Weapons · Germany · 1944-1945
StG 44
assault rifle
Firing an intermediate cartridge that let a single soldier control automatic fire, the StG 44 is generally regarded as the first true assault rifle and directly influenced post-war designs including the Kalashnikov. Hitler initially resisted the concept but, once persuaded, ordered rushed production; it reached front-line units on the Eastern Front from mid-1944, too late and in too few numbers to affect the outcome.
| caliber | 7.92x33mm Kurz |
|---|---|
| magazine | 30-round box |
| rate of fire | ~500 rpm |
| produced | ~425,000 |
