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100-646: The MP34 ( Maschinenpistole 34 , literally "Machine Pistol 34") is a submachine gun (SMG) that was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Steyr as Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 and used by the Austrian Army and Austrian Gendarmerie and subsequently by units of the German Army and the Waffen-SS in World War II. An exceptionally well-made weapon, it was used by some forces well into the 1970s. The MP 34

200-789: A telescoping bolt that extends forward wrapping around the barrel, and a vertical handgrip housing the magazine and trigger mechanism. The vz. 23 series was widely exported and especially popular in Africa and the Middle East with variants made by several countries. The vz. 23 inspired the development of the Uzi submachine gun . In 1949, France introduced the MAT-49 to replace the hodgepodge of French, American, British, German, and Italian SMGs in French service after World War II. The 9 mm Parabellum MAT-49

300-405: A complete break with previous Beretta designs. It is a small, compact, very well made SMG and among the first to use a telescoping bolt design. The M12 was designed for mass production and was made largely of stamped steel and welded together. It is identified by its tubular shape receiver, double pistol grips, a side folding stock and the magazine housed in front of the trigger guard. The M12 uses

400-696: A copy of the Israeli UZI SMG magazine, modified to fit the Colt and lock the bolt back after the last shot. The Colt was widely used by US law enforcement and the USMC . In 1999, H&K introduced the UMP "Universal Machine Pistol" . The UMP is a 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP, closed-bolt blowback-operated SMG, based on the H&;K G36 assault rifle. It features a predominantly polymer construction and

500-423: A double-column, single-feed version. The single-feed insert resulted in increased friction against the remaining cartridges moving upwards towards the feed lips, occasionally resulting in feed failures; this problem was exacerbated by the presence of dirt or other debris. Another problem was that the magazine was also sometimes misused as a handhold. This could cause the weapon to malfunction when hand pressure on

600-632: A failed attempt to storm the Tallinn barracks . Some of the defenders were armed with the MP18s ; and this was possibly the first engagement where submachine guns were used on both sides. Germany transferred its MP 18s to the German police forces after World War I. They also saw use in the hands of various paramilitary Freikorps during the aftermath of the German Revolution . In the 1920s

700-517: A forward-folding metal stock, the first for a submachine gun, resulting in a shorter overall weapon when folded. However, this stock design was at times insufficiently durable for hard combat use. Although the MP 40 was generally reliable, a major weakness was its 32-round magazine. Unlike the double-column, staggered-feed magazine found on the Thompson M1921/1928 variants , the MP 40 uses

800-515: A high degree of parts commonality with parent weapons, thereby easing logistical concerns. In 1982, Colt introduced the Colt 9mm SMG based on the M16 rifle . The Colt SMG is a closed bolt, blowback operated SMG and the overall aesthetics are identical to most M16 type rifles. The magazine well is modified using a special adapter to allow the use of the smaller 9mm magazines. The magazines themselves are

900-644: A longer barrel . In 1915, the Kingdom of Italy adopted Revelli's design as the FIAT Mod. 1915 . It fired pistol-caliber 9mm Glisenti ammunition, but was not a true submachine gun, as it was originally designed as a mounted weapon. In late 1915, the first submachine gun with a buttstock was built: the Austro-Hungarian Standschütze Hellriegel M1915 although the weapon was never used in combat. In February 1916,

1000-604: A lot more controllable. It could be configured to fire either .45 ACP or 9mm Luger ammunition. The M3A1 was among the longest-serving submachine gun designs, being produced into the 1960s and serving in US forces into the 1990s. France produced only about 2,000 of the MAS-38 submachine gun (chambered in 7.65×20mm Longue ) before the Fall of France in June 1940. Production was taken over by

1100-567: A lot of bullets and most of the killing in Korea was done at very close ranges and it was done quickly—a matter of who responded faster. In situations like that it outclassed and outgunned what we had. A close-in patrol fight was over very quickly and usually we lost because of it." U.S. servicemen, however, felt that their M2 carbines were superior to the PPSh-41 at the typical engagement range of 100–150 meters. Other older designs also saw use in

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1200-399: A new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts. The MP 40 submachine guns are open-bolt , blowback -operated automatic arms. The only mode of fire is automatic, but

1300-460: A new, more reliable box magazine was developed for the MP 18 to replace the older snail-drum magazines. In 1928 a new version of the MP 18, the MP 28, saw the light of day, it featured the new box magazine as standard, a bayonet lug and a single shot mode. The MP 28 was manufactured in Belgium and Spain and was widely exported from there, including to China and South America. Another variant based on

