new project: MP44... FINISHED WITH VIDEO

[buffalowinter]

My next project, an MP44 in 5.56

And I'll put one of these scopes on it

I even have a Vampir night scope for it.

Probably the most famous MP44 pic

And the Volkssturm

and an interesting note, Volkssturm with the VG1-5

My VG1-5 in 9mm

And a nice pic of Volkssturm with the MG-15. I have a deactivated MG-15 that I might turn into a semi-auto.

 

[buffalowinter]

Cutting the old threads off the barrel

Threading 5/8x24

threading the barrel nut to 5/8x24 and voila:

an original. Next, the sight.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

What are you using for a base on this?

I was hoping that a .22 version was coming out that could... convert. So far, no joy.

Sirhr

 

[TorF]

I think this is a MG34.
The MG15 with infantery kit looks different but is a very nice shooter with short bursts. The barrel gets too hot very quickly.
Build quality on the MG15 is exellent. Probably the best I've seen in any MG.

I've been inside this genuine MG15 tripod. I'll see if I can scan a couple of old photoes I took on the inside.

 

[Son of Dorn]

I think this is a MG34.
The MG15 with infantery kit looks different but is a very nice shooter with short bursts. The barrel gets too hot very quickly.
Build quality on the MG15 is exellent. Probably the best I've seen in any MG.

I've been inside this genuine MG15 tripod. I'll see if I can scan a couple of old photoes I took on the inside.

I agree, it's an MG34. You can tell from the muzzle, bipod placement, mid-barrel sight, and the open feed cover. The MG15 only used a saddle drum mounted on top and was never belt-fed.

 

[buffalowinter]

I think this is a MG34.
The MG15 with infantery kit looks different but is a very nice shooter with short bursts. The barrel gets too hot very quickly.
Build quality on the MG15 is exellent. Probably the best I've seen in any MG.

I've been inside this genuine MG15 tripod. I'll see if I can scan a couple of old photoes I took on the inside.

You're right.

 

[Stevo86]

My next project, an MP44 in 5.56
View attachment 8144585View attachment 8144586

And I'll put one of these scopes on it
View attachment 8144580 View attachment 8144575View attachment 8144578

I even have a Vampir night scope for it.
View attachment 8144591

Probably the most famous MP44 pic
View attachment 8144573

View attachment 8144581View attachment 8144582

And the Volkssturm
View attachment 8144584 View attachment 8144593
and an interesting note, Volkssturm with the VG1-5

View attachment 8144587



My VG1-5 in 9mm
View attachment 8144588


And a nice pic of Volkssturm with the MG-15. I have a deactivated MG-15 that I might turn into a semi-auto.
View attachment 8144577

When I first saw MG-15…. I thought u said deactivated MIG-15… I was like ok…. I gotta see this MIG LOL

 

[buffalowinter]

Stock work

Working on the fire controls

Handguards, front sight and gas cylinder

 

[buffalowinter]

Gas tube, front sight and barrel nut. This is going far too well and too fast. Got to start thinking about a new project.

 

[6.5SH]

Gas tube, front sight and barrel nut. This is going far too well and too fast. Got to start thinking about a new project.
View attachment 8144999

HK G33/93 as the base?

 

[buffalowinter]

HK G33/93 as the base?

c93

 

[Son of Dorn]

Gas tube, front sight and barrel nut. This is going far too well and too fast. Got to start thinking about a new project.

Reassess before it goes too far and find a way to make it calibre-convertable between 5.56, 7.62 Soviet, .300 BLK, and 8mm Kurz?

In other words, get ahead of the PSA/HMG game before their vaporware rifle even starts production!

Or, alternatively...

Live-fire A280C:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/1/12/A280C_blaster_rifle.png/revision/latest?cb=20151106025618

 

[buffalowinter]

Mounting the sling swivel. Trickier than it looks...guess wrong and you've got a hole in the barrel.

 

[buffalowinter]

Now for the hard part...getting the fire control group fitted and in the right. I think I've got it.

 

[Calfed]

Man, BW, you sure have some interesting projects

 

[Sniff]

I shot a MP44 (modified to semi only) a few times about 35 years ago.

The guy used to have to make all his brass by cutting down and reforming other cases. Fortunately pretty much anything with the .473 sized case head could be used.

All kinds of head stamps on the cases he made. We had to pick them ALL up when we finished shooting because it was such a PITA to make them.

