One of the more interesting things to happen to me in Iraq, was recovering three StG-44's outside of Fallujah in a weapons cache. Two worked, one was missing the stock assembly. They were beat up, but functional. Also recovered four magazines, and two partial ammo cans of 8mm Short with the guns. Often wondered what kind of story they could have told about ending up in the hands of insurgents in Iraq from their beginning in Nazi Germany..
Two years late I know but a bunch of Nazi commando types were invited to or fled to the Middle East, Egypt and Syria most prominently, to modernize their armies since they had the most experience in combat and killing Jews. Syria bought a bunch of STG 44s and issued them for years before they got AKs.
@@Nikotheleepic They fought Jewish and other assorted partisans on top of the largest land was in history. With a number of weapons that all flowed into the Middle East you putz
Germany had a history of friendly relations with Iran. German archaeologists uncovered the Ishtar gate of Babylon, and transported it to the museum in Berlin.
As we look at the discussion about expensive/cheap part combinations, plywood is partially an invention of WW2 Germany. Running out of the wood that was sufficient for the K98 rifle, German engineers realized that a laminate of thin slices of high quality oak or ash wood glued in with slices of birch or pine would produce an equal or even superior stock, and if alternating directions of grain were used it would not warp under moisture.
While I understand you said "Partially", plywood board was already in common use in the US in the 1880s, and the concept of laminating wood traces itself back to antiquity, with the ancient Egyptians making use of it. On the other hand I agree that in terms of wartime gun stocks, the german use of plywood is quite innovative. Outside of guns though wood lamination is a very old thing
So glad you started with the mechanics of the MP44: it's so irritating to see people saying the AK47 is a copy of a '44 when they operate so differently.
"Зимой 1942-1943 годов советские войска на Волховском фронте завладели трофейными автоматическими карабинами Mkb.42(H). Новый автомат привлёк внимание советских военных, и в июле 1943 года на специальном заседании технического совета Наркомата вооружений заговорили об иностранных автоматических винтовках. Речь шла не только о Mkb.42(H), но и о поставленном по программе ленд-лиза американском карабине M1 Carbine калибра 7,62×33 мм. По результатам обсуждения было принято решение о том, что возможно и нужно создавать оружие аналогичного класса с эффективной дальностью стрельбы порядка 400-500 м[3].". So in winter of 1942 , Mkb.42(H)+M1 Carbine => Inspiration of "People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union" => AS-44 => partially inspiration => AK-47
The sheet metal hand guards are one of my favorite parts of these rifles. While not practical for blowing through hundreds of rounds at a time, the look is simply incredible!
I love Ian, plus the fact that he also has knowledge as a machinist as well as mechanical engineering is awesome. I work in manufacturing and it really is awesome to listen to someone with a similar knowledge of mechanics and the manufacture of products.
As someone who have lugged the HK G3 around more than I care to think about, it is very fascinating to see the lineage back to the mp44. Thanks for this Ian.
Correct.Though I'd like to add more .Stg-45m used Roller-delayed blowback mechanism which might've taken from MG-42 machine gun.This very same mechanism was latter Implemented in Various firearms, Like CETME,G3,MP5,PSG-1,HK33,HK43 etc..
Ian - I said it before and I'll say it again - your channel is just awesome. You should be working in a firearms museum - your depth of knowledge is incredible. I literally look forward to every video you publish.
The German love of quality also lost ya'll the war, if you hadn't spent so much time on jet fighters and wonder tanks and ballistic missiles, the yanks might not have been the first to have an atom bomb.
Filipe Amaral Are you saying that all German scientists were Jews? If that had been the case, there wouldn't have been any scientists left after the war. On the contrary, there were many left to be taken to America. And the Russians having the same idea doesn't make it better. Things like the first man in space, the first man on the moon and fighter jets were made possible by German technology.
Jeremy J. I am afraid I am sir, just google Syria and MP44 and you can see rebels opening an arms storage room containing at least 5000 MP44 assault rifles which were stored there. There is also footage of them being used in combat. The Russians captured large stocks of these guns and the East Germans used them until AK47's were available in large numbers. It seems like a quantity went to then Russian ally Syria some how. There were large stocks of ammo which I would imagine that they used fairly quickly. The rebels originally thought they were AK's but they soon realised that they were not but used them anyway. Its a real crime, i would love one, cant afford £10,000 though
The hot metal handguard probably caused soldiers to habitually shoot it by holding on to the front of the mag well or the magazine itself instead of the forearm, slightly reducing its practical accuracy. A wood or bakelite forearm cover would have cost very little.
by the time these were being issued, germany had had fuel, food, wood, mineral shortages for 2-4 years. unlike the russians and allies, germany had severe rationing starting the day they invaded poland. the had the logistics worked out to where if the were halted at any point for any delay. up until the complete occupation of norway and france, defeat would be inevitable. and similarly they knew they would only have 3-6 months of fuel left to take moscow. steel on the other hand along with the best steel related craftsman on earth they did have. the germans played extremely high odds, stupidly high. but every day the gap grew bigger so no better time than now.
8:50 that space in the stock is for a special cleaning brush for the gas system. I am a reenactor and it took me a good while to actually find an original brush for the gas system (it is a little bit bigger than the normal brushes from the RG34 cleaning set). But it is specified in the original manual for the gun.
I was fortunate enough to carry one of these a few years ago when I was reenacting. Guy in our group had one of these, a Mg42 and 34. Bought them in the late 70’s for next to nothing 😳
Hi, I was wondering, could you activate the option for people to add subtitles on your videos ? I'd like to write french subtitles, for my father who is a weapon lover, but doesn't speak a word of English( and the close captions are pretty terrible) Thanks.
yeah it is pretty cool, at least one good thing that came out out of UA-cam Heroes. I will add subtitles on videos he wants to watch, cause he knows a lot about sturmgewehrs . Thanks a lot Ian for activating it. Keep it up my man.
