One of the great oddities of the Third Reich arsenal, the "krummlauf" device was a cause of a great deal of confusion on the part of the Allies when examples were captured. As a mechanical concept, curving a barrel to change the path of a bullet seems to stretch credibility, but the Germans figured out how to do it. The first examples were built for test-firing high-powered anti-aircraft weapons, allowing test shots at elevated angles, and were later adapted for field use. A krummlauf-equipped assault rifle or machine gun could be used by infantry to fire over barricades or around corners without exposure, or mounted in compact ball turrets on tanks and vehicles as a point defense weapon against sappers and enemy infantry. In addition to being equipped with the distinctive prismatic sight that allowed the operator to see what he was aiming at, this model is equipped with a later adjustable gas bleed device, a modified rifle grenade launching tube, and a wooden handgrip. The mount is faintly marked with what might be "SAUER," and "5" is stamped on the launcher.

Good as a post-war reproduction with 75% of the blue finish, showing some scattered spotting, areas of brown/plum patina, and mild handling marks. The collar and mounting clamp are in good order, and the optics are a bit dirty around the edges but otherwise crisp. Representative examples of the Krummlauf are hard to find, as very few originals were made at all and many of the ones acquired by the Western Allies were claimed by Ordnance and R&D personnel trying to figure out just what the Germans were playing at.