1400-521: A pistol variant chambered in 9mm . The .22LR variant features an all-metal construction with period-accurate Bakelite furniture, a folding stock, and a faux- suppressor to meet barrel length import requirements. The 9mm variant is classified as a pistol and therefore does not ship with a folding stock. Both variants are closed-bolt , blowback-operated semi-automatic firearms that vary substantially from originally manufactured MP 40s in internal operation, making them more of an affordable cosmetic replica than

1500-411: A prominent Chinese combat tactic in the conflict. The gun's ability to deliver large quantities of short-range automatic assault fire proved very useful in both defense and assault during the early part of the war when it was constantly mobile and shifting back and forth. Many Chinese Thompsons were captured and placed into service with American soldiers and marines for the remaining period of the war. In

1600-647: A prototype. What was to become the MP 34 was originally designated ‘S1-100’ using the company's standard naming convention. Due to the Solothurn company being unsuited for mass production, Rheinmetall took a controlling interest in Waffenfabrik Steyr , an established arms manufacturer in Austria. Weapons manufactured by Steyr were sold via the Zürich -based trade company Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG to both

1700-518: A quick-release barrel and butt-stock, double pistol grips, top-mounted magazine, and unusual offset right-side-mounted sights. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II and was used by the Australian Army from 1943 until the mid-1960s, when it was replaced by the F1 submachine gun . Only about 45,000 Owens were produced during the war for

1800-737: A semi-pistol grip. The barrel is enclosed into a perforated cooling jacket and has a bayonet-fixing lug on the right-hand side. Front (hooded) and rear rifle-type sights are fitted, the latter marked from 100 to 500 meters. Some versions of the weapon can be fitted with a detachable tripod for use as a machine gun. In 1930, the Austrian police accepted the S1-100 as the Steyr MP30 , chambered for then standard Austrian 9×23mm Steyr pistol rounds. The guns sold to South America, China and Japan were in 7.63x25 Mauser calibre. The Austrian Army adopted

1900-646: A side folding stock. The m/45 was widely exported and especially popular with CIA operatives and U.S. special forces during the Vietnam War. In U.S. service it was known as the "Swedish-K". In 1966, the Swedish government blocked the sale of firearms to the United States because it opposed the Vietnam War . As a result, in the following year Smith & Wesson began to manufacture an m/45 clone called

2000-663: A total of 653 units, though U.S. customs authorities in New York seized 495 of the units in June 1921. The Thompson, nicknamed "Tommy Gun" or "Chicago Typewriter" became notorious in the U.S. due to its employment by the Mafia : the image of pinstripe-suited James Cagney types wielding drum-magazine Thompsons caused some military planners to shun the weapon. However, the FBI and other U.S. police forces themselves showed no reluctance to use and prominently display these weapons. Eventually,

2100-510: A traditional wooden stock , a 25-round top-fed box magazine , and had a cyclic rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute. By 1918, Bergmann Waffenfabrik had developed the 9x19mm Parabellum MP 18 , the first practical submachine gun. This weapon used the same 32-round snail-drum magazine as the Luger P-08. The MP 18 was used in significant numbers by German stormtroopers employing infiltration tactics , achieving some notable successes in

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2200-731: A unit cost of about A$ 30. While most other countries during World War II developed submachine guns, the Empire of Japan had only produced one, the Type 100 submachine gun , based heavily on the German MP28. Like most other small arms created in Imperial Japan, the Type 100 could be fitted with the Type 30 bayonet . It used the 8×22mm Nambu cartridge, which was about half as powerful as a standard Western 9mm Parabellum round. Production of

2300-418: Is an inexpensive stamped-steel SMG with a telescoping wire stock, a pronounced folding magazine housing, and a grip safety. This "wildebeast-like design" proved to be an extremely reliable and effective SMG and was used by the French well into the 1980s. It was also widely exported to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In 1954, Israel introduced a 9mm Parabellum open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine gun called

2400-782: Is based on the AK-74 rifle and offers a high degree of parts commonality with the AK-74. It is the standard submachine gun for all branches of Russian military and police forces. In 2009, KRISS USA introduced the KRISS Vector family of submachine guns. Futuristic in appearance, the KRISS uses an unconventional delayed blowback system combined with in-line design to reduce perceived recoil and muzzle climb . The KRISS comes in 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 9×21mm, 10mm Auto, and .357 SIG. It also uses standard Glock pistol magazines. By

2500-436: Is located in the wooden stock and is linked to the bolt via a long push rod, attached via a pivot to the rear of the bolt. Easy access to the bolt and trigger assembly is via a hinged top cover which opens up and forward by depressing two release catches. This makes cleaning procedures very easy to perform. On the left-hand side of the stock is a sliding fire selector switch (marked by letters T and S). Initial production runs of

