curved gun that shoots around corners?

S

sks

New member
Alright, before you all call me a drunk lunatic let me explain. Several years ago on a gun program I saw a WWII German gun with a curved barrel that could shoot around corners and yes it was equipped with mirrors.

The were explaing some of the difficulties in developing this type of weapon such as the rifling in a curved barrel, FPS and pressure levels.

The weapon proved not practical and didn't see wide use but they did show some footage of it being used in house to house combat.

I'm not making this up. Really.

What I want to know however is whether any of my esteem friends here at TFL have ANY info whatsoever about this particular firearm. It has to be one of the strangest that I've ever seen.

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The best weapon for self defense is the one you have when the need arises!
 
First question is "why bend the barrel at all, if that's what you want?".

In other words, set up a long stock with a straight barrel connected to a mag and firing group all at an angle to the stock, perhaps on a swivel so it can shoot right, left, or straight ahead. All you've really added is a funky stock, some mirrors and some kind of "flexible trigger linkage" that can bend up with the whole thing to mebbe 45degrees or so either way. Maybe even more, although I doubt a full right angle would be necessary.

Start with something like a pistol-caliber sub-gun with a big mag, 10" or so barrel and select-fire ability, and even with the resulting crappy trigger from the linkage it oughta work pretty good?

But bending the barrel? What the heck were they smoking?!

Jim

[This message has been edited by Jim March (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
The Americans had a version of this trench-warfare special, too.

And I don't know what we were smoking, either :)

A
 
I saw 3 different versions in a book. Think they were shooting around corners. Don't know don't ask me why. I would rather use a submachine gun like a TMP, FN P90, Mac10, etc.
 
sks, that was probably an MP-38 or MP-40 Schmiesser (sp?) sub-machine gun. That is the only German gun that I ever saw made like that and they are RARE!!!
 
The weapon used by the Germans was a MP-40.
Didn't see much use.Allies tried it too in a little different manner with a grease gun and a sten.They used a barrel attachment that was basicly a guide for the bullet.Picture a curved pipe cut in half and formed into a allmost 90 degree angle then attached to the muzzel of the weapon.SOme of them had mirrors on them to see around the corner.
Bob

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
yes sks it was for real it was developed for the trenches in WW1 sighting was similar to a parascope with the use of mirrors dont really know how effective it was but it does exist (not sure which side possessed them)
 
I have seen this too. On the History Channel they talked about it as a barrel ttachment to one of the germans rifles. It had some kind of a cooler thing on the curve, and could only be used for around 100 rounds, after that I guess it wore out. I wasnt really paying attention, but I wish I did now.

[This message has been edited by MrBlonde (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
What happens when the corner is on the left and your barrel is curved to the right? :-\
 
Thanks for the vindication guys. What a well versed group we have here. If anyone can find any current photos or info on the thing please post or e-mail me. Likewise I'll return the favor if I find anything.

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The best weapon for self defense is the one you have when the need arises!
 
As my crazy uncle says, "The Krauts didn't want to stick their head around a corner and get it blown off with an M1, so they'd stick this gun around the corner and hose a couple clips first."
 
The curved bullet deflector weapons were developed for use by the German Panzer Grenadiers(armored infantry) to allow them to fire over the sides of their armored half tracks without exposing thier heads and shoulders when Russian infantry were swarming around. The operational version would have been an attachment to an assault rifle. There is a good picture of one in one of Phil Sharpes books.
 
There is at least one example in the Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. I have some pictures packed away, but I wouldn't have a clue how(nor the equipment)to post it. Sorry. Very neat to see, though, if you are ever in that part of the country. I do mean the whole museum, of course. :)
 
The device is called the Kraummerlauf (sp?). It wasn't used with the MP-40 submachine gun, but with the MP-44. I've got a photograph of one around here somewhere.

It was designed to be attached to the barrel of the regular gun with a special clamp. It couldn't be fired fully auto, for obvious reasons.

Anyway, two barrel types were supplied, one in a 45 deg. bend, and one close to 90 deg., may have been 75, but may have been 90.

They were also fitted with special prismatic sights so that you could see what you were shooting at.

They were, I believe, primarily designed for armored crews to use in getting rid of troops that got inside the tank's machine gun perimiter.

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.

[This message has been edited by Mike Irwin (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
Any of you ever seen the episode of Tales of the Gun on the history channel where they had the M-16 with all these cameras on it? they were designing it for the military and it could see in the night and you could hold it up around corners, look thru an eyepiece, see what's around the corner and even shoot at whats there. it was really cool but the gun must have weighted so much with all that stuff on it.
 
I've seen the bent barrel thingy and I've seen the show about the weapon system with the M4's and the cameras. Really expensive, neat, but does need some refinement. Like someone said earlier, why bend the barrel. Put the rifle on a periscope and shoot it around the corner. I think that was done in WWI while in the trenches. Of course, with this new camera thing, you can do without all the mirrors.

I remember when the tv show SOF was on, there was an episode where they had cameras mounted on the front trigger guard like where a laser is usually mounted and the screen was mounted on glasses. Pretty neat, but I don't know how practical.
 
I have a picture that confirms what Mike Irwin says. I visited the Imperial War Museum in London and they had an example of the MP44 with a clamped on curved and scoped barrel extension. It seems to be a slight curve of 15-20 degrees and only adds about 8 inches to the over all length of the assault rifle. Sorry I have nothing to scan the picture.
 
I've seen that gun as well. I think I saw it on the History Channel. Probably tales of the gun or some WWII documentary. I believe the problem they had with the bent barrel is that they'd have to replace the barrel every X number of rounds, otherwise the bullet would shoot through. With the barrel attachment, at least you don't have to replace the whole barrel of the gun.

Comment on the camera mounted M-16...It's interesting to see these "futuristic soldiers" with their helmets interfaced to the gun for night vision and infrared and video to see around corners, but what happens when the battery dies? I guess you rip off the camera and go with the iron sights.. :)

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The first step is registration, the second step is confiscation, the final step is subjugation.
 
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