Vollmer M35: Good Gun?

I came across this article on the Vollmer M35. It looks like something quite a few German fanboys would jizz themselves over.

I have no experience with guns, so I cannot say if the design itself was good. Could someone here tell if this Vollmer M35, if fully adopted, would have been a formidable weapon, or this is just an expensive toy that would be breaking down all the time?
 
Doesn't really bode well.

Maybe if this particular design is tested and rejected, it might encourage a more general interest in semi auto rifles in Germany
 

Insider

Banned
Well depends what testing did they done? Throw it into mud puddle, stomped on it, and it still shot? Well if so it would be formidable weapon. Chances are however they did fire it from air conditioned shooting range.
 
Semi Automatic Rifles that use the Gas Trap method of operation have never worked well, which is why there are none that do today.

Gas Trap systems collect some of the gases generated by firing as they exit the muzzle and use them to operate the rifle.
 
No the SKS works by getting the gas via a small hole drilled in the barrel rather than catching the gas as it leaves the barrel. The gas passes through the hole or gas port with enough pressure to push the operating rod in the gas tube back which then knocks the bolt to the rear extracting the spent round and re cocking the hammer.
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1. Gas Port. 2. Piston Head 3. Operating Rod 4. Bolt 5. Bolt Carrier 6. Return Spring
 
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Deleted member 1487

I wonder if @wiking has anything to add. He seems a knowledgeable person with German weapons.
Ha, I've been watching, but knew nothing about this gun, was hoping someone else did. From what I gather than cost was high and it was complex, so unless someone has other info I'm not very helpful.
I do have a book on German assault rifles in German, I got to brush off my really rusting reading skills and see what I can find. I'm guessing that the caliber shift was too much for them to really consider shifting over, as it meant the entire production line for 7.92 ammo was now useless if they adopted it and fielding multiple small arms calibers was problematic. Had it used the 792 kurz like the prototype StG44 perhaps it would have had more of a shot. But the StG44 didn't get mass produced until it was so late in the war that it was just necessary; they cost of the STG did not endear it to the army, as it was nearly as much as the existing Kar-98. The StG45 was a huge cost savings and simplified the design immensely, so unless a semi-auto could offer major cost savings, which the M35 probably couldn't then it is not really that useful. Of course if they'd have realized that the combat potential was that much better than the existing bolt action (I guess they were surprised the StG44 was as beneficial as it was) they would have invested in it and making it cheaper.

From what I've read the G-41 was a mess and even it's replacement, the G-43, had problems. Both were copies of the SVT-40, which IIRC had it's own share of issues.
 
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