@@hdexotic1914 It may be the first, but stg44 is more influencial, because almost all modern assault rifles look like Stg44, while the federov avtomat looks like a traditional rifle, except automatic. Doesn't even have a pistol grip. Hence why the Stg44 may not technically be the first assault rifle, but is still the father of modern assault rifles in terms of design.
The stamped sheet metal toys etc used to be known in Britain as 'Jerry built' which was definitely not a compliment, so on first meeting the STG44, they probably thought the same!
Is incredible how political issues modify what kind of weapons you can build or how you can build them. Good job Ian, i love your channel because gives a political perspective behind every gun.
I'm glad they stopped destroying guns in my country. There are still buybacks and seizures, but if the gun itself is legal to own, thegovernment is obligated to resell it (a law against waste of government reaources/property).
The magazine catch & the hammer through the bolt carrier group on the Stg.44 is more similar to the AR-pattern rifles. Also, the recoil spring is present in the stock. Also the dust cover.
STG44 and the G3 , both German, both the sexiest main battle rifles ever to be manufactured, In my humble opinion. those germans could sure engineer some shit.
As a US Army Infantryman who is well accustomed to nearly every small, medium, and heavy MG organic to a US Infantry Company, I'm always in awe at the similarities between ,Sturmgewehrs, Maschinengewehrs and say American M16s, M249s, M240/M60s and even M2 .50 BMGs. Borrowing concepts from other manufacturers is nothing new. We just took it to another level. I'm certain that the US wouldn't have 1/3 of our iconic MG's produced(including ones in current service) if it weren't for so many replicated designs from Mauser/the Third Reich during WWII. The similarities from the action all the way to the take down pins are irrefutable. Danke Schön Deutschland. Ich leibe diche mein brudern. By the way..mein surname ist Unangst von BADEN BADEN, so I am proud of both countries.
The level of content has really gone up lately, Ian. It's always been good, but the last few months it has been head and shoulders above anything else. The amount of indepth material both here and on Inrange is fantastic.
I always liked this rifle design. It is a great mix of simple but is still refined enough to not be crude. I like the design a lot...except the trigger group. I think the AK got it right for the trigger group, ha. AR is a better trigger group as well. I was happy to see that someone was going to make a modern version of this rifle. I did not jump in early though. I have learned never to pre-order anything. I am concerned that the company has gone dark and has not been communicating lately. I hope everything is okay and they are just really busy.
One reason I really enjoy your videos is getting to see a piece of real, tangible history from WW1/2 or the Cold War but the WW2 German guns really give me a creepy feeling. I know you get to practice your gun nerdery :) all the time with all these videos you make but if ever comment would like to know if any weapon in particular was your favorite or most interesting to see in person.
One of my fav guns of AllTime!! Have never had the privilege of shooting one other than in call of duty🤔 but this has to be in my AllTime w/ the AK, Scar, and tommy gun.
In Serbian the term usually used is "automatska puška"'-fully automatic rifle, while the technical term is "jurišna puška"' - assault rifle. Pavle Jurišić Šturm just translated his German last name. Although that was before self'loading rifles were even conceived. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavle_Juri%C5%A1i%C4%87_%C5%A0turm
The Germans invented the whole concept and naming of an assault rifle with the Sturmgewehr. "Sturmgewehr" is still the official translation for assault rifle today.
For those of you who think a widget is something on a cellphone. That is incorrect. In the context that Ian used it the definition is: widg·et /ˈwijit/ Learn to pronounce nounINFORMAL a small gadget or mechanical device, especially one whose name is unknown or unspecified.
Well Russkies had assault rifle prototypes all through late 30 and through WWII, AS44, AVS-31, TKB-415. It may inspired some solutions but everyone wanted one around that time. Germans were the first to field them, Soviets were second.
Kind of depends on what you consider to be an assault rifle. The M2 Carbine is both select fire and in an intermediate cartridge (arguably, anyway; .30 Carbine is not a pistol cartridge, and it's definitely not a full-powered rifle cartridge, though it is underpowered compared to most intermediate rounds), and was fielded late in WW2, possibly making it the second.
Well assault rifle-like guns popped up here and there ever since late the beginning of 20 century. Like the 1915 Fedorov Avtomat. MP44 gets the cake as the first one to be mass produced and effectively used in warfare.
@@KeyManDan StG44 also gets the cake in being the first one that actually looks like a modern assault rifle. Fedorov Avtomat still looks more similar to bolt-action rifles. AK47 might not be a copy of StG44, but it's outer design is heavily influenced by it.
Stoner stated on video he and Jim Sullivan first saw constant recoil (he called it that run out thing) in the MP-44..Why this is never mentioned when discussing the STG-44 is bewildering, considering it's excellent control on full auto compared to new designs...
My favourite weapon in Day of Defeat. Check out that game and its source version if you don't know it! I noticed that they have mistaken the safety lever for the firing mode selector, so in game your character switched firing mode with the lever instead of using that button.
Storage in rear stock did not hold a oilier. It held a paper manual and a spare parts bag,not enough room for a oilier shot mine yesterday,cleaning today,but not difficult
The U.K was the previous shot caller prior to the end of WW2 and had troops their to keep the suze canel and Indian ocean secure so their enemy at the time the government of Germany allied with groups in Iraq one of those groups was called the bathes, And weapons arrived. The real reason we are in Syria is the fact that the Bath Party ran both Iraq and Syria, Also the bath party was the last true Fascist regime in the world. One day I will own a transferable True STG-44 until then hopefully i win the 22cal version then possible hill and mac. then possibly a semi auto kit and I think If I master folding a PTR/G3 receiver Ill be able to figure out the STG. If I was smart Id buy a CNC machine but some people build ships in bottles I work towards a NFA transferable STG-44. and a semi auto one chamber in 7.62x39. awesome video, keep them coming nothing greater than learning about Gas Driven single Piston hand held machines, People say they are not machines I beg to differ.
