STG-44

The Sturmgewehr 44 (pronounced Shterm-guh-VIER), better known as either the STG-44 or the MP44, was a German assault rifle developed during World War II. It is featured in Call of Duty, Call of Duty: United Offensive, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Call of Duty: World at War. The STG-44 is widely considered to be the world's first true assault rifle.

History


The MP44, or more accurately the STG-44, was what many consider to be the first true assault rifle. The weapon was designed in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The idea was to create a selective fire rifle with an intermediate sized cartridge, as the bolt action rifles of the day were considered unnecessarily powerful for the 600 meters or less in which infantry engagements were found to be taking place. Originally, Adolf Hitler disapproved of creating the weapon for a number of reasons; primarily he feared that the need for an entirely different cartridge would lead to supply problems, but also that the weapon's development was just another episode in the infighting between the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe (which had adopted the FG42 partially out of spite). Instead, he ordered that submachine guns be given priority in production and design. However, many thought the new rifle would be a potent weapon, so they continued the project, calling the rifle a machine pistol, thereafter named the -43,as it was originally named. After many generals on the eastern front requested more -43s, Hitler eventually examined the weapon. He was impressed by its performance and gave the -43 the title of Sturmgewehr, which directly translated means "storm rifle". A more accurate translation would be "assault rifle" however, as the German word Sturm in this case denotes an assault or to assault.

The STG was proclaimed to be a Wunderwaffe, German for "Wonder Weapon." The StG44 was used by Nazi Germany from 1944 to 1945 and was an extremely effective weapon, though hard to mass produce and limited by the total number manufactured and by the number actually issued to field troops. When they were available, they were typically issued to standard riflemen (particularly those in Panzergrenadier and Fallschirmjager units) in lieu of a Kar98k. In 1945, developers of the STG-44 began to design a StG-45, but the war ended and the weapon never saw battle. Parts for only 30 STG-45s were produced.

After the war, original MP44s were used in limited numbers by East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the Vietcong of Vietnam until the 1980s. It's design is thought of as the inspiration for the AK-47, the most famous Russian weapon. Reportedly, it has even seen occasional use by insurgents in Iraq.

Call of Duty and Call of Duty: United Offensive
The MP44 is a good support weapon. Combining short, medium and long range powers with a 30-round magazine, the MP44 is a great weapon to have. It kills with three to four shots to the body (one for the head), has good accuracy, and a short reload time compared to the other support guns. However, its only major flaw is its recoil. Burst firing is essential if the player wants to hit anything with it past short range, or perhaps when in prone position, firing it without iron sights with a one shot burst. It is also not the best for long range, but it can do in a pinch. In close quarters, the MP44 can stand toe-to-toe with even the best SMGs. Overall, it is a very versatile weapon that is often used in multiplayer.

In United Offensive, the MP44 has a different skin from the one in Call of Duty, but is otherwise the same.

Call of Duty 2
The Call of Duty 2 MP44 is much tougher than it was in Call of Duty. It has much less recoil in this version, making it much more manageable to use, and can kill with two to three chest shots. It still retains the accuracy it originally had. These improvements allow it to be deadly in multiplayer, and it even causes some servers to actually ban it, which is a throwback to what happened with the FG-42 in CoD1 multiplayer.

Call of Duty 3
The STG-44, or as it is known as in CoD 3, the MP44, is much like it was in previous games, although it is scarcely found in the campaign (until the later levels). In multiplayer, it is carried by players who choose the Heavy assault class. Like in other games of in the series, it does high damage, although it has been slightly reduced since Call of Duty 2. The recoil has been increased to balance the game. It can be used at any range, but is usually limited to just short or medium range because of its accuracy. The graphics have also been updated, and the MP44 now looks shinier and the body is more of a grey, instead of a dark grey or nearly black. Also, it is one of few weapons that can kill or almost kill in 1 shot in SP, making it as good as the Garand.

Call of Duty 4
In Call of Duty 4, the MP44 is the same in appearance to the Call of Duty 2 version, and it uses the same skin. The recoil levels are slightly higher than in Call of Duty 2, but not quite as much as the original game. The MP44's accuracy and damage are both fairly high, and it is the only automatic rifle in the game with no aim sway. However, being the 67 year old rifle it is by the time Call of Duty 4 takes place, it doesn't have any available attachments. This is too much of a flaw for some, but others accustomed to the Call of Duty 2 iron sights (or those that prefer iron sights in general), adjust to the rifle quickly.

