Gustloff VG1-5

Below photos of a Gustloff VG1-5. The gun was for sale on GunBroker in August, 2013. The starting price was $35,000 and the buy now price $42,000, but I doubt it was sold. The Gustloff VG1-5 was one of the more succesfull guns made for the Volkssturm - the Homeguard. Almost 10,000 were made and mainly used on the Eastern front. Most fell in the hands of the Russians who destroyed them (I think). That's why the gun is rarely seen - and most are on museums. It's said that less than 30 are known "officially" today. The gun was presented to the Nazi hierarchy in November, 1944. The Führer rejected it due to great expense, excessive ammunition consumption, and because the MP44 is about equal in production costs. That was undoubly wise decided by the Fuhrer because of many resources were used on last-ditch weapons (such as peoples-pistols) during the last months of the war. Such resources should have been allocated to the MP44 or other guns in production. Nevertheless a local gauleiter in Thuringia ordered the VolksGewehr1-5 which was used mainly in the Thuringia area. The VG1-5 utilize a delayed blowback system, coupled with the rather less powerful 7.92 kurz ammo and a fluted chamber. The VG1-5 is semi-automatic and uses a MP44 magazine. There is a large hollow cylinder/bolt around the barrel - see more further below - taken from "the Weaponeer". I will not comment more on the construction. More can be seen on the net or in the book: Desperate Measures by Darrin Weaver.

                                                 

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