Cradle
| Cradle 940 | |
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| general information | |
| Civil name: | Wieger STG 940 |
| Country of operation: | GDR, Peru, India |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | VEB equipment and tool construction Wiesa , Wiesa |
| Development year: | around 1985 |
| Manufacturer country: | GDR |
| Production time: | around 1985 to 1990 |
| Model variants: | STG 941, STG 942, STG 943, IMG 944, PG 945 |
| Weapon Category: | Assault rifle |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 915-959 mm |
| Barrel length : | 317-500 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 5.56 × 45mm (SS 109) |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 30 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Curve magazine |
| Cadence : | approx. 600 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single , continuous fire |
| Twist : | right |
| Visor : | Sliding sight / telescopic sight |
| Closure : | Turret lock |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
Wieger are military handguns of the 9xx series from GDR production.
The brand name "Wieger" was created especially for the export of weapons from VEB Geraet- und Werkzeugbau Wiesa (GWB) to western countries. "Wieger" is a contraction ( contraction ) of the words " Wiesa " and "Germany" or "Wiesa" and "Gerätebau".
Cradle 940
The weapons produced in Wiesa in the Erzgebirge had 900 numbers, 91x for weapons with a caliber of 7.62 × 39 mm and 92x for 5.45 × 39 mm . The Wieger 940 weapon system is a self-developed assault rifle family based on the 920 series ( AK-74 ) . It was mainly intended for export.
description
The construction of the 920 series was modified, converted to the NATO caliber 5.56 × 45 mm and a 3-shot automatic was installed. In addition to the use of a different plastic for the newly developed hand protection and a new flash hider, the typical GDR shoulder rest and a transparent curve magazine characterize the appearance of the assault rifle. The adaptation of the caliber 5.56 × 45 took place in the VEB ZFT Dresden under the code designation 956. The STG-940 series comprises five well-known models, which include assault rifles in different versions as well as a light machine gun and a sniper weapon. Different numbers of the 940 model series were assigned to the respective weapon types. In detail these are:
The STG-941 as a standard assault rifle with wooden or plastic butt, STG-942 with a foldable metal shoulder rest (both with a barrel length of 415 mm), the STG-943 as a compact version with a shortened barrel (barrel length 317 mm) and a folding metal shoulder rest; The IMG-944 was intended as a light machine gun with a bipod and a barrel length of 500 mm and the PG-945 precision rifle with a bipod, an extended barrel and a telescopic sight. A weapon with the number 940 does not exist; this is the name for the basic version of the weapon system.
history
development
The development of the weapon family and the preparation for series production around 1985 go back to an initiative of the Commercial Coordination (KoKo) of the Ministry of Foreign Trade (MAH) of the GDR. The carrier of the development project was the company IMES GmbH ("Internationale Messtechnik" Import-Export-GmbH) assigned to KoKo-Hauptabteilung II , which was mainly responsible for the trade in weapons and military equipment. The head of the MAH trade policy department, Klaus-Dieter Uhlig, was also the company manager of IMES GmbH. The “Armament and Chemical Services Department” (BCD) of the Ministry for State Security (MfS) was also involved in this project.
The weapons were produced in the Erzgebirge VEB Gerät- und Werkzeugbau Wiesa (GWB). The company, with an annual output of around 100,000 and a targeted production capacity of 200,000 assault rifles of the Kalashnikov system per year, was, in addition to the Suhl site , where the individual weapon parts were manufactured, the sole rifle manufacturer in the GDR and responsible for the final assembly of the weapons.
testing
Extensive tests of the weapons of the Wieger 940 series were carried out in September 1988 by a first lieutenant and three non-commissioned officers of the NVA on the premises of the rocket technology base 2 in Brück . 4 STG-941, 3 STG-942 and 3 STG-943 were tested. Around 2,000 rounds were fired from each weapon within three days. Reliable functionality, good accuracy and no significant differences to the comparable Kalashnikov system of the 74 series were certified. The barrels showed no visible wear. The test report positively highlighted the resistance to dirt during normal tactical use in the troops, the high accuracy and the handling of the weapons. The too tight fit of the cleaning tool in the handle, which "could only partially be pulled out with the pliers", was assessed negatively.
