Shooting a MP44 in Iraq-pics

[Combat Diver]

I'm new here and one of the Marlin Talk refugees.  I posted this over here last week and since this is the exotic weapons forum thought you might be intrested in this piece of history.  For those that don't know it the MP44 was the first true assault rifle design by the Germans during WWII.  Guns and ammo are hard to find.  Right now I'm in Iraq with the gun.

  We ended up shooting 75 of the 90 rounds of the 7.92x33 Kurz out of two MP44s.  Again only have one magazine for the two.  The gun I'm shooting was found inside of one of Saddam's palace's here in Baghdad and is in excellent shape for being 60 years old.  The second is in lesser shape but both fired flawessly.  One failure to fire (good firing pin hit, fired second time).  Ammo was East German manufactured in 1961 and was said to have been found in Uday's palace.  Seems they liked MP44 too.  Very controlable when firing 2-3 round bursts.  Cyclic rate is 500rpm and I was even able to fire single shots on auto.  Taking the gun apart it is very aparent which parts the Russians copied for the AK and how CEMTE and HK developed their guns from her.  The dust cover is almost copied the same for the AR15/M16.  The first assault rifle was very advanced for its time.  Had a great time shooting the guns only need more ammo now.  Enjoy the pics.

Here Saddam's MP44.  Persian Mauser 98 below.
 

Here I'm firing a 2-3 round burst off.  Yes that's a M1911A1 in the holster.
 

The cartridges
 


CD

[NYH1]

Combat Diver, nice pictures. :toast:  I'm glad to see you found this sight!

[crossbow]

This is one of the most fasinating and most ignored guns in history,it is to assault rifles what the colt patterson is to revolvers,the first of a new family of firearms.It always seemed to me the AK47 was nothing but a modified copy of the MP44 and it has always irritated me to see Kalashnikov taking the credit for it.I presume you have used both am I more or less correct in this.There is so little information available on these guns but what little I have read suggests that the soldiers at both ends of this gun were mighty impressed with it.There is only one weapon more ignored than the MP44 and that is the German Me 262 the worlds first jet fighter.

[Old Griz]

:cb2: Hey crossbow;

Check out www.stormbirds.com

Click on the Me 262 Project. Five new Me 262 are being built and at least one of them has actually flown. Two have already been purchased and for $2 M. + you can have one of your very own.