I find it incredible that not one person thought to put a block of wood under the barrel as a handguard rather than some stamped steel (of which they were trying to minimise the use of)
You really need to get an StG to the range and run it through a WW2 2-gun action match. Just to demonstrate how this rifle changed the dynamics of the battlefield.
It didn’t change the battlefield at the time, Not even a new concept, The federov ovtomat was the first assault rifle, Though i do think the STG44 is a better assaul rifle
@@hdexotic1914 Where it was present it most definitely did. Infact it was reports of how it proved key to the success of several operations that even convinced Hitler to finally approve the weapon. The federov avtomat is not a rifle with a pistol grip & inline stock firing an intermediate rifle cartridge, it's an automatic rifle. You could call it a predecessor to the assault rifle, but it's not an actual assault rifle.
I have an MP43/1 here in England, it was deactivated, I had to give up my live firing MP44! My 43 is built with am Mkb42 upper receiver but with a stepped barrel! 😳
Is there any particular reason why the stg recoil spring ( 11:46 ) is so huge ?? AK and M1 Carabine recoil springs are substantially smaller and works pretty well.
Is it just me, or is the barrel-tilt mechanism on the H&K USP a lot like the bolt-tilt mechanism on the StG 44? The USP has a hook in the top of the guide rod that mates with a hook on the barrel. As the slide moves back, the hook pulls the barrel down just far enough to unlock it from the slide.
"The German Sturmgewehr exactly fits those criteria"... Well, duh. The MP44 was the first assault rifle and *defined* the characteristics of the breed, so it's kind of obvious that it fits the criteria. :P
It is indeed a rifle cartridge, and not an intermediate, which disqualifies the Federov. Also, when I say the MP43/44 was the first assault rifle, that's because "Sturmgewehr" means assault rifle, and was coined specifically for the '43/44. The classification didn't exist before then.
There were many guns way before the STG that could be considered assault rifles. The Burton from 1917, Ribeyrolle and .30 cal chambered Thompson being a couple of those. However the STG was the first assault rifle in widescale use and the gun that proved the concept.
yeah and as an assault rifle the Sturmgewehr44 is not a MP. even it name sais it: assault rifle means sturmgewehr in german. i will never get why americans always call it mp44...
The small curiosity: Germans have not any resources of special enriching additives steel. But they had "special connections" in Switzerland! So, MC5 (UK intelligence organization) discovered in 1944, that one of Switzerland clock companies ordered a huge amount of chromium "to the springs in watches". How quickly calculated in London, suffice it to produce the springs for hundreds of years. Of course, the arrested ships carrying the chrome" Switzerland" by the Hamburg Harbour.
Very good that you've mentioned the other channel. I've just discovered it and have subscribed to this "action channel" of yours. The pronounciation in this video was quite good.
Another great video Ian. While were on the subject of Sturmgewehrs what is the deal with HMG and the new Sturmgewehrs. I ordered mine the day you and Karl did the video on them, they were supposed to be ready months ago. Yet I haven't gotten an email or phone call from them with any news or updates. Im starting to get concerned. Just wondering if you had any insider knowledge?
Question for anyone who would be able to answer this, gun experts only and preferably only gun experts, soldiers, and historians who would have the ability to answer this question regarding the Sturmgewehr MP-44 So in the Sturmgewehr 44 manuals of WW2 (in particular- BArch, RH 11-I/44 Entwurf zur Heeresdienstvorschrift), the images clearly display wehrmacht soldiers holding the gun by the mag and the handle, unless there was something like free hand aiming position standing or kneeling where the hand is behind the mag resting by the magazine lock button. Is there a reason they do this? The only reason I could think is that there is no significant handguard around the gas block like every assault rifle after AK47 has, but I am not quite sure. I mean I could think also that it gave quick access to the selector button which means being able to use the german tactics explained in the pamphlets better
5:42 with the controls favoring the righthanded user, a lefthanded person would find some hassle. were there every any lefthanded MP-44s? and would it have been easy to make a selection of them, or were the mechanisms designed in a way that would make this impossible?
Back then left handed children were usually forced to write with their right hand in school, so apparently the wehrmacht didn't consider that to be much of an issue, at least i've never seen a german ww2 source where it was being mentioned.
Почему не говорят ,что м- ку тоже содрали с stg 44 ? Пружину спрятали в несьемный приклад, перелом / разборку вынесли к стволу , выемка затвора такая же, механизм бойка такой же , взяли прицелы от ППС и снесли на заднюю часть корпуса и переднюю часть цевья соответственно. Не особо заморачивались...
i hope this video finally demonstrates that the STG influenced the design of the AR 15 and not the AK the only thing that the AK took from the STG was the stamping technology that existed even before the STG so technically the AK has nothing to do with the STG in fact the underfolder was taken from the MP40 and that's about it the rest of the AK is actually influenced by american guns but that's another story
right right i forgot the ak had a long recoil spring that extends into the buttstock, a spring powered dust cover, upper and lower receivers that are held together with push pins oh and dont forget the magazine release button and thumb fire selector and safety
But the M1 rifle did exist back then and it did influence the AK's rotating bolt action. The StG. really doesn't have as much in common with the AK as it is often said to have.
