The German Wehrmacht was always hungry for more rifles during World War Two, and adopted substitute designs made in friendly (or subservient) countries when possible. Almost all of these were minor variations on the Mauser 98 system, but the Hungarian G98/40 was an exception. This was a Mannlicher system, with zero parts interchangeability with the K98k. Specifically, the G98/40 was the result of the FEG factory taking their 35M Hungarian standard service rifle (chambered for 8x56R) and adapting it to use the German 8x57mm cartridge, along with German stripper clips, slings, and bayonets. Production began in 1941 and continued into 1944 with a total of about 148,400 manufactured in total.
Medium MGs
Vintage Saturday: Why They Make Tripods Like That
Waffen-SS soldier manning a Czech ZB-37 machine gun on its tripod. Note that the articulated tripod legs have been put to good use mounting the gun up on a large rock that offers some cover […]
Semiauto Rifles
HK 41: “Paramilitary Rifle” for the Bundeswehr
Lot 440 in the September 2019 RIA auction. The HK41 (designation: “paramilitary rifle”, caliber 7.62x51mm) was the first semiautomatic version of the G3 military rifle. It was made for the Bundeswehr reservist market; a rifle […]
Select-fire Rifles
HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mm
Among the large family of roller-delayed rifles produced by Heckler & Koch, one of the rarest and least known is the HK32. This was the select-fire shoulder rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. These rifles appeared in […]
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