Post by bato2 on Feb 1, 2010 7:25:13 GMT -5
The StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44 or "assault rifle model 1944") was an assault rifle developed in Nazi Germany during World War II and was the first of its kind to see major deployment, considered by many historians to be the first modern assault rifle.[2] It is also known under the designations MP 43 and MP 44 (Maschinenpistole 43, Maschinenpistole 44 respectively), which denotes earlier development versions of the same weapon.
There comes the Russians
That said, it seems pretty clear that Kalishnikov heavily borrowed from the STG-44. The two main pieces of evidence:
1) The overall design and form of the weapon is very, very similar. In fact, people who don't know much about guns often mistake a STG-44 for an AK-47.
2) Hugo Schmeisser, the man who designed by the STG-44, was captured by the Russians in 1945 and forced to work on weapon design for them. Schmeisser was not allowed to go home until 1952. Those seven years Schmeisser was working in the USSR match up pretty neatly with the development of the AK-47.
Kalishnikov (who is still alive), denies to this day that he copied the STG-44. And in a literal sense, he is correct. There are significant differences. On the other hand, the similarities are obvious even to someone who knows little about guns.
My personal view: Kalishnikov should get credit for significantly improving on the German STG-44. But would he have invented the AK-47 if the Germans hadn't invented the STG-44? I doubt it.
AK 46
AK 47
Mihail Kalashnikov and Hugo Schmeisser
Mihail Kalasnikov recently admitted that he was "helped" by the German inventor and arms maker Hugo Schmeisser to create the AK-47 assault rifle