to Twalls The Sturmgewehr concept came to define this whole class of weapons Even though its official designation was at one time MP43 and MP44 it is not thought of or described in German as a Maschinenpistole It is a rifle not a submachine gun or machine pistol The 8 mm Kurz cartridge is an intermediate rifle cartridge It is not a pistol or handgun round your inveterate prejudice MachinePisstol 44 is the rifle because MP44 is the rifle Pistolenpatrone 43 is a rifle cartridge because MP44 is the rifle What LMG and long range rifle was used Pistolenpatrone 43 as RPK LMG as RPD LMG as SKS long range rifle as Winchester Model 70 long range rifle as SA80 long range rifle as FN Minimi LMG Root of your point is gewehr is the rifle while gewehr is a musket maybe MP44 has sufficient specific characteristics of one machine pistol front hand point in receiver at beginning of barrel to fire in short range In the rifle front hand point in hand guard move forward at mid barrel to fire in long range MP44 s muzzle velocity higher than other MP at this time but muzzle energy 1450 J too small can not compare with rifle AK SKS 2050 2150 M16 1750 While this MP44 too heavy to take full advantage of cartridge s energy can not more increase So can not make a LMG what longer than barrel lengh and higher than muzzle energy So in squad LMG and long range rifle are used other cartridge type that stronger than MP44 cartridge So Pistolenpatrone 43 is smaller than other cartridges in squad So Pistolenpatrone 43 is the pistol cartridge Deutsch caled their gun is pistol You are try hard to prove this Deutsch machine pistol MP44 is the rifle