The German MP44 Assault Rifle With Curved Barrel Attachment

This picture is with the 90 degree barrel.


30 degree barrel below.



"On display in our Second World War gallery, this rifle is the subject of frequent inquiries. Many people have expressed surprise or disbelief that a firearm can be made to shoot around corners; yet this is precisely what the curved barrel attachment enables this weapon to do.

The attachment was the fruit of experiments, carried out in Germany during the early 1940s, with the object of providing a device which would enable troops to shoot from behind cover, without exposing themselves to enemy fire. Various deflecting troughs and curved barrels were tried with a number of infantry weapons, before the combination which we have on display was arrived at. The relatively short bullet fired by the MP44 made it particularly suitable for this rôle. The attachment deflects the flight of the bullet through 30 degrees and, with the aid of the prismatic sight which is fitted, a reasonable degree of accuracy can be attained. A further version of the device was developed which deflected the bullet through 90 degrees. This was intended for use as a close-defense weapon by armored vehicle crews; however it was found that *bullets fired through it generally fragmented due to the stresses involved."

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*Though this would not be a problem clearing tank surfaces at close quarters.