High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 ("People's Assault Rifle") is a 7.92x33mm Kurz caliber semi-automatic rifle developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was also known as the VG 1-5, Volkssturm-Gewehr 1-5, Versuchs-Gerät 1-5 and "Gustloff", and was intended as a cheaply mass-produced weapon for the Volkssturm militia.The VG 1-5 was designed by Karl Barnitzke of the Gustloff-Werke for the Primitiv-Waffen-Programm ("primitive weapons program") in 1944 and was intended to be used by the Volkssturm. Production of the VG 1-5 occurred from January 1945 till the end of the war; roughly 10,000 were made.