I used a different source with this text:WheySmart wrote:
You are wrong in stating the mp43/44 was developed that early, they were made during the middle-later part of the war (around 1942, were not issued to troops until late 1943.) and they are also the same gun. It is still a mystery as to why they changed the name to mp44, mp43's and mp44's are identical...wierd huh?
When you state a change in cartridge are you really stating caliber? The first really successful assault rifle was the AK47 and it's design is made to "work" at ranges up to 300yds where normal combat takes place, in order to reduce recoil one tihng that would help would be to decrease the charge, not increase...I think you must be speaking of the change from the mp44's 7.92mm slug and the smaller 5.56mm and 7.62mm, correct me if I am mistaken.
And thats the reason I changed my example to the Thompson, the BAR lacks semi-auto.
Sources:
Small Arms of World War II by Chris Chant
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as00-e.htm (4th paragraph)
I mis-read this to imply that the MP43 & MP44 were developed in the '30s, when in fact it says that the cartridge development that lead to the MP43/44 started in the '30s. My mistake.The next step in this history was made by Germany - in the 1930's, theybegan research to develop a medium-power cartridge, which would be much lighter than 7.92mm German and easier to fire accurately in full-auto mode. This development led to the 7.92x33mm cartridge (Pistolenpatrone 7.92mm). The Germans developed some weapons designs for this load, including the MP43 and Stg.44, but this was too late for Germany... Further development of such designs was made by German engineers in Spain, and later in West Germany, and led to the HK G3/G41 family of battle&assault rifles.
Yes, I was referring to the change from earlier cartridges of various sizes such as the 7.92x33mm cartridge to the 5.56x45mm (e.g - M855 & predecessors) & 7.62x39mm (Soviet) or 7.62x51mm (NATO) cartridges as the final development in the process that lead to modern assault rifles in the form we know them now. Most people rate the effective range of the AK47 at about 400 meters (450 yards) and the M16/M4 at somewhere between 450 and 600 yards (that is why I said "ranges up to 600 yards"). That would be a round that is smaller (requiring less charge as you said) but increasing the effective range (as compared to the .45 ACP round, for example).
In fact, the recoil of an unbuffered M855 round can be significant. I had supposed that the same was true of the 7.62x39 round, but since I've never fired one, my knowledge of this is limited. The design of the mechanisms in the gas operated bolt (e.g. - M16/M4/AK47) as opposed to blow-back (e.g. - the Thompson) or manual bolt, combined with the smaller projectile reduces the recoil of the shot, and helps improve accuracy even with a higher velocity round and a longer effective range.
FWIW, Wikipedia has a pretty good discussion of the differences at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgewehr_44
