Sturmgewehr (STG) 44
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Gift of Hunter Wagner, 2007.143.001
The Sturmgewehr 44, or Storm/Assault Rifle 44, was the first widely-issued modern assault rifle. The STG 44 was created to combine standard rifles and submachine guns after the Germans began suffering manpower shortages while fighting in Eastern Europe. Despite its success, Nazi Germany was unable to field sufficient numbers of these weapons to stem the Allied tide before the war ended. It later served as the inspiration for the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle.