Book Review: Sturmgewehr! From Firepower to Striking Power (New Expanded Edition)
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Get your copy from Collector Grade Publications: www.collectorgr...
Collector Grade is known for being a premiere publisher of technical firearms reference books, and I would be willing to argue that "Sturmgewehr!" by Hans-Dieter Handrich is the best book they have yet printed. The book was originally printed inn 2004, and by the time I started looking for a copy myself, it was out of print and the price had jumped to at least $250, when I could even find a copy. I could never quite bring myself to pay that much, and so I was very excited when I learned that an expanded second edition was in the works. Well, that second edition is available now, and it's even better than I had anticipated.
What makes Sturmgewehr! such an excellent book in my opinion is how it tackles the story of the MP43/MP44/StG44 from several different angles in depth. It has the mechanical development of the gun from prewar experiments to the open-bolt MKb-42 trials guns to the production versions. But it also puts those guns in historical context, how they related to the other weapons being used by both Germany and other nations. It discusses how the design criteria of the Sturmgewehr were arrived at, in terms of logistics and manufacturing methodologies. It explains in detail the political disagreements and convoluted process of weapon design and adoption in Germany, including the three direct rejections of the concept by Hitler.
In short, it gives you the fully-rounded story of how the German military conceived and implemented a whole new class of small arms. In this way, it is really much more than just a book about a single gun's history - what you learn reading Handrich's work will give you insight into virtually all arms design programs of the 20th century, form the Chauchat to the 7.62mm NATO rifle trials to the SA80.
If you already have a copy of the original work, you will probably want this one as well, to get the addition 120 pages of information that have been added. And it should go without saying that if you don't have the original, you should absolutely get a copy of this new edition before it also falls out of print!
/ forgottenweapons
High praise indeed! We are lucky to be living at a time when primary sources are still available. In another generation A lot of it will be gone
?? Why? Is someone going to burn down all the museums these documents are stored in?
ostiariusalpha what theforumhater said, plus some of the best primary sources (the actual people involved) are extremely perishable.
+Matt Hayward "Are perishable?" You mean "were perishible." They're already all dead, every last one of them. We still have human sources for more modern weapons, like Jim Sullivan and the AR-15, but everyone from before then is long gone.
+womble321 What? No one has gotten rid of a hard copy just because it was transcribed to a data file. Modern military prototypes still have hard copy documents made, there's just less wear on them and better accessibility if you view it on your computer.
Ian is right once again. This book is amazing. Bought this reprint edition last month. Fascinating stuff full of gun nerdery.
It's not really that expensive if you think of it as a textbook for class. I would so take that class lol
This class would cost $1000,s
Again, normal price for a University course.
Yep, I've easily spent that much money on a single engineering text book that isn't anywhere near as interesting as this :P
I love your and Karl's high quality and high integrity content it really bucks the trend of seeing guntubers blow up soda bottles and not provoke any intelligent conversations about firearms, keep up the great work
Also from "Collector Grade", I recommend "Desperate Measures" by W. Darrin Weaver about last-ditch weapons and concepts for Germany in WW2. You already have covered a lot of them already, though... (Volkspistole, Gustloff etc.)
Holy table of contents, Batman! :O
Lizardo Da Vinci I love a good table of contents. I good index too
There are guns that Ian doesn't know?
This MKB42J he mentions not to know.
This cannot be true.
I got Mine... As soon as I saw this was available BAM...! Collector Grade books are the finest firearm publications ever. Thanks Ian!!! ^_^
When l saw the picture at 1:47 in the thumbnail, l said to myself: ''Holy shit, they made an FDE-colored STG???''
Thanks Ian, just ordered mine.
Thanks for the review, just ordered, have been waiting for its reprint as well.
I really want to add this to my book collection. Problem is i'm quite attached to everyone of my internal organs, thus I'm not really keen on selling one to fund this.
Nice, great to hear its back in print.
It's honestly kind of depressing how in the age of the Internet, excellent info is still hiding away in ludicrously expensive and hard to find books. It's nice to see at least one of them getting a new printing run. Better buy them while you can people.
this is good, otherwise people wouldnt appreciate this information so much
Well a lot of history in general is buried in archives or scattered godknows where and it requires some serious research, travelling and/or pulling strings to gather all this info. Demanding work with a lot of costs to cover so it makes sense its not just uploaded for free on the net.
Welp, I just bought a new book!
Thank you gun jesus
Χαρης Μπαλατσουκας οπ ελληνας
Le legion?
I'm highjacking this, sorry. For all those German guys watching. There is a german version for about 1/3 of the price (55€). ISBN: 3946429041
That's a gorgeous book. Great photos.
