The German Pistol Designed to Fire Around Corners

In the final, desperate months of World War II, Nazi engineers unveiled one of the war’s strangest innovations: the Krummlauf (“bent barrel”)—a curved barrel attachment for the revolutionary StG 44 assault rifle that let soldiers shoot around corners without exposing themselves. Designed for urban combat in ruined cities like Berlin and Stalingrad, the Krummlauf came in 30°, 45°, and even 90° bends, allowing Wehrmacht and SS troops to fire blindly from cover while staying hidden.

But there was a catch: the curved barrel caused bullets to shatter on firing, drastically reducing accuracy and range—and wearing out after just 150–300 rounds. Some versions included a periscope sight so the shooter could aim, but the system remained unreliable, dangerous, and largely impractical. Still, captured examples shocked Allied intelligence, and the concept inspired future “corner-shot” weapons used by modern special forces.

Discover the true story behind Hitler’s last-ditch attempt to turn physics into an advantage—and why this bizarre gadget remains a symbol of wartime desperation and ingenuity gone sideways.

#krummlauf #stg44 #ww2weapons #germaninnovation #naziweapons #militaryhistory #wartech #assaultrifle #urbancombat #weirdweapons #historyfacts #thirdreich #firearmsengineering #forgottentech #ww2germany
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
IGNORE THIS: Krummlauf bent barrel WW2, StG 44 corner shooting attachment, German curved barrel rifle, Nazi last-ditch weapons, WW2 urban combat gadgets, how Krummlauf worked, StG 44 Krummlauf accuracy, weird German firearms WW2, shooting around corners WW2, experimental nazi weapons