Worlds First Assault Rifle Cartridge

wbear

Inactive
I found what I believe to be a 7.92x33mm Kurtz cartridge. Can any one translate and or identify the case headstamp? It is: aux,St,34,44. Thanks, wbear.
 
"AUX" Polte Mfr. (Original designer of the Stg. ctg.)

"34" is the lot #

"44" is the year mfr'd.

"St" is the case symbol for stahl meaning steel case (if case has a plus sign after the "St" like so: St + means it has a reinforced base)

Actually I am looking for a few of these for my collection-If anyone has some for sale please post here.
 
I don't know if I would consider that the world's first assault rifle cartridge. For its time, 7.62x54R was quite an effective assault rifle, depending on what you consider an assault rifle. You could have even considered a black powder cattleman's carbine as an assault rifle for its time. Imagine having six rounds on tap in a long gun without reloading.
 
I thought 7.62x39 was developed slightly before the Kurz...

I thought it was made for the SKS and then later adopted to the AK based on the success of the Kurz. I could be wrong though.

Also, I must point out that, while not originally an assault cartridge, the 7.62x25 was employed with great success in the Eastern Front by both sides, primarily using the PPSh-style of weaponry to propell it. Though it started as a pistol round, it's performance is most definitely more along the lines of a carbine round, with some of that surplus going as high as even 1900 feet per second. It was in use starting in 1941 at least, and maybe earlier as an assualt round.
 
Thanks, teufelmann55. I only have 1, a friend brought it back from ww2. Now if I can just get the rifle that uses it. wbear.
 
Definition of assault rifle-A shoulder fired weapon that is selective fire (auto or semi), that fires an intermediate sized cartridge.

The design work for the polte (7.92x33mm Kurz) cartridge started in the late 20's early 30's era. It pedates the Soviet M43 (7.62x39mm adopted in in 1943) by a year or two at least. The first usage of the MKb. 42 (Maschinen Karabiner chambered in 7.92mm Kurz) the precurser to the Sturmgewehr 44 was in late 42 early 43.

I would guess that you meant the soviet 7.62x39mm instead of the 7.62x54 in you post
 
If you consider the Russian Federov(chambered for the 6.5 mm Japanese cartridge) of the 1920's the first assault rifle than the 6.5 Jap is the original assault rifle cartridge.
 
I would be inclined to agree with Ron, except that there was one preceding round, the U.S. Cal. .30, Model 1918, which was used in a semi-automatic assault rifle a bit earlier.

Jim
 
Both cartridges are not from what I can tell in the parameters-1stly the Pederson cartridge was little better than a small pistol cartridge and the weapon was not capable of full automatic fire.
Secondly the 6.5mm japanese is/was considered a Full sized cartridge- The intermediate cartidge means that it falls between full sized and pistol ammo .
 
Jim,

You're talking about the Pedersen Device?

No way in hades is that an assault rifle...

Yuk. What a concept.

Replaced the bolt on a standard, full-sized Springfield rifle.

Fired a cartridge of (barely) pistol power.

It was semi-auto only.

Three strikes and your'e out.
 
Back
Top