The receiver, figuratively speaking, housed the heart of the weapon - its automation, which ensured the reliability of its operation.
M. T. Kalashnikov. "Notes of a gunsmith designer"
In the production of Stg-44, low-carbon, relatively thin steel with a thickness of 0.8-0.9 mm was used. Hence, a large number of stiffening ribs and stampings on its parts, which increase the rigidity of the structure, and from the aesthetic point of view, give a certain predatory, frightening charm to the weapon as a whole.
We will not do a detailed and high-quality analysis of the blunders of the Sturmgever “stamping”. We will confine ourselves to two obvious facts, especially since they had a solution in the Kalashnikov assault rifle.
The main part of the Sturmgewer is a milled bolt box,
clad in a sheet metal casing and spot welded to it.
The task of the box, in addition to secure locking, is to ensure the basing of the magazine for the reliable supply of the cartridge into the chamber. A sighting device is attached directly to the casing. On both the Mkb-42 (h) and the STG-44, there were attempts to install removable optical sights: one and a half times ZF-41 and four times ZF-4.
Both attempts were unsuccessful. The reason for this is the very "stamping" of the casing, which did not provide the required rigidity, because of which, after several dozen shots or throwing the weapon on the floor, it was necessary to shoot it again. So you can grunt as much as you like in admiration of the optics on the assault gun, in a real battle it was not used. Although it was technically possible to ensure the rigidity of the optical sight mount if its bracket was attached to the bolt box, however, for this, it might have to be increased in size and weight. A significant positive point in the Sturmgewer optics is that it allows you to simultaneously use both scopes - optical and open. This commonplace truth, which can cost a soldier his life, has been completely forgotten (or did not pass at school) by our modern and not our designers.
The second fact is connected with the fastening of the magazine in the bolt box, but first, a little more from the history. When the Wehrmacht armament department, Oberst Friedrich Kittel, developed the concept of weapons for an intermediate cartridge, it was supposed to replace them with submachine guns, rifles, carbines and light machine guns. The fact that the stormgower could not pull to replace the machine guns in terms of the intensity of the fire became clear when it was too late to drink Borjomi. But there is one interesting point. A machine gun or a bipod is required for firing a machine gun, especially if the weight of the weapon exceeds five kilograms. So the use of the store as a stop is a fact.
As a result, the shop
due to deformation of the metal on the store and the receiving window.
Stamping…
There is no significant official information about the reliability of the assault gun, except for factory and field tests, where it showed itself by no means brilliantly. But there is a way to get a reliable understanding of this issue. A couple of words from the theory of statistics. In order to understand what borscht is made of, you don't need to eat the whole pot. One ladle is enough. Let's poll such a ladle of confident Sturmgewer users, they will tell us themselves. How? Very simple. There is such a person - Artem Drabkin, who created the site I remember, and on this site there are memories, including these same users. I found four, here are their opinions.
Ewert gottfried
… In 1943, we received a new weapon - automatic carbines - assault grenades. In our regiment, their army tests were carried out. Our battalion was the first to be fully re-equipped with assault rifles. This is an excellent weapon that gave an incredible increase in combat capabilities! They had short rounds, so more ammunition could be taken. With her, each person became almost like a light machine gun. They had childhood illnesses at first, but they were corrected. At first, the machine guns were withdrawn from us, but at the end of 1943, near Kolpino, we established that with these rifles, but without machine guns, we could not do on the defensive and very quickly brought the machine guns back. So the platoon had machine guns and assault rifles. We had no other weapon.
Kuhne Gunter
When I was captured I had a stormgower, a modern weapon, but he refused after three shots - sand hit.
Handt Dietrich-Konrad
By that time, we were already armed with assault rifles of 43, 15 (?) Cartridges in the store. I think the Russians copied their Kalashnikov from this rifle: outwardly, they are twin brothers. Very similar.
We were armed with the 43 assault rifle quite recently, we hadn't really had time to get used to the new weapon. I twitched the bolt, forgetting - whether from lack of sleep or God knows from what - that she was already charged. And the rifle jammed.
Damerius Dieter
At first I had an MP-38. Later there was "Sturmgever", it appeared in 1944. Even the non-commissioned officers did not have it.
Yes, it was a good weapon. I think that after the war this weapon was used in the Bundeswehr. His cartridges were slightly smaller.
As you can see, in a random sample, half of the rejection reviews. The conclusion from this is made by everyone for himself. It is obvious to me and simply confirms my own analysis of the Sturmgewer design and the conclusion of General V. G. Fedorova: "The German assault rifle from the point of view of its design qualities does not deserve special attention." For amateurs, I recommend conducting a similar analysis on the site regarding the assessment of the use of Soviet captured weapons by the Germans. The conclusions will be interesting.
In the meantime, I will summarize - you can sing as many praises as you like about the superiority of the German "stamping" in 1942 over the Soviet in 1949, but this very stamping was the source of the second problem of the stormgewer - low reliability (the first is the lack of cartridges, of which no more than 2000 pieces were produced per barrel). The Americans, by the way, came to this conclusion back in 1945. From the conclusion of the US Department of Arms:
However, when trying to create mass methods of light and accurate weapons with significant firepower, the Germans faced problems that severely limited the effectiveness of the Sturmgewehr assault rifle. Cheap stamped parts, of which it is largely composed, are easily subject to deformation and chipping, which leads to frequent seizures. Despite the declared ability to fire in automatic and semi-automatic modes, the rifle cannot withstand prolonged fire in automatic mode, which forced the leadership of the German army to issue official directives instructing the troops to use it only in semi-automatic mode. In exceptional cases, soldiers are allowed to fire in a fully automatic mode in short bursts of 2-3 shots. The possibility of reusing parts from serviceable rifles was neglected (interchangeability was not ensured. - Author's note), and the general design hinted that if it was impossible to use the weapon for its intended purpose, the soldier should simply throw it away. A significant portion of the weapon's weight is responsible for the ability to fire in automatic mode, which reaches 12 pounds with a full magazine. Since this opportunity cannot be fully exploited, this additional weight puts the Sturmgewehr at a disadvantage compared to the US Army carbine, which is almost 50% lighter. Receiver, frame, gas chamber, shroud and sighting frame are made of stamped steel. Since the trigger mechanism is fully riveted, it is non-separable; if repair is required, it is replaced entirely. Only the piston rod, bolt, striker, barrel, gas cylinder, nut on the barrel and magazine are machined on the machine. The stock is made of cheap, roughly processed wood and in the process of repair creates difficulties compared to automatic rifles with a folding stock.
