During the Second World War, many interesting weapons were created in Germany. German products are regularly ranked as “best” in their class. The legendary MG 42 “bone cutter” machine gun was no exception. A weapon that terrified infantrymen on all fronts and was naturally one of the most beloved trophies.
History of appearance
At the start of World War II, the Wehrmacht used the MG 34, which was created in the early 30s of the 20th century, as its main machine gun. For all its many advantages, this weapon had two significant disadvantages. Firstly, the machine gun turned out to be very sensitive to contamination. Secondly, its production was labor-intensive and costly. The latter did not make it possible to adequately satisfy the significantly increased demand of the German army against the backdrop of unfolding events.
The model of the MG 42 machine gun was born thanks to the then little-known enterprise of Johannes Großfuß in Döbeln called “Metall-und Lackwarenfabrik Johannes Großfuß”. The new machine gun was put into service in 1942. It turned out to be so successful that it was released in quantities of 360 to 400 thousand copies.
Design and features
The MG 42 machine gun fully met the requirements of the army: simple, reliable, with high firepower and very cheap to manufacture. Machine gun parts were made using milling, welding and stamping. The total number of parts in the MG 42 was approximately 30% less than in the MG 34 and amounted to 200 pieces. At the same time, the metal consumption of weapons fell by 50%.
This “death machine” operates on the principle of barrel recoil (short stroke). The weapon consists of a barrel with a receiver, a bipod, a casing, a butt plate with a butt, feed, locking and trigger mechanisms. The latter is striker-fired and located in the bolt. The MG 42 machine gun could only fire continuously. Mechanisms for switching fire modes were abandoned in favor of the idea of reducing the cost of production. An important feature was the ability to connect two or more machine gun belts into one.
Another interesting feature of the machine gun is its cooling system. Like the MG 34, the muzzle of the new machine gun was carried out by replacing it. Depending on the experience of the machine gunner, this procedure took from 20 to 30 seconds.
The sighting range of the weapon is 1000 meters. The machine gun can be adapted to different calibers, but 7.92x57 mm is considered “canonical”. The total length of the machine gun is 1220 mm, and the weapon weighs 11.58 kg. The rate of fire, depending on the shutter used, can be 1200-1550 rounds per minute.
Weapon legend
The German MG 42 machine gun was recognized as one of the best examples of a single weapon for the army in principle. It is important that we are talking here not only in relation to the history of the Second World War, but also in the context of modern military affairs. Due to its high effectiveness in combat among Soviet and Allied soldiers, the MG 42 earned a dismal reputation. Just look at the nicknames invented for this machine gun: “Widowmaker”, “Bone Cutter”, “Hitler’s Saw”, “Emga”, “Krestovik”.
It is important to say that production of the MG 42 was closed in 1945. Despite this, the machine gun continues to appear in armed conflicts around the world. Moreover, since the 1960s, the German army has been armed with a single MG 3 machine gun, which is a modification of the legend of World War II.
The sound that every World War II infantryman knew:
Machine gun shooting:
Would you like to know about even more interesting weapons developed in Germany? How about seeing with your own eyes a special service.
Hello dears.
An extremely convenient weapon for those years, which means it was a popular weapon that was produced and used by many countries. In a number of posts we will recall examples of the weapons that were produced and used by the Anti-Hitler coalition. We won’t talk about the Axis countries for now :-)))
Let me remind you briefly that a submachine gun is an individual manual automatic small arms weapon of continuous fire that uses a pistol cartridge for firing. The effective fire range does not exceed 200-300 meters.
So...
Tokarev submachine gun. It is also a light Tokarev carbine.
This weapon was created in 1927 under a modified Nagant revolver cartridge.
This is the very first submachine gun developed in the USSR, although it was never adopted for service.
It was produced in a small experimental batch (about 600 copies) and was used to a limited extent in the Great Patriotic War.
There were problems with quality, and most importantly, the Nagant cartridges, although modified, were not suitable for a submachine gun.
During the production of the experimental batch, a number of innovations were used that are not very typical for our weapons:
1) the sector magazine had several holes with marks to control cartridge consumption
2) the metal parts of the weapon were almost completely covered with wood, which was supposed to increase the ease of handling the weapon, especially in winter
3) the second loaded magazine could be stored in a special cavity inside the butt.
4) Fire selection was carried out using two triggers - the rear one served for single-shot fire, and the front one for continuous fire. 
PPD(Dyagterev submachine gun)
On July 9, 1935, it was adopted by the Red Army under the name “7.62-mm submachine gun model 1934 of the Degtyarev system” or PPD-34.
However, until 1939 it was produced in extremely small quantities. The Soviet-Finnish War changed everything, when the leadership of the Red Army became convinced of the effectiveness of such weapons (the Finns had a Lahti submachine gun, and many say that we copied this particular weapon. This is not entirely true. We borrowed a drum magazine, but also That’s not to say that this is a convenient thing).
Characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25
Weapon length: 777 mm
Barrel length: 273 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.75 kg.
Rate of fire: 800 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 25 for horn or 71 for drum
In 1940, the submachine gun was modified. In total, about 130,000 copies were produced.
Captured PPD-34/38 entered service with the Wehrmacht, SS and other paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany and its satellites under the name Maschinenpistole 715(r), and PPD-40 under the name Maschinenpistole 716(r).
PPSh-41(Shpagin submachine gun).
One of the most famous and memetic weapons of the Second World War. The troops affectionately called him Papa :-)
This is simplification, acceleration of production, and most importantly, a significant reduction in the cost of PPD. Fortunately, Shpagin was a student of Degtyarev and learned a lot from him. 
It was accepted into service on December 21, 1940.
Initially, the PPSh was developed for the disc magazine from the PPD-40, but such magazines were expensive to produce and difficult to use, so in 1942, carob (box) magazines with 35 rounds were developed.
In total, about 6 million copies were produced
Early versions of the PPSh allowed firing both bursts and single shots, but later the fire mode translator was removed, leaving only automatic fire.
Performance characteristics
Cartridge 7.62×25 mm TT
Magazine capacity 71 (disc magazine) or 35 (horn magazine) rounds
Weight without cartridges 3.63 kg
Length 843 mm
Barrel length 269 mm
Rate of fire 900 rpm
Effective range 200 m 
Korovin submachine gun
It was developed by 1941 at the Tula Arms Plant. This weapon was produced in limited editions during 1941. The main advantage of the Korovin submachine gun of the 1941 model is its exceptional technological simplicity of production. With the exception of the barrel and bolt, almost all the main parts of the weapon were made by stamping and welding.
For firing, 7.62×25 TT pistol cartridges were used, loaded into a box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds, which also served as a holding handle.
The automatic operation of the Korovin submachine gun, model 1941, operates on the basis of a circuit using recoil energy with a blowback bolt. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in automatic mode - in bursts, from an open bolt. The firing pin is placed motionless in the shutter mirror. The safety feature is a cutout in the rear of the receiver groove, into which the bolt cocking handle is placed. The trigger stroke length is 4 mm, and the trigger pull is 2.9 kg. 
The cartridges are fed from a double-row box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds. The Korovin submachine gun has a low rate of fire, due to which it has low ammo consumption and good accuracy of fire. The stock is folding, made of stamped steel, folding down. The metal pistol grip fire control has wooden cheeks. 
Main characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25 TT
Weapon length: 913/682 mm
Barrel length: 270 mm
Weapon height: 160 mm
Weapon width: 60 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.5 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rounds/min
Initial bullet speed: 480 m/s
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
And finally, our most successful submachine gun is PPS-43(Sudaev's submachine gun)
The PPS was developed by Alexey Sudaev in 1942, in Leningrad, besieged by German troops, and was produced at the Sestroretsk Arms Factory to supply the troops of the Leningrad Front. It is lightweight, convenient, very reliable, and most importantly, easy to manufacture.
PPS automation operates according to a blowback design. For shooting, 7.62×25 TT cartridges are used. Shooting is carried out from an open bolt. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in automatic mode - in bursts. But the PPS has a lower rate of fire compared to the PPSh. You can even fire single shots by smoothly pressing and quickly releasing the trigger. The safety is located in front of the trigger guard. The receiver and barrel casing are a single part and were produced by stamping. 
