is 685 m/s. Effective range with single shots – up to 600 m. Rate of fire – 550-600 rounds/min.

In general, the StG 44 assault rifle was a very good weapon by the standards of World War II. It was superior to submachine guns in terms of accuracy and firing range, bullet penetration, and had tactical versatility. At the same time, the StG 44 was quite heavy; shooters complained about the inconvenient sight, lack of a fore-end, and sensitivity to moisture and dirt. Various sources do not agree on the number of MP43/MP44/StG 44 produced, but we can say with confidence that during World War II the Germans produced more than 400,000 machine guns chambered for the intermediate cartridge.

The use of German rifles and machine guns in the Red Army

Captured K98k repeating rifles were used by the Red Army from the first days of the war. They were present in noticeable quantities in units fighting their way out of encirclement and among partisans. The first units purposefully armed with German rifles were the people's militia divisions, the formation of which began in the late autumn of 1941. In addition to rifles made in Austria, France and Japan, a significant part of the fighters were armed with German Gewehr 1888, Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98k. The bulk of these rifles, used by militia fighters, were captured during the First World War, or purchased by the tsarist government from the allies. At the beginning of 1942, several regular units were armed with K98k repeating rifles, captured in noticeable quantities during the counteroffensive near Moscow and on other parts of the front. Thus, soldiers of the 116th Separate Marine Rifle Brigade, formed in September 1942 in Kaluga from sailors of the Pacific Fleet, were armed with German rifles.

Subsequently, after the Red Army rifle units were saturated with domestically produced weapons, captured rifles until the end of the war remained in service with rear units not directly involved in hostilities, as well as with signalmen, anti-aircraft gunners, artillerymen and in training units.

The widespread use of captured rifles in combat was difficult due to the irregular supply of 7.92 mm cartridges. After the Red Army seized the initiative from the enemy, the Germans began to leave behind rifle cartridges filled with high explosives during their retreat for sabotage purposes. When attempting to fire such a cartridge, an explosion occurred, and the weapon became unsuitable for further use, and the shooter could be injured or even die. After such cases became regular, an order was issued prohibiting the use of untested cartridges picked up on the battlefield. The Red Army soldiers lost a significant part of the captured small arms in battles. Taking into account the fact that rifles captured from the enemy were often not registered with anyone, they were not treated as carefully as standard weapons. Even with minor malfunctions, the Red Army soldiers easily parted with German rifles. Memoir literature describes cases when our soldiers on the offensive, unable to hand over small arms abandoned by the Germans to the trophy hunters, crushed them with tanks or blew them up along with the ammunition to be destroyed.

According to archival data, in the post-war period, more than 3 million German rifles suitable for further use ended up in Soviet warehouses. In fact, many more were captured, but not all rifles were accounted for and handed over to the captured brigades, officially formed in early 1943.

After the K98k rifles arrived at collection points for captured weapons, they were sent to the rear to enterprises involved in troubleshooting and repair. If necessary, captured rifles suitable for further use were repaired, after which they were taken into account and preserved. In addition to rifles, our troops captured about 2 billion 7.92 mm rifle cartridges, and German K98k, transferred to storage bases, became a reserve in case of a new war.

Shortly after the end of World War II, the Soviet Union transferred some of the captured German weapons to its Eastern European allies. A large batch of captured K98k was sent to the communist People's Liberation Army of China, which was waging an armed struggle against the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang. Taking into account the fact that in China since the 1930s there has been a licensed production of German 7.92 mm rifles and cartridges, there were no difficulties in mastering the K98k delivered from the USSR. During the Korean War, a significant number of K98k rifles were available in the armed forces of the DPRK and at the disposal of Chinese volunteers. The next major armed conflict, where captured German K98k appeared, was the Vietnam War. In the early 1960s, the USSR and China donated several tens of thousands of K98k rifles and the required amount of ammunition to the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In addition, rifles belonging to the Wehrmacht in the past were supplied to Arab countries and used in wars with Israel.

Even taking into account the fact that the Soviet Union very generously supplied its allies with captured German rifles free of charge, many of them remained in warehouses after the collapse of the USSR. Some of the rifles were sent for disposal, and some were put up for sale as hunting weapons.

Hunting carbine KO-98M1
Hunting carbine chambered for the original 7.92x57 mm Mauser cartridge - known as KO-98M1.
KO-98 is a carbine chambered for the .308 Win cartridge (7.62×51 mm). VPO-115 is a carbine chambered for the .30-06 Springfield cartridge (7.62×63 mm). The VPO-116M carbine uses the .243 Winchester cartridge (6.2×52 mm). In addition to the magazine K98k, in the second half of the war, the Red Army captured self-loading rifles G41(W)/G43 and automatic FG42. However, when preparing this publication, I was unable to find information about their use in the Red Army. Apparently, if automatic and self-loading German rifles were used by our fighters against their former owners, it was only irregularly and for a short time. With a much higher probability, semi-automatic weapons could be found among partisans or in the arsenal of reconnaissance and sabotage groups sent to the German rear. What can we say about the rather capricious German semi-automatic and automatic rifles, when even our SVT-40 self-loading rifles were not popular among the troops. This was due to the fact that, compared to magazine rifles, semi-automatic rifles required more careful care and proper operation. But strange as it may seem, German automatic rifles were used during the war in Southeast Asia. Several examples of the FG42 were captured by the Americans from the Viet Cong.