The STG influenced the creation of the AK as a concept - the concept of a mid-size cartridge, fully automatic capable rifle with a large magazine capacity, rugged and relatively quick to manufacture and usable in engagements out to 300+ yards potentially. I've not really heard someone say the AK was an influence on the actual mechanical design of the AK.
VERY GOOD video thank you Ian it's a real pity you can't get the new ones any more they still make in Germany here in the UK we have them in straight pull bolt only.
Its a shame you don't tell the history of the rifle if known . It would be interesting if you knew where the fire arm are what unit it was issued to if possible. Thank you Ian that's the first time seeing a stg stripped down.
Your pronunciation of "Einzel-" and "Dauerfeuer" has become magnificent! ...for an American. Now, "Sturmgewehr" needs some work. "Shtoormguhwayer" might approximate the correct pronunciation, depending on who reads it.
Carl Siemens I know how French is pronounced. "On" does not have quite the same ring as the French "en". I typed "au" as in "auger". There's a faint hint of "ah" in "en" too, after all. I seem to have forgotten an N, but that's because the N is almost silent at the end of a word.
Carl Siemens Oh and thanks for the knowledge. "En-bloc" makes sense, as the cartridges are fed into the magazine "in a block". I always wonder why it was called "end block". Maybe because it is situated largely at the end of the cartrigdes, I must have thought.
I have cloth rapped around the barrel on mine in Battlefield 5. People always ask me why. That baby runs hot. So I just can’t ignore that while I’m playing 😂
on the topic of the recoil spring hole in the stock, I read somewhere once that GI's that had the task of collecting arms and disarming german troops at the end of the war would take the rifle and swing it like a club by the barrel against a tree/rock/etc to break the stock off at the wrist...thus rendering it inoperable.any truth in that?
One of the more interesting things to happen to me in Iraq, was recovering three StG-44's outside of Fallujah in a weapons cache. Two worked, one was missing the stock assembly. They were beat up, but functional. Also recovered four magazines, and two partial ammo cans of 8mm Short with the guns. Often wondered what kind of story they could have told about ending up in the hands of insurgents in Iraq from their beginning in Nazi Germany..
Then Syria happened and more of these weapons were found.
Two years late I know but a bunch of Nazi commando types were invited to or fled to the Middle East, Egypt and Syria most prominently, to modernize their armies since they had the most experience in combat and killing Jews. Syria bought a bunch of STG 44s and issued them for years before they got AKs.
@@Nikotheleepic They fought Jewish and other assorted partisans on top of the largest land was in history. With a number of weapons that all flowed into the Middle East you putz
Germany had a history of friendly relations with Iran. German archaeologists uncovered the Ishtar gate of Babylon, and transported it to the museum in Berlin.
Ron Roberts Hitler regarded the Arabs as “people defendant of aryains” and even allowed Arabic SS units to be formed.
As we look at the discussion about expensive/cheap part combinations, plywood is partially an invention of WW2 Germany. Running out of the wood that was sufficient for the K98 rifle, German engineers realized that a laminate of thin slices of high quality oak or ash wood glued in with slices of birch or pine would produce an equal or even superior stock, and if alternating directions of grain were used it would not warp under moisture.
While I understand you said "Partially", plywood board was already in common use in the US in the 1880s, and the concept of laminating wood traces itself back to antiquity, with the ancient Egyptians making use of it.
On the other hand I agree that in terms of wartime gun stocks, the german use of plywood is quite innovative.
Outside of guns though wood lamination is a very old thing
So glad you started with the mechanics of the MP44: it's so irritating to see people saying the AK47 is a copy of a '44 when they operate so differently.
The concept is the same, the mechanics are different.
"Inspired" is more likely.
The stg44 just proved the concept as viable on a mass scale
"Зимой 1942-1943 годов советские войска на Волховском фронте завладели трофейными автоматическими карабинами Mkb.42(H). Новый автомат привлёк внимание советских военных, и в июле 1943 года на специальном заседании технического совета Наркомата вооружений заговорили об иностранных автоматических винтовках. Речь шла не только о Mkb.42(H), но и о поставленном по программе ленд-лиза американском карабине M1 Carbine калибра 7,62×33 мм. По результатам обсуждения было принято решение о том, что возможно и нужно создавать оружие аналогичного класса с эффективной дальностью стрельбы порядка 400-500 м[3].". So in winter of 1942 , Mkb.42(H)+M1 Carbine => Inspiration of "People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union" => AS-44 => partially inspiration => AK-47
It’s not a copy mechanically. The idea however was most certainly a copy.
The sheet metal hand guards are one of my favorite parts of these rifles. While not practical for blowing through hundreds of rounds at a time, the look is simply incredible!
soldiers loved it on the eastern front in those cold winters :)
@@TurkishRepublicanX I’m sure they did! 😆
I love Ian, plus the fact that he also has knowledge as a machinist as well as mechanical engineering is awesome. I work in manufacturing and it really is awesome to listen to someone with a similar knowledge of mechanics and the manufacture of products.
As someone who have lugged the HK G3 around more than I care to think about, it is very fascinating to see the lineage back to the mp44. Thanks for this Ian.
T Ras
I've heard the G3 was based off of the STG 45, which didn't share a whole lot in common with the 44 design wise.
Correct.Though I'd like to add more .Stg-45m used Roller-delayed blowback mechanism which might've taken from MG-42 machine gun.This very same mechanism was latter Implemented in Various firearms, Like CETME,G3,MP5,PSG-1,HK33,HK43 etc..
True. the bolt design is very different. but general design, stock, bolt guide, pin disassembly is principly derived from this gun
Ian - I said it before and I'll say it again - your channel is just awesome. You should be working in a firearms museum - your depth of knowledge is incredible. I literally look forward to every video you publish.
