The STG-44 (Sturmgewehr 44), also designated the MP 44, was developed by Germany during World War II and is widely credited as the first modern assault rifle. Chambered in the intermediate 7.92x33mm Kurz cartridge, it bridged the gap between submachine guns and full-power rifles, offering both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire with effective range to roughly 300 meters. The receiver was stamped steel, reducing production cost and time. The design — curved magazine, pistol grip, inline stock — became a template for later rifles, most notably the AK-47. The STG-44 arrived too late in the war to affect its outcome, but its influence on subsequent firearms design is well documented. Original and reproduction examples are sought by collectors and historians.