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| Country |
Germany |
| Type |
Assault rifle |
| Introduction |
1944 |
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The Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 is a 7.92 mm caliber semi-automatic rifle developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was also known as the VG 1-5, Volkssturm-Gewehr 1-5, Versuchs-Gerät 1-5 and \"Gustloff\", and was intended to be used by the Volkssturm militia.
The VG 1-5 was quickly designed by Karl Barnitzke of the Gustloff-Werke for the Primitiv-Waffen-Programm (\"primitive weapons program\") in 1944 and was intended to be used by the Volkssturm. The production of the VG 1-5 was around 10,000 and occurred from January 1945 till the end of the war.
Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 used a gas-delayed blowback action based on the Barnitzke system, whereby gas bled from the barrel near the chamber creates resistance to the rearward impulse of the operating parts, which ceases when the projectile leaves the muzzle, allowing the operating parts to be forced rearward by the residual pressure of the cartridge case. This principle has been used most successfully in the Heckler & Koch P7 pistol.
The VG 1-5 is constructed rather like many automatic pistols, it has a casing and spring around the barrel and the whole casing recoils backward. The breech block, with firing pin and extractor, is pinned to the back end of the barrel casing. The rear end of the gun does not recoil and has the hammer, sear and trigger built into it. Gas coming from four vents, near the end of the barrel hold the bolt closed till the gas pressure drops to a safe level. The VG 1-5 used the same 30 shot 7.92x33mm Kurz caliber magazine as the Sturmgewehr 44/Sturmgewehr 45. Some selective-fire VG 1-5 were made.
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