I believe he used to work doing that.
this guy is awesome Ian is so fuckin informative it hurts
Not even gonna lie. This piece is worth the current $11,000 it's sitting at right now.
I'm honestly surprised it's not higher, given it's rarity, historical significance and the cost that full-autos command these days.
They actually don't go for a whole lot, you can get MP44's/StG's for cheaper than M16's.
Echelon Dread Right...
+Echelon Dread i'd reckon ammo is a good bit more scarce.
Blackbird Not really. They make modern ammo for the STG that works fine.
I'm just gonna say, the MP-44 is a beautiful gun
Ah the Germans ! They would never stop their love for Quality,even in harsh times.
I kinda feel proud now. Thanks :D
The German love of quality also lost ya'll the war, if you hadn't spent so much time on jet fighters and wonder tanks and ballistic missiles, the yanks might not have been the first to have an atom bomb.
what a non sequitur that was
And after the war, the Yanks kidnapped all the German scientists and essentially stole all that knowledge.
Filipe Amaral
Are you saying that all German scientists were Jews? If that had been the case, there wouldn't have been any scientists left after the war. On the contrary, there were many left to be taken to America. And the Russians having the same idea doesn't make it better. Things like the first man in space, the first man on the moon and fighter jets were made possible by German technology.
Wow I would love one of these. I remember when the rebels in Syria found loads in storage. I love these MP-44's
Jeremy J.
I am afraid I am sir, just google Syria and MP44 and you can see rebels opening an arms storage room containing at least 5000 MP44 assault rifles which were stored there. There is also footage of them being used in combat. The Russians captured large stocks of these guns and the East Germans used them until AK47's were available in large numbers. It seems like a quantity went to then Russian ally Syria some how. There were large stocks of ammo which I would imagine that they used fairly quickly.
The rebels originally thought they were AK's but they soon realised that they were not but used them anyway. Its a real crime, i would love one, cant afford £10,000 though
+Jeremy J. If you really want one of these stop by Syria
DarkshadowXD63 the hard parts getting it back
Those were Yugoslavian STGs sold to Syria in the 1960s.
I’d sell my airsoft AK47 and MP5 for an airsoft Sturmgeweher
The hot metal handguard probably caused soldiers to habitually shoot it by holding on to the front of the mag well or the magazine itself instead of the forearm, slightly reducing its practical accuracy. A wood or bakelite forearm cover would have cost very little.
Yeah, I've seen a lot of late war photos of German troops holding their MP-44s by the mag well as they shot.
Cost little but takes time to make. At the time this went into production productionspeed was a considered factor.
by the time these were being issued, germany had had fuel, food, wood, mineral shortages for 2-4 years. unlike the russians and allies, germany had severe rationing starting the day they invaded poland. the had the logistics worked out to where if the were halted at any point for any delay. up until the complete occupation of norway and france, defeat would be inevitable. and similarly they knew they would only have 3-6 months of fuel left to take moscow. steel on the other hand along with the best steel related craftsman on earth they did have. the germans played extremely high odds, stupidly high. but every day the gap grew bigger so no better time than now.
Shooting it by the mag well doesn’t reduce practical accuracy at all.
I have always loved this gun, but I never looked into the mechanics of the MP-44 so this was actually a really nice video.
8:50 that space in the stock is for a special cleaning brush for the gas system. I am a reenactor and it took me a good while to actually find an original brush for the gas system (it is a little bit bigger than the normal brushes from the RG34 cleaning set). But it is specified in the original manual for the gun.
Damn, it is a beutiful gun.
I was fortunate enough to carry one of these a few years ago when I was reenacting. Guy in our group had one of these, a Mg42 and 34. Bought them in the late 70’s for next to nothing 😳
TY Ian. Eternal thumbs up. You are simply the best at these types of investigations.
This was really one of the best ARs ever made.
This isn’t an AR bub.
Seth Dunbar An assault rifle. AR stands for armalite rifle.
Seth Dunbar No problem brother.
This is the STG the AR-15 didn’t come along for a few years after ww2
DTOM No shit bud.
Hi, I was wondering, could you activate the option for people to add subtitles on your videos ?
I'd like to write french subtitles, for my father who is a weapon lover, but doesn't speak a word of English( and the close captions are pretty terrible)
Thanks.
Done - I had not realized that was an option. Thanks!
I hope your Father enjoys these videos even more now :) cheers
That is a great idea! My dad loves guns as well, I´ll try and see if I can add German subtitles! I didn´t know that users could do that!
yeah it is pretty cool, at least one good thing that came out out of UA-cam Heroes.
I will add subtitles on videos he wants to watch, cause he knows a lot about sturmgewehrs .
Thanks a lot Ian for activating it. Keep it up my man.
Did you ever add them?
Father of all modern assault rifles
Der Vater, ya.
Incorrect, The first assault rifle was the federov avtomat, Not the stg44 surprisingly
@@hdexotic1914 It may be the first, but stg44 is more influencial, because almost all modern assault rifles look like Stg44, while the federov avtomat looks like a traditional rifle, except automatic. Doesn't even have a pistol grip.
Hence why the Stg44 may not technically be the first assault rifle, but is still the father of modern assault rifles in terms of design.
@@hdexotic1914 federov did not fire an intermediate cartridge, nor did it have a pistol grip. It categorically is not an assault rifle.
I guess when it came to the buttstock the Germans didn't... CUT ANY CORNERS!
BOOM!
That. Just. Happened.
What you did there. I see it.
I see these ‘old’ FW videos that say 7 years ago, and I keep expecting to see the OG intro… man this was 2016 😭
The stamped sheet metal toys etc used to be known in Britain as 'Jerry built' which was definitely not a compliment, so on first meeting the STG44, they probably thought the same!
