If you follow Palmetto State Armory on Instagram, you might have already heard the news. Or maybe you can read and clicked on this article due to the headline. Either way, PSA has shelved the STG 44. They didn’t go as far as to say they’re killing it completely, but it’s shelved so they can focus on other designs. They are adapting the Rock into an MP7 clone, have the H&R Retro line, and what could possibly be the best blend of Mossberg and Remington in their new shotgun lineup.
Palmetto State Armory released the video on the 15th. They went over their high hopes for the gun, but realized there were more issues than anticipated. Throughout the troubleshooting process, they ran into more and more problems and realized it was too far for prime time. At the tail end of the video, they talked about their need to focus on projects they haven’t released, so they went out on a high note.
PSA announced the new STG 44 at SHOT Show 2023. They were taking up a project by a small company called Hill & Mac Gunworks. People were psyched. They wanted to fulfill the dream of an STG 44 with a proper 7.92x33mm variant and even offered different variants, like a potential 7.62×39 and 5.56 model. They seemed optimistic, and it was the talk of the show. While PSA took up the project, it predates 2023. In fact, it goes back to 2016.
The STG 44, Hill and Mac, and 2016
The STG 44 from Hill and Mac Gunworks in 2016. Do you remember what else happened in 2016? The timelines split when they killed Harambe. We just happen to be in the timeline where the Hill and Mac STG 44 never came to life. I’ve only ever preordered one thing in the gun world, and I was left disappointed.
There are two rules one should follow in this world.
- Never purchase things from Youtubers. (I’m still salty about my Heat Vest from Forgotten Weapons.)
- Never Preorder guns.
It’s a tale as old as time or as old as the modern gun industry, at the very least. A company comes to SHOT or a similar trade show, makes a slick YouTube video and website, and starts taking preorders. You’ll be getting your gun in the next year, we promise; just give us a boatload of money, and you’ll reserve yours.
Hill & Mac Gunworks did just that. They showed the STG 44 at SHOT 2016 with a promise to release the guns as late as 2017. Then 2017 turned into 2018, and in 2018, they posted an update that they hoped to ship by March 2019. In December of 2018, they moved from hope to you will definitely have your gun in December 2019.
Then crickets, and we know this because the flex groups would be full of STG 44s, and the sh!@ posting groups would have STGs covered in rails and spray painted. March came, and they posted they had quality control issues. In June, the last update stated they were waiting for parts to be tested.
The Challenges of Making a New STG 44
Admittedly, it seems quite challenging to reproduce an STG 44. From what I’ve read, there is no true technical data package for the STG 44. It seems to have been lost or destroyed during the war. They don’t have much to work off of, and even if they did, they’d have to ensure it couldn’t be converted to a machine gun, so changes would have to be made.
It’s worth noting the Germans never really mastered the weapon’s production either. The gun was found to be reliable but incapable of withstanding sustained automatic fire. The magazines were supposedly unreliable and troops were ordered to load them to only 25 rounds. In fact, in 1945, magazines were issued with a plug to prevent them from being loaded to 30 rounds.
The STG 44 was never a ‘good’ gun. It’s mid at best. It’s only notable for being the first mass-produced assault rifle. There is a good reason why no military adopted the STG 44 or attempted to replicate it afterward. Even someone with PSA’s resources is challenged by developing this rifle.
The Preorder Conundrum
It’s sad to see PSA shelving the project. I probably wasn’t going to buy one, but I like the idea of repro milsurp existing, especially when it comes to guns we don’t have an opportunity to own. It’s worth noting that PSA never took pre-orders; it was just Hill and Mac, and PSA was even going to honor the pre-order pricing from Hill and Mac.
It’s sad to see, but I don’t think we can be all that surprised.
