The StG44 (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. It is also
known under the designations MP43 and MP44 (Maschinenpistole 43,
Maschinenpistole 44 respectively), which denotes earlier development
versions of the same weapon.
MP43, MP44, and StG44 were different designations for what was essentially
the same rifle, with minor updates in production. The variety in nomenclatures
resulted from complicated circumstances in Nazi Germany. Developed from the Mkb
42(H) "machine carbine", the StG44 combined the characteristics of a carbine,
gun and automatic
rifle. StG is an abbreviation of Sturmgewehr.