Good history lesson; thank you. I'm a little surprised the AR fanboys haven't voiced their opinion of the comparison.
Calm down "comrade".
What a beautiful rifle. In my personal top 3 favorite forgotten weapons videos.
Is incredible how political issues modify what kind of weapons you can build or how you can build them. Good job Ian, i love your channel because gives a political perspective behind every gun.
there was a old lady who brought one to a LAPD gun buy back..
What did they do? I hope they sent her to RIA so the weapon didn´t get destroyed.
I'm glad they stopped destroying guns in my country. There are still buybacks and seizures, but if the gun itself is legal to own, thegovernment is obligated to resell it (a law against waste of government reaources/property).
littlegrabbiZZ9PZA
In what country do you live ?
Let's call it "Central Europe" and leave it at that.
@@littlegrabbiZZ9PZA hmmmmmm I wonder where you could be.....
The magazine catch & the hammer through the bolt carrier group on the Stg.44 is more similar to the AR-pattern rifles. Also, the recoil spring is present in the stock. Also the dust cover.
I dont know what kind of AR you have but there is absolutely nothing resembling the two lol!
STG44 and the G3 , both German, both the sexiest main battle rifles ever to be manufactured, In my humble opinion. those germans could sure engineer some shit.
As a US Army Infantryman who is well accustomed to nearly every small, medium, and heavy MG organic to a US Infantry Company, I'm always in awe at the similarities between ,Sturmgewehrs, Maschinengewehrs and say American M16s, M249s, M240/M60s and even M2 .50 BMGs. Borrowing concepts from other manufacturers is nothing new. We just took it to another level. I'm certain that the US wouldn't have 1/3 of our iconic MG's produced(including ones in current service) if it weren't for so many replicated designs from Mauser/the Third Reich during WWII. The similarities from the action all the way to the take down pins are irrefutable.
Danke Schön Deutschland. Ich leibe diche mein brudern.
By the way..mein surname ist Unangst von BADEN BADEN, so I am proud of both countries.
Excellent presentation !
To think I passed up on an opportunity to buy one for 750 $ in1985 ...
Can't wait to buy the upcoming repro.
I found it interesting that the MP 44 was actually the grand father of the G3.
Actually it would by the grandmother lol
And also grand daddy of all moderns assault rifles
The ejection port makes the bolt and bolt carrier look quite massive.
The level of content has really gone up lately, Ian. It's always been good, but the last few months it has been head and shoulders above anything else. The amount of indepth material both here and on Inrange is fantastic.
I always liked this rifle design. It is a great mix of simple but is still refined enough to not be crude. I like the design a lot...except the trigger group. I think the AK got it right for the trigger group, ha. AR is a better trigger group as well.
I was happy to see that someone was going to make a modern version of this rifle. I did not jump in early though. I have learned never to pre-order anything. I am concerned that the company has gone dark and has not been communicating lately. I hope everything is okay and they are just really busy.
Thanks for the video, Ian. I fricking love the StG/MP-44 and will own one some day (even if it's just a semi-auto reproduction).
One reason I really enjoy your videos is getting to see a piece of real, tangible history from WW1/2 or the Cold War but the WW2 German guns really give me a creepy feeling. I know you get to practice your gun nerdery :) all the time with all these videos you make but if ever comment would like to know if any weapon in particular was your favorite or most interesting to see in person.
I really want someone to make these again. En mass and cheap like it supposed to be.
Why you don't do it? 😉
Thanks man for all the knowledge you bring to the show I've learned a lot with this channel!!!
Please make more of these kinds of 'introduction to x gun' videos!
One of my fav guns of AllTime!! Have never had the privilege of shooting one other than in call of duty🤔 but this has to be in my AllTime w/ the AK, Scar, and tommy gun.
Honestly though Sturmgewehr sounds like some sorta high speed energy drink, maybe an alcoholic one.
it means storm rifle btw
Yes, but storm in the meaning of taking a location by force, which is why it is commonly translated as assault.
In Serbian the term usually used is "automatska puška"'-fully automatic rifle, while the technical term is "jurišna puška"' - assault rifle.
Pavle Jurišić Šturm just translated his German last name. Although that was before self'loading rifles were even conceived.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavle_Juri%C5%A1i%C4%87_%C5%A0turm
yea
The Germans invented the whole concept and naming of an assault rifle with the Sturmgewehr. "Sturmgewehr" is still the official translation for assault rifle today.
Now i know what that thing above the barrel is for, Thank you.
For those of you who think a widget is something on a cellphone. That is incorrect. In the context that Ian used it the definition is: widg·et
/ˈwijit/
Learn to pronounce
nounINFORMAL
a small gadget or mechanical device, especially one whose name is unknown or unspecified.
Part 1? There's more?! Woohoo!
Sorry I have nothing else to add. Everybody already knows this gun is awesome, so I don't need to tell them again.
So in other words, the insides don't look anything like an AK.
Well Russkies had assault rifle prototypes all through late 30 and through WWII, AS44, AVS-31, TKB-415. It may inspired some solutions but everyone wanted one around that time. Germans were the first to field them, Soviets were second.
Kind of depends on what you consider to be an assault rifle. The M2 Carbine is both select fire and in an intermediate cartridge (arguably, anyway; .30 Carbine is not a pistol cartridge, and it's definitely not a full-powered rifle cartridge, though it is underpowered compared to most intermediate rounds), and was fielded late in WW2, possibly making it the second.
Well assault rifle-like guns popped up here and there ever since late the beginning of 20 century. Like the 1915 Fedorov Avtomat. MP44 gets the cake as the first one to be mass produced and effectively used in warfare.
@@KeyManDan StG44 also gets the cake in being the first one that actually looks like a modern assault rifle. Fedorov Avtomat still looks more similar to bolt-action rifles.
