Submachine guns - Introduction Argentina FMK-3 Halcon M/943 Halcon ML-63 Armenia K6-92 Australia Austen Owen F1 Austria Steyr-Solothurn MP.34 Steyr MPi 69 Steyr TMP Steyr AUG para Belgium Vigneron M2 FN P90 Bulgaria Shipka Chile FAMAE S.A.F. China Type 64 Type 79 Type 85 Chang Feng Type 05 Croatia Agram2000 Czech republic Zk-383 Skorpion vz.61 Sa.23 Skorpion EVO III new Denmark Madsen m/45 new Madsen m/46 m/50 m/53 upd Hovea m/49 new Estonia Tallinn Arsenal new Finland Suomi M/31 Tikkakoski M/44 Jati-matic France MAS-38 MAT-49 Hotchkiss "Universal" MGD PM-9 Gevarm D4 Germany MP.18,I Schmeisser MP.28,II Schmeisser MP.35 Bergmann EMP.35 Erma MP.38 MP.40 MP.41 Schmeisser MP.3008 new Dux M53, M59 new Walther MPL & MPK HK MP5 HK MP5K HK UMP HK MP7 PDW Hungary 39M 43M 53M Israel UZI / MiniUzi / MicroUzi Italy Villar Perosa Benelli CB-M2 Beretta M1918 Beretta M1938 Beretta M12 Franchi LF-57 SOCIMI 821 new Spectre M4 TZ-45 Japan Type 100 SCK-65 Minebea M-9 Mexico Mendoza HM-3 Poland PM-63 PM-84 upd PM-98 PM-06 new Portugal INDEP Lusa FBP m/948 FBP m/976 Romania Orita M1941 Cugir Russia / USSR PPD-40 PPSh-41 PPS-43 PP-19 Bizon PP-19-01 Vityaz PP-90 PP-91 Kedr / Klin PP-93 PP-90M1 PP-2000 AEK-919K Kashtan OTs-02 Kiparis SR-3 Veresk K6-92 / Borz Singapore ST Kinetics CPW South Africa BXP South Korea Daewoo K7 Spain CETME C2 Labora new Star RU-35 SI-35 Star Z-45 Star Z-62 Z-70B Star Z-84 Sweden Carl Gustaf M/45 CBJ-MS PDW Switzerland SIG 1920 1930 new SIG MKMS MKPS SIG P-48 MP-310 Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 W+F Lmg.-Pist 41/44 B+T MP 9 Ukraine Elf Goblin TASCO 7ET9 7ET10 UK Sten Lanchester Mk.1 MCEM-2 Sterling L2 L34 USA Thompson Reising M50 M55 M3 and M3A1 UD M42 Ingram M6 Ingram MAC M10 and M11 Colt mod.635 American-180 Ares FMG Smith&Wesson M76 Ruger MP9 Calico SMG Kriss Super V™ Vietnam K-50M Yugoslavia (ex) M49 M56 MGV-176
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Erma MP-38 and MP-40 submachine gun (Germany)![]() MP-38 submachine gun
Caliber: 9x19mm Luger/Para
The M.P. 38 submachine gun started its life under requirements from German
Heereswaffenamt (HWA, Army Weapons Office), which saw the need for a
compact submachine gun, suitable for use by armored vehicles crews and
paratroopers. German arms-making company Erfurter Maschinenfabrik Gmbh,
better known under its trade name Erma, began the development of a new
weapon under HWA specifications. It must be noted that a new submachine gun was
not built from the scratch; instead, it was just an evolution of a rarely known
prototype weapon, provisionally known as Erma MP-36. MP-36 was a compact version
of the better known Erma EMP submachine gun, but
fitted with now-familiar underfolding metallic shoulder stock and bottom-feed
magazine, which was slightly canted forward to accommodate EMP
magazines. MP-36 was a selective-fired weapon, and in fact the improved MP-38
was a simplified version of its little known predecessor, adapted for different
magazine. Therefore, it took only few months before the new weapon was ready for
official adoption and mass production. Manufacture of a new submachine gun,
designated as MP-38, commenced in summer of 1938, at Erma, and later on also at
C.G. Haenel. Both MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns are blowback operated weapons that fired from open bolt. Both weapons were full-automatic only, but relatively slow rate of fire permitted for single shots with short trigger pulls. The proprietary bolt system with telescoped return spring guide served as a pneumatic recoil buffer, helping to decrease rate of fire to a very manageable level. The bolt handle was permanently attached to the bolt on early MP-38's; on late production MP-38's and MP-40's bolt handle was made as a separate part and also served as a safety - pushing the head of bolt handle inward locked the bolt either in cocked or forward position. Lack of such feature on early MP-38's resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with small loop, used to hold the bolt in forward position. One unusual feature on most MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns was an aluminum or plastic rail under the barrel, which served as a barrel support / protector when firing over the board of armored personnel carrier. The short handguard was made from plastic and was located between magazine housing and pistol grip; barrel lacked any heat insulation, which often caused burns for supporting hand. Folding shoulder stock resulted for compact weapon when folded, but it was insufficiently durable for combat use and hand-to-hand combat. Single-feed, double-row box magazine was another weak point of the design; it was hard to load without additional help, and often caused jams. --
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