2600-571: Is that this weapon was originally designed as an aircraft gun. In reality ground use was taken into consideration from the very beginning, particularly for the Bersaglieri 's cyclist battalions . Stocked pistols were common at the beginning of the 20th century, the Germans initially used heavier versions of the P08 pistol equipped with a detachable stock, larger-capacity snail- drum magazine and

2700-479: The .45 ACP version and was adopted as Pistola-metralhadora 11,43mm m/935 . Portugal also purchased small quantities of the S1-100 in 7.65x21mm Luger calibre in 1938, and the weapon was adopted as the Pistola-metralhadora 7,65 mm m/938 Steyer submachine gun. In 1941 and 1942, larger numbers of 9mm MP34 guns were delivered to Portugal by Germany. In Portuguese service, the 9mm MP34 was known as

2800-572: The .45ACP Mac-10 and .380 ACP Mac-11 , were developed to be used with silencers or suppressors . While these SMGs received enormous publicity, and were prominently displayed in films and television, they were not widely adopted by military or law enforcement agencies. By the 1980s, the demand for new submachine guns was very low and could be easily met by existing makers with existing designs. However, following H&K's lead, other manufacturers began designing submachine guns based on their existing assault rifle patterns. These new SMGs offered

2900-689: The Brügger & Thomet APC and SIG MPX . During the Apartheid era of South Africa and the Rhodesian Bush War / South African Border War , a semi-automatic only pistol calibre carbine based on submachine guns existed for civilian personal protection as Land Defence Pistol s (LDP). Known examples were the Bell & White 84, BHS Rhogun, Cobra Mk1 , GM-16, Kommando LDP, Northwood R-76, Paramax, Sanna 77 and TS III. First developed during

3000-727: The Cold War , especially among special forces , covert operation commandos and mechanized infantrymen . Submachine gun usage for frontline combat decreased in the 1980s and 1990s, and by the early 21st century, submachine guns have largely been replaced by assault rifles , which have a longer effective range , have increased stopping power , and can better penetrate the helmets and body armor used by modern soldiers. However, they are still used by security forces , police tactical units , paramilitary and bodyguards for close-quarters combat because they are "a pistol-caliber weapon that's easy to control, and less likely to overpenetrate

3100-648: The Dunkirk evacuation , the Royal Navy adopted the 9mm Parabellum Lanchester submachine gun . With no time for the usual research and development for a new weapon, it was decided to make a direct copy of the German MP 28 . Like other early submachine guns it was difficult and expensive to manufacture. Shortly thereafter, the simpler Sten submachine gun was developed for general use by the British armed forces, it

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3200-589: The Eastern Front to compensate for the Soviet PPSh-41's larger magazine capacity. However, the design proved unsuccessful due to weight and reliability issues. Authentic versions, in addition to the dual mag magazine well, also have a smaller buttpad and shortened ejector. In 1941, Hugo Schmeisser designed the MP 41, which was, in reality, an MP 40 upper receiver with a lower receiver of an MP 28/II submachine gun. It saw limited service, however, and

3300-538: The FN P90 features an unusual appearance, having a 50-round magazine housed horizontally above the barrel, an integrated reflex sight and fully ambidextrous controls. A simple blowback automatic weapon, it was designed to fire the proprietary FN 5.7×28mm cartridge which can penetrate soft body armor. The FN P90 was designed to have a length no greater than an average-sized man's shoulder width, to allow it to be easily carried and maneuvered in tight spaces, such as

3400-710: The M76 . The m/45 was used in combat by Swedish troops as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo , during the Congo Crisis during the early 1960s. Battlefield reports of the lack of penetrative power of the 9mm Parabellum during this operation led to Sweden developing a more powerful 9 mm round designated "9mm m/39B". In 1946, Denmark introduced the Madsen M-46 and, in 1950, an improved model,

3500-583: The MPi 69 , which is similar in appearance to the Uzi SMG. The MPi 69's receiver is a squared stamped steel tube that partly nestles inside a large plastic molding (resembling a lower receiver) which contains the forward hand-grip, vertical pistol-grip and the fire control group , making the MPi 69 one of the first firearms to use plastic construction in this way. In the 1970s, extremely compact submachine guns, such as

3600-648: The Madsen M-50 . These 9 mm Parabellum stamped steel SMGs featured a unique clamshell type design, a side-folding stock, and a grip safety on the magazine housing. The Madsen was widely exported and especially popular in Latin America, with variants made by several countries. In 1948, Czechoslovakia introduced the Sa vz. 23 series. This 9 mm Parabellum SMG introduced several innovations: a progressive trigger for selecting between semi-automatic and full auto fire,

