German MP44 (also known as the StG 44 or Sturmgewehr 44)

Todays review is of the German MP44. This classic firearm was an evolution of the World War II German firearms development program that developed an intermediate power cartridge in about 1938. This cartridge was the 7.92X33 mm Kurz, with the Kurz standing for "short". Development of a suitable weapon to fire the cartridge was initiated and the first field trials were done in 1942 with two different manufacturers fielding a version of the MKb (MaschinenKarabiner) 42. In 1943 the Haenel version was adopted and production began on the MP43 (MachinenPistole 43). There also was a slight variation designated as the MP43/1 that differed only in some minor muzzle details. In 1944 the designation was changed to MP44 with no changes made to the design. The designation was again changed to StG 44 in late 1944 for Sturmgeweher 44 or "assault rifle", hence being the first true assault rifle in existence. Construction is primarily of metal stampings and cast metal parts.


The weapon is chambered for the Kurz round and fires from a 30-round double-stacked magazine. The weight is 11 pounds, length is 36.6 inches, and rate of fire is 500 to 800 rounds per minute. It is a select-fire weapon with the selector being a push-through button above the pistol grip. The safety is a lever on the left side operated by the thumb above and slightly to the rear of the trigger. The cocking handle is on the upper left side of the receiver and reciprocates with the bolt on firing. Some models have a scope mount on the right side that will accept the standard ZF4 scope and mount.

The weapon was very innovative for the time and some people associate the weapon as a direct influence on the development of the AK47, which of course the Russians deny.

It does have a unique sound signature when fired as you may notice during the firing demo. One issue with the weapon was the fact the hand guard was stamped steel with ventilation holes. When fired on full automatic and running through multiple magazines the hand guard heated up significantly. The usual option then was shifting the forward hand to grip the magazine well/magazine area instead of the hand guard.

We will be firing the weapon using some 1958 & 1961 dated East German ammunition. The East Germans reissued some of these to border guards and police in the late 1950's and early 1960's and manufactured ammunition and some magazines to support that. The magazines were marked with a manufacturer code of 1001. Thanks for watching!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sturmgewehr
• MP44
• StG
• 7.92X33
• assault
• rifle
• German
• WWII
• shooting
• weaponeer

[xxweaponsxx123]

MP44? MP means Machine Pistol... and this isn't a machine pistol, it's an assault rifle or Sturmgewehr... Have you been playing CoD?

[weaponeer]

@xxweaponsxx123 - have you been getting your weapon facts from COD? The original designation of MP44 was named so to deceive Hitler so it could be built and used in combat. Hitler did not want additional rifles built. He used the Mauser during WWI, and felt the mauser was the best rifle in the world (his generals knew otherwise, which is why they originally hid the rifle under the MP designation).

[PoPeYeSwE1]

@weaponeer Listen to the person above xxweaponsxx, He knows what he's talking about. They showed the weapon for Adolf but he was to oldschool to see the benefits of a weapon that would be able to do 2 things in once, able to shot accurate fire over a long range and preform well in CQB. They named it the MP44 to make Hitler think that it was an upgrade of the MP40 and for that let it go in to combat. When Hitler finally found out when he asked a soldier what they needed more of he said the MP44:)

[weaponeer]

@PoPeYeSwE1 - it shows the incompetence of Hitler. he put a stop to all development of everything but SMG's (The Russian front had very high numbers of SMG's) the Waffen Amt renamed it MP43, but hitler halted it again, but in 43 allowed it to be evaluated, when approved the SS were the first to get it. it was hiler who re-designated it MP44 (hitler still thought it was a SMG). it was a general that asked for more of those rifles for the eastern front. this is how hitler found out it was a rifle

[819likeaboss]

where did you get this mr weaponeer?

[weaponeer]

@819likeaboss - this is not mine (and not me shooting it). This is a friend of mine who is a C2/SOT (manufacturer of automatic weapons)

[weaponeer]

@fohlerfohler - I suggest you rethink that.. Had they won, you would have been next to be murdered or enslaved because you are far from the blonde hair blue eye master race the SS were looking for, plus religion would have been banned as well.

[ThadKs]

@xxweaponsxx123 knob

[dogwood912]

excellent video, best I have seen on this weapons platform, thank you.

[BKK19]

I forgot to include the type XXI "Elektoboat" U-boat, easily the most advanced submarine of the war.

[BKK19]

The MP44 could be categorized right along with the MG42, A4 heat seeking rocket, V-2 ballistic missile, the ME262, the acoustic-homing G7es torpedo, the King Tiger tank...all superior weapons that were either woefully under-utilized or were deployed too late to affect the war. Of course the real "dodged bullet" had to be due to Hitler's disinterest in nuclear weapon development, which he saw as a product of a "Jewish science"...physics. Heisenberg had quite a head start over Oppenheimer.

[bulldogrj5020]

@xxweaponsxx123 dumbass you dont know jackshit about any type of gun

[oStirFryo]

i wish someone made a reproduction in a modern cartridge. i know ATI makes em in .22lr

[shadowgamer135]

If you saw the noise of the gun came before he pulled the trigger

[silver760]

The claim the Russian pinched the design of the STG44 and used it to create the AK47 is simply not true.The method for locking the bolt is completely different between the two designs,the STG44 using a tilting bolt locking mechanism compared to the AK47 which has a rotating bolt mechanism.There are of course many other differences but this is the major difference that sets the two apart.

[mangaka08]

@xxweaponsxx123 I always thought that MP stood for "Magic Points." ;P

[567WORMBOY123]

@xxweaponsxx123 not much of a history buff are you? go back to call of duty and leave real firearms to real men