More info needed on MP45....just got one from a great uncle

I have recently received what was told to be a German firearm from WWII. Obviously I am new to this forum and was looking for some information. The firearm which was left for me is stamped MP45 and seems to be an assult rifle /machine gun. There are few markings on this gun. On the barrel there are 2 tiny (1/8") stamps of the nazi party logo. The only other markings are the "MP45" stamp which is located below the action, as well as a stamp "106 / A" located about 1" above the magizine. The mag that is with the gun is stamped "MP43" which locks into place but has some play side to side. The mag is fairly long approx 11" The pistol grip has wood grips. Above the pistol grip there is the safty amd above that is a circular button that is raised about 1/2" and can be pressed causing it to protrude on the opposite side of the firearm. The butt stock is wooden and is can be removed easily which houses the spring. The buttstock at the rear has a hollowed out housing with a small metal cylinder for what it is used for I am unsure. When the buttstock is removed the receiver folds down for fieldstriping.
Any information in which you can provide me will be of great help. I am simply curious if this was a popular gun during WWII and the history behind it. Thank you in advance.

 

You have an MP44. I posted info about the MP45 stamp in the MP44 thread. Can you post pics of it?

ADDED
That is not the safety--it's the selector. There should be an "D" & "E" on top when viewed from above the rifle. The safety is the lever at the top of the pistol grip.

 

StG 44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Thank you for the quick response and information. I will try to post pics later today, tomorrow at the latest.

 

enjoy that weapon mate

 

Message sent.

 

the truth is the mp45 was one of hitlers dreams it,s a gun that was supposed to have existed and some people say that it did in fact some say a whole bunch of mp45s were in the hands of german soldiers as they were heading to the front by train but the train was straifed by american planes destroying the plane leaving no evidence of the true exsistence of this weapon either that or you have an stg-44 with a different year marking

 

If the "small metal cylinder" which you describe is removable it is probably meant to hold gun oil. That's another question in itself: Does anyone know what sort of lubricants the Germans used on their small arms? In all the wartime literature i've never heard any information on how they cleaned and lubed their small arms. Did they use special grease, special oil, motor oil or any thing they could get their hands on? They must have had oil, certainly for the machine guns but what kind was it, how was it distributed and how well did it work?

 

Since even today, synthetics make the very best gun oils, I would imagine that the Germans were well into the game in that area. But, while I don’t know for certain, I did find a listing for synthetic "gun oil", and "gun grease" listed in this PDF copy of a 1945 report translated for the US, perhaps after capture.

Goto:

http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Tom Reels/Indexes/TOM 060 Index .pdf

and on the first page scroll down to the entry #25 and down for listings of gun oils, and greases.

 

I am going from memory of reading various books here so cannot cite one in particular, but I believe the Germans used conventional mineral-based gun oil - but learned to use sunflower oil from the Russians ( apparently it has a greater tolerance to freezing ).