About 500,000 units of these weapons were produced. The PPS was removed from service in the Soviet Army after the end of the war, although the PPS was in service with individual paramilitary security units right up to the end of the 1980s. 
Main characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25
Weapon length: 820/615 mm
Barrel length: 255 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3 kg.
Rate of fire: 700 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
Several more samples were not accepted into service and not even an experimental batch was made. This experienced Degtyarev submachine gun PDM KB-P-135
Experienced Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun
Kalashnikov submachine gun model 1942
Shpitalny submachine gun
Have a nice time of day.
A submachine gun is an automatic small weapon for firing in bursts, created for a pistol cartridge. The effective fire range does not exceed 200-300 meters.
On January 23, 1935, after debugging the sample, in which, in addition to Degtyarev, designers P.E. also participated. Ivanov, G.F. Kubynov and G.G. Markov, the submachine gun was approved by the GAU for the production of a pilot batch of 30 copies. On July 9, 1935, the model was adopted by the Red Army under the name “7.62-mm submachine gun model 1934 of the Degtyarev system” or PPD-34. In the same year, production of the submachine gun was started at Kovrov Plant No. 2. Due to the low manufacturability and lack of development of the model itself in mass production and the then prevailing idea that the submachine gun was primarily a “police” weapon, production was carried out only in small batches , and the Degtyarev submachine gun itself came mainly into service with the command staff of the Red Army as a replacement for revolvers and self-loading pistols. In 1934, Kovrov Plant No. 2 produced 44 copies of PPD-34, in 1935 - 23, in 1936 - 911, in 1937 - 1291, in 1938 - 1115, in 1939 - 1700. That is, in total, a little more than 5,000 pieces.
However, during the increase in production of PPD, the excessive complexity of its design and manufacturing technology, as well as its high cost, was revealed. At the same time, it was planned to carry out: “...the development of a new type of automatic weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge should be continued for the possible replacement of the outdated PPD design.” By order of the Art Directorate dated February 10, 1939, the PPD was removed from the 1939 production program. The copies available in the Red Army were concentrated in warehouses for better preservation in the event of a military conflict, and the samples in storage were ordered to be “provided with an appropriate amount of ammunition” and “stored in order.” A certain amount of these weapons were used to arm border and escort troops. The Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 (Winter War) became a new stage in the development of submachine guns in the USSR. The Finns were armed in relatively small quantities with the very successful Suomi M/31 submachine gun designed by A. Lahti.
The PPD automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. Switching between fire modes was carried out using a rotary flag of the fire mode translator, located in the front part of the trigger guard on the right. The barrel is covered with a round steel casing, the stock is wooden. On samples of 1934 and 1934/38. The stock is solid, the 1940 model has a split stock. Cartridges are fed from box-shaped curved magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges or drum magazines with a capacity of 71 rounds. Drum magazines for PPD-34 and PPD-34/38 had a protruding neck with which the magazines were inserted into the receiver. Degtyarev's submachine guns had a sector sight that allowed them to fire at a distance of up to 500 meters. The cocking handle had a manual safety that locked the bolt in the forward or rear position.
Main characteristics of PPD-34/38
Caliber: 7.62×25
Weapon length: 777 mm
Barrel length: 273 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.75 kg.
Magazine capacity: 25 or 71
After convincing evidence of the advantages of a submachine gun in military operations, obtained in the war with the Finns, the task of developing a new weapon at the beginning of 1940 was given to student V.A. Degtyareva - G.S. Shpagin.
Georgy Semenovich Shpagin (1897-1952) was born in the village of Klyushnikovo (Vladimir region). In 1916 he joined the army, where he ended up in a weapons workshop. After the First World War, he was a gunsmith in one of the rifle regiments of the Red Army, and in 1920, after demobilization, he went to work as a mechanic at the Kovrov Arms and Machine Gun Plant, where V.G. worked at that time. Fedorov and V.A. Degtyarev.
PPD-40, used at that time, was produced using “classical” technology with large volumes of mechanical processing of parts. The goal of Shpagin’s work was to simplify the Degtyarev design as much as possible and reduce the cost of production, and the main idea was to create a stamp-welding machine.
Shpagin's weapon surprised experts with its design. The oblique cut of the casing simultaneously served as a muzzle brake, reducing recoil, and as a compensator, preventing the weapon from being thrown up during shooting. This improved the stability of the weapon when firing and increased the accuracy and accuracy of fire. The weapon allowed both continuous fire and single shots. In addition, it turned out that during production the labor intensity of the Shpagin submachine gun is significantly - almost half - lower than that of the PPD. By decree of the Soviet government of December 21, 1940, the “Shpagin system submachine gun model 1941 (PPSh-41)” was adopted for service.
Already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, it turned out that the firing range so demanded by the military did not matter given the high density of artillery and mortar fire. The ideal weapon in such a situation would be a machine gun, but at the end of 1941 there were no more than 250 of them in the Reserve of the High Command. Therefore, already in October 1941, the production of parts for PPSh was established at the State Bearing Plant, the Moscow Tool Plant, the S. Ordzhonikidze Machine Tool Plant, and at 11 other small enterprises of local industry management. The assembly was carried out at the Moscow Automobile Plant. During 1941 alone, 98,644 machine guns were produced, of which the lion's share - 92,776 pieces - were PPSh, and already in 1942, the production volume of submachine guns amounted to 1,499,269 pieces. In total, about 6 million PPSh-41 units were produced during the war.
Initially, the PPSh was developed for the disc magazine from the PPD-40, but such magazines were expensive to produce and difficult to use, so in 1942, carob (box) magazines with 35 rounds were developed.
Early versions of the PPSh allowed firing both bursts and single shots, but later the fire mode translator was removed, leaving only automatic fire.
The PPSh was an extremely reliable design. The barrel was chrome plated to protect against corrosion. Shooting from it was possible even at very low temperatures, since Soviet cartridges used a mercury primer.
Performance characteristics of PPSh-41
Cartridge 7.62×25 mm TT
Magazine capacity 71 (disc magazine) or 35 (horn magazine) rounds
Weight without cartridges 3.63 kg
Length 843 mm
Barrel length 269 mm
Rate of fire 900 rpm
Effective range 200 m
The PPS submachine gun was developed by the Soviet gunsmith designer Alexei Ivanovich Sudaev in 1942, in Leningrad besieged by German troops, and was produced at the Sestroretsk arms factory to supply the troops of the Leningrad Front. During the design of this weapon, the famous PPSh-41 was in service with the Red Army, which proved to be effective in combat and technologically advanced in production. But the PPSh had not only advantages, but also disadvantages, such as large dimensions and weight, which significantly complicated the use of this weapon in narrow trenches and cramped spaces in urban battles, as well as by reconnaissance personnel, paratroopers, and crews of tanks and combat vehicles. As a result, in 1942, a competition was announced for a submachine gun that was lighter, more compact, and cheaper to produce, but not inferior in performance to the submachine gun designed by Shpagin. Such famous designers as V.A. took part in the competition. Degtyarev, G.S. Shpagin, N.V. Rukavishnikov, S.A. Korovin. The weapon of Alexander Ivanovich Sudaev won the victory.
PPS automation operates according to a blowback design. For shooting, 7.62×25 TT cartridges are used. Shooting is carried out from an open bolt. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in automatic mode - in bursts. The safety is located in front of the trigger guard and, when turned on, blocks the trigger rod and raises a bar with cutouts that block the cocking handle, rigidly connected to the bolt, both in the lowered and cocked positions. The safety is moved to the forward firing position by pressing the index finger before placing it on the trigger. In some modifications, if it is necessary to lock the cocked bolt, the cocking handle can be inserted into an additional transverse groove on the receiver. In this position, the cocked bolt cannot break spontaneously even if the weapon falls. The receiver and barrel casing are a single part and were produced by stamping.
The PPS-43 is often called the best submachine gun of the Second World War, given the excellent ratio of its combat and service qualities with manufacturability and low cost of mass production. From the beginning to the end of the production of Sudaev PPS-42 and PPS-43 submachine guns, about 500,000 units of these weapons were produced. The PPS was removed from service by the Soviet Army after the end of the war, in the early 1950s, and was gradually replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle. However, the PPS remained in service with rear and auxiliary units, railway troops and units of internal troops for some time, and the PPS was in service with individual paramilitary security units until the end of the 1980s. In addition, Sudaev submachine guns were supplied after the war to states friendly to the USSR, including developing countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, China, and North Korea.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25
Weapon length: 820/615 mm
Barrel length: 255 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3 kg.
