Re: StG44 in Iraq

okaro_at_hotmail.com
Date: 03/20/05 

Date: 20 Mar 2005 04:56:40 -0800

Bob Keeter wrote:
> Actually, Paul, I think that the issue was much simpler. I really
dont
> think that there were may German armored vehicles out there with
enough room
> to work around inside with a rifle (even a reasonably compact one
like the
> StG44). My understanding was that the "curved barrel and mirror" was
used
> on the SMGs and the StG44 to literally be able to shoot around
corners in
> urban combat.

There were two versions. The urban combat version was bent only 30
degrees. The armoured vehicle version was bent 90 degees. The idea was
to hold the weapon pointing upwards so the end of the curved barrel
was horizontal. The 90 degree turn deformed the bullets so badly that
it was basically useless.

The U.S. also experienced with bent barrels on the M3 SMG.

Osmo