AK47 might not be a copy of StG44, but it's outer design is heavily influenced by it.
@@anton2maa Honestly, I see more StG44 influence on AR-15 then on AK. Especially in the lower section.
That piece belongs in a museum.
@6:15 Wow, how thin it is !
Stoner stated on video he and Jim Sullivan first saw constant recoil (he called it that run out thing) in the MP-44..Why this is never mentioned when discussing the STG-44 is bewildering, considering it's excellent control on full auto compared to new designs...
wow, didn't know the mp44 had a threaded barrel, learned something cool :)
My favourite weapon in Day of Defeat. Check out that game and its source version if you don't know it!
I noticed that they have mistaken the safety lever for the firing mode selector, so in game your character switched firing mode with the lever instead of using that button.
Check out the game post scriptum
PSA is bringing it back!
just picked up the .22 version for $500 since i cant afford the $10,00+ price that i see these things go for.
10 dollars aint that bad
*$10,000+
How's the .22 holding up? I'm looking at getting one since these (non neutered ones) are very illegal in the UK but .22 is not.
I have been waiting forever for the HMG STG-N I ordered... I see the current date for their ship is set 11/26/16... ALMOST THERE!!!
Tilting bolt is the GOAT of lock ups.
One of my favorite assault rifles.
Got to fire one of these yesterday, such a pleasure to shoot
I do love this weapon. I do, I do, I do, etc.
Storage in rear stock did not hold a oilier. It held a paper manual and a spare parts bag,not enough room for a oilier shot mine yesterday,cleaning today,but not difficult
The U.K was the previous shot caller prior to the end of WW2 and had troops their to keep the suze canel and Indian ocean secure so their enemy at the time the government of Germany allied with groups in Iraq one of those groups was called the bathes, And weapons arrived. The real reason we are in Syria is the fact that the Bath Party ran both Iraq and Syria, Also the bath party was the last true Fascist regime in the world. One day I will own a transferable True STG-44 until then hopefully i win the 22cal version then possible hill and mac. then possibly a semi auto kit and I think If I master folding a PTR/G3 receiver Ill be able to figure out the STG. If I was smart Id buy a CNC machine but some people build ships in bottles I work towards a NFA transferable STG-44. and a semi auto one chamber in 7.62x39. awesome video, keep them coming nothing greater than learning about Gas Driven single Piston hand held machines, People say they are not machines I beg to differ.
I love the sound of the gun after the clip is expended. Weird but I love it lol
I find it incredible that not one person thought to put a block of wood under the barrel as a handguard rather than some stamped steel (of which they were trying to minimise the use of)
you're not smart.
You are correct Sir D is Dauerfeuer!
From the English "Dour Fire", when you're really mad at someone.
History.....
... Good job Ian, thanks
My fav gun in ww2 games 😁
You really need to get an StG to the range and run it through a WW2 2-gun action match. Just to demonstrate how this rifle changed the dynamics of the battlefield.
It didn’t change the battlefield at the time, Not even a new concept, The federov ovtomat was the first assault rifle, Though i do think the STG44 is a better assaul rifle
@@hdexotic1914 Where it was present it most definitely did. Infact it was reports of how it proved key to the success of several operations that even convinced Hitler to finally approve the weapon. The federov avtomat is not a rifle with a pistol grip & inline stock firing an intermediate rifle cartridge, it's an automatic rifle. You could call it a predecessor to the assault rifle, but it's not an actual assault rifle.
Hehe, nice you pronounced Dauerfeuer correcly! One day you can explain everything on a Wehrmacht weapon in German ^^
Thanks!! Great history.
I have an MP43/1 here in England, it was deactivated, I had to give up my live firing MP44!
My 43 is built with am Mkb42 upper receiver but with a stepped barrel!
😳
Wow, your German is pretty good!
Is there any particular reason why the stg recoil spring ( 11:46 ) is so huge ?? AK and M1 Carabine recoil springs are substantially smaller and works pretty well.
I rembember this gun from CoD2 as very overpowered weapon. I also like the desing, it's so generic.
Czesnek I still play Cod2
Is it just me, or is the barrel-tilt mechanism on the H&K USP a lot like the bolt-tilt mechanism on the StG 44? The USP has a hook in the top of the guide rod that mates with a hook on the barrel. As the slide moves back, the hook pulls the barrel down just far enough to unlock it from the slide.
Tilt lock means it inspired by SVT-38.
Ian is my hero
Emagine that a German WW2 soldier once held that weapon and might have even shot somebody with it
"The German Sturmgewehr exactly fits those criteria"... Well, duh. The MP44 was the first assault rifle and *defined* the characteristics of the breed, so it's kind of obvious that it fits the criteria. :P
Fedorov Avtomat.
I dont know if the 6.5x50 is considered a intermediate caliber. I think it belongs to the full size rifle calibers.
It is indeed a rifle cartridge, and not an intermediate, which disqualifies the Federov. Also, when I say the MP43/44 was the first assault rifle, that's because "Sturmgewehr" means assault rifle, and was coined specifically for the '43/44. The classification didn't exist before then.
There were many guns way before the STG that could be considered assault rifles. The Burton from 1917, Ribeyrolle and .30 cal chambered Thompson being a couple of those. However the STG was the first assault rifle in widescale use and the gun that proved the concept.
yeah and as an assault rifle the Sturmgewehr44 is not a MP. even it name sais it: assault rifle means sturmgewehr in german. i will never get why americans always call it mp44...
I love the sound of the names for german guns ^_^
14:24, try World of Guns Disassembly, I believe the trigger group actually can be fully serviced :)
So much knowledge😯
You can see some mp5 aesthetic,, although it's a gas piston, instead of radial delay blow back.