On February 15, 1940, Degtyarev presented a modernized version of his submachine gun, designed with the participation of designers from the Kovrov plant P.E. Ivanova, S.N. Kalygina, E.K. Alexandrovich, N.N. Lopukhovsky and V.A. Vvedensky. The new weapon had a split stock made of two parts, located before and after the store. These parts were equipped with metal guide stops intended for mounting the magazine, which made it possible to use a drum magazine without a protruding neck. The capacity of such a magazine was reduced to 71 rounds. However, the reliability of cartridge supply has increased significantly. The use of sector box magazines, also called “horns”, in the new submachine gun became impossible in the 1934 model submachine gun. They returned to box-shaped “horns” only during the Second World War, thanks to the combat experience of using the PPSh-41 among the troops, which showed the excessive capacity of the drum magazine and its too large mass. A new version of the Degtyarev submachine gun was approved by the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars for production on February 21, 1940 and put into service as the “submachine gun of the 1940 model of the Degtyarev system” - PPD-40. Production of PPD-40 began in March of the same year.
A total of 81,118 PPD-40 submachine guns were produced throughout 1940. As a result, the 1940 model is the most widespread in terms of the number of copies produced. In addition, the armed forces received a fairly significant amount of countermeasures. The PPD-40 submachine gun was used at the very beginning of the war, but this type of weapon was still greatly lacking in the troops, and compared to the enemy, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht in the number of available submachine guns. Already at the end of 1941, the PPD-40 was replaced by the much more technologically advanced and cheaper to produce, more reliable Shpagin PPSh-41 submachine gun, designed in 1940. A huge advantage of the PPSh-41 was that this weapon was originally developed taking into account mass production at any industrial enterprise with low-power pressing equipment. This circumstance turned out to be extremely important during the war.
But at first, while the production of PPSh-41 had not yet reached the required scale, in the initial period of the war the production of PPD-40 was temporarily restored at the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov in Leningrad. Since December 1941, PPD-40 began to be manufactured at the plant named after. A.A. Kulakova. At the Kovrov plant, about 5,000 PPD-40 submachine guns were assembled from available parts. In total, for 1941-1942. In Leningrad, 42,870 PPD-40s were produced, which entered service with the troops of the Leningrad and Karelian fronts. Many Leningrad-made PPD-40s, instead of a sector sight, were equipped with a simplified folding sight, as well as a simplified fuse configuration. Later, using the same production facilities, the production of a much more technologically advanced Sudaev submachine gun was carried out. The PPD-40 fire was considered effective up to 300 m when firing single shots, up to 200 m when firing in short bursts, and up to 100 m in a continuous burst. The destructive power of the bullet was maintained at distances of up to 800 m. The main type of fire was short burst fire. At distances less than 100 m, continuous fire was allowed at a critical moment, but in order to avoid overheating of no more than 4 magazines in a row.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25
Weapon length: 788 mm
Barrel length: 267 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.6 kg.
Rate of fire: 800 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 71 rounds
The Korovin submachine gun was developed by 1941 by the Soviet small arms designer Sergei Aleksandrovich Korovin at the Tula Arms Factory. This weapon, created by the designer based on his earlier designs from the 1930s, was produced at TOZ in limited editions during 1941. The main advantage of the Korovin submachine gun of the 1941 model is its exceptional technological simplicity of production. With the exception of the barrel and bolt, almost all the main parts of the weapon were made by stamping and welding. In wartime conditions, this made it possible to produce Korovin submachine guns at any machine-building enterprise that had press and stamping equipment.
The first submachine gun in the USSR was created by F.V. Tokarev in 1927 with a 7.62 mm cartridge for the Nagant revolver. Two years later, V.A. proposed his design. Degtyarev. In 1930, S.A. created his prototype submachine gun. Korovin in Tula. Korovin's first submachine gun had an automatic mechanism with a blowback bolt and a hammer-operated firing mechanism, which allowed it to fire single shots and bursts. For firing, 7.62×25 TT pistol cartridges were used, loaded into a box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds, which also served as a holding handle. During tests in 1930, in which the Degtyarev and Korovin systems took part, the Tokarev model turned out to be the best of the domestic submachine guns created at that time, but it was not adopted for service due to delays in firing.
These delays were caused by the front part of the cartridge sticking into the breech section of the barrel, as well as jamming of the edges of the cartridges in the magazine, but after modification, in 1934, Degtyarev’s sample was adopted for service under the designation PPD-34, although it had a number of shortcomings. The design of submachine guns continued, including by Korovin, in the 1930s. It was thanks to these works that at the beginning of the war Korovin created such a successful submachine gun, characterized by manufacturability, simplicity, low weight and the presence of the main advantages of such a model as the famous PPS-43, which became more successful due to its adoption by the Red Army.
The automatic operation of the Korovin submachine gun, model 1941, operates on the basis of a circuit using recoil energy with a blowback bolt. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in automatic mode - in bursts, from an open bolt. The firing pin is placed motionless in the shutter mirror. The safety feature is a cutout in the rear of the receiver groove, into which the bolt cocking handle is placed. The trigger stroke length is 4 mm, and the trigger pull is 2.9 kg. Most parts of the weapon, including the receiver, are made from sheet steel. Extraction and reflection of the spent cartridge case is carried out by a spring-loaded ejector located in the bolt and a reflector located at the bottom of the mounting box.
The cartridges are fed from a double-row box magazine with a capacity of 30 rounds. The weapon has simple sighting devices, consisting of a reversible rear sight designed for 100 and 200 m, and a horizontally adjustable front sight protected by a closed front sight. The Korovin submachine gun has a low rate of fire, due to which it has low ammo consumption and good accuracy of fire. The stock is folding, made of stamped steel, folding down. The metal pistol grip fire control has wooden cheeks. The magazine serves as an additional handle for holding the weapon.
The Korovin system submachine gun was supplied to militia units formed in Tula in the same year in order to fill the shortage of Red Army personnel and protect the city from advancing German troops. In October 1941, in Tula, in addition to the 156th NKVD regiment guarding defense factories, fighter battalions of workers and employees, most of whom were evacuated with the enterprises, the 732nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment, which covered the city from enemy air raids, as well as between There were practically no military units in Orel and Tula at that time. Since the beginning of the war, the formation of fighter battalions, militia detachments and combat workers' squads took place in the Tula region. On October 23, 1941, the city defense committee decided to form the Tula Workers' Regiment consisting of 1,500 people.
The Tula Workers' Regiment was the only unit that received submachine guns designed by S.A. Korovina. The Tula Workers' Regiment took its first battle at 7:30 a.m. on October 30, 1941, defending the Rogozhinsky village. At the same time, the first combat use of Korovin submachine guns took place. On the same day, the last, fourth enemy attack, supported by almost 90 tanks, began at 16:00, but met with powerful fire from anti-aircraft artillery, armored train No. 16 and all fire weapons, the tanks turned back. Defensive battles on October 30 played an important role in the defense of Tula; 31 German tanks and an enemy infantry battalion were destroyed. The most valuable thing was won - the time required for the approach and deployment of regular units of the 50th Army. Korovin submachine guns were successfully used by Tula militia soldiers until their units were included in the regular Red Army. After this, Korovin’s submachine guns were replaced with small arms standard for the Red Army. Only a few copies of Korovin's submachine guns have survived.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 7.62×25 TT
Weapon length: 913/682 mm
Barrel length: 270 mm
Weapon height: 160 mm
Weapon width: 60 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.5 kg.
Initial bullet speed: 480 m/s
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
MP-18 - German submachine gun, late World War I. The MP-18/1 submachine gun (Maschinenpistole18/1) was originally intended to arm special assault troops and police. Patented in December 1917 by designer Hugo Schmeisser, who was financially supported by Theodor Bergmann during the development of his new submachine gun.
