Wieger StG-940
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| Wieger StG-940 | |
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Iron sights |
The Wieger StG-940 was an East German series of assault rifles loosely based upon the Kalashnikov AK-74.[1] The weapon was intended for export.
The brand name is a
History
The weapon was tested but not officially adopted by the
Before the Berlin Wall collapsed, East Germany was in need of foreign currency.[5] This gave the East German government the idea to develop and market the StG rifles.[5]
After the two Germanies were unified in 1990, the factories involved in production of the StG-940s were closed as they were not interested in further marketing small arms of the former East German government.[2] Any working models were promptly sold off to surplus markets overseas.[2] Some were destroyed in 1992.[3] Orders made by India and Peru were rendered invalid and the new German government agreed to pay penalty fees due to the cancellation of contracts.[4]
It was reported that Federal Intelligence Service agents removed confidential files related to the StG rifles in 1993 without sharing the information to the rest of the German government.[6] This came after Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk aired a report by Andreas Wolter, who was looking for more information from East German government files.[6]
Design
The StG-940's design is based on the AK-74,[2] albeit modified.[2] This was done to evade restrictions placed on East German assault rifle production of their AK-74 variants imposed in order to prevent competition against the Soviets[2] based on their licensing agreement to not export any AK-74s made in East German soil abroad.[7]
The rifles can be equipped with a bayonet.[2]
Variants
- StG-941: Assault rifle with fixed stock.[3]
- StG-942: Assault rifle with folding stock and regular barrel.[3] [8]
- StG-943: Assault rifle with folding stock and short barrel.[3]
- StG-944: Heavy machine gun version.[3]
- STG-214: is a Cugir Romania manufactured semi-auto clone imported by Inter Ordnance, North Carolina.[3] Sometimes known as the STG-2000C and StG-2003-C,[2] chambered in 7.62×39mm.[4] According to IO representatives, they used StG rifles already in the market as a basis for creating their clone rifle without seeing any blueprints.[6]
Users
East Germany: Reports of the StG-943 were used by Stasi forces.[1][9] According to former FBI agent Ralph Hope, the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment are the only confirmed users of the 943.[10]
India: Ordered unknown amount for the Indian military.[4] Around 7,500 StG-94s delivered before contracts were cancelled.[2]
Peru: Ordered unknown amount for Peruvian National Police in 1989.[4] Around 2,000 StG-942s delivered before contracts were cancelled.[2]
References
- ^ a b "East Germany's phantom AK reborn". Web Archive. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "East German Wieger STG Rifle". 3 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "STG 940 Weiger". 22 December 2017.
- ^ Guns and Ammo. Archived from the original(PDF) on 17 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Wieger STG 940 rifles -". 20 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "02.04.10 / Sturmgewehr für den Klassenfeind / DDR: Pläne für ein Waffensystem, mit dem die SED Devisen scheffeln wollte, verschwanden in dunklen Kanälen".
- ^ "I.O. STG-2000C 7.62x39mm". 21 June 2008.
- ^ Wieger 942: East Germany Makes a 5.56mm AK. July 8, 2024. Forgotten Weapons
- ^ "Heiße Spur zum DDR-Sturmgewehr endet in Säurebottich". Freie Presse. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ Hope (2021), p. 94.
Bibliography
- Hope, Ralph (2021). The Grey Men: Pursuing the Stasi into the Present. UK: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1786078278.
External links
