[bearcat6]

After reading Stephen Hunter's article in this month's Rifleman I did a little searching about the FG 42 replica that he talks about. The price is a bit steep at $4995.00. But I have to admit it has a certain amount of appeal to me. Here's a link for a test fire of it.
FG42 semi test fire - YouTube

 

[t-star]

if you listen REAL close, you will hear a change in the "pitch"( I believe it's in thesecond magazine') where it just about goes full auto- or a VERY rapid semi- bordering on a 3 shot burst- these things had a similar trigger to the mg34/42 in that a partial pressure on the trigger gave you semi, and if you mashed her, you got full

 

[Kevin Gibson]

The FG-42 is a very interesting rifle, and uber-cool. Had they adopted it immediately, the Germans would have essentially had an M14 in WW II. But the MP-44 was in the works and would have made the FG-42 obsolete rather quickly.

As cool as the FG-42 was, it had problems and it would take some time to work those problems out. And de-bugging an infantry rifle in the middle of a war is a REALLY painful experience; look at what we went through with the M16.

 

[t-star]

while the mp 44 may have been more advanced, you have one other problem - AMMUNITION- the 44 took 8x33 kurz which to this day is difficult to procure- so Germany would have ended up with some 4 standard issue cartridges, which is a real nightmare for logistics- the 8x57 mauser( standard rifle and the g43, fg42, mg34, and mg42 plus whatever else was out there- 9mm for the mp28, 38, 40, and the various pistols- the 8mm kurz, for the mp44,- and we thought we had it rough with the m16, m14, and m60- we really had only 2 cartridges to deal with in nam, and if it hadn't been for kennedy and macnamara, we wouldn't have been in dire straights at all- the m16 was a solution to a problem that didn't exist- a PROPERLY maintained 14 would have been perfectly adequate and now we wouldn't have the arabs shrugging off m16 hits

 

[Kevin Gibson]

while the mp 44 may have been more advanced, you have one other problem - AMMUNITION- the 44 took 8x33 kurz which to this day is difficult to procure- so Germany would have ended up with some 4 standard issue cartridges, which is a real nightmare for logistics- the 8x57 mauser( standard rifle and the g43, fg42, mg34, and mg42 plus whatever else was out there- 9mm for the mp28, 38, 40, and the various pistols- the 8mm kurz, for the mp44,- and we thought we had it rough with the m16, m14, and m60- we really had only 2 cartridges to deal with in nam, and if it hadn't been for kennedy and macnamara, we wouldn't have been in dire straights at all- the m16 was a solution to a problem that didn't exist- a PROPERLY maintained 14 would have been perfectly adequate and now we wouldn't have the arabs shrugging off m16 hits

We have at least 4 cartridges now if you don't count the sniper rounds. 9mm, .45 ACP, 5.56 & 7.62 NATO. Add in the snipers and you have .300 Win Mag, and .338 Lapua.

In WWII Germany had created so many logistical nightmares for themselves, I don't think another rifle and ammunition would have been a make or break issue. Honestly, with all the various equipment they had, it's simply AMAZING that half of the equipment didn't go un-supported. Mortars, field artillery, tanks, trucks, aircraft. Pretty much whatever they had, they had a dozen different versions of each.

And let's not forget that Germany also had officers with .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .30 Mauser .380 ACP, 9mm and even the occasional 9mm Largo pistols.

Seems to me that the one thing Germany didn't know how to do in WW II was say NO!!

 

[Snake45]

Hunter also writes a feature-length article on the FG 42 in the current issue of American Rifleman. But you NRA members already knew that, didn't you? (And shame on you if you're not.)

 

[SpecialEd]

Go back and read the OP.

 

[Kevin Gibson]

The new updated "The World's Assault Rifles" has a really great section on the FG-42. If you don't have this book, I strongly recommend you get it while it's cheap. Once they're gone, it will be a very expensive book. It's an excellent book; HIGHLY recommend it.

 

[Diamondback]

Seems to me that the one thing Germany didn't know how to do in WW II was say NO!!

