Recent from talks
C.G. Haenel
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
C.G. Haenel
C.G. Haenel is a German weapon manufacturer located in Suhl, Germany.
The Prussian commissioner for firearms manufacturing, Carl Gottlieb Haenel, began producing bicycles and weapons in 1840 — a combination which was not uncommon at the time as it required similar means of production and skills. In 1887, the Suhl-based weapons designer C. W. Aydt joined the company in order to produce his Aydt target rifle and later the Aydt target pistol for sporting. In 1879, the German Army introduced the M1879 Reichsrevolver and a smaller derivative, the M1883. Haenel was awarded a share of the manufacturing for these firearms as part of a consortium, named the Suhl Konsortium, formed with the sporting arms manufacturer V. Ch. Schilling. The firearms they produced were marked with the signature "VCS CGH Suhl" in reference to their initials and Suhl origin.
After the adoption of the Gewehr 1888 the consortium was awarded the production of cavalry and artillery carbines on its action, but after the introduction of Gewehr 98, production of which was limited to government arsenal, expensive tooling for it the company acquired suddenly became out of demand. Thus, they modernized the action, fixing the teething problems which led to the rearmament to G. 98. Those included replacement of Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip with a double-stack fixed magazine of their own design (in order not to infringe on Mauser patents). However, like the similar OEWG Exportmodell 1904, Haenel Modell 1900 and improved Modell 1909 rifles (which were widely known as Haenel-Mannlichers or Mannlicher-Haenels despite the absence of any Mannlicher influence) were not adopted by any major military (only Paraguay bought a small batch) and were not really popular as hunting and sporting firearms due to dominance of Mauser.
Haenel later produced hunting weapons, bayonets and, during World War I, produced vast quantities of the Mauser Model 98 for the German Army.
In 1921, Hugo Schmeisser joined the company which then began manufacturing pocket pistols based on his designs. This period also marked the introduction of the automatic firearm and, despite a ban by the Treaty of Versailles, the company began developing automatic submachine guns to Schmeisser's designs. Schmeisser drew upon experience and knowledge he had gained from his father, Louis Schmeisser, otherwise known as the "Father of the Automatic Carbine" due to his work on Bergmann machine guns. In 1928, the company developed the MP28, a submachine gun derived from the MP18, and it was in use with the German police by 1928. Deliveries were also made to South Africa, Spain, Japan and the Republic of China through a license agreement with a Belgian company, named Baynard.
Despite the success of Hugo Schmeisser, the company ran into bankruptcy several times between 1929 and 1934. In 1933, the company formed an association with ten other Suhl and Zella-Mehlis arms companies to guarantee a share of armament contracts from the newly-arisen Nazi government. This association was named the United Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Arms Factories (German: Vereinigte Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Waffenfabriken) and had direct relations with the Wehrmacht administration. The company, along with its associates, established their own offices in Berlin.
1935 saw a dramatic increase in arms production in the build up to World War II and a new automatic firearm with an intermediate cartridge was developed. The 7.92×33mm chambered MP43 (originally known as the Mkb 42(H)) assault rifle was devised to stand out from the Erma Werke MP38/MP40 submachine gun with its higher performance and economic design which was manufactured through a then innovative factory stamping technique. Over 10,000 units were produced as early as 1943 but, in the same year, production was halted by Adolf Hitler. Hitler later approved mass production following testing with troops. On entering service, the weapon was known as the Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44).
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, U.S. forces briefly occupied the city of Suhl and imposed a production ban on all arms factories. Following the evacuation of American troops, the area became occupied by the Soviet Army in what would later become East Germany. Around 50 StG 44's were transferred to the Soviet Union for technical analysis, as well as 10,785 weapon blueprints which were considered war reparations. The company was then consolidated as the VEB Vehicle and Hunting Weapons Factory "Ernst Thälmann" (German: VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk „Ernst Thälmann“) and later began producing air rifles and hunting carbines under the brand name Haenel Suhl.