3700-531: The Pistola-metralhadora 9 mm m/942 Steyer . Many m/942 guns carry a Portuguese crest just forward of the safety mechanism in combination with Waffenamt (WaA) markings. The m/942 remained in service with Portuguese Army into the 1950s, and was used until the 1970s by paramilitary and security forces in Portugal's overseas African colonies during the Portuguese Colonial Wars . During

3800-453: The Uzi (after its designer Uziel Gal ). The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design with the magazine housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon. The Uzi has become the most popular submachine gun in the world, with over 10 million units sold, more than any other submachine gun. In 1959, Beretta introduced the Model 12 . This 9mm Parabellum submachine gun was

3900-538: The Wehrmacht , with whole infantry battalions being armed with little else. Even in the hands of conscripts with minimal training, the volume of fire produced by massed submachine guns could be overwhelming. Britain entered the war with no domestic submachine gun design but instead imported the expensive US M1928 Thompson. After evaluating their battlefield experience in the Battle of France and losing many weapons in

4000-619: The 1960s, Heckler & Koch developed the 9mm Parabellum MP5 submachine gun. The MP5 is based on the G3 rifle and uses the same closed-bolt roller-delayed blowback operation system. This makes the MP5 more accurate than open-bolt SMGs, such as the Uzi. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by over 40 nations and numerous military, law enforcement, and security organizations. In 1969, Steyr introduced

4100-548: The 1980s, personal defense weapons (PDWs) were created in response to a NATO request for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum submachine guns. PDWs are compact automatic weapons that are sufficiently light to be issued to non-combat arms or support troops, particularly those in vehicles, while being capable of greater range and terminal ballistics than a handgun. As a result of these characteristics, most PDWs can be used as close quarters battle weapons for special forces and counter-terrorist groups. Introduced in 1991,

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4200-647: The 7.62×25mm Tokarev, albeit slightly less powerful). During the Winter War , the badly outnumbered Finnish used the Suomi KP/-31 in large numbers against the Russians with devastating effect. Finnish ski troops became known for appearing out of the woods on one side of a road, raking Soviet columns with SMG fire and disappearing back into the woods on the other side. During the Continuation War ,

4300-532: The Austro-Hungarian first fielded the M.12/P16 machine pistol. This was the first machine pistol to be adopted by any military, being issued to Tyrolean units fighting in the alps In 1916, Heinrich Senn of Bern designed a modification of the Swiss Luger pistol to fire in single shots or in full-automatic. Around the same time Georg Luger demonstrated a similar Luger machine pistol which inspired

4400-472: The Finnish Sissi patrols often equipped every soldier with KP/-31s. The Suomi fired 9mm Parabellum ammunition from a 71-round drum magazine (although often loaded with 74 rounds). "This SMG showed the world the importance of the submachine gun in modern warfare", prompting the development, adoption and mass production of submachine guns by most of the world's armies. The Suomi was used in combat until

4500-442: The German Sturmgewehr ). In the years following the war, this new format began to replace the submachine gun in military use to a large extent. Based on the StG44, the Soviet Union created the AK-47 , which is to date the world's most produced firearm , with over 100 million made. After World War II, "new submachine gun designs appeared almost every week to replace the admittedly rough and ready designs which had appeared during

4600-422: The German Army to develop submachine guns. Colonel Bethel-Abiel Revelli had already conceived the principles of the submachine gun in September 1915, when he wrote that his gun could be converted to a single-barreled version that "may be mounted in the manner of a rifle so that it may be fired from the shoulder" . The FIAT Mod. 1915 would be later modified into the OVP 1918 automatic carbine. The OVP 1918 had

4700-469: The German military moved to replace both the Karabiner 98k rifle and MP 40 with the new, revolutionary StG 44 . By the end of World War II in 1945, an estimated 1.1 million MP 40s had been produced of all variants. During and after the end of World War II, many MP 40s were captured or surrendered (upwards of 200,000) to the Allies and were then redistributed to the paramilitary and irregular forces of some developing countries. The Norwegian army withdrew

4800-464: The Germans introduced the 9mm Parabellum MP38 which was first used during the invasion of Poland of September that year. The MP38 production was still just starting and only a few thousand were in service at the time. It proved to be far more practical and effective in close-quarters combat than the standard-issue German Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle . From this experience, the simplified and modernized MP40 (commonly and erroneously referred to as

4900-568: The Italians were among the first to develop submachine guns during World War I, they were slow to produce them under Mussolini ; the 9mm Parabellum Beretta Model 38 (MAB 38) was not available in large numbers until 1943. The MAB 38 was made in a series of improved and simplified models all sharing the same basic layout. The MAB 38 has two triggers, the front for semi-auto and rear for full-auto. Most models use standard wooden stocks , although some models were fitted with an MP40-style under-folding stock and are commonly mistaken for it. The MAB 38 series