American soldier with an FG42 automatic rifle

Although the StG 44 was not the height of perfection, for its time this machine gun was quite an effective weapon. While the StG 44 was often criticized for the insufficient strength of stamped parts and its complex design compared to submachine guns, German machine guns chambered for the intermediate cartridge were popular among our soldiers.

There are many photographs online, dating from the second half of 1944 - early 1945, in which Soviet soldiers are armed with the StG 44.

After the end of World War II, StG 44 assault rifles were in service in a number of countries of the socialist bloc. Thus, machine guns produced in the Third Reich were used by the armies of Hungary and Czechoslovakia until the end of the 1950s, and by the People's Police of the GDR until the early 1970s. The first major armed conflict using the StG 44 was the Korean War. A number of German machine guns were used by the Viet Cong.

StG 44 captured by the French in Algeria

In the early 1960s, French troops fighting rebels in Algeria captured several dozen StG 44s and ammunition bearing the markings of the Czechoslovak ammunition manufacturer Sellier & Bellot.

StG 44 assault rifles were also supplied to the national liberation movements of “black” Africa. In photographs taken in the 1970s and 1980s, you can see militants from various armed groups with the StG 44. There have been recorded cases of the StG 44 being used by Syrian militants. Apparently, these machine guns, which were in storage, were seized in 2012 along with other obsolete weapons.

To be continued…

Articles from this series: Use of captured German pistols in the USSR Use of captured German submachine guns in the USSR

Original passport for the K43 sniper carbine

Passport for the K43 sniper variant

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The G.43 received its military baptism on the Eastern Front. Subsequently it was used on other fronts. It was planned to equip 16-19 riflemen in each company with self-loading G.43, but these plans could not be realized. It is worth noting that at the last stage of the war the Germans attached great importance to self-loading rifles with optical sights - for magazine-launched Kar.98k this ratio did not exceed 6%.

The history of the creation of the StG-44 assault rifle

In the second half of the 1930s, in Germany, at the Polte company, an intermediate 7.92 x 33 mm cartridge was created for shooting at a distance of up to 1000 m. Occupying an intermediate position between rifle and pistol cartridges, it suggested the concept of a completely new type of weapon. In 1938, this concept was fully formalized into technical requirements. It was supposed to create a model of light small arms capable of simultaneously replacing submachine guns, repeating rifles, and even light machine guns in the army. Thus was born the assault rifle, or, as it is more often called in Russia, an assault rifle.

On April 18, 1938, the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate entered into a contract with the famous gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser to create a prototype assault rifle. Initially, the project was classified as a heavy submachine gun (schwere Maschinenpistole), but the project index was the code MKb (that is, Maschinenkarabiner - automatic carbine).

At the beginning of 1940, the first sample of the MKb was ready, and towards the end of 1940, the company of another talented designer, Erich Walter, was also involved in the development. The automatic carbine appeared already at the beginning of 1941. However, both assault rifles - Schmeisser (designation MKb.42(H) ) and Vallières (designation MKb.42(W) ) were still completely “raw” and their development took the whole of 1941.

On April 14, 1942, MKb.42(W) and MKb.42(H) were presented to Hitler, their full-scale tests began, with the expectation that by November 1942 the production of German assault rifles would be put into production, with production capacity up to 500 MKb.42 assault rifles per month, with a further increase in this figure. However, in August 1942, the Armament Directorate changed the requirements for an assault rifle: now the machine gun had to be equipped with a detachable bayonet and have a mount for a grenade launcher. Not a single company met the deadline, and, moreover, for various reasons, it had its own difficulties with the production of new weapons.

MKb.42(W) assault rifle, designed by Erich Walter

The final series of comparative tests of MKb.42(W) and MKb.42(H) revealed the following observations:

• The Walther MKb.42(W) assault rifle was assessed as being overly difficult to handle and sensitive to contamination. By mid-1943, no more than 200 of them were produced.
• The Schmeisser assault rifle MKb.42(H) was simple, durable, easy to assemble and disassemble, but was heavier than its competitor and less balanced. By mid-1943, more than 12,000 of them had already been produced.

According to the results of military tests, the Schmeisser MKb.42 was adopted as the model, but with a number of changes and even borrowings from the Vallières design: it was from there that the trigger system migrated, providing a smooth descent and high accuracy of combat when firing single shots.

The MKb42(H) was now called MP-43 (not MaschinenKarabiner, but MaschinenPistole, that is, a submachine gun, obviously this was done for reasons of secrecy), and was adopted by the Wehrmacht. The very first linear units on the Eastern Front equipped with the MP-43 confirmed its high combat effectiveness, the increased power of rifle units and a noticeable decrease in the “dependence” of riflemen on machine-gun units.

The MP-43 assault rifle took its final form only towards the end of 1943, when the mounts for the optical sight were removed from it, and assembly and disassembly was further simplified. By this time, not many samples were made - only 22,900 pieces.

On April 6, 1944, by order of the high command, the MP-43 became the MP-44 , and in October 1944, it acquired its usual name: StG-44 (SturmGewehr) , that is, it “officially” became an assault rifle. Structurally, the “assault rifle” StG-44 was no different from the “submachine gun” MP-43.

MKb.42(H) assault rifle, designed by Hugo Schmeisser