Story
After the submachine gun was adopted by Germany in 1918, mass production of the MP-18/1 was launched at the Waffenfabrik Theodor Bergmann plant. MP-18/1 were armed with special assault squads, each squad consisting of two people. One of them was armed with an MP-18/1, the second was armed with a Mauser 98 rifle and carried a supply of ammunition. The total ammunition of this compartment was 2,500 rounds of 9x19 mm Parabellum ammunition.
After Germany's defeat in World War I, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles of November 11, 1918, the production of certain types of weapons in Germany was prohibited. The MP-18/1 was also included in this list, but it was produced until 1920 as a weapon for the police, the production of which was not subject to such significant restrictions.
After 1920, production of the MP-18/1 under license continued in Switzerland, at the Swiss Industrial Company (SIG) plant in Newhausen.
Design
The MP-18/1's automatic system operates using a free shutter. When fired, the bore is locked with a spring-loaded bolt. The barrel is completely enclosed by a round steel casing with ventilation holes. The striker-type trigger mechanism allows only automatic fire. There is no safety lock as a separate Soldier part with the MP-18, but the bolt cocking handle is inserted into a slot in the receiver, where it is fixed, leaving the bolt in the open position. The magazine receiver is located on the left side.
The cartridges were fed either from direct box magazines with 20 rounds of ammunition, or from a disk magazine of the Leer system with 32 rounds of ammunition from the artillery model of the Luger-Parabellum P08 pistol. A drum-type magazine of the TM-08 model of the Blum system with 32 rounds was used, which is attached to the left in the long neck. The idea of this magazine in an improved form was used in magazines for Thompson submachine guns, PPD-34/40, PPSh-41 and Suomi M/31. The sight is open and adjustable. Adjustment of the sighting range is carried out by reversing the rear sight at 100 or 200 meters. The stock and butt of the MP-18/1 submachine gun are wooden, rifle type.
Developed, year: 1917
Weight, kg: 4.18 (without magazine); 5.26 (curb)
Length, mm: 815
Barrel length, mm: 200
Operating principles: blowback
Initial bullet speed, m/s: 380
Caliber, mm: 9
Cartridge: 9×19 mm Parabellum
Sighting range, m: 200
Type of ammunition: disc magazine "snail" for 32
or straight box magazine for 20 rounds
Rate of fire, rounds/min: 450-500
Schmeisser MP.28 submachine gun
The Schmeisser MP.28 submachine gun, manufactured by C.G. Haenel, is an improved version of the MP.18 designed by Louis Schmeisser. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. A cylindrical receiver with a perforated barrel casing is attached to a wooden stock using a hinge joint. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The safety is the same handle, which can be placed in the L-shaped cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. The fire mode selector, which is a horizontally moving button, is located above the trigger. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. A rifle-type sector sight allows for targeted shooting at distances from 100 to 1000 meters. Unlike the prototype, the MP.28 did not become the standard weapon of the German army, but was manufactured mainly for export. For example, the Schmeisser MP.28 was adopted by the Belgian army under the name Mitrailette Modele 1934, and was also exported to Spain, China, South America and some African countries.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, 9mm Mauser Export, .45 ACP, 7.65mm Parabellum, 7.6325 Mauser
Weapon length: 810 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
The Bergmann MP-35 submachine gun, also abbreviated B.M.P. (from Bergmann Maschinen Pistole), designed by Emil Bergman, the first working example of which was manufactured in 1932. The first sample was designated B.M.P. 32. Its production was established by the Danish company Shulz & Larsen under an acquired license under the designation MP-32. The MP-32 submachine gun used the 9mm Bergmann-Bayard cartridge, and the weapon itself was supplied to the Danish armed forces. The improvement of Bergmann's design did not stop there; a new model was soon ready, designated Bergmann MP-34 (B.M.P. 34), which appeared in 1934. The MP-34 was manufactured in several versions, with a barrel length of 200 and 308 mm. However, Bergmann did not have a production base sufficient for large-scale production, as a result of which production was commissioned by the famous German arms company Walther. In 1935, the next version was ready, more suitable for mass production in large volumes due to simplified design, designated MP-35.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The fire mode is changed by the length of the trigger stroke. If the shooter presses the trigger fully, the weapon fires in bursts; if the shooter presses it incompletely, the weapon fires a single shot. The receiver and the perforated barrel casing with a compensator in the front part are made cylindrical. The cocking handle, which remains motionless when firing, is located in the rear of the receiver. This part is significantly different in design and operation from other examples of this type of weapon. To cock the bolt, the handle is rotated upward at an angle of 90°, then pulled back, and then returned to its original position. That is, the cocking handle here works like a rifle with a rotating bolt. The fuse is located on the left side of the receiver, under the rear sight; it is made in the form of a slider moving along the axis of the weapon. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the right, horizontally. The sector sight of this submachine gun allows for targeted shooting at distances from 100 to 500 meters.
This weapon, like the previous model, was produced by Walther. There from 1935 to 1940. About 5,000 copies of this weapon were produced. Most of the Bergmann MP-35s were exported. So in Switzerland it was adopted under the designation Ksp m/39, which used the standard Swiss army cartridge - 9mm Parabellum. With the outbreak of World War II, Walther's production facilities were occupied with more important orders, resulting in the production of the MP-35 being contracted to Junker & Ruh, where about 40,000 were produced before the end of the war. Most of the Junker & Ruh Bergmann MP-35s were supplied to the SS and police forces.
Main characteristics
9x23 (9mm Bergmann-Bayard), 7.63x25 Mauser, 9x25 (9mm Mauser Export), .45 ACP
Weapon length: 810 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 32 rounds
The Erma EMP 35 submachine gun was developed by the German gunsmith designer Heinrich Vollmer, who had been designing submachine guns since 1925. In 1930, Volmer developed an improved version of his system, which he continuously refined, making various changes. The 1930 model featured a patented return mechanism system in which the return spring was housed in a telescopic housing. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon, and it also serves as a safety lock when placed in the groove of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. Various options were also equipped with a separate manual safety, located on the right side of the receiver, in front of the rear sight. The fire mode translator is located on the right side, above the trigger. The receiver and the perforated barrel casing were made cylindrical, the stock was made of wood in two versions - with a front handle, or without a handle with a rifle-type stock. The return spring is housed in its own telescopic housing. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. Sights consist of a front sight and either a sector or reversible rear sight. However, Vollmer himself did not have sufficient financial resources for large-scale production of his weapons, as a result of which he sold the rights to produce a submachine gun of his design to Erfurter Maschinenfabrik, marketed under the Erma brand. After this, serial production of Volmer's weapons began in various versions, with different barrel lengths, different designs of fuses and sighting devices, as well as in different calibers. This weapon was designated EMP (Erma Maschinen Pistole). Its main consumers were the SS troops and the German police, in addition, EMP submachine guns were exported to France, Spain and South American countries.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum), 9×23 (9mm Bergmann-Bayard), 7.63×25 Mauser, 7.65×22 (7.65mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 900 or 550 mm
Barrel length: 250 or 310 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.4 kg.
Rate of fire: 520 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The MP.38 submachine gun was designed by the German gunsmith designer Vollmer, who worked for the Erma company, for the German armed forces. The MP.38 was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1938. Often this weapon is called "Schmeisser", which is absolutely not true. Volmer created his submachine gun based on the design of the prototype MP-36, which, in turn, used many components and mechanisms borrowed from Heinrich Vollmer's Erma EMP 35. Initially, the main purpose of the MP.38 was to arm crews of combat vehicles and paratroopers with a compact and lightweight submachine gun. But subsequently, Volmer’s weapons began to be supplied to infantry units of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. For shooting, 9mm Parabellum cartridges were used, both standard pistol and with an increased powder charge.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts, from an open bolt. However, single shots could be fired by more or less experienced shooters by briefly pressing and quickly releasing the trigger. To reduce the rate of fire, a pneumatic recoil buffer was introduced into the design. A special feature of the design is a cylindrical return spring located in a telescopic casing. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. The weapon is protected from accidental shots by inserting the charging handle into the cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the retracted position. Late-release MP.38 submachine guns and most MP.40s were equipped with a retractable cocking handle, with which the bolt could be locked in the forward position. The receiver is cylindrical in shape, the barrel has a lower protrusion in the muzzle for fixing the weapon in the embrasures of combat vehicles. The cartridges are fed from double-row straight box magazines with cartridges exiting in one row. The metal stock is foldable and folds down when in the stowed position. Sighting devices consist of a front sight protected by a front sight and a reversible rear sight, allowing for targeted shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Although in practice, shooting was carried out, as a rule, at no more than 50 - 70 meters. To reduce production costs, plastic was first used for the fore-end and aluminum for the pistol grip body.