 

[buffalowinter]

Trigger pack silver soldered to receiver. Test fired and works great. The trigger guard/pistol grip will secure through the trigger pack by the safety just like the HK lower. Then the whole thing will secure to the receiver by a couple of screws/HK pins.

Trigger guard/grip. Need to adjust the location of the safety clearance hole. This is because it took two iterations to get the gun to work. First iteration the ejector was not rising high enough to catch the base of the case resulting in failure to eject. I could have probably built up the back of the ejector to cause it to rise higher but I don't like to alter fire control groups if at all possible.

Thinking of altering a 50 round Galil magazine to work because it gives a better representation of the huge original.

But the HK mags look fine.

 

[buffalowinter]

I shot a MP44 (modified to semi only) a few times about 35 years ago.

The guy used to have to make all his brass by cutting down and reforming other cases. Fortunately pretty much anything with the .473 sized case head could be used.

All kinds of head stamps on the cases he made. We had to pick them ALL up when we finished shooting because it was such a PITA to make them.

During the ammo shortage when .223 was going for $1 plus, I built a Rheinmetall Volkssturmgewehr (sometimes called the VG45) in 7.62 Kurz. Evidently, there is still a demand for this cartridge in Europe and I guess several ammo retailers imported a bunch of ammo to the US where it just sat on the shelf. Anyhow, I bought several hundred rounds for around 40 cents each, plus dies and bullets.

My Rheinmetall Volssturmgewehr.

Using a tube receiver simple forgings, spot welds and rivets the VG45’s design was utilitarian with one-piece beech wood furniture. It weighed around 6.8lbs or 3.1kg unloaded and had an overall length of 34 inches / 86cm. With a simple two lug bolt and no safety the carbine was extremely utilitarian. Full scale production never began as the factory was heavily bombed in the closing stages of the war. Prototypes of the VG45 were found by the Allies when they captured the Rheinmetall plant in Sömmerda in Thuringia, central Germany.

 

[Whiskey 2-1]

Nothing said about the gorgeous Walther above it……. Just low key photobombing
Doc

 

[woogie_man]

It looks like an AR conversion of some kind. Not an actual WA2000.....sadly

 

[buffalowinter]

Nothing said about the gorgeous Walther above it……. Just low key photobombing
Doc

Yes, my AR2000 uses an AR-15 operating system. The scope however, is an original of the type used on the WA2000, a Schmidt and Bender 2.5-10x.

 

[Darayavaus]

My VG1-5 in 9mm
View attachment 8144588

very cool stuff... but I don't think that anyone in the Volkssturm would have been issued a new SS Eichenlaubmuster Tarnjacke

 

[buffalowinter]

Moving right along. Still a lot to do...attention to detail. I've decided on the ZF4 for the scope on a copy of the original see-thru mount that I'll make.

 

[buffalowinter]

Soldering the hinges for the dust cover.

 

[packratt]

What's the difference between a mp44 and stg44

 

[6.5SH]

What's the difference between a mp44 and stg44

 

[buffalowinter]

What's the difference between a mp44 and stg44

Short answer is that when the MP44 was adopted for use its' official nomenclature in Nazi documents was STG 44.

 

[buffalowinter]

Getting close to being done. Do the battleworn finish on the wood, fabricate a new handguard, apply battleworn Cerakote finish and that's all.

Completed dust cover

Completed scope mount, Decided to go with the ZF-4.

Decided on going with an old STG 58 handguard that I will cut, weld, drill, and adapt.

 

[buffalowinter]

Finished the handguard...

Came out better than I hoped. I came up with what I feel to be an elegant solution. I took an old STG 58 metal handguard and cut a section out of each bottom half to fit the the STG 44. Then I welded a reinforcing piece of steel to the inside and tack welded it all together. It really looks like it belongs and after I drill the appropriate cooling holes, should be a very good representation of a STG 44 handguard, if nothing more than in spirit. It is a nice friction fit around the top tube and will fasten with two small screws to the barrel band.

Getting close to the finish. I finished battle damaging the stock and applied the stain. Tomorrow I'll give it an oil finish. I'll attach the grip panels tonight. Then it's disassembly, final cleaning and prep for Cerakote. I'll probably Cerakote Saturday and that will be it. I'll probably do a video and some accuracy testing Sunday. 9 days from conception to video. Seems fast, but that's a solid 8 hours a day...start at 9am quit at 10 pm and take out 5 hours for food, exercise, and ranch stuff. If you consider how much this gun would cost based on billable hours, you would get 72 hours at $100 an hour for $7,200 for labor alone. Add in another $2000 for parts, and expendable items like Cerakote, mill bits, drill bits, grind stones (a huge expense SirH!), etc. Is the gun worth $9k...Hell No. Thats why I'm not a gunsmith.