The small curiosity: Germans have not any resources of special enriching additives steel. But they had "special connections" in Switzerland! So, MC5 (UK intelligence organization) discovered in 1944, that one of Switzerland clock companies ordered a huge amount of chromium "to the springs in watches". How quickly calculated in London, suffice it to produce the springs for hundreds of years. Of course, the arrested ships carrying the chrome" Switzerland" by the Hamburg Harbour.
Very good that you've mentioned the other channel. I've just discovered it and have subscribed to this "action channel" of yours.
The pronounciation in this video was quite good.
Watching this 8 years later while 3d printing Stubbs version of this. Will never afford a real one so a printed one in 5.56 will suffice.
Another great video Ian. While were on the subject of Sturmgewehrs what is the deal with HMG and the new Sturmgewehrs. I ordered mine the day you and Karl did the video on them, they were supposed to be ready months ago. Yet I haven't gotten an email or phone call from them with any news or updates. Im starting to get concerned. Just wondering if you had any insider knowledge?
Unfortunately, I don't have any inside info - Karl and I are still waiting like everyone else.
Thanks anyways!
seems like i hear that alot these days with gun companies taking peoples money and just not delivering product.
Question for anyone who would be able to answer this, gun experts only and preferably only gun experts, soldiers, and historians who would have the ability to answer this question regarding the Sturmgewehr MP-44
So in the Sturmgewehr 44 manuals of WW2 (in particular- BArch, RH 11-I/44 Entwurf zur Heeresdienstvorschrift), the images clearly display wehrmacht soldiers holding the gun by the mag and the handle, unless there was something like free hand aiming position standing or kneeling where the hand is behind the mag resting by the magazine lock button. Is there a reason they do this? The only reason I could think is that there is no significant handguard around the gas block like every assault rifle after AK47 has, but I am not quite sure.
I mean I could think also that it gave quick access to the selector button which means being able to use the german tactics explained in the pamphlets better
And even today it still looks like it’s from the future
Forgotten weapons. Me:oh I have not forgotten. (I really like this gun)
5:42
with the controls favoring the righthanded user, a lefthanded person would find some hassle. were there every any lefthanded MP-44s? and would it have been easy to make a selection of them, or were the mechanisms designed in a way that would make this impossible?
No lefthanded ones. Everyone knows the Übermenschen are all properly right-handed! :)
ah, how could I forget
Back then left handed children were usually forced to write with their right hand in school, so apparently the wehrmacht didn't consider that to be much of an issue, at least i've never seen a german ww2 source where it was being mentioned.
Почему не говорят ,что м- ку тоже содрали с stg 44 ? Пружину спрятали в несьемный приклад, перелом / разборку вынесли к стволу , выемка затвора такая же, механизм бойка такой же , взяли прицелы от ППС и снесли на заднюю часть корпуса и переднюю часть цевья соответственно. Не особо заморачивались...
Hey Ian, id love to see a review of the new STG-N if you guys ever get your hands on one!
Safe and full auto is my favorite combination
i hope this video finally demonstrates that the STG influenced the design of the AR 15 and not the AK the only thing that the AK took from the STG was the stamping technology that existed even before the STG so technically the AK has nothing to do with the STG in fact the underfolder was taken from the MP40 and that's about it the rest of the AK is actually influenced by american guns but that's another story
right right i forgot the ak had a long recoil spring that extends into the buttstock, a spring powered dust cover, upper and lower receivers that are held together with push pins oh and dont forget the magazine release button and thumb fire selector and safety
But the M1 rifle did exist back then and it did influence the AK's rotating bolt action. The StG. really doesn't have as much in common with the AK as it is often said to have.
The STG influenced the creation of the AK as a concept - the concept of a mid-size cartridge, fully automatic capable rifle with a large magazine capacity, rugged and relatively quick to manufacture and usable in engagements out to 300+ yards potentially.
I've not really heard someone say the AK was an influence on the actual mechanical design of the AK.
VERY GOOD video thank you Ian it's a real pity you can't get the new ones any more they still make in Germany here in the UK we have them in straight pull bolt only.
Its a shame you don't tell the history of the rifle if known . It would be interesting if you knew where the fire arm are what unit it was issued to if possible. Thank you Ian that's the first time seeing a stg stripped down.
Your pronunciation of "Einzel-" and "Dauerfeuer" has become magnificent!
...for an American.
Now, "Sturmgewehr" needs some work. "Shtoormguhwayer" might approximate the correct pronunciation, depending on who reads it.
He still pronounces, "en-bloc," improperly.
Is it supposed to be French?
"Au-bloc"?
Aramiro
It is French. The "en" is pronounced as "on" as in "en route," or "en garde."
Carl Siemens I know how French is pronounced. "On" does not have quite the same ring as the French "en". I typed "au" as in "auger". There's a faint hint of "ah" in "en" too, after all. I seem to have forgotten an N, but that's because the N is almost silent at the end of a word.
Carl Siemens Oh and thanks for the knowledge. "En-bloc" makes sense, as the cartridges are fed into the magazine "in a block". I always wonder why it was called "end block". Maybe because it is situated largely at the end of the cartrigdes, I must have thought.
Assault Rifles are called that because its the literal translation from the german word Sturmgewehr. No politics involved.
I have cloth rapped around the barrel on mine in Battlefield 5. People always ask me why. That baby runs hot. So I just can’t ignore that while I’m playing 😂
on the topic of the recoil spring hole in the stock, I read somewhere once that GI's that had the task of collecting arms and disarming german troops at the end of the war would take the rifle and swing it like a club by the barrel against a tree/rock/etc to break the stock off at the wrist...thus rendering it inoperable.any truth in that?