In practice, the MP.38 submachine gun, although it demonstrated high combat qualities combined with ease of transportation and small size, was too expensive for mass production in wartime conditions, since during production many parts were made using milling equipment. As a result, in 1940, the MP.38 was modernized to reduce production costs, which was achieved by replacing milling with stamping from sheet steel. In April 1940, Erma began producing a new weapon under the designation MP.40 and by order of the General Staff of the Armed Forces it was adopted as a personal weapon for vehicle drivers, infantry, cavalry, staff officers, tank crews, signalmen and some other categories.
The advantages are a low rate of fire, due to which good controllability of the submachine gun was achieved during firing with both single shots and bursts, the weapon was quite light, had small dimensions, as a result of which it was convenient to manipulate it during combat indoors, which was very important for urban battles of World War II. But there were also significant shortcomings, such as the unsuccessful placement of the cocking handle on the left side of the weapon, which, when worn on a belt on the chest, tangibly hit the owner in the ribs; there was no barrel casing, which led to burns on the hands during intense shooting. One of the main disadvantages of the MP.38 and MP.40 was the double-row magazine with the cartridges being rearranged into one row at the exit. To equip them with cartridges, it was necessary to use a special device, since the effort when manually sending cartridges into the magazine was excessive. In conditions of prolonged lack of weapon care and dirt or sand getting into the body, the magazines did not work extremely reliably, causing frequent delays in shooting. Instead of 32 rounds, the magazine was equipped with 27 rounds to prevent the feeder spring from settling, which was discovered during the operation of the weapon.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 833/630 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The MP.38 submachine gun, although it demonstrated high combat qualities combined with ease of transportation and small size, was too expensive for mass production in wartime conditions, since during production many parts were made using milling equipment. As a result, in 1940, the MP.38 was modernized to reduce production costs, which was achieved by replacing milling with stamping from sheet steel. In April 1940, Erma began producing a new weapon under the designation MP.40 and by order of the General Staff of the Armed Forces it was adopted as a personal weapon for vehicle drivers, infantry, cavalry, staff officers, tank crews, signalmen and some other categories. In the production of MP.40, stamping and welding, spot welding, and drawing were widely used, and in addition they switched to lower quality steel. In 1940, the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch, with excellent technological equipment and well-trained workers, was involved in the production of MP.40, and in 1941 production was launched at C.G. Haenel.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts, from an open bolt. However, single shots could be fired by more or less experienced shooters by briefly pressing and quickly releasing the trigger. To reduce the rate of fire, a pneumatic recoil buffer was introduced into the design. A special feature of the design is a cylindrical return spring located in a telescopic casing. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. The weapon is protected from accidental shots by inserting the charging handle into the cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the retracted position. Late-release MP.38 submachine guns and most MP.40s were equipped with a retractable cocking handle, with which the bolt could be locked in the forward position. The receiver is cylindrical in shape, the barrel has a lower protrusion in the muzzle for fixing the weapon in the embrasures of combat vehicles.
The cartridges are fed from double-row straight box magazines with cartridges exiting in one row. However, during the war, in order to speed up reloading and increase firepower, two variants of the standard MP.40, equipped with a dual magazine receiver with the possibility of lateral displacement, were designed and produced in small volumes. A two-magazine shifting receiver made it possible to quickly replace a loaded magazine in place of an empty one. These variants, designated MP.40-I and MP.40-II, were produced by the Austrian company Steyr; due to identified design flaws, which caused frequent delays in difficult operating conditions, they did not receive further distribution. The metal stock is foldable and folds down when in the stowed position. Sighting devices consist of a front sight protected by a front sight and a reversible rear sight, allowing for targeted shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Although in practice, shooting was carried out, as a rule, at no more than 50 - 70 meters. To reduce production costs, plastic was first used for the fore-end and aluminum for the pistol grip body.
Each MP.40 included six magazines and a lever device for loading them. The large losses of the armed forces in submachine guns during the fighting forced the transition to even more simplified production technologies and even cheaper materials. So, in the autumn of 1943, Steyr began production of a simplified version of the MP.40 with a slightly modified design, which subsequently began to receive many complaints due to low reliability. The reasons for the complaints were corrected, and the production cost of submachine guns decreased significantly, although the service life of the weapon also decreased. From the start of production until the end of World War II, about 1,200,000 copies of the MP.40 were manufactured. After the war, these submachine guns were no longer in service in Germany, but were used for a long time in the armed forces of Norway and Austria. The design and production technology of the MP.38 and MP.40 influenced the design of Soviet, American, Italian and Spanish designs such as the PPS-43, M3, Beretta Modello 1938/49 and Star Z-45.
The advantages are a low rate of fire, due to which good controllability of the submachine gun was achieved during firing with both single shots and bursts, the weapon was quite light, had small dimensions, as a result of which it was convenient to manipulate it during combat indoors, which was very important for urban battles of World War II. But there were also significant shortcomings, such as the unsuccessful placement of the cocking handle on the left side of the weapon, which, when worn on a belt on the chest, tangibly hit the owner in the ribs; there was no barrel casing, which led to burns on the hands during intense shooting. One of the main disadvantages of the MP.40 was its double-row magazine with cartridges rearranged into one row at the exit. To equip them with cartridges, it was necessary to use a special device, since the effort when manually sending cartridges into the magazine was excessive. In conditions of prolonged lack of weapon care and dirt or sand getting into the body, the magazines did not work extremely reliably, causing frequent delays in shooting. Instead of 32 rounds, the magazine was equipped with 27 rounds to prevent the feeder spring from settling, which was discovered during the operation of the weapon.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 833/630 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The Schmeisser MP.41 submachine gun, as the name of the weapon suggests, was designed by Louis Schmeisser, the author of the MP.18 and MP.28 submachine guns, with the goal of creating the most suitable model for infantry based on the generally well-proven MP.40. Schmeiser did not make any significant changes, but simply equipped the MP.40 with a trigger mechanism and a wooden stock of his own design. Unlike the MP.40, the MP.41 submachine gun can be fired in single shots, and not just in bursts. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The cylindrical return spring is housed in its own casing. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The fire mode selector is a transversely moving button located above the trigger. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. Protection against an accidental shot is carried out by inserting the bolt cocking handle into a special shaped groove in the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. The barrel is not equipped with a stop for firing from the embrasures of combat vehicles. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges with their rearrangement at the exit into one row. The weapon has a wooden stock instead of a metal folding stock. The reversible rear sight allows for targeted shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Serial production of MP.41 was established by C.G. Haenel. However, soon the Erma company, which produced the MP.40, through a patent infringement lawsuit, succeeded in stopping production of the MP.41. In total, about 26,000 copies of these weapons were produced, which went mainly to the Waffen SS and the police.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 860 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
John Thompson with a submachine gun of his design
John Toliver Thompson acquired a patent from the American John Blish for a design for slowing the recoil of the bolt by friction, which he then used in his weapon. In 1916, John Thompson, together with Thomas Ryan, who provided financing for the project, founded the Auto-Ordnance company, the purpose of which was to develop an automatic rifle based on the patent they acquired, issued to John Blish in 1915 for a semi-free bolt of an original design. To directly design the new weapon, Thompson and Ryan hired engineer Theodore H. Eickhoff, Oscar V. Payne and George E. Goll.
During the design work of 1917, it became clear that the Blish bolt, acting due to the frictional force of the bronze liner moving inside its frame, did not provide complete locking of the barrel during the shot, as provided for by the patent. The insert only slowed down the movement of the bolt to the extreme rear position, which significantly limited the power range of the cartridges that could be used in the weapon. This meant abandoning the original project of an automatic rifle, since the only cartridge accepted for service in the United States that worked normally with the Blish bolt was the pistol cartridge .45 ACP for the Colt M1911 pistol, which was unsuitable for this type of weapon in terms of ballistic qualities.
