This is a very nice example of an original WWII German transitional MP43/44 assault rifle. This weapon is considered to be the first true production assault rifle, as it used an intermediate length cartridge, the 7.92 X 33 mm Kurz round. With approximately 300,000 weapons manufactured and fielded before the end of WWII, these weapons ushered in a whole new generation of assault rifles in the post-war years which fired an intermediate length cartridge. These weapons were intended to replace the MP40 series of submachine guns and were a marvel of wartime expedient manufacturing techniques using metal parts that are either sheet-metal stampings or rough forged castings with minimal machined parts or components. The only non-metal parts were the simple slab-sided wooden buttstock and the bakelite pistol grip panels. The left side of the receiver is stamped with "1048h/44" with the upper receiver stamped "MP43". The underside of the receiver is stamped with "cos" (which was the wartime code for the Merzwerke, Gebr. Merz Frankfurt) who was a supplier of stamped parts from 1942 to 1945, along with a single Eagle firing proof and a "WaA444" and "Eagle/37" Waffenamt proofs. It has an all blue finish with the bolt and bolt carrier assembly still in the white. This weapon is complete with an original WWII German leather sling, but no magazines.