7 . 92×33mm Kurz 7 . 92x33mm " Kurz , is a rifle cartridge developed in Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II . The ammunition is also referred to as 7 . 9mm " Kurz ( ' meaning " short " ) , 7 . 9 " Kurz " , or 7 . 9mmK , or 8x33 Polte . It was specifically intended for development of an automatic carbine ( assault rifle ) . The round was developed as a compromise between the longer 7 . 92x57mm rifle and the 9x19mm Parabellum pistol rounds , and is known as an intermediate cartridge ( ) . Military designation . In German military instructions , the caliber was often deemed unimportant ; the name was emphasized . The 7 . 92x33mm " Kurz " was referred to as the ( pistol cartridge model 1943 ) , ( pistol ammunition model 1943 ) ; after the inception of the Sturmgewehr 44 , it was called the " short cartridge model 1943 " ( ) . Background . The cartridge was the same caliber as the 7 . 92x57mm , which was employed by the standard German Army infantry rifle , the Karabiner 98k , as well as its machine gun s . The German armed forces had issued a 7 . 92x57mm automatic rifle , the FG 42 , in limited numbers , but the heavy recoil of the round made it difficult to use efficiently in this role . What was needed was a cartridge that could be used in a lighter , more maneuverable rifle to bridge the gap between submachine guns and rifles . The standard issue 7 . 92x57mm cartridge case was shortend by 24mm . With a case length of only 33 mm , the " Kurz " round was substantially shorter and delivered less recoil than full - length 7 . 92x57mm , but was still as effective when engaging targets at typical combat ranges of . This meant it could be fired effectively from a weapon that weighed less than a machine gun , yet still had much greater range , velocity , and stopping power than the 9mm Parabellum which was standard in German submachine gun s . The shortage of brass in the later stages of World War II led to the use of steel cases for this new cartridge . The " Kurz " cartridge incorporated more taper than the parent case because steel is less elastic than brass and more difficult to extract . This led to the distinctive curved magazine for weapons that used this cartridge . The steel cases were typically lacquer - coated to prevent corrosion . The weight of the 7 . 92mm Kurz S . m . E . round was 17 . 05 grams , the bullet taking up 8 . 1 grams and the cartridge & powder the remaining 8 . 95 grams . Firearms . Prior to the development of the " Kurz " round and its associated weapons , two basic small arms existed to equip the regular infantryman , the bolt - action rifle and the submachine gun . The bolt - action rifle was the standard small arm for most of the worlds armies , usually incorporating good accuracy and stopping power , but with a very limited rate of fire . The submachine gun was a newer piece of equipment , which offered a very high rate of fire , and a compact size , but was of very limited range and stopping power due to the pistol round ( usually 9mm ) it fired . While the " Kurz " round did not match the range and accuracy of a full power round fired by a traditional bolt - action rifle , it could still engage individual targets out to . As an effective , intermediate - sized cartridge , the " Kurz " round was a key evolution in the development of the assault rifle by providing a combination of controllable automatic fire and acceptable accuracy at ranges most likely to see infantry combat . Only a few weapons used this round , among them being the Sturmgewehr 44 , Sturmgewehr 45 , HIW VSK , Volkssturmgewehr 1 - 5 , Wimmersperg Spz - kr ; and a number of German prototype weapons made during World War II and a small number of prototype weapons made in other countries after the war . An unknown number of late - war K43 rifles were chambered for this cartridge and modified to accept MP 44 magazines . Variants of the VK 98 ( Volks - Karabiner ) , a so - called last - ditch bolt - action rifle intended for the Volkssturm Home Guard , were also chambered this cartridge with unknown quantities produced by Mauser and Steyr . After World War II , the cartridge was tested and used in prototype rifles in Argentina and Belgium , amongst other nations , during the late 1940s and early 1950s . The first FN FAL prototype was designed to fire the cartridge when NATO was organized . After the war it was manufactured by East Germany ( the GDR ) , Czechoslovakia ( ČSSR ) , and Egypt . Spain continued development after the war , creating a few variants of the cartridge , such as tracer rounds , boat - tailed rounds and slightly shorter bullets that have a lead core . These developments were encouraged by Calzada Bayo , a Spanish lieutenant colonel . However , they were canceled and Spanish CETME rifles were chambered for a variant of the 7 . 62×51 NATO round . Demand for the ammunition still exists , as the StG 44 is still in use by some within the Lebanese Forces militia , as well as irregular forces in some countries in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East , where captured German arms were distributed as military aid by Eastern Bloc countries as well as Yugoslavia . It is currently manufactured by the Prvi Partizan factory in Užice , Serbia . Reloadable cartridge cases can be produced by resizing and trimming 7 . 62mm X 51 NATO , and Hornady makes a 125 grain . 323 " bullet that is ideal for this caliber . In Pakistan , the same cartridge is also reported to be in use by the local name of " 44 Bore . " This either refers to the " 44 " of the MP44 / StG44 series or the " L44A1 " inscription found on the headstamps on necked - down 7 . 62x51mm cartridge cases . It is used in locally made AK - pattern weapons in semi - automatic only ( produced or converted in Peshawer , Kohat and Derra Adam Khel , etc . ) that chamber this cartridge , since 7 . 62x39 is a restricted caliber ( known as Prohibited Bore or " PB " in Pakistan ) . It is usually considered an inferior weapon and cartridge in Pakistan due to inconsistent quality of the ammunition and gunsmithing of weapons chambered or converted for this cartridge . It is sometimes used by private security companies .