As a result, it was decided to design a small-sized light machine gun chambered for a pistol cartridge for close-range combat, as well as storming trenches and other fortifications, which was very important in the First World War. John Thompson gave this weapon the name "submachine-gun", which literally means "submachine gun" or "lighter version of the machine gun." This term has taken root in American English and is still used today to refer to a hand-held automatic weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge, which in Russian terminology is called a submachine gun. The current prototype was manufactured in 1918. The weapon was given the commercial designation "Annihilator I" (English: "Destructor").
Technically, the Thompson submachine gun operates using a semi-blowback action. To slow the rearward movement when firing, friction is used between the H-shaped bolt liner and the bevel on the inner walls of the receiver. This system was developed in 1915 by American Navy officer John B. Blish. According to the manufacturer, this liner held the bolt in the forward position at the initial moment of the shot, with high pressure of the powder gases in the barrel, and after the pressure in the channel dropped, it rose upward, due to which the bolt was unlocked. However, a number of experts claim that this retarder insert in this system either did not perform its function at all, or had only a slight effect on the operation of the automation.
In later models of the Thompson submachine gun, created already during the Second World War and adopted for service under the designations M1 and M1A1, this insert is missing and this did not in any way affect the performance of the weapon’s automation. In addition, if the insert was installed incorrectly when assembling the weapon, the submachine gun would not work at all. The trigger mechanism is assembled in the trigger frame, allowing you to fire both single shots and bursts. Early Thompson models had a trigger mechanism that was quite complex in design and manufacture, in which there was a small trigger in the form of a triangular lever inside the bolt, striking the firing pin with the striker when the bolt group came to the extreme forward position when interacting with a special protrusion of the receiver. In this case, the fire was fired from an open bolt. The Thompson M1A1 submachine gun, instead of a complex mechanism, received a simple fixed firing pin in the bolt mirror. The M1A1 is also fired from an open bolt.
The cocking handle is located on the top cover of the receiver. For models M1 and M1A1, the cocking handle is located on the right side of the receiver. The fire mode selector and manual safety are made in the form of separate levers and are located on the left side of the receiver. Sights consist of a non-adjustable front sight and an adjustable rear sight, which includes a fixed rear sight with a V-shaped slot and a flip-up adjustable diopter rear sight. The M1A1 model received a simple and cheap to manufacture non-adjustable diopter rear sight. Thompson submachine guns could be used with magazines of different capacities. These were both box and drum magazines. Box-shaped double-row magazines had a capacity of 20 or 30 rounds and were attached to the weapon using a kind of rail-shaped protrusion on the back of the magazine, with which they were inserted inside a T-shaped cutout in the trigger guard. Drum magazines held 50 or 100 rounds of ammunition and were attached to the submachine gun in the cutout of the receiver using transverse grooves. Only box magazines could be attached to the M1 and M1A1 models.
In 1940-1944. 1,387,134 Thompson submachine guns of all models were produced: 562,511 pcs. - M1928A1; 285480 pcs. - M1; 539143 pcs. - M1A1. Of these, the company Auto-Ordnance Sogr. produced 847,991 Thompsons, and Savage Arms Corp. - 539143. But the simplified models M1 and M1A1, despite all the simplifications of design and production, remained too expensive and low-tech for military weapons, especially in wartime conditions. In addition, the M1 and M1A1 had the same main disadvantages as the previous models - excessive total mass, as well as a short effective firing range along with a significantly flat bullet trajectory. As a result, Thompson submachine guns never became the main type of automatic weapon in the US Army, where such submachine guns as the M3, M3A1, Reising M50 and Reising M55 were used along with them.
During the Second World War, Thompsons were used not only by the Americans and their ally, Great Britain, a certain number of these submachine guns were supplied to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program, including as additional equipment for various military equipment, such as tanks and airplanes . But, despite all its advantages, this weapon did not become very popular in the Red Army, the reason for which was its excessive weight, especially with an equipped drum magazine, as well as the use of an American cartridge that was not in service. There simply wasn’t enough ammunition sent from overseas. It is worth noting that the .45 ACP cartridge is significantly superior to the domestic 7.62x25 TT in terms of the stopping effect of the bullet, which is extremely important when conducting close combat.
In terms of penetration, the American cartridge is of course inferior to the domestic one, but not by as much as some myths describe. After the end of World War II, Thompson submachine guns remained in the US armed forces for a long time. Thompsons were used during both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Some South Vietnamese army units and military police were armed with Thompson submachine guns. Thompsons were used by both US army units and reconnaissance and sabotage groups. The FBI used Thompsons until 1976, when this weapon was considered obsolete and removed from service. Tommy guns remained in individual police departments until the 1980s. However, despite its very advanced age and all its shortcomings, Thompson submachine guns continue to be used sporadically in various hot spots.
Main characteristics of the Thompson M1921:
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 830 mm
Barrel length: 267 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.7 kg.
Main characteristics of the Thompson M1928A1:
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 852 mm
Barrel length: 267 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 700 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 20, 30, 50 or 100 rounds
Main characteristics of Thompson M1 and M1A1:
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 811 mm
Barrel length: 267 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.8 kg.
Rate of fire: 700 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 30 rounds
The M3 submachine gun (“Grease gun”) was designed by the design team of General Motors Corp, which included R. Stadler, F. Simson and D. Heide, to replace the difficult-to-manufacture and expensive Thompsons, having a much more technologically advanced and simpler design . On December 12, 1942, the M3 submachine gun in .45 ACP caliber was adopted under the name “United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3." Its modernized version, designated M3A1, began production in December 1944. The M3 submachine gun in the army received the nickname “Grease gun” - grease gun, due to its significant external resemblance to a car grease gun, as well as due to the constant need for lubrication to ensure reliable operation of its components and mechanisms. The handle of the M3 submachine gun had a small built-in oiler, which was closed with a screw cap at the bottom of the handle.
About 1,000 M3 submachine guns were produced in 9mm Parabellum caliber. The 9mm version of the M3 is designated "U.S. 9 mm S.M.G." equipped with a suppressor developed by Bell Laboratories and supplied to the Office of Strategic Services in 1944. Conversion kits were produced to change the caliber from .45 ACP to 9mm Parabellum, they included a 9mm barrel, bolt, recoil spring and magazine receiver adapter. The magazines were used from British STEN submachine guns. The M3 submachine gun was used in infantry, tank units and reconnaissance units of the US Army. 15,469 M3A1 assault rifles were produced before the end of World War II.
The automatic operation of the M3 submachine gun operates using a blowback recoil system. The firing pin is placed motionless in the shutter mirror. Shooting is carried out from an open bolt. The body of the M3 submachine gun was made by stamping. The barrel was installed in a special coupling, which also served as the front cover of the receiver. The trigger mechanism is located at the bottom of the bolt box and allows only automatic fire. It consists of a trigger with a spring, a trigger rod and a trigger lever. The trigger is connected to the trigger lever by a rod.
The loading mechanism is located in a special box, which is connected from below to the bolt box using a trigger safety guard. It consists of a charging handle with a spring, a lever and a pusher. One of the most distinctive features of the M3 is the cocking handle, which is cocked by rotating backwards, similar to the bolt handle of a Maxim machine gun. When the charging handle is pulled back, the lever rotates, and a pusher connected to the lever pulls the bolt back. This shutter cocking system turned out to be not reliable enough. It was abandoned in the M3A1 model, replacing the rotary cocking handle with a hole in the bolt. To cock the bolt, the shooter hooked his finger on this hole and pulled the bolt back. They also increased the size of the window for ejecting cartridges.
The spring-loaded shell ejection cover was used as a safety device, locking the bolt in the rear or forward position when it was closed. A reflector is welded to the front of the loading mechanism box. Sights consist of simple non-adjustable front sights and a diopter rear sight. The weapon is equipped with a retractable shoulder rest made of steel wire. This shoulder rest served several functions. The right rod of the rest, separated from the weapon, could be used as a cleaning rod, and at the rear of the M3A1 shoulder rest there was a bracket to facilitate loading the magazine with cartridges. Later M3A1 submachine guns were equipped with a conical flash suppressor.
