Walther Gewehr 41 (G41 / Gew 41) Self-Loading, Semi-Automatic Rifle (1941)
The Gew 41 was more or less a failure as a self-loading service rifle for the German Army of World War 2.
In 1941, the program ultimately yielded the "Gewehr 41" with two prototype versions being generated by the German firms of Mauser and Walther. As such, each form varied slightly in their assigned designations - the Mauser product was known as "Gew 41(M)" and the Walther product was known as "Gew 41(W)". One of the interesting requirements pressed upon the companies was to include a bolt-action mechanism as a failsafe should the automatic loading action fail in the heat of combat. The other requirements specified that no moving parts be set along the surfaces of the gun and no holes were to be bored into the barrel for the purpose of "tapping" the required gasses for the loading operation. Therefore a completely new operating system was developed known - rather comically - as the "Bang" mechanism, this of course properly named after its Danish designer, Soren H. Bang. After some evaluation, the Mauser design was removed from contention with the more stable Walther rifle - its designers effectively ignoring the "moving parts" and "bolt-action" requirements - being accepted into German Army service. Production of the rifle stemmed from Berlin-Luebecker Maschinenfabrik of Lubeck and the Carl Walther Waffenfabrik AG facility at Zella-Mehlis in Germany.
The Gew 41(W) appeared not unlike the bolt-action rifles of the time, with the stock, receiver and forend all covered over in wood. The barrel was nested within the wooden frame and all of the critical internal components were set in the aft portion of the receiver. The stock contoured finely into an ergonomic integrated pistol grip with the curved trigger set within an oblong trigger ring. The internal (non-detachable) 10-round box magazine was set ahead of the trigger group and fed from the topside of the receiver by ammunition "clips". A flip-up type sight found along the middle of the receiver allowed for some level of accurized fire and was complemented by a forward post sight above the muzzle. Internally, the weapon was gas-operated - trapping its gas around the muzzle to drive a piston - with its unique locking bolt system required to complete the semi-automatic action. Weight was listed at 10.87lbs (4.9kg). Overall length was 44.8 inches (1,140mm) with the barrel measuring in at 21.5 inches (546mm).
Since the weapon featured a 10-round integral, non-removable magazine for reloading purposed, the weapon made use of two 5-round "stripper clips" of 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridges - the same ammunition, and clips, as found with the standard service Karabiner 98K bolt-action rifle of the German Army. While the self-loading prospect of the rifle was the key to its ultimate success or failure, the actual reloading of the two individual stripper clips in the heat of battle left something to be desired. Rate-of-fire from a trained soldier could reach between 20 and 30 rounds-per-minute. Muzzle velocity was rated at 2,328 feet-per-second with an effective range of about 400 meters.
However, once in practice the Gew 41 proved limiting in several key respects. Chief of all, the Gew 41(W) proved expensive to mass-produce and her gas system was overly complicated and prone to fouling. Additionally, the weapon suffered from an inherent imbalance in her design which made her noticeably heavy at her muzzle end. The internal components required much attention, particularly in the field, when combating the effects of dust, dirt and debris along with general wear and tear. Reloading was tedious and potentially life-threatening. As such, only between 6,600 and 8,000 units were ultimately delivered but, for a time, the Gew41 remained the only automatic rifle availabel to German troops. The type was eventually superseded by the similar - though much improved - Gewehr 43 series entering service in 1943. The Gew 43 was more "production friendly", featured a detachable box magazine and could mount a scope to make for a deadly sniper rifle system. However, the Gew 43 was only made possible after the Germans came across captured examples of Soviet Tokarev automatic rifles and their gas-operated system - which tapped its gasses from the barrel - did the Gew 43 come to be. The Tokarev gas system was more-or-less outright copied in the German Gew 43.
Regardless, the Gew 41 did make it to at least the East Front when Germany had committed to war with the Soviet Union though these weapons were often found in the hands of "special forces" elements within the Wermacht and not so much with the general issue infantry. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Walther Gewehr 41 (G41 / Gew 41)
Self-Loading, Semi-Automatic Rifle
Country of Origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: Carl Walther Waffenfabrik AG / Berlin-Luebecker Maschinenfabrik - Nazi Germany
Initial Year of Service: 1941
Overall Length: 1130mm (44.49in)
Barrel Length: 545.00mm (21.46in)
Weight (Empty): 10.98lbs (4.98kg)
Cartridge: 7.92x57mm Mauser
Action: Gas-Operated; Semi-Automatic
Feed: 10-round integral box (2 x 5-round stripper clips)
Muzzle Velocity: 2,550ft/sec (777m/sec)
Rate-of-Fire: 25 rounds per minute
Range: 1,312ft (400m; 437yds)
Sights: Flip Rear; Front Post
Variants:
Gew 41 - Base Series Designation
Operators: Nazi Germany
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