This is the cartridge for the World War II German StG44 assault rifle. Given it’s ballistics, would it be a viable combat round today or has technology passed it by?
Seems like it would be viable but procurement would be the huge negative. And wasn’t only the STG-44 (and it’s family) chambered for it?
It’s still in use. Today it’s called 7.62x39
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Prvi-Partizan still loads it.
Performance wise I think it is closer to 300 Blackout than 7.62 x 39, 125 grain bullet at 2,250 FPS.
7.62 123gr 2400fps
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Think it was a Forgotten Weapons episode where this question was asked on 7.92x33 vs. 7.62x39 and the answer was the 7.92 case dimensions were not quite as efficient in terms of necesssary magazine size and the 7.92 bullet in flight was not as efficient due to lower BC as a result of the larger diameter/same weight.
There are a few variants of those. Also these that used the same magazine.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkssturmgewehr
Not issued, but there were 7.92x33 FAL prototypes as well.
Hence why I said it’s family. Was looping the Volks rifle in with it.
Double post
Somewhere in the last week, I saw a post about a handful of StG44s and 30 rounds of 7.92x33 for sale in Syria or Kurdistan IIRC. Evidently the issue in Syria is that ammunition is unavailable but the rifles still show up occasionally in the Civil War.
I believe the backstory is the Czechs sold a slew of StG44s to Syria out of WWII leftovers in the 1950s. Maybe even some the StGs even came from the French direct to the Syrians around the founding of Israel. Either way, those classic Nazi guns were being warehoused for the last 75 years giver or take.
I think Iran got quite a few also.
wish I could get my hands on one
Will came across a few 44s in Iraq during various seizure/turn in inventories. As I recall, one was in mint condition. Damn near broke his heart to send them for destruction. He wanted to fire one, but no ammo. There are still examples to be found, especially in Southern Asia.
Would the round be viable today? What is your definition of viable? It still goes bang, but there would be no good reason to try to resurrect the cartridge. It was looked at post war, but did not catch on. Intermediate cartridges are more common now, and there are better options available.
There are armories in Central and South America that still have rolling blocks in .43 Spanish that doesn’t make the caliber relevant or viable.
It would be interesting to own personally, maybe use for fun as a plinker, short range varmint and deer, etc. Definitely cool conversation piece for the historical significance, probably a fun pet project. It just doesn’t have the infrastructure behind it-- single brass source, less popular caliber and niche use grain weights, dies, etc.
I had no idea this ammo was still being made. Very cool round, and very cool rifle it was made for.
I got to shoot one- STG 44, about two years ago at a machine gun shoot in Oklahoma. Pretty cool gun, and definitely a “list” sort of thing for me.
I remember seeing ISIS scoring a cache of Stg 44s a few years ago.
Amazing how a supposedly ragtag group of amateur clowns somehow has access to drones, high explosives, artillery, thermal vision, anti-material rifles and apparently super rare vintage guns too. Makes one wonder about what we’re being told.
Yep. Cheaper than fmj 7.62x51 in dystopia 2020.
https://www.lg-outdoors.com/Product/Details/5831438?source=A10001
Hill & Mac Gunworks sells an accurate replica, available in 5.56, 300bo, 7.62x39, and the original 8mm Kurz
looking at their website its currently in stock