5000-456: The Korean War. The Thompson had seen much use by the U.S. and South Korean militaries, even though the Thompson had been replaced as standard-issue by the M3/M3A1. With huge numbers of guns available in army ordnance arsenals, the Thompson remained classed as "limited standard" or "substitute standard" long after the standardization of the M3/M3A1. Many Thompsons were distributed to the US-backed Nationalist Chinese armed forces as military aid before

5100-433: The MP 18 was the MP 34 that was manufactured by the Germans through the Swiss front company Solothurn. The MP 34 was manufactured from the very best materials available and finished to the highest possible standard. Consequently, its production costs were extremely high. It was adopted by the Austrian police and army in the 1930s, and they were taken over by the Germans after German annexation of Austria in 1938. The MP35

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5200-430: The MP 38 from use in 1975 but used the MP 40 for some years more. In particular, the Territorials ( Heimevernet ) used it until about 1990, when it was replaced by the Heckler & Koch MP5 . The MP 40/I (sometimes erroneously called MP 40/II ) was a modified version of the standard MP 40 with a dual side-by-side magazine holder (for a theoretical ammunition total of 64 rounds), designed for special operations troops on

5300-408: The MP 38, it was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers , on the Eastern and Western Fronts as well as armoured fighting vehicle crews. Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. The MP 40 was often called the "Schmeisser" by the Allies, after

5400-426: The MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36 , a prototype made of machined steel . The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke 's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army . It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer 's VPM 1930 and EMP . Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for

5500-421: The MP 40 receiver was simplified by using stamped steel and electro- spot welding as much as possible. The MP 38 also features longitudinal grooving on the receiver and bolt, as well as a circular opening on the magazine housing. These features were eliminated on the MP 40. One feature found on most MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns is an aluminum, steel, or Margolit (a variation of Bakelite ) resting bar under

5600-412: The MP34 ceased in mid-1940, and manufacturing lines at Steyr moved over to the production of the MP40 – a much simpler designed weapon and far less expensive to produce than the MP34. As a substitute standard small arm, it had a relatively short combat service once quantities of the MP38 became available, though some MP34s were used by Waffen SS units in the early stages of the war in Poland and France. It

5700-583: The Schmeisser) was developed and made in large numbers; about a million were made during World War II . The MP40 was lighter than the MP38. It also used more stamped parts, making it faster and cheaper to produce. The MP38 and MP40 were the first SMGs to use plastic furniture and a practical folding stock, which became standard for all future SMG designs. The Germans used a large number of captured Soviet PPSh-41 submachine guns, some were converted to fire 9mm Parabellum while others were used unmodified (the German 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridge had identical dimensions to

5800-423: The Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 as the Steyr MP34 , chambered for the powerful 9×25mm Mauser ammunition. With the 1938 Anschluss between Germany and Austria, the German Army acquired most of the available MP30s and MP34s. A number were then re-barrelled to chamber 9×19 ammunition and issued to German troops as the MP34(ö) – Maschinenpistole 34 österreichisch (literally "Machine-pistol 34, Austrian"). Production of

5900-427: The Winter War against Finland. The PPSh's 71-round drum magazine is a copy of the Suomi's. Later in the war they developed the even more readily mass-produced PPS submachine gun - all firing the same small-caliber but high-powered Tokarev cartridges. The USSR went on to make over 6 million PPSh-41s and 2 million PPS-43s by the end of World War II. Thus, the Soviet Union could field huge numbers of submachine guns against

6000-484: The accuracy of the U.S. M1 Garand and M1 carbine , it provided more firepower at short distances and was well-suited to the close-range firefights that typically occurred in that conflict, especially at night. United Nations Command forces in defensive outposts or on patrol often had trouble returning a sufficient volume of fire when attacked by companies of infantry armed with the PPSh. As infantry Captain (later General) Hal Moore stated: "on full automatic it sprayed

6100-556: The associated wear and tear (within reasonable limits) will not significantly diminish their value, as it would on original collectible examples. Manufacture of new tube guns ceased following the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986. There are several semi-automatic variants and cosmetic replicas of the MP 40 available for civilian ownership in the U.S. Beginning in 2014, American Tactical Imports began importing an MP 40 replica manufactured by German Sporting Guns GmbH chambered in .22LR , and since 2016 has also imported

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6200-409: The barrel. This was used to steady the weapon when firing over the side of open-top armored personnel carriers such as the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track . A handguard, also made of Margolit, is located between the magazine housing and the Margolit pistol grip. The barrel lacked any form of insulation, which often resulted in burns on the supporting hand if it was incorrectly positioned. The MP 40 also has