production
The STG 941/942 was produced with a quantity of about 10,000 pieces. The compact version, the STG 943, was tested in an NVA unit in 1989, whereby only four weapons of the 943 were used.
export
In 1989 there were two export contracts: Peru ordered a contingent of the assault rifle family (58,000 pieces, caliber 7.62 × 39 mm) to equip its police forces, and India placed an order in addition to 35,000 pieces of caliber 5.45 × 39 mm ordered weapons Reserve over 10 million copies. 5000 assault rifles in caliber 5.45 mm were also to be exported to Uganda. Due to the collapse of the GDR, the treaties could no longer be fulfilled. As the legal successor to the GDR, the Federal Republic of Germany canceled the existing orders and paid corresponding contractual penalties to these countries . In 1990 a total of 15,000 type 941/942 weapons were to be delivered to Ghana and Nigeria.
Further whereabouts
The construction plans of the Wieger were compiled by the Office for Military Studies after the fall of the Wall . The plans were archived by the previous authority of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr and destroyed in 2003. There are weapons on the market that are based on the cradle. However, these are not replicas, instead similar parts were used.
Versions
| STG-941 assault rifle (standard) |
STG-942 carbine |
STG-943 short version |
lMG-944 light machine gun |
PG-945 precision rifle |
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| Illustration |
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| Manufacturer | VEB equipment and tool construction Wiesa | ||||
| design type | Gas pressure charger with rotating head lock | ||||
| caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm | ||||
| length | 920 mm | 915 mm | ??? (with folded shoulder rest) | 959 mm | 950 mm |
| Barrel length | 415 mm | 415 mm | 317 mm | 500 mm | 500 mm |
| Ammunition supply | Curve magazine | ||||
| Magazine capacity | Capacity: 30 rounds | ||||
| fire rate | 600 rounds / min | Single shot | |||
| Further equipment features | Continuous fire , single fire , 3-shot burst mode, rigid plastic piston with individually adjustable butt plate, anthracite pistol grip with finger rest, cleaning device is in the handle, a three-part cleaning rod is dismantled in the fore-end | Continuous fire, single fire, 3-shot burst mode, metal shoulder rest that can be folded down to the side, anthracite pistol grip with finger rest, cleaning device is in the handle, a three-part cleaning rod is dismantled in the fore-end | Continuous fire, single fire, 3-shot burst mode, metal shoulder rest that can be folded down to the side, anthracite pistol grip with finger rest, cleaning device is in the handle, a three-part cleaning rod is dismantled in the fore-end | Continuous fire, single fire, 3-shot burst mode, rigid plastic butt with individually adjustable butt plate, anthracite pistol grip with finger rest, cleaning device is in the handle, a three-part cleaning stick is dismantled in the fore-end, folding bipod in front of the front sight holder, when folded down hidden in the lower handguard | Only single-fire mode, rigid plastic buttstock with individually adjustable butt plate, anthracite-colored pistol grip with finger rest, cleaning device is in the handle, a three-part cleaning rod is disassembled and housed in the fore-end, foldable bipod in front of the front sight holder, hidden in the folded-down state in the lower hand guard |
literature
- Wilfried Copenhagen: GDR assault rifle WIEGER 940 . In: International Arms Magazine . No. 3 , 1991, pp. 136-138 .
- Heinz Fichtner: Wieger 940 . Diary about the development of an assault rifle. epubli.de, 1992, p. 150 .
Web links
- WIEGER STG-940 ASSAULT WEAPONS SYSTEM. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010 ; accessed on November 14, 2010 (English, data and photos on the Wieger family).
- Freie Presse Online: The hot trail to the GDR assault rifle ends in the acid tank , accessed on February 12, 2011
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brief information about the assault rifle 940 "Wieger". (Pdf, 85 kB) Scientific Services of the German Bundestag, October 6, 2016, accessed on December 2, 2018 .