Translation problem in Vasily Grossman's story 'In Kislovodsk'

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

It is 1942.  The hero of this story is a prestigious doctor, the senior
doctor in a top Kislovodsk sanatorium.  The town has just been occupied by
the Germans.

Лица немецких солдат, их боевые рогатые автоматы, шлемы со свастикой
казались омерзительными, невыносимыми....
Litsa nemetskikh soldat, ikh boevye rogatye avtomaty... kazalis’
omerzitel’nymi, nevynosimymi

Can anyone help me with ‘rogatye’?  I translated it as ‘forked’; my editor
has just asked, ‘what does this mean here?’ - and I can only say that I have
no idea.

Best Wishes,

Robert

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