Initially, it was planned that the M3 could be produced in sufficient quantities to replace the Thompson submachine gun and displace this weapon from front-line units. However, due to unforeseen production delays and the need to correct identified deficiencies, the M3 was never replaced by the Thompson submachine gun during World War II and Thompsons continued to be purchased until February 1944. A total of 622,163 M3/M3A1 submachine guns were assembled by the end of the war. By this time, more than 1.5 million Thompsons had been produced, outnumbering the M3 and M3A1 by a factor of about three to one. After the end of World War II, these weapons remained in the armed forces for quite a long time. They fought with M3 submachine guns in Korea and Vietnam. The M3 submachine gun remained in the US tank forces until the early 1980s, and in the infantry until the 1960s. These weapons were also exported. In addition to the United States, the M3 submachine gun was produced unlicensed in China under the designation Type 36. It also served as the basis for the Argentine P.A.M submachine guns. 1 and P.A.M. 2.
M3 Key Features
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 757/579 mm
Barrel length: 203 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
M3A1 Key Features
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP), 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 757/579 mm
Barrel length: 203 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 450 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
U.S. Marine Corps code talkers who participated in combat operations in the Pacific theater during World War II were armed with Reising M50 submachine guns, in addition to other small arms.
The Reising M50 submachine gun was designed and patented in 1940 by American designer Eugene Reising. Harrington & Richardson (H&R) began serial production of these weapons in 1941. In 1942, the US Marine Corps entered into a contract with H&R for their new submachine guns. During World War II, the M50 submachine gun was used by the US Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. The M50 rating was supplied under Lend-Lease to Canada, the USSR, and other countries. Reising submachine guns were produced until 1945. After the end of the war, the Reising M60 self-loading carbine was developed and produced on its basis for the police and civilian arms market. A small-caliber version of this carbine was also produced under the designation M65, which used a 5.6-mm 22LR cartridge. Both had an extended barrel. The Reising M55 submachine gun differed from the Model 50 by the presence of a side-folding metal stock and the absence of a muzzle brake. The main purpose of the Reising M55 was to arm paratroopers and crews of combat vehicles. The Reising M55, in addition to its main drawbacks, had another one - weak fixation of the buttstock in the unfolded position, which is why this weapon did not enjoy a good reputation among paratroopers.
The Reising M50 submachine gun operates on the basis of automation using a semi-blowback. Shooting is carried out from a closed bolt. In the extreme forward position, the bolt protrusion enters with its protrusion, located in its upper rear part, into the groove of the receiver and warps upward. During a shot, the bolt begins to move back under the influence of the pressure of the powder gases at the bottom of the cartridge case. Slowing down its withdrawal is carried out by friction between the protrusion and the surface of the groove of the receiver. When the rear of the bolt exits the groove, the bolt moves freely to its rearmost position, removing the spent cartridge using the ejector and deflector. After which, under the influence of the spring, the bolt sends the next cartridge from the magazine into the chamber and again locks the barrel.
The bolt cocking handle is located at the bottom of the submachine gun fore-end, in front of the magazine receiver. When firing, this handle, which is not rigidly connected to the bolt, remains motionless. The trigger mechanism of the Reising M50 submachine gun is hammer-type, allowing firing in single shots and in bursts. The safety switch is made in the form of a slider and is located on the right side of the receiver. It has the following provisions: extreme forward “FA” - fire in bursts; medium “SA” - single shooting; extreme rear “SAFE” - fuse. The Reising M50 has a muzzle compensator that reduces the weapon's toss when firing. The weapon is fed with cartridges from box magazines with a capacity of 20 or 12 rounds. Each submachine gun was supplied with six magazines. The sights of the Reising M50 submachine gun consist of a front sight and an adjustable diopter rear sight, allowing for accurate fire at distances of 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards.
For cleaning and inspection, the Reising submachine gun is disassembled in the following order: separate the magazine by pulling the latch back; separate the stock by unscrewing the connecting screw on the underside of the forend with a screwdriver; unscrew the butt plate from the receiver; pull back the bolt frame so that the transverse hole at the front end of the recoil spring guide rod becomes visible, and insert the end of the mainspring into this hole; separate the magazine receiver from the receiver by pushing out the two wedge-shaped pins holding it with a punch; separate the bolt frame with the return spring and its guide rod from the receiver; remove the trigger and bolt, for which, holding the weapon up with the barrel above the soft mat, press the trigger, after which these parts will fall down themselves. The instructions strongly discouraged disassembling the weapon too often, as this accelerated the wear of its parts, as well as using excessive force during disassembly and confusing parts of different weapons with each other, since they were not interchangeable.
The adoption of the Reising M50 submachine gun was a consequence of the high cost and complexity of producing Thompson submachine guns. The Reising M50 was more technologically advanced to manufacture and cost $50 apiece, while the Thompson submachine gun cost $225. In addition, the Reising M50 was much lighter and more maneuverable than the Thompson. In order to find a more technologically advanced submachine gun that was simpler in design and manufacture, a competition was organized in the USA, in which the Reising M50 demonstrated a number of advantages and was declared the winner. The Reising's high shooting accuracy was due to the fact that it fired from a closed bolt, while most submachine guns of that time did not use a hammer trigger and fired from an open bolt. In systems where shooting is carried out from an open bolt, in comparison with those firing from a closed one, additional impulses arise when the bolt moves forward, which leads to some displacement of the weapon from the aiming line.
But the M50 submachine gun also had its drawbacks, which in particular included low firepower due to the use of magazines with a capacity of only 20 rounds. The Thompson M1 and M1A1 used not only compact 20-round magazines, but also larger ones with a capacity of 30 rounds, not to mention the M1928 and M1928A1, which could be used with 50- and 100-round magazines. The small capacity of the M50 magazine limited the ability to conduct effective automatic fire, which was necessary in close combat, especially during clashes in urban environments. It is worth noting that this weapon was originally developed for the police; it was intended to be used primarily as a light self-loading carbine with the ability to fire in bursts. The Reising M50 submachine gun was used in the Pacific Theater during the war.
Main characteristics of Reising M50:
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 880 mm
Barrel length: 275 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3 kg.
Main characteristics of Reising M55:
Caliber: 11.43×23 (.45 ACP)
Weapon length: 780/555 mm
Barrel length: 265 mm
Weight without cartridges: 2.8 kg.
Rate of fire: 500-550 rds/min
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds
The UD M42 submachine gun was designed by Carl Swebilius in 1941-1942. and was presented by the American arms company High Standard Manufacturing Company to the US government as a replacement for the expensive and difficult to manufacture Thompson submachine guns. The United Defense M42 submachine gun was produced from 1942 to 1945. at the production facilities of High Standard Firearms and Marlin Firearms. The M42 was originally designed in two calibers - 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP, but only the 9mm version was mass-produced, the 11.43mm version was produced in only three copies. In total, about 15,000 UD M42 submachine guns were manufactured. One of the features of the M42 is the magazines connected in pairs, which was done to speed up reloading.
The automatic operation of the United Defense M42 submachine gun operates according to a blowback design. Shooting is carried out from an open bolt. The firing pin is made as a separate part, driven by a trigger. The bolt cocking handle, located on the right side of the receiver, is a separate part that does not move with the bolt when firing. On the right side of the weapon, behind the magazine, there is a receiver locking lever. There is also a safety lever on the right. The submachine gun is fed with cartridges from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 25 rounds. To reduce the time required to reload a weapon, the magazines were fastened together in twos, with their necks in opposite directions, with bullets facing each other. Sights consist of a non-adjustable front sight with the ability to make lateral adjustments and an adjustable diopter rear sight using an adjustment screw on the left side of the weapon.
The United Defense M42 submachine guns were generally a good weapon for their time, lighter, more maneuverable, convenient and cheaper than Thompsons, but at the same time not without their own shortcomings. Magazines made of thin sheet steel tended to deform when hit and dropped, which led to delays in feeding cartridges. When dirt and sand got into the mechanism, delays also occurred. The UD M42 was still an expensive weapon compared to such models as the British STEN or the Soviet PPS-43, due to the still widely used turning and milling of parts in production, instead of stamping. In addition, the M42 was introduced almost simultaneously with the much more technologically advanced and cheaper to produce M3 submachine gun.
