STG-44

The Sturmgewehr 44 (pronounced sterm-guh-vair), 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 MP-44. After many generals on the eastern front requested more MP-44s, Hitler eventually examined the weapon. He was impressed by its performance and gave the MP-44 the title of Sturmgewehr, which translates roughly into "Assault Rifle". 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 Kar 98. 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 was used as the basis for the AK-47, the most famous Russian weapon. Reportedly, it has even seen occasional use by insurgents in Iraq. It has been announced by many weapon historians as one of, if not, the most significant weapon/s fielded in the twentieth century.

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, 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.

Call of Duty 4
In Call of Duty 4, the recoil levels were reverted to levels more similar to 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 60+ 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 to some, but others accustomed to the Call of Duty 2 iron sights (or those that prefer iron sights in general), adjust to it with no problem. Because it is unlocked so late in the game, Level 52 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, players may not be able to use it much before they go prestige. Its biggest flaws are its high recoil and very low rate of fire. Another problem is that part of the sights are blurred in the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, making targeting fairly hard.

Some players alleviate the low rate of fire problem with Double Tap, since the rate of fire is low and it still has quite a bit of soft recoil (somewhat manageable) with the perk on. Still, Stopping Power can be preferred as the irons sights are small, so if the need arises, you can "spray and pray" with much more accuracy than Double Tap.

Some players just use it in order to get the golden AK-47 and then cease to use it, although some feel that it is a solid weapon. However, in the opinion of many players, this gun is used mainly for nostalgia, and is simply outclassed by the other assault rifles tremendously.

There is also an exploitable glitch. While reloading, the actual bullets are replenished before the reloading animation is complete. By canceling the reload (starting to sprint) you can shave a few seconds off of reload times.

The MP44 also seems to have its own sound effects that differ from the effects of other guns, giving a very antique sound instead.

Call of Duty: World at War
The STG44 (for the given nomenclature in Call of Duty: World at War) is quite useful in Singleplayer but since the PPSh-41 is found frequently in the Soviet Red Army campaign missions it is not often used. Its rarity factors into this as well. It is effective at nearly all ranges due to its low recoil and fully automatic fire. The weapon is not usually encountered until the levels Ring of Steel, Heart of the Reich, and Downfall.

The STG44 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 can remedy this. The STG44 with Stopping Power can defeat an enemy in 3-4 shots. In an anti tank class it is probably at its best because it can fire full auto, and it is more accurate then an smg. So it makes it easy to shoot out tank gunners.

The STG44 is one of the few guns that benefits heavily from either Stopping Power or Double Tap, as 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.

Call of Duty 4 MP44 gameplay
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Trivia

 * There was a special attachment device 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 in side the curve it had a shotgun like effect.


 * 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 hold the gun by laying it in the palm of their left hand, but in Call of Duty: World at War the player holds the magazine with their left hand.