G33 / 40
| G33 / 40 rifle | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| general information | |
| Military designation: | Rifle G33 / 40 mountain rifle carbine |
| Country of operation: | Germany |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Brno Arms Works |
| Development year: | 1940 |
| Manufacturer country: | Germany |
| Production time: | since 1940 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 995 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | approx. 3.5 kg |
| Barrel length : | 490 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.92 x 57 mm |
| Ammunition supply : | Loading strips of 5 rounds each |
| Visor : | Open sights |
| Closure : | Mauser: Quarter-turn lock |
| Charging principle: | Repeating weapon |
| Lists on the subject | |
The G33 / 40 (for Gewehr 33/40) is a hand weapon of the German Wehrmacht , which was mainly given to mountain fighters (and, to a lesser extent, paratroopers ) during World War II . As a repeating rifle , the G33 / 40 is based on the Mauser System 98 (named after its regular introduction in Prussia in 1898).
History of development and use
After the First World War , the provisions of the Versailles peace treaty meant that the German Reich was not only subject to severe restrictions in terms of its army strength and armaments industry, but also had to transfer or sell complete weapons manufacturing facilities to former war opponents as part of reparation payments. This has resulted, since the 1920s, in an extensive production and further development of Model 98 military and civil weapons, etc. a. at the Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (FN; in Herstal / Belgium) and the Brünner Waffenwerke ( Brno / Czechoslovakia).
After the annexation of the Sudetenland and the smashing of Czechoslovakia as a result of the Munich Agreement in 1938, the Brno weapons works came under German control and were included in German armaments with the outbreak of the Second World War. From then on, the Brno Waffenwerke produced originally German military weapons (such as the Karabiner 98k ) for the Wehrmacht . In addition, in-house developments from the interwar period for use in the German armed forces were used. This also included a rifle “vz. 1933 “for Gendarmerie and Customs, which was briefly referred to as the Gewehr 33 (t) k and that as the Gewehr 33/40 on November 16, 1940 became one of the standard weapons of the German army. The 33/40 rifle was actually not an infantry rifle , but a particularly short and easy-to-use carbine version based on the Mauser System 98 with a barrel length of 490 mm. It was specially modified under the production code “945” for use by the German mountain troops (“Gebirgsjägerkarabiner”). a. due to the following features:
- significantly shorter overall length than the 98k carabiner (~ 120 mm shorter)
- Steel butt cap and mudguard on the (left) inside of the stock, as protection against damage from the shoe nails of the mountain boots when the weapon is used as a mountain stick
- Measures to reduce weight (thinner system sleeve, millings - not externally visible, hollow-drilled bolt handle, modified magazine box and trigger guard)
- Full-length wooden hand protection to avoid burns when the weapon is hot
- smaller sliding visor with reduced distance division
- modified top ring
- standard grain guard
- Lateral strap attachment with shaft breakthrough and perforated plate as an aid for dismantling the lock (based on the pattern of the 98k karabiner)
The inside profile of the G33 / 40 also differs from the 98k karabiner.
The advantages of the G33 / 40 were offset by the disadvantage that the weapon still fired the German standard 7.92 × 57 mm cartridge , which was already considered "oversized" for an infantry hand weapon when used in the 98k carbine. The recoil, which was already clear and often unpleasant, was intensified again, and muzzle flash and muzzle bang also increased noticeably.
According to figures from the Army Weapons Office, 133,500 rifles of the type Gewehr 33/40 had been manufactured by 1942 . At the end of 1942, the production of repeating rifles in Brno was fully concentrated on the 98k carbine as part of rationalization efforts under the Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition Albert Speer .
The G33 / 40 was not widely used during the Second World War - compared to other weapons - and ultimately remained a stopgap measure. For this reason, G33 / 40s preserved in their original state are now considered rare and expensive collector's weapons . In contrast, the G33 / 40 is rather unsuitable for use in sporting order rifle shooting, and also - because of its rarity - for conversion as a hunting rifle .
literature
- Dieter Storz: Gewehr & Karabiner 98, Die Schußwaffen 98 of the German Reichsheeres from 1898 to 1918 , ISBN 978-3-902526-04-5
- Friedrich Graf: Karabiner 98 short. Technical study of the changes made by Mauser Werke AG Oberndorf / Neckar to the Karabiner 98 short (K98K) in the war years 1939 to 1945 , ISBN 978-3-936632-14-9
- John Walter: Guns of The Third Reich. The Small Arms of Hitler's Armed Forces, 1933-1945. Greenhill Books, 2004, ISBN 978-1-85367-598-0 , Chapter: Captured and non-standard weapons.
Remarks
- ↑ Note: While the Karabiner 98k should be classified as a rifle, the real Karabiner “vz. 1933 “officially designated as a rifle by the German authorities. In the original the “vz. 1933 “referred to as krátká četniká puška (literally short hunter's rifle ).