BACKGROUND: The development of a German automatic assault rifle can be traced back to World War I when the requirements for a light weight quick firing close combat weapon which could be utilized by a single man was needed in the close quarter, static warfare of the trenches. The primary weapons of the time, the slow firing repeater rifle and the relatively immobile machine gun were found insufficient and the Spandau Rifle Testing Commission began research on developing a sub-machine gun in late 1915. In 1917 the Germans introduced their first sub-machine gun, designated the MP18/I, which was to be the forerunner of all the MP’s to follow. In August 1938 the German army adopted the newly developed MP38. Further developments and improvements and the need for a cheaper mass produced weapon resulted in the introduction of the MP40 in April 1940. With the invasion of Russia in June 1941 German troops confronted Soviet Infantry units equipped with fully automatic weapons which resulted in requests from the field for fully automatic German weapons. Development of such weapons was already underway and the Merz Works in Frankfurt delivered the first fifty fully automatic assault rifles, designated, MKb42 Maschinenkarabiner 42, (Automatic Carbine 42), on July 1^ST 1942 of which thirty-five were issued to front line personnel for immediate field testing. Further development brought about the MP43, Maschinenpistole 43, (Machine Pistol 43), with the first deliveries to the front line troops beginning in February 1943. In April 1944 the MP43 designation was modified to MP44 and in December 1944 the weapon received its final designation as Sturmgewehr 44, (Assault Weapon 44).

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Blued, stamped sheet metal construction MP43/StG44 with a machine tooled steel barrel and brown stained wooden fittings. The receiver and the breech housing are in stamped sheet metal with embossed horizontal strength reinforcement ribbing. The left side of the receiver has a milled, horizontal, action groove with a functioning, pull back bolt. The right side of the receiver has a horizontally rectangular, cut-out, spent cartridge case ejection window with a protective spring loaded cover. The spring loaded cartridge case ejection window cover flips open automatically when the bolt is activated. The top edge of the receiver housing has an adjustable range sight with push button activation permitting range sighting adjustment from 100 to 800 meters in increments of 100. The bottom edge of the breech opening has a magazine receiver with dual horizontal embossed reinforcement ribs. The sheet metal trigger guard and the brown stained, carved, wooden hand grips with horizontal grooves for a secure grip are all intact. The left side of the receiver housing has a safety on/off switch. The trigger and safety on/off switch both still function. Situated just above the safety switch is a push button which enabled the weapon to be set at single or sustained fire. The single or sustained fire button is locked in the single fire position. Forward of the receiver is a sheet metal barrel housing with recessed, horizontal, strength reinforcement ribbing and bored ventilation holes to bottom. The top part of the forward housing encloses the gas chamber cylinder. The gas chamber cylinder end has a screw in cap with a small extended rod intact. The forward barrel has a raised central sight guide with protective outer casing and an internal, inverted "T" reticle. The stained, carved, wooden butt stock has horizontal ribs to the end and screwed on, metal, reinforcement plates to both the top and bottom reverse corners. The stock also has a hole drilled into the top edge with a circular, blued metal, spring loaded, access lid. The drilled hole was designed for carrying the MP43/StG44 instruction manual. The stock also has a small, vertically oval, cut-out with a corresponding, extended, rectangular, swivel ring to the forward receiver housing for attaching the sling. The sling is absent. The weapon comes complete with a thirty-two round, blued sheet metal, slightly curved, magazine with impressed vertical, strength reinforcement ribbing. The magazine locking/release button still functions. The weapon is profusely marked with numerous numerical and waffen-amt stamps, as well as the designation, "StG44," the manufacturer’s code to the forward sheet metal barrel housing, "aqr," indicating manufacture by R. u.O. Lux Metallwaren-und Maschinenfabrik, and an additional manufacturer’s code and date on the receiver, "ai /45" indicating an unknown manufacture in 1945. The magazine is also stamped with waffen-amt, designation, "MP43," and manufacturers code, "ayf," indicating manufacture by "Erma" Waffenfabrik Erfurt. The stock is also well marked with stamped manufacturers code, "ayf", serial number and "1. l TRZ",  (1 Tehnicki Remontni Zavod). The bluing to all the components is retained about 90% with small spots of wear to the base metal and some minor surface spotting. The magazine has had the internal components and bottom cover removed. Sheet metal panels near butt stock have been spot weld at two points on either side which negates disassembling the weapon. Deactivation is irreversible but does not overly detract from the MP’s appearance. Great mannequin display or re-enactors accessory. 

Please note, due to Postal Regulations. De-activated firearms and Inert Ordnance may not be shipped outside of Canada.