Volkssturmgewehr VG 1
Carl Walther GmbH · Rifle · Discontinued · 1945
Also known as: VG.1, Volksgewehr, Volkssturmkarabiner
Overview
The Volkssturmgewehr VG 1 is a German bolt-action rifle developed by the Walther company as a 'last ditch' weapon during the final months of World War II in early 1945. Built quickly and cheaply from stamped steel and a coarsely machined beech stock, it used a simple rotating bolt locked by two frontal lugs and fed from the 10-round detachable box magazine of the Gewehr 43. Chambered in the standard 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge, it was issued to hastily raised Volkssturm militia units and is notable for its crude, expedient construction and minimal fit and finish.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3770 g (133.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1092 mm (42.99") |
| Barrel Length | 589 mm (23.19") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92x57mm, 8x57mm IS
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Stamped Steel Construction, Rotating Bolt Two Lugs, Uses G43 Magazine, Fixed Rear Sight
Service history
Operators
- Volkssturm · adopted 1945 · as VG 1
- Wehrmacht · adopted 1945
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1945
Produced in small numbers during the early months of 1945 as an emergency Volkssturm weapon
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Walther
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
One of several Volkssturm rifle designs produced in 1945; the related Gustloff VG 1-5 was instead a semi-automatic gas-delayed blowback rifle chambered in 7.92x33mm Kurz. Surviving VG 1 rifles were made of inferior materials and may be unsafe to fire today.
Background
Faced with crippling shortages of standard arms, Nazi Germany ordered a family of crude 'people's rifles' (Volkssturmgewehre) to equip the Volkssturm, a militia of men and boys aged 16 to 60 conscripted in October 1944. The VG 1 epitomized this desperation: stamped, welded and screwed together with minimal machining so it could be churned out by non-specialist workshops in the war's final weeks.