Decky wrote:Yep, do you know a lot of them were made in old clockwork toy shops? Since the gun is basically just a tube and a spring the shops already had almost all the equipment they needed.
I own a PPSH as well as a Thompson M1, they are both pretty much the same thing design wise - a heavy metal slab on a spring, with a machined impact needle at one end. The simplicity and weight compared even to an AK47 let alone the new plastic stuff like a G36 and whatnot is astounding. The PPSH is also very awkward to hold, especially when loaded with the drum magazine. There is no forward grip and the front of the weapon is where most of the weight is, holding it by the drum magazine is unnatural, holding it just behind the drum magazine is unpractical due to the mentioned front weight.
As far as handheld weapons are concerned:
Sturmhewehr 44 (this one is a no brainer). Also innovative is the optional curved barrel modification. Innovative, but not really effective as the bullets would come out in pieces and fly all over the place. The purpose was mainly for tank crews to fend off any close infantry without having to expose themselves.
X-4 wire guided missile (You can hold this in your hands if you make an effort
)
Panzerfaust, Bazooka, Panzerschreck Hafthohlladung magnetic anti tank grenade
FP-45 Liberator - yes it's absolutely horrible, but it was quite innovative in what its purpose was meant to be: a cheap as fuck pistol to be airdropped over Axis occupied areas in hopes of them falling into the hands of resistance and ordinary folk, thus encouraging an uprising.
ShKAS machine gun, not innovative in anything but its batshit crazy rate of fire of 1800 rpm, with the Ultra-ShKAS variant firing an unbelievable 3000 rpm. Of course the later was just a crazy adventure more than anything useful as it ate ammo in a heartbeat and broke down often. Again, while this was an aircraft weapon, at 10kg you could hold it in your hands if you really wanted to. I am widening the rules a bit
And lastly, not strictly a WW2 weapon but widely used in it, the
Nagant M1895 revolver, one of the most innovative pistols ever in my opinion. The only revolver that can effectively use a suppressor to my knowledge. Not very powerful, not very accurate, and takes ages to reload, but still a very interesting design none the less.
Diversity within Oneness.