Hub AI
C.G. Haenel AI simulator
(@C.G. Haenel_simulator)
C.G. Haenel
C.G. Haenel is a German weapon manufacturer located in Suhl, Germany.
The Prussian commissioner for firearms manufacturing, Carl Gottlieb Haenel, began producing bicycles and weapons in 1840 — a combination which was not uncommon at the time as it required similar means of production and skills. In 1887, the Suhl-based weapons designer C. W. Aydt joined the company in order to produce his Aydt target rifle and later the Aydt target pistol for sporting. In 1879, the German Army introduced the M1879 Reichsrevolver and a smaller derivative, the M1883. Haenel was awarded a share of the manufacturing for these firearms as part of a consortium, named the Suhl Konsortium, formed with the sporting arms manufacturer V. Ch. Schilling. The firearms they produced were marked with the signature "VCS CGH Suhl" in reference to their initials and Suhl origin.
After the adoption of the Gewehr 1888 the consortium was awarded the production of cavalry and artillery carbines on its action, but after the introduction of Gewehr 98, production of which was limited to government arsenal, expensive tooling for it the company acquired suddenly became out of demand. Thus, they modernized the action, fixing the teething problems which led to the rearmament to G. 98. Those included replacement of Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip with a double-stack fixed magazine of their own design (in order not to infringe on Mauser patents). However, like the similar OEWG Exportmodell 1904, Haenel Modell 1900 and improved Modell 1909 rifles (which were widely known as Haenel-Mannlichers or Mannlicher-Haenels despite the absence of any Mannlicher influence) were not adopted by any major military (only Paraguay bought a small batch) and were not really popular as hunting and sporting firearms due to dominance of Mauser.
Haenel later produced hunting weapons, bayonets and, during World War I, produced vast quantities of the Mauser Model 98 for the German Army.
In 1921, Hugo Schmeisser joined the company which then began manufacturing pocket pistols based on his designs. This period also marked the introduction of the automatic firearm and, despite a ban by the Treaty of Versailles, the company began developing automatic submachine guns to Schmeisser's designs. Schmeisser drew upon experience and knowledge he had gained from his father, Louis Schmeisser, otherwise known as the "Father of the Automatic Carbine" due to his work on Bergmann machine guns. In 1928, the company developed the MP28, a submachine gun derived from the MP18, and it was in use with the German police by 1928. Deliveries were also made to South Africa, Spain, Japan and the Republic of China through a license agreement with a Belgian company, named Baynard.
Despite the success of Hugo Schmeisser, the company ran into bankruptcy several times between 1929 and 1934. In 1933, the company formed an association with ten other Suhl and Zella-Mehlis arms companies to guarantee a share of armament contracts from the newly-arisen Nazi government. This association was named the United Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Arms Factories (German: Vereinigte Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Waffenfabriken) and had direct relations with the Wehrmacht administration. The company, along with its associates, established their own offices in Berlin.
1935 saw a dramatic increase in arms production in the build up to World War II and a new automatic firearm with an intermediate cartridge was developed. The 7.92×33mm chambered MP43 (originally known as the Mkb 42(H)) assault rifle was devised to stand out from the Erma Werke MP38/MP40 submachine gun with its higher performance and economic design which was manufactured through a then innovative factory stamping technique. Over 10,000 units were produced as early as 1943 but, in the same year, production was halted by Adolf Hitler. Hitler later approved mass production following testing with troops. On entering service, the weapon was known as the Sturmgewehr 44 (StG 44).
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, U.S. forces briefly occupied the city of Suhl and imposed a production ban on all arms factories. Following the evacuation of American troops, the area became occupied by the Soviet Army in what would later become East Germany. Around 50 StG 44's were transferred to the Soviet Union for technical analysis, as well as 10,785 weapon blueprints which were considered war reparations. The company was then consolidated as the VEB Vehicle and Hunting Weapons Factory "Ernst Thälmann" (German: VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk „Ernst Thälmann“) and later began producing air rifles and hunting carbines under the brand name Haenel Suhl.