6300-447: The commercial and military markets. The MP 34 was manufactured from the very best materials available and finished to the highest possible standard. It was so well manufactured that it has often been nicknamed the " Rolls-Royce of submachine guns". However, its production costs were extremely high as a consequence. The MP 34 is a blowback-operated , open-bolt , selective-fire weapon (single shot or fully automatic). The return spring

6400-566: The early 2010s, compact assault rifles and personal defense weapons had replaced submachine guns in most roles. Factors such as the increasing use of body armor and logistical concerns have combined to limit the appeal of submachine guns. However, SMGs are still used by police (especially SWAT teams) for dealing with heavily armed suspects and by military special forces units for close-quarters combat, due to their reduced size, recoil and muzzle blast, and capability for sound suppression. Submachine gun designs adopted during this period include

6500-430: The end of the Lapland war , was widely exported and remained in service to the late 1970s. Inspired by captured examples of the Soviet PPS submachine gun , a gun that was cheaper and quicker to manufacture than the Suomi, the Finns introduced the KP m/44 submachine gun in 1944. In 1940, the Soviets introduced the 7.62×25mm PPD-40 and later the more easily manufactured PPSh-41 in response to their experience during

6600-604: The fall of Chiang Kai-shek's government to Mao Zedong's communist forces at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. (Thompsons had already been widely used throughout China since the 1920s, at a time when several Chinese warlords and their military factions running various parts of the fragmented country made purchases of the weapon and then subsequently produced many local copies.) US troops were surprised to encounter communist Chinese troops armed with Thompsons (among other captured US-made Nationalist Chinese and American firearms), especially during unexpected night assaults, which became

6700-506: The final year of the war. However, these were not enough to prevent Germany's collapse in November 1918. After World War I, the MP 18 evolved into the MP28/II SMG, which incorporated a simple 32-round box magazine , selective fire , and other minor improvements. Though the MP18 had a rather short service life, it was influential in the design of later submachine guns, such as the Lanchester , Sten and PPD-40 . The .45 ACP Thompson submachine gun had been in development at approximately

6800-420: The gun have a Schmeisser-style bolt-locking safety (similar to the MP40 ) in the form of hook-shaped cut which is used to engage the bolt handle when the bolt is cocked (which is notoriously unsafe). Later models include a manual safety on the top cover, just in front of the rear sight. This safety can lock the weapon in both a cocked or closed position. Box magazines of 32- or 20-round capacity are fed in from

6900-416: The gun was even more inadequate: by the war's end, Japan had only manufactured about 7,500 of the Type 100, whereas Germany, America, and other countries in the war had produced well over a million of their own SMG designs. The German military concluded that most firefights took place at ranges of no more than ~300 yd (270 m). They therefore sought to develop a new class of weapon that would combine

7000-409: The high volume of fire of the submachine gun with an intermediate cartridge that enabled the shooter to place accurate shots at medium ranges (beyond that of the 100–200 yd (91–183 m) range of the typical submachine gun). After a false start with the FG 42 , this led to the development of the Sturmgewehr 44 select-fire assault rifle (assault rifle or storm rifle is a translation of

7100-441: The inside of an infantry fighting vehicle . The FN P90 is currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 nations. MP 40 The MP 40 ( Maschinenpistole 40 ) is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II . Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor

7200-491: The late 1930s, Japan imported a small number of MP 34s for testing and limited issue. Submachine gun The submachine gun was developed during World War I (1914–1918) as a close quarter offensive weapon, mainly for trench raiding . At its peak during World War II (1939–1945), millions of submachine guns were made for assault troops and auxiliaries whose doctrines emphasized close-quarter suppressive fire . New submachine gun designs appeared frequently during

7300-402: The left side and the magazine housing is angled slightly forward to improve cartridge feeding to prevent jams. Additionally, the same magazine housing incorporates a magazine refilling feature. An empty magazine can be inserted from underneath and locked in place. From above, stripper clips (of eight rounds each) can be fed into the magazines. All MP 34s were manufactured with a wooden stock with

7400-456: The magazine body caused the magazine lips to move out of the line of feed, since the magazine well did not keep the magazine firmly locked. German soldiers were trained to grasp either the handguard on the underside of the weapon or the magazine housing with the supporting hand to avoid feed malfunctions. At the outbreak of World War II, the majority of German soldiers carried either Karabiner 98k rifles or MP 40s, both of which were regarded as

7500-457: The main opening; this action locks the bolt in either the cocked (rear) or uncocked (forward) position. The absence of this feature on early MP 38s resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with a small loop that were used to hold the bolt in the forward position. The MP 38 receiver was made of machined steel, but this was a time-consuming and expensive process. To save time and materials, and thus increase production, construction of