 

[buffalowinter]

Handguard finished. Used an HK pin to mount to barrel band.

Stock has been battle scarred and stained. Lots of oil tomorrow. Only thing left is Cerakote.

 

[buffalowinter]

Ahead of schedule. Cerakote today, a little more work on the battle worn finish and clear coat tomorrow. Stock is done.

Getting ready for Cerakote.

Finished stock.

 

[buffalowinter]

I'll finish this guy up tonight. Battle worn Cerakote with clear coat done.

 

[748rpilot]

Bravo, sir. You've got some serious skills.

 

[buffalowinter]

Accuracy test. The ejector is not reaching up to the bottom of the bolt face causing ejection issues. I need to add on a little metal to the front or rear of the ejector (it is a lever pivoting up and down as the bolt rides over it), or a spring to keep pressure on it forcing it up.

 

[buffalowinter]

Fixed the ejection problem and gun now runs perfectly. Very nice to shoot, good ergonomics and excellent accuracy. Also, zeroed the ZF-4 for 35 meters (I was holding off yesterday for the accuracy test) and put a set screw in the ZF-4 mount as it was moving yesterday.

 

[buffalowinter]

Finished

 

[buffalowinter]

Post war Vampir night scope.

 

[buffalowinter]

 

[Seadweller23]

Really great job! Thanks for posting one of my favor weapons.

 

[Son of Dorn]

Short answer is that when the MP44 was adopted for use its' official nomenclature in Nazi documents was STG 44.

@packratt In a bit longer answer, an improved automatic rifle program was started around 1942. The FG42 was only intended for Paratroopers and the Germans wanted something better than a submachine gun for Infantry. So they started to design new weapons.

The Maschinenkarabiner 42 was developed, one model by Haenel and one by Walther. Neither really worked out but they took design elements from both, including the Kurz cartridge, forward. Hitler, however, was unconvinced of the usefulness of the project and cancelled it. The developers tried to be sneaky and reclassed it as Maschinenpistole 43, because submachine guns were fine. The project kinda wasted a lot of time, they decided it would be a supplement instead of full replacement... and Hitler found out about it and cancelled it again.

And then Hitler decided to reopen it for evaluation for six months. This was more or less successful and the project was officially reopened, producing the MP43. Hitler requested some changes to the rifles and the MP44 was born. The story goes that Hitler personally renamed the rifle "Sturmgewehr", or "assault rifle", after seeing it demonstrated and being impressed with how it performed, so it was redesignated again and put into full production (or as full as they could do at the time).

 

[FWoo45]

Super cool project. Awesome job and thanks for sharing the ride.

 

[justinlacore]

I also have a Mp44 rifles in 5.56. It’s been one of the best rifles I have. soft shooting and cheap to shoot.
Well done on the build!

 

[pmclaine]

Where did you get the reversible sumpfmuster parka?

Looking for a good one that has good soft edge camo not the tan and water style.

Not really enamored of the SM Wholesale version….

SM Wholesale USA — WWII German Tan & Water Reversable Parka

Our parkas are the best reproductions available today. They are made exactly like the originals using heavy 8 oz. 100% rayon fabric and sewn on the same machines and production methods used in WWII. All our standard parkas (unless otherwise specified) are fully REVERSIBLE to an all-white interior w

www.smwholesaleusa.com

SM Wholesale on the right. Smock on the left was made from original camo material that had been made into curtains at some Czech military academy….

 

[buffalowinter]

Where did you get the reversible sumpfmuster parka?

Looking for a good one that has good soft edge camo not the tan and water style.

Not really enamored of the SM Wholesale version….

SM Wholesale USA — WWII German Tan & Water Reversable Parka

Our parkas are the best reproductions available today. They are made exactly like the originals using heavy 8 oz. 100% rayon fabric and sewn on the same machines and production methods used in WWII. All our standard parkas (unless otherwise specified) are fully REVERSIBLE to an all-white interior w

www.smwholesaleusa.com

SM Wholesale on the right. Smock on the left was made from original camo material that had been made into curtains at some Czech military academy….

View attachment 8175259

I think i got it from the UK somewhere, but I can't really remember