Because it is unlocked so late in the game, (Level 52 for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC), it may not see much use before players enter the next level of prestige. Its biggest flaws are its relatively high recoil, and rather low rate of fire and blurred rear sights on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game. For these reasons, some use it only to obtain the Golden AK-47.

Some players feel that the MP44's benefits outweigh its flaws. These player trust in the gun's high damage and the absence of any idle sway. These players may also alleviate the problem of its low fire rate with Double Tap, or increase the already high damage with Stopping power.

In third person, the MP44 seems to have a more antiquated sound than other assault rifles, which makes is easily recognizable to attentive players. In first person, the report from firing is similar to that of the AK-47.

Call of Duty: World at War
The StG 44 (for the given nomenclature in Call of Duty: World at War) is quite useful in Singleplayer, but since the PPSh-41 is found more frequently in the Eastern Front campaign missions, the StG 44 is mainly used as a backup weapon that takes the place of a long range rifle, due to the lack of spare ammunition from other StG's found on the battlefield. It is effective at nearly all ranges, due to its low recoil and manageable rate of fire. The weapon is not usually encountered until the levels Ring of Steel, Heart of the Reich, and Downfall.

In multiplayer, the StG 44 is unlocked at level 37. Its moderate power and low rate of fire made it a let down in the eyes of many players. However, it has little recoil and can be controlled quite easily. Its good accuracy and range make it a good choice for mid- to long-range fighting. It is a popular weapon in Hardcore modes for the reasons previously mentioned, the fact that it is usually a one-shot-kill in close and medium range combat (unless a flash hider is equipped, in which case it becomes a two shot kill at medium range), and the fact that it is fully automatic, making it more usable in CQC than other rifles while mostly maintaining their usefulness at range. Unfortunately, the StG is not particularly effective in CQC outside of Hardcore, but Steady Aim combined with Stopping Power or Double Tap can remedy this. This is the only rifle that is reliable enough to hip fire, as it is given the qualities of an SMG and rifle. It is recommended to hip fire in closed areas and aim through the iron sights to pick off enemies at a distance, or shoot enemies the open.

The StG 44 is one of the few guns that equally benefits heavily from either Stopping Power or Double Tap (most guns are only effective with one of the two). It benefits from Stopping Power, because of its low ROF and power, and it benefits from Double Tap, because of its already low recoil. Overall, Stopping Power is more effective because it reduces ammo consumption, while Double Tap increases it. This only applies to Core; in Hardcore the StG becomes considerably better with Double Tap, whereas Stopping Power has almost no effect.

Trivia

 * There was a special attachment device made for the weapon called the Krummlauf. It was basically a bent barrel with a periscope sighting device attached, which allowed soldiers to shoot around corners without exposing themselves to enemy fire. It was also intended for tank crews to allow them to engage infantry who were too close to a tank to be engaged with any other weapon. However, this modification was rarely used, as bullets would often break through the curve of the barrel, causing a dangerous explosion of metal and rendering the barrel useless. Although, at close range, when the bullet was destroyed inside the curve, it had a shotgun like effect.
 * A silencer was made for the weapon.
 * Another developed, but rarely used device, was the Zielgerät 1229 code-named Vampir. This consisted of a scope and an infrared "spotlight", used as a night-vision device, similar to the ones found on late-model Sdkfz. 251 Half-Tracks. However, this was cumbersome to use and expensive to produce.
 * All Call of Duty games that include this weapon have the player holding it by the grip in their left hand, but in Call of Duty: World at War, the player holds the magazine with their left hand (although in 3rd person, you still hold it by the grip). The weapon's barrel would heat up very quickly in real life, so holding it by the magazine was customary.
 * The STG-44 is correctly not seen until later levels of World at War, because it gained prominence in, and after, 1944.
 * Throughout the Call of Duty series, the StG varies in thickness. In World at War it is very thin and in Call of Duty 4 it is thicker.

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