7600-471: The occupying Germans, who used them for themselves and also put them into the hands of the Vichy French . The Owen Gun is a 9mm Parabellum Australian submachine gun designed by Evelyn Owen in 1939. The Owen is a simple, highly reliable, open bolt, blowback SMG. It was designed to be fired either from the shoulder or the hip. It is easily recognisable, owing to its unconventional appearance, including

7700-509: The receiver tube) were imported and reassembled onto receivers manufactured in the United States by Charles Erb, Wilson Arms, and others. These remanufactured legally transferable machine guns, colloquially called "tube guns", are (depending on quality of construction and condition) generally valued at 50-75% of the price of original German MP 40s, as they do not have their historical background. As such, they are commonly used for recreational range shooting and WW2 historical reenactments , because

7800-441: The relatively low rate of fire permits single shots with controlled trigger pulls. The bolt features a telescoping return spring guide which serves as a pneumatic recoil buffer. The cocking handle was permanently attached to the bolt on early MP 38s, but on late-production MP 38s and MP 40s, the bolt handle was made as a separate part. It also serves as a safety by pushing the head of the handle into one of two separate notches above

7900-761: The same magazines as the Model 38 series. Submachine guns again proved to be an important weapon system in the Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953). The Korean People's Army (KPA) and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) fighting in Korea received massive numbers of the PPSh-41, in addition to the North Korean Type 49 and the Chinese Type 50, which were both licensed copies of the PPSh-41 with small mechanical revisions. While lacking

8000-596: The same time as the Bergmann and the Beretta. However, the war ended before prototypes could be shipped to Europe. Although it had missed its chance to be the first purpose-designed submachine gun to enter service, it became the basis for later weapons, and was much more successful than the submachine guns produced during World War I. The Thompson entered production as the M1921. It was available to civilians, but, because of

8100-468: The semi-automatic German Selbstladebüchse BD 38 replica. Details of the MP 40 have also been adopted in other submachine guns, which otherwise differ significantly from a technical point of view: During World War II, the resistance and the Allies sometimes captured MP 40s to replace or supplement their own weapons. The MP 40 was used for several decades following World War II by many countries around

8200-573: The simplified M1 . The Thompson was still expensive and slow to produce. Therefore, the U.S. developed the M3 submachine gun or "Grease Gun" in 1942, followed by the improved M3A1 in 1944. While the M3 was no more effective than the Tommy Gun, it was made primarily of stamped parts and welded together and could be produced much faster and at a fraction of the cost of a Thompson; its much lower rate of fire made it

8300-438: The standard weapons of choice for an infantryman. However, later confrontations with Soviet troops such as the Battle of Stalingrad , where entire enemy units were armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns, the Germans found themselves out-gunned in short range urban combat which caused a shift in their tactics, and by the end of the war the MP 40 and its derivatives were sometimes issued to entire assault platoons. Starting in 1943,

8400-770: The submachine gun was gradually accepted by many military organizations, especially as World War II loomed, with many countries developing their own designs. The U.S. Marine Corps adopted the Thompson during this period, they used them during the Banana Wars in Central America and it was also used by the China Marines . During the 1924 uprising the Soviets supplied four Thompsons to Estonian Communist militants; those were used against Estonian soldiers in

8500-534: The target". There are some inconsistencies in the classification of submachine guns. British Commonwealth sources often refer to SMGs as "machine carbines". Other sources refer to SMGs as "machine pistols" because they fire pistol-caliber ammunition, for example, the MP-40 and MP5 , where "MP" stands for Maschinenpistole ("submachine gun" in German, but cognate with the English term "machine pistol"). However,

8600-511: The term " machine pistol " is also used to describe a handgun -style firearm capable of fully automatic or burst fire , such as the Stechkin , Beretta 93R , Glock 18 , and the H&K VP70 . Furthermore, personal defense weapons such as the FN P90 and H&K MP7 are often called submachine guns. In 1895, Hiram Maxim produced the 'miniature Maxim' which was a pistol-calibre Maxim machinegun weighing 27 lb (12.2 kg) that

8700-435: The war. Some (the better ones) survived, most rarely got past the glossy brochure stage." Most of these survivors were cheaper, easier, and faster to make than their predecessors. As such, they were widely distributed. In 1945, Sweden introduced the 9 mm Parabellum Carl Gustaf m/45 with a design borrowing from and improving on many design elements of earlier submachine-gun designs. It has a tubular stamped steel receiver with

