StG 44

Lore & Background

The StG 44 was the first successful assault rifle, with features including an intermediate cartridge, controllable automatic fire, a more compact design than a battle rifle with a higher rate of fire, and being designed primarily for hitting targets within a few hundred metres. Other rifles at the time were designed to hit targets at greater ranges, but this was found to be in excess of the range in which most combat engagements actually took place. The StG 44 fulfilled its role effectively, particularly on the Eastern Front, offering a greatly increased volume of fire compared to standard infantry rifles. While the StG 44's concept of an assault rifle influenced later designs, its direct influence on the Soviet AK-47 is disputed; Mikhail Kalashnikov stated the StG 44 did not directly influence his design, and the AK-47 was introduced in 1949, not two years after the war. The StG's influence can still be seen in modern assault rifles, which, after World War II, became the global standard for infantry rifles.

In Their Own Story

The mud of the Ardennes sucked at boots as the squad moved forward, the silence broken only by the crack of distant artillery. Suddenly, a burst of fire shredded the air to the left, kicking up dirt and debris. It wasn't the rhythmic thump of a Thompson or the sharp snap of a Kar98k; it was a machine-gun roar from a rifle-sized weapon. A German soldier emerged from the rubble, his StG 44 spitting flame with terrifying speed. The intermediate rounds tore through cover that should have held, forcing a retreat into the trench as the enemy advanced with mechanical precision.

Reader's Guide

The StG 44 was chambered for the 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridge. This shorter version of the German standard 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle round, in combination with the weapon's selective-fire design, provided a compromise between the controllable firepower of an MP-40 submachine gun at close quarters with the accuracy and power of a Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle at intermediate ranges. While the StG 44 had less range and power than the more powerful infantry rifles of the day, the German military believed a maximum effective range of 400 m was optimal. Full-power rifle cartridges were excessive for most uses for the average soldier. Only a trained specialist, such as a sniper, or soldiers equipped with machine guns, which fired multiple rounds at a known or suspected target, could make full use of the standard rifle round's range and power.

Did You Know?

• The StG 44 was also known by its early designations as the MP 43 and MP 44.
• The name StG 44 means "assault rifle 44" and was reportedly chosen personally by Adolf Hitler for propaganda reasons, though some sources dispute that Hitler had much to do with coining the new name besides signing the o
• The StG 44 was developed from the Mkb 42(H) "machine carbine".
• Over the course of its production, there were minor changes to the butt end, muzzle nut, shape of the front sight base and stepping of the barrel.