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What Odd Gun is this US General Shooting?


Charlie Flick
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and a personal favorite taken around April of 1945 a sergeant in the Walther Factory in Zella-Mehlis looking at unfinished weapons

 

attachicon.gif0908a7f675905769f2c108b6a248cf37.jpg

 

The guns in that photo are fully finished. They are Machinen Karabiner 1942 (Walther), or MKb42(W). It was one of the designs competing for acceptance as the new 8mm Kurz rifle. It eventually lost to the MKb42(H). That rifle evolved into the Sturmgewehr 44.

 

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The guns in that photo are fully finished. They are Machinen Karabiner 1942 (Walther), or MKb42(W). It was one of the designs competing for acceptance as the new 8mm Kurz rifle. It eventually lost to the MKb42(H). That rifle evolved into the Sturmgewehr 44.

 

they might be fully operational but unfinished could refer to the minor details or they hadn't been tested by Walther to ensure they were properly functioning. Any number of reasons could label them as unfinished. Which according to the documentation from the original picture, they are unfinished... these ones specifically are said, that they were intended to be sent out to Volkssturm units.
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thats a grenade launcher use to shoot from cover

this one does have the grenade attachment on it, there is one for just shooting. This one shown in the picture would likely work without a grenade as it was the same concept as a rifle grenade because of course. It was.
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they might be fully operational but unfinished could refer to the minor details or they hadn't been tested by Walther to ensure they were properly functioning. Any number of reasons could label them as unfinished. Which according to the documentation from the original picture, they are unfinished... these ones specifically are said, that they were intended to be sent out to Volkssturm units.

Production was stopped in early 1943, after just 200 were manufactured, and they never left the factory. A few trials guns were sent to the German weapons testing commission, but the rest stayed at the factory. I wouldn't trust the documentation from the original picture, as the ones taking the picture weren't German.

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Aberdeen Proving Ground had the German design in their small arms museum...was nice to see one close up....the descrition said it was designed for use around tanks and such....

 

I always made sure to check it out whenever I stopped by the museum! It was one of many great items, but I always thought it was a really cool piece. It's a shame it all moved...its 5 minutes from my front door to the front door of the museum!

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I am surprised the mods have let this completely german weapons thread continue this long.

are they not spoils of war? And regardless, they are Americans
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  • 1 month later...

Wow, you guys are good. Nothing gets past you guys. Yes, I think it is indeed a Stg44.

 

Here is the second pic I mentioned which should make the ID easier. These look like some Ordnance officers explaining another one of Hitler's secret weapons to the GO. Any ideas on when and where this event took place?

 

attachicon.gifUS General and his corner shooting gun.jpg

 

 

Great photo. The instructor is U.S. Ordnance Captain Philip Sharpe. He is the author of "The Rifle in America."

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Production was stopped in early 1943, after just 200 were manufactured, and they never left the factory. A few trials guns were sent to the German weapons testing commission, but the rest stayed at the factory. I wouldn't trust the documentation from the original picture, as the ones taking the picture weren't German.

Hey where's your Cigar Big Al! :D

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Hey where's your Cigar Big Al! :D

I'm wondering the same. Who's the Secretary of Cigar Distribution around here? lol

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  • 2 weeks later...

Any ID on the Major General that is in the photos?

 

It's Major General Henry Sayler, chief ordnance officer of the ETO.

post-106908-0-59316300-1458040899.jpg

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heres some more of the examinations

 

attachicon.gifKiH2xCw.jpgattachicon.gif865906.jpg

 

and a personal favorite taken around April of 1945 a sergeant in the Walther Factory in Zella-Mehlis looking at unfinished weapons

 

attachicon.gif0908a7f675905769f2c108b6a248cf37.jpg

awesome picture - and these go for around $20,000 a piece these days so a lot of money sitting on that table

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awesome picture - and these go for around $20,000 a piece these days so a lot of money sitting on that table

 

Much more than $20,000 a piece. The guns on the table are MKb 42(W)'s. The MKb 42(W) competed against the MKb 42(H). The (W) model lost to the (H) so they're weren't that many to survive. There are only a few here in the US. If one were to come up for sale it would probably bring $100,000 +.

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