RE: http://shock.military.com/Shoc...ontent=204860&page=1

Kalashnikov denied designing his rifle after this, but I think he lied.

I'm not sure what Kalashnikov lied about, unless he claimed the idea was original with him. The MP=44, later designated the STG-44 to appease Hitler, was, I believe actually designed in 1942 or '43. I've shot one, and they're very pleaseant to shoot -- less powerful than the 7.62x39 Soviet round, but good enough for house-to-house fighting and with very low recoil, easy on the shooter. We should've looked at this more closely at the end of WWII and done away with the .30 caliber carbine.

The STG 44 (43) rifle was essentially the forefather of the AK47. The gas design is almost identical. Captured units from the Germany Army under Field Marshal Paulitz surely had these in their posession, as five thousand were airdropped behind the lines. I am sure that the russians reverse engineered this. The American semi-auto of the day (Garand and M1 Carbine) had gas systems located below the barrel. The STG was innovative for the time, and featured a large capacity removable magazine. There is talk that a civilian company will re-introduce this weapon to the civilian market. I don't know what caliber it will be though.

the MP 43 / 44 noted as 9th on our list , i'm sure "our" must be some reputable entity, would like to know though list of _______________ ?
where do i find the rest of this list ?
thanks in advance