I love that CG does release updated/expanded editions. I spent years in the same boat as you, trying to find a reasonably-priced copy of "Death From Above: The FG42 Paratroop Rifle". When CG released a new and expanded version (which had something like 50% more content) I jumped on it. CG puts out some outstanding reference books.
perfect addition for my new rifle (shipping soon )
Ever review The M1 Garand by Bruce Canfield?
That's like thee book on the M1 and indeed the second edition really fixed a lot of the first edition guffaws (grammar especially).
definitely buying this
just got my copy yesterday, this is 3-4 kilograms of valuable FIRST-HAND information
the display price plus 40-50 more dollars for shipment (london)
The book looks like treasure to me. Unfortunately the opportunity cost it too much for me. Maybe I could get married so I can get it as a wedding gift - no wait that doesn't work. Oh, well:-(
Just had my book arrive a week ago. The recipet they sent a couple of days later showed only 6 cases left so if you can swing it gentleman better sooner than later. Great review Ian.
Ordered. Looking forward to receiving my copy.
Book has arrived. Just skimming so far. Only 1/3 through. So much detail! Great book. It covers lots of peripheral stuff giving a proper lead-in to the mp44 series.
thank you for your enthusiasm. Love it.
5:20, Wild AK appeared!
Insert Steve Irwin voice
The post-WW2 history of rifle would be an interesting topic. Iraq war vets told me of seeing the Sturmgewehr in that country. Caches also in some Arab countries, with how they got there uncertain, but fact NAZI's were very close with Mufti of Jerusalem and other radical Islamists and 300,000 troops were raise to fight with the Reich. Wonder if they were issued StG43/MP44's and these were brought back on retreat? Some supposedly also turned up in Central & South America. (These likely either surplus sales or given as military aid long after surrender.) Also, doesn't [didn't?] Privi Partisan make ammo? Must be a market to justify expense of manufacture.
No, most documented evidence indicates that the rifles got into the Middle East by way of the Soviet Union. The Russians took the captured stockpiles and distributed them to friendly socialist governments; you have to remember that the Ba'ath Party was a secularist, socialist movement that was not friendly to the West. The vast majority of Sturmgewehrs are in Ba'ath and former Ba'ath nations.
Many StG43/MP44s were used on Eastern Front, and understandable that Soviets captured them, then giving them as aid, that may also explain why some turned up in Central America. The East Germans could be seen with the StGs in pictures up to 1960's. (Quantities of E. German produced 7.92x33mm ammo was sold on US surplus market a decade or so ago.)Your Ba'ath Party reference explains why US troops found so many in Iraq. I'd also read somewhere a while back, of the frequency of the StGs in Balkans. Since many of the Islamic fighters for NAZIs were active in the Balkans (13th Mountain Division, 'Hanschar'), I'd wondered how those were armed, and if some quantities of StGs made it to Arab nations by that route. (BTW: Iraqis aren't Arab.) I honestly don't know, I've just seen read references and saw pictures of the StG in odd places.
Yugoslavian paratroopers used them for a long after the war so PPU had a domestic demand for that ammunition.
Pics: i.imgur.com/XX5ttG3.jpg i.imgur.com/yCtb7sc.jpg
Dor Aran
That Arabs, including Iraqis, and some Yugoslaves are both Muslim doesn't constitute a 'route'.
Ares blog articles (I think in particular the one on Syria) have some notes on the StG-44 in the middle east. armamentresearch.com/hoplite/
I got the 1st edition when it first came out... I'm glad to see its been republished. Its the definitive resource on the subject. Its a great book.
Looks like a solid read. I like your shirt, by the way.
Yeah I am in same boat as you, want it but drag my feet on it, was expensive and still expensive now.
I have their book on the M14, excellent as well.
Ordered it when I saw your video!
Just checked eBay... $114.95 + shipping! Thanks Ian! You just hit another one out of the park! Sending you money via Patreon is the best expenditure I have every month!
Thanks!
It sold about two hours after I posted the news. There is another for the $130 price on eBay.
That looks like a VERY interesting read
Would love to pick up a copy. Low on cash while between jobs, but starting a new job soon. Hopefully it will still be in print when I pay of my bills and save up enough for it.
4:59 I catually have found a spelling mistake on Page 56. Wire Severing Device is spelled "Durchschießen" not "durchschLießen"
Ian please do a book review one vom ursprung der selbstlater pistole, bye Josef möts. The 2 first volumes are over 1600 pages and include very detialed information one every austrian and austro/hungarrian handgun. It includes the bittner bye the way. Its only in german though, but there a loot of pictures and stats sov even if you dont speak german Its worth it.