LOL, except for Der Fuhrer to sound military advice from his generals... like keeping Rommel cooped up in Calais even after it was obvious to anyone else that God gave the brains of a DOG TURD that the real show was Normandy.

 

[Snake45]

Go back and read the OP.

Ooops. It went into my brain as "I read Hunter's new novel Sniper's Honor...." in which the FG plays a starring role.

 

[Kevin Gibson]

LOL, except for Der Fuhrer to sound military advice from his generals... like keeping Rommel cooped up in Calais even after it was obvious to anyone else that God gave the brains of a DOG TURD that the real show was Normandy.

Where war is concerned, it's convenient when your for is a psychotic narcissist. Like a battle of wits with an unarmed man.

 

[SpecialEd]

Ooops. It went into my brain as "I read Hunter's new novel Sniper's Honor...." in which the FG plays a starring role.

Just ribbing ya. Was it (Hunter's latest) a good read?

 

[Diamondback]

Where war is concerned, it's convenient when your for is a psychotic narcissist. Like a battle of wits with an unarmed man.

LOL, true... though I'll bet Tsar Vladimir the Needs Impaling says the same thing about our Petulant Man-child In Chief.

 

[TommyGunn]

LOL, except for Der Fuhrer to sound military advice from his generals... like keeping Rommel cooped up in Calais even after it was obvious to anyone else that God gave the brains of a DOG TURD that the real show was Normandy.

I'm not so sure it was THAT obvious; The Allies had gone to some lengths to "suggest" to the Nazis it was gonna be where it was not gonna be ....
The efforts involved the able assistance of one allied officer who happened to be dead at the time he did his best work .....8):shock:

 

[SpecialEd]

I'm not so sure it was THAT obvious; The Allies had gone to some lengths to "suggest" to the Nazis it was gonna be where it was not gonna be ....
The efforts involved the able assistance of one allied officer who happened to be dead at the time he did his best work .....8):shock:

Actually the "Man who never was" was disinformation for the invasion of Italy, not France. However, almost every German leader with the exception of Rommel was convinced the landing would take place at Pas de Calais. It was the shortest route and Allies did there best to create a fake Army group under Patton that was supposedly poised for a launch near Dover.

 

[TommyGunn]

Yea I remember Patton's "East Anglia Army."
You sure it was for the invasion of Italy? I was pretty sure it was for D-DAY France.
Oh well, they say memory is the second thing to go .... I forget the first ....:help:

 

[Kevin Gibson]

I'm not so sure it was THAT obvious; The Allies had gone to some lengths to "suggest" to the Nazis it was gonna be where it was not gonna be ....
The efforts involved the able assistance of one allied officer who happened to be dead at the time he did his best work .....8):shock:

But we did have a very elaborate ruse to make the Germans think it was coming at Pas De Calais. The icing on the cake was when they put Patton in charge of the non-existent invasion force; that sold it to the Germans.

The problem for the Germans was the Fog of War. Initial reports that came from their commanders at Normandy was that it wasn't a major invasion (how they got that impression I'll never know; there were over 6,000 ships parked off their shore...I think that would make an impression on me if I were an observer.

But the only real resistance was Juno and Omaha, so perhaps that's why the Germans thought it was a minor invasion/feint.

Regardless, Hitler bought it hook, line, and sinker. He didn't release his reserves for a full 30 days after D-Day. We never dreamed we'd fool him that well.

 

[Kevin Gibson]

You sure it was for the invasion of Italy?

Sicily to be exact. It was act 1, scene 1 of Operation Mincemeat.

 

[TommyGunn]

Operation mincemeat .... sounds like that's what went to work on my memory.:headbonk::headbonk:

:bolt:

 

[Diamondback]

I'm not so sure it was THAT obvious; The Allies had gone to some lengths to "suggest" to the Nazis it was gonna be where it was not gonna be ....
The efforts involved the able assistance of one allied officer who happened to be dead at the time he did his best work .....8):shock:

TG, I'm referring to AFTER we had already established a beach-head and were teeing up Patton for Operation Cobra, amigo.