A design that truly could have changed the war, the StG 45 was not completed until 1945. Designed to replace the StG 44, which was expensive and time-consuming to produce, the StG 45 was the result of a cost-reduction and mechanical simplification development. To meet the requirements of the war, the gas system was removed and roller-delayed blowback was introduced, alone with the fluted chamber to assist in extraction.

Prototype of the Gerat 06H, what would later become the StG 45

The technicians that worked on the rifle ultimately would go on to influence many post-war rifles and the CETME was introduced with the same roller system. Ultimately, Heckler & Koch would purchase a license for the design which became the G3 and served as the mechanical basis of the ubiqutous MP5.

For further reading on the rifle, see World.guns and Forgotten Weapons.