Its also the only good book about the Roth pistols Its 200 pages about it. And pictures of nerly every prototype. Its around 60 pistols total.
I have a copy, but it's a tricky one to review since I can't read it.
Forgotten Weapons please do one, becuse its really good book. And you still have al the pictures ,stats and blueprints one the diffrent version and prototypes and theres a lot pistol and information that people dont know about, or rock Island autution bye the way. For an example in december when rock Island sold a model 1900 /02 Roth theodorvic pistol with tambur grip safety and Said that it was an 1895 Roth krnka when Its No survivng exampel of an 1895 Roth. And i have only learned german 2 years at school so Yeah . Thanks for answering me !!! Ian you have my favorite youtube channel.
@@ForgottenWeapons Should be easier to read now with all those apps that overlay translation on text
Hi Ian, I was curious to know that after all of the research that you have done would you be able to give any more insight into the total numbers of STG's that were actually produced during the war? Assuming that we were to look at 43'-45', I was under the impression that originally many historians thought it was sub 500,000 rifles is that a correct number? These questions i think can be somewhat linked to the previous videos you did discussing the rifles actual combat impact and implementation (especially regarding the constant shortage of ammunition.) The last question I have also piggybacks some of the comments here; is there a reason why there seems to be large numbers of these rifles "floating around in combat zones"; in other words, is it possible that considerably more than 500,000 rifles were made? Our records of late war produced German equipment can sometimes be incorrect. Thanks again for doing what you do!!!
Looks like I need to buy the upgraded version... :)
Well that's a really easy sell.
Unfortunately I don't have a spare $130, but I definitely think my library system should get a copy. Time to request it!
Definitely! More libraries should get reference books like this; it would be a huge boon to students.
Thanks to you, I bought this to complement my first edition. Collector Grade has amazing books, but I have always wondered why their book titles are often a bit odd. 'Hitler's Garands'... 'WAR BABY!'... ''Rock in a Hard Place'
Wow that is expensive.
Hey this is an interesting idea , Are you able to get in touch and interview the author ?
Love the wall of French weapons...
I have to ask. What shampoo/conditioner do you use. Thanks in advance.
Love your content gun Jesus
with Collector Grade Publications closing down, if you have a copy you want to take good care of it
Speaking of assault rifles, when are we going to see a video on the Fedorov Avtomat proto assault rifle?
When I manage to get my hands on one.
That would be awesome as hell.
Mud test, mud test, MUD TEST, MUD TEST!
Admittedly the odds you finding someone with one who is also willing to subject it to a mud test is EXTREMELY remote.
Yeah that would be highly unlikely. Not even sure I would want that, seeing as they are quite rare by now.
My interest in the subject's maybe not as in depth as others, but well I doubt this'll be back up for sale again. ...And I haven't spent any pocket money in a bit. :)
What lower price ($10-$50) reference books would you recommend. In the same vane as the makarov book you reviewed?
vein
Wow, I just spend some time basically reading all the pages Ian showed and this is something different. It sucks that you only can get this book via there site, and only pay with credit card. I would love an e-book copy of this over here in Europe.
Looked like a Yu-Gi-Oh card for a moment...
How does 8 Kurtz compare to .300 Blackout?
Pretty similar, in general.
Was that a schematic on the Sturmgewehr with a bent barrel to fire around corners at 05:04 ?
Jep, the infamous Krummlauf. Ian has a video about one. Edit: but i think the 90° version was meant for tank crews. Shooting out of hatches to defend themselfs from infanty approaching/climbing the tank. The bullets often were fractured by the sharp change of direction and weren't effective at longer distances.
Blessings!
Does it go into details on the manufacturing processes?
Still waitin' on my Puckle shirt :/
Just When I was getting bored ...GUN JESUS comes through and Saves.
Gotta love this dude!!
Nice book but will it pass the mud test?
Stg44 the first ever Assault Rifle
Post it yep
Tim over at military arms channel just hired a full time camera man. A camera man and editor would allow you to make more and better videos. You should think about that.
I know that's not really realistic, but I wish that book was available for download as a .pdf for a more reasonable price because on one hand I really want to learn about what I think was a MG42 in 8mm Kurz, on the other hand I also want to eat and pay rent.
Yeah, agreed. I want a PDF/ebook because I live in an apartment and don't want to have a massive book collection to move. I also travel a lot so a Kindle is super convenient.
Looks like a awesome book but man I wish it wasnt black and white.
Me too.
As a college student $130 sounds like a deal for a book.
I just saw a couple adds with this vid.
