Krummlauf

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title: "Krummlauf" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["world-war-ii-military-equipment-of-germany", "world-war-ii-infantry-weapons-of-germany"] description: "Gun barrel attachment used for shooting around corners" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krummlauf" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Gun barrel attachment used for shooting around corners ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/G3_and_StG44.jpg" caption="A Sturmgewehr 44 with 90° ''Krummlauf''"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Krummlauf.jpg" caption="The ''Krummlauf'' installed on a Sturmgewehr 44 on display at the [[Bundeswehr Museum of German Defense Technology]] in [[Koblenz]], Germany."] ::

The Krummlauf (English: "curved barrel") is a bent barrel attachment for the Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44) rifle developed by Germany in World War II. The curved barrel included a periscope sighting device for shooting around corners from a safe position.

Description

It was produced in several variants: an "I" version for infantry use, a "P" version for use in tanks (to cover the dead areas in the close range around the tank and defend against assaulting infantry), versions with 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° bends, a version for the StG 44 and one for the MG 42. Only the 30° "I" version for the StG 44 was produced in many numbers.

The bent barrel attachments had very short lifespans—approximately 300 rounds for the 30° version, and 160 rounds for the 45° variant—as the barrel and bullets fired were put under great stress. Another problem besides the short life-span was that the bending caused the bullets to shatter and exit the barrel in multiple fragments, producing an unintended shotgun effect. As a result, weapons designers experimented with small vent holes drilled into the Krummlaufs barrel in order to reduce pressure and recoil, allowing the discharged bullets' built-up gases to be released to slow the bullet's velocity as it turned to exit the barrel. Nevertheless, the Krummlaufs lifespan remained the same. A triangular shield was also added to prevent venting gasses from clouding the mirror and optics.

The 30° model was able to achieve a 35×35 cm grouping at 100 m.

The Krummlauf in a Maschinenpistole Vorsatz (P) mount was developed as an alternative close defence weapon for tank destroyers. This mount was fitted to a roof hatch in many Panzer IV/70 (A) vehicles. The tank crew could then attach a StG 44 and use this as a close defence machine gun.

Derivatives

Experiments to adapt the Krummlauf to the PPSh-41 were conducted by the Soviet Union.

References

References

1. (4 September 2014). "Krummlauf Curved Barrel on an StG-44". YouTube.
2. Berg, Bill. (January 8, 2008). "Unusual PPSh-41s".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::