8800-518: The weapon designer Hugo Schmeisser . Schmeisser had designed the MP 18 , which was the first mass-produced submachine gun. He did not, however, have anything to do with the design or development of the MP 40, although he held a patent on the magazine. The MP 40's variants included the MP 40/I and the MP 41. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke . The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor

8900-510: The weapon's high price, initially saw poor sales. The Thompson (with one Type XX 20 round "stick" magazine) had been priced at $ 200 in 1921 (roughly equivalent to $ 3,416 in 2023). The Thompson was used in combat that same year: West Virginia state police bought 37 guns and used them during the Battle of Blair Mountain . Some of the first batches of Thompsons were bought by agents of the Irish Republican Army . They purchased

9000-641: The world in armed conflicts. Some found their way into guerrilla groups such as the Viet Cong or African guerrillas. Its operators have included: During the Allied occupation of Germany starting in 1945, U.S. servicemen shipped home thousands of captured firearms as war trophies , including MP 40s. This practice required proper registration of automatic weapons in accordance with the National Firearms Act before they could be imported, but this

9100-541: Was another interwar German submachine gun, designed by the Bergmann brothers. It was exported to Sweden and Ethiopia and also saw extensive use in the Spanish Civil War . About 40,000 of the type were manufactured until 1944, with many going into the hands of the Waffen SS . The Erma EMP was yet another submachine gun from this period, based on a design by Heinrich Vollmer , about 10,000 were manufactured. It

9200-610: Was based on a design for the MP 19 by the Rheinmetall company based in Düsseldorf . The weapon is similar in design to the MP 18 Bergmann, which itself saw service towards the end of World War I. To circumvent the conditions of Treaty of Versailles , precluding Germany from exporting weapons and munitions, Rheinmetall acquired the Swiss company Waffenfabrik Solothurn  [ de ] in 1929 and began secret production of

9300-466: Was curtailed later in the occupation, meaning a relatively small number of civilian-transferable original German MP 40s remain in circulation and are valued at around $ 20,000-37,500 as of 2021, with some selling for almost $ 50,000. After the commercial importation of complete machine guns was banned by the Gun Control Act of 1968 , MP 40 parts kits (the disassembled parts of the gun excluding

9400-476: Was designed to be a more cost effective, lighter weight, and less complex design alternative to the MP5. The UMP has a side-folding stock and is available with four different trigger group configurations. It was also designed to use a wide range of Picatinny rail mounted accessories In 2004, Izhmash introduced the Vityaz-SN a 9mm Parabellum, closed bolt straight blowback operated submachine gun. It

9500-653: Was exported to Spain, Mexico, China and Yugoslavia, but also used domestically by the SS, as well as being produced under license in Francoist Spain . Changes in design accelerated during the war, with one major trend being the abandonment of complex and finely made pre-war designs like the Thompson submachine gun to weapons designed for cheap mass production and easy replacement like the M3 Grease Gun . While

9600-592: Was extremely robust and proved very popular with both Axis and Allied troops (who used captured MAB 38s). It is considered the most successful and effective Italian small arm of World War II. During the later years of the war, the TZ-45 submachine gun was manufactured in small numbers in the Italian Social Republic . A cheaper alternative to the MAB 38, it also sported an unusual grip safety . In 1939,

9700-569: Was issued only to SS and police units in 1944. The MP 41 was also supplied to Germany's Axis ally Romania. Later in 1941, rival company Erma Werke sued Haenel , at which Schmeisser was Chief Designer, for patent infringement. Production subsequently ceased on the MP 41. The MP 38 and MP 40 also directly influenced the design of later weapons, including the Spanish Star Z45 , the Yugoslavian Zastava M56 , and

9800-536: Was much cheaper and faster to make. Over 4 million Sten guns were made during World War II. The Sten was so cheap and easy to produce that towards the end of the war as their economic base approached crisis, Germany started manufacturing their own copy, the MP 3008 . After the war, the British replaced the Sten with the Sterling submachine gun . The United States and its allies used the Thompson submachine gun, especially

9900-399: Was sold in small quantities to various countries and tested by the US military but not adopted. In 1896, a select-fire pistol was patented by the British inventor Hugh Gabbett-Fairfax. In April 1914, Abiel Bethel Revelli, an Italian military officer patented a twin-barreled, magazine-fed automatic gun in a pistol caliber, lighter than a machine gun and shorter than a rifle. A common myth

10000-599: Was then allocated to security and reserve units, including military police and Feldgendarmerie detachments. In Greece, various police forces under the Ministry of Security, notably the mechanized police, were equipped with the S1-100 in 9×25mm Mauser caliber. In Yugoslavia , both the Partisans and the Chetniks used captured Solothurn MP34s carried by German and Croatian troops. Portugal bought in small quantities

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