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The Volkssturmgewehr[note 1] (officially designated the MP 507, often erroneously known as the VG1-5) was a self-loading rifle that was produced by Gustloff Werke during the late months of World War II.
History
The gun was designed by Karl Barnitzke of Gustloff-Werke, and was intended as a last-ditch weapon to be used by the Volkssturm, the people's militia of Nazi Germany. Production started in January 1945 and lasted until the end of the war, with about 24,000 being produced in total.
Design
The Volkssturmgewehr used a unique gas-delayed blowback system, which was very similar to the one used on the Grossfuss Sturmgewehr. However, the Volkssturmgewehr's gas system did not work as reliably as the Grossfuss', due to the gun's crude design.
Variants
- MP 507
The standard semi-automatic weapon. Its most distinguishable features are the stock which is also used as grip, the longer barrel and the lack of foregrip on the handguard. A selective-fire variant of disputed existence is often reported.
- MP 508
Same as the MP 507, but with a semi-pistol grip stock. Although records show this variant was at least planned, few, if any, examples are known to have actually been produced.
See Also
Notes
- ā "Volkssturmgewehr" here probably means "Rifle for the Volkssturm", rather than "People's Assault Rifle" as is sometimes stipulated.
References
External Links
- http://1y2gm.foroactivo.com/t1076-el-volkssturm-la-ultima-defensa
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140817060711/http://www.weaponeer.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10723
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