Page 372 - Auction84-Book1
P. 372

   LOT 614
German Steyr MP44
“Sturmgewehr” Assault Rifle, Class III/NFA C&R Fully Transferable Machine Gun - Serial no. 3402u, 8 mm cal., 16 inch round bbl., blue finish, hardwood stock. Developed relatively late in World War II, the MP44 was a very important milestone
in military weaponry, being the namesake of an entire class of weapons, the intermediate caliber, select fire, infantry “assault rifle”. Influenced by
the situation on both fronts, the MP44 made
heavy use of stamped components, limiting
costly and labor intensive machined or forged components to critical areas and speeding production. The adoption of an intermediate power cartridge allowed each trooper to
haul more rounds in their combat loads,
and kept the recoil manageable in a
relatively lightweight arm. While the
full power “battle rifle” would be the
western standard for the start of the Cold
War, the MP44’s spiritual children gained more
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traction in the 60s and 70s, and still hold a place as the de-facto standard for infantry weapons. This example was originally manufactured by Steyr under German occupation. The receiver is marked “MP44” and “3402u/44” on the left side, “WaA823” and “eagle/37” on the underside, with fixed front and tangent rear sights and matching numbers on the receiver, trigger housing and buttstock socket. The forearm is constructed from stamped and ventilated sheet metal, hardwood buttstock fitted with
steel reinforcement at the toe and heel.
CONDITION: Fine as refinished, with 90% of the blue, showing scattered shallow pitting and light handling marks. The firing pin is a crude replacement, and the internal components show mixed numbers. The wood is very good, with some minor chipping of the grip and moderate scuffing and wear overall. Mechanically excellent. NOTE: This weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a “Curios or Relic” as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.
Estimate: 16,000 - 25,000
 
















































































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