Wait, that MKb42(G) looks similar to the prototype Gustloff rifle Ian has introduced before...Aha!
I have an update to that video coming soon. The gun in those photos is the same gun that was in my video. :)
are you sure its mkb 42 cause i have read about an mkb 43 built after hitler rejected the 42 along the same lines but in 8mm mauser
Ian do you and Karl have your sturmgewehrs yet?
+Rebelbrand Nope.
Oh just wondering cause I heard that HMG was shipping their sturmgewehrs
Any chances to buy that as ebook/pdf/whatever?
Nope.
$130, yeah, no. I like my hardcover physical copies, but not paying that much for it. Then again I shouldn't complain that much since textbooks cost more than that for essentially one time use. Probably the only time you could use pay for a textbook that has multi-use would be whatever college major textbook that you used and has good reference material.
Lol this is a collector grade book by Collector Grade
Where can I get that Puckle Gun T shirt?
shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons
Another week, and another review by Gun Jesus Book Club.
Is the use of Fraktur gothic font in the book title supposed to be highly ironic, an anti-Nazi aside, or is it just a slip up by the publisher? As the Fraktur font was outlawed in Germany in 1941 by express order of Hitler (who hated gothic fonts) and the Nazi Party. Writing Sturmgewehr using that font would have marked you out for 're-education' at best.
I find it remarkable that Hitler was so slow to implement the STG44 because Hitler came from an Infantry background in WW1. I get he wanted to devote more attention to tanks, the Luftwaffe and artillery, but he really let his infantry down because they had a fine infantry force but when it came down against the allies especially the US GI the stark differences in weapons tech was self evident. The US Military was the only military in WW2 that had semi automatic and automatic weapons standard issue especially in regards to the M1 Garand rifle really gave the average infantry a huge edge in terms of firepower. Had Hitler had implemented the STG44 it might have been a different case.
Well, bringing a whole new front-line cartridge in the middle of war is always a big problem to the supply line.8mm Mauser,9mm Luger, and now 8mm kurz?I can see why Hitler didn't like this.
The US Army will have the same answer as Hitler on this situation.
楊程鈞 the us army bought in .30 carbine though...
Germans relied on their LMG, and it worked. Their infantry combat effectiveness was estimated at higher than american. Americans had the garand, but it was not enough, and the automatic guns of allies and tactics related to them really just werent well developed.
So with that in mind, and that russian situation was even worse, its no wonder hitler wasnt exactly excited to go for change in weapons and ammo and all that, for maybe a slight increase of tactical combat effectiveness in certain situations.
You could say similar thing happened with americans post ww2 - they could have adopted assault rifle but didnt, only by the time of vietnam was assault rifle concept actually put in use.
Correct. The US acknowledged the importance of combined arms tactics, but the M1 Garand was prototyped in .276 Pederson, and would've fed from a 10 round en bloc clip. Even while the US hadn't entered the war yet, the Army leadership balked at adopting a new cartridge for the mainline infantry rifle while Europe was embroiled in war, and thus the M1 in .30-06 was born.
I think the M1 in 30.06 was a huge mistake. The M1 in ,276 Peterson was the ideal sized rifle. There would have been no need for the M1 carbine. I did not feel this way till I got to handle the .276 M1 at Rock Island Auction co. I have been to a ton of museums and gun shows and have never seen the .276 before. Don't dismiss the greatness of the .276 version unless you have seen one. Look up Ian's review.
Goddamn, why do all these books have to be so expensive?
Need
Ian needa dreadlocks or at least braids or cormrows.
Whatever the option meeds to be end capped decoratively with some spent casing or another.
I'm partial .22, .302 and 10mm.
For 10mm handgun Glock or Beretta low powder charge.
I Like'm like I like my kidnapped kids... little resistsance and easy on the ears, wrists, elbows and shoulders.
Well even the lack pf omflow kick to ribs is good... hypermobile joints and all.
Да про штурмгевер все уже известно! Только бабок срубить хотят
Click like if you're a fan of the Sturmgewehr and or assault rifles in general :) By the way, the Sturmgewehr is my favorite weapon of all time besides the M4 carbine.
The stg44 is my favourite of all time!!
Literally nobody cares
Carson Goff that is just plain rude
Rebelbrand sorry for not caring about some random ass kids uneducated opinion on guns
First off why is it that people these days always wanna ruin somebody's day. And second if your so educated then why in the first place would you pass the sturmgewehr as a bad design. And second if you ever watched these guys you'll find out skill is better then equipment. Example a guy with a sturmgewehr 44 or ak 47 that trains 10 hours a day would beat some average guy with the best modern equipment.