The bulk of these weapons went into service with operatives of the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the first joint US intelligence service, on the basis of which the CIA was subsequently created. About 2,500 of these weapons were supplied to resistance movements operating in occupied territories in Europe and China. The UD M42 was used by partisans in France, Italy and the island of Crete. This use of the M42 was justified by the fact that resistance fighters could use captured 9mm Parabellum cartridges in their weapons. The UD M42 submachine gun, due to its high cost and poor reliability, never became a replacement for the Thompson, but it performed well when used by fighters with a high level of training and resistance forces.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 820 mm
Barrel length: 279 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
Rate of fire: 900 rounds/min
The Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 is one of the best submachine guns created in the period between the two world wars, characterized by excellent workmanship and surface treatment, and the quality of materials used in production, high reliability, very solid service life, ease of use and care, excellent shooting accuracy, both single shots and bursts. The creator of this wonderful weapon is the famous German designer Louis Stange, who is the author of the very extraordinary FG42 automatic rifle. In 1919, a design team led by Stange at Rheinmetall designed a submachine gun under the designation MP.19. However, due to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty, this weapon was not put into mass production and remained unclaimed until 1929, when Rheinmetall bought the small Swiss Wafenfabrik Solothurn. It was there that documentation on small arms was sent in order to circumvent the Versailles restrictions. Other developments transferred to the Wafenfabrik Solothurn factory included the MP.19, which was subject to minor changes. Further, as a result of the merger of Wafenfabrik Solothurn with the famous Austrian company Steyr, a new joint venture Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG emerged. After which the weapon, designed in Germany and produced in Austria, entered the market.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The fire mode switch, located on the left side of the weapon, on the forend, is a horizontally moving lever on a steel plate. The receiver was made by milling from solid steel blanks. The receiver cover is hinged up and forward, like the Russian AKS-74U. The barrel is covered by a round perforated casing that protects the shooter’s hands from burns when touching a hot barrel in the event of prolonged firing. On the left side of the front of the casing there is a bayonet mount. The stock with a butt and a semi-pistol grip was made of walnut wood. The butt contains a return spring connected to the bolt using a long rod, which is a very non-standard solution in this class of weapon. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. In the neck of the magazine there is a special device for equipping the magazine with cartridges from their clips. To equip a magazine in this way, it was necessary to attach it to the groove of the neck from below, and a clip of cartridges was placed in the corresponding upper groove, after which the cartridges were manually pushed from top to bottom into the store. A total of four clips were needed to fully load the magazine. The sector sight of this submachine gun allows for targeted shooting at distances from 100 to 500 meters.
In 1930, a modified MP.19 submachine gun designed by Louis Stange, called the Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 and using 9mm Steyr cartridges, entered service with the Austrian police under the designation Steyr MP.30. In 1935, the S1-100, under the designation MP.35, was adopted by the Austrian army. The MP.35 used powerful 9mm Mauser Export cartridges. In addition, Steyr-Solothurn has been exported to various countries around the world, including Europe, Asia and South America. These weapons were produced in various calibers for different countries and customers, for example, chambered for 9mm Parabellum and 7.65mm Parabellum - for Portugal, chambered for 7.63x25 Mauser - for China and Japan, and chambered for the famous American cartridge.45 ACP - for South American countries. Before the outbreak of World War II, after the Anschluss of Austria, the S1-100 submachine gun began to be produced by Steyr, where its production continued until 1942. The German Armaments Directorate did not miss the chance to take advantage of such a successful trophy as the Steyr-Solothurn S1-100, which was converted to use standard German 9mm Parabellum cartridges. Such submachine guns were used in the Wehrmacht as weapons of a limited standard, along with other captured firearms and weapons produced in occupied territories. The S1-100 chambered for 9mm Parabellum was designated MP.34(ö) in Germany.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum), 9×23 (9mm Steyr), 7.63×25 Mauser, 9×25 (9mm Mauser Export), 7.65×22 (7.65mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 820 mm
Barrel length: 208 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4 kg.
Rate of fire: 450-500 rds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The Austen submachine gun was designed based on the British STEN design during World War II and was in service from 1942 to 1944. The name Austen comes from the words Australia and STEN, respectively. Work to modernize the English STEN was carried out by engineer W. Riddell, who made several significant changes to the design. The Austen submachine gun combined the best qualities of STEN, such as simplicity and low cost of mass production, requiring the simplest stamping equipment at enterprises, without the need for highly qualified labor, as well as the compactness, lightness and convenience of the weapon itself, which is comparable in combat qualities to much more expensive samples of that time. Plus, elements borrowed from the German MP.38 were added to the Austen design, such as a recoil spring in a telescopic casing, a hammer as a separate part, and a simple steel stock folding down. For better control of the weapon during firing, a front handle was added. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The return spring is housed in its own telescopic casing, similar to the German MP.40 submachine gun. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the receiver. Protection against accidental shooting is carried out by placing the cocking handle in a special cutout when the bolt is in the rear position. The fire mode selector is made in the form of a horizontally moving button, just like STEN. The Austen is equipped with a folding wire stock. Under the window for ejecting spent cartridges there is a front handle for holding the weapon. Sights consist of an open non-adjustable front sight and a simple diopter non-adjustable rear sight. In addition to the standard one, a version of this submachine gun with an integrated silencer was produced, used by the Australian special forces "Z Special Force". A total of about 19,900 Austen examples were produced at Diecasters Ltd and W.J. Carmichael & Co. However, this submachine gun was not very popular due to the lower reliability of the automation in dirty conditions and lack of long-term care than the Owen submachine gun, also created and produced in Australia. In addition, the quantity of Austen supplied to the troops was clearly insufficient, which was compensated for by large quantities of English STEN and American Thompson towards the end of the war.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 732/552 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
The armed forces of the dominions of the British Empire and in particular Australia, in the initial period of hostilities faced a serious shortage of modern small arms, since after the outbreak of the war with Japan in the Pacific and the capture of many islands by Japanese troops, Australia was deprived of arms supplies from the mother country. It was urgently necessary to establish our own production of modern models, and in particular submachine guns. The solution to this situation was the submachine gun of Australian Army Lieutenant Evelyn Owen. The first example of this weapon was presented in November 1941. The Owen submachine gun was adopted into service in 1942 under the designation Owen Machine Carbine Mk 1. In 1943, production was launched of a variant with a wooden stock instead of a metal frame, which was designated Mk 2. Owen submachine guns were widely used by the Australian armed forces in World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars. They have proven themselves to be reliably functioning in any operating conditions and easy to maintain and handle. However, there were also a number of disadvantages. The weapon turned out to be bulky and not comfortable to carry due to the upper location of the magazine; in addition, for the same reason, the visibility of the line of fire was reduced, and the weapon was heavy. At the same time, the weight of the submachine gun and the low rate of fire made it well controllable when firing in bursts, and the compensator reduced the weapon's deflection. In general, this submachine gun, despite its shortcomings, was in service with the Australian army after the war. The automatic operation of the Owen submachine gun operates according to a blowback mechanism. The barrel is made quick-release, fixed with a latch located in the upper front part of the cylindrical receiver. To minimize the movement of the weapon due to recoil when firing, the barrel is equipped with a compensator. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located at the rear of the receiver and is separate from the bolt, which prevents dirt from getting into the receiver through the slot for the cocking handle. The cartridges are fed from box magazines attached to the weapon from above. The window for ejecting spent cartridges is located at the bottom of the receiver, in front of the trigger guard. The Qwen Mk 2 submachine gun is equipped with a wooden stock, all variants have wooden pistol grips. The sights, due to the upper location of the magazine, are shifted to the left and consist of an open non-adjustable front sight and a simple diopter non-adjustable rear sight. In total, from 1941 to 1945. John Lysaght Pty Ltd produced approximately 50,000 Owens. The production of these weapons continued until the fall of 1945. Since 1955, Owen submachine guns, after factory repairs, were again supplied to the troops, where they were used until the mid-1960s.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 813 mm
Barrel length: 245 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 700 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The F1 submachine gun was created based on the design of the English Sterling L2A3 with the aim of replacing the obsolete Owen submachine gun in the Australian Armed Forces. The F1 was adopted and produced by Lithgow Small Arms Factory from 1962 until the late 1980s. The weapon is made according to a linear design - the place where the butt rests on the shooter’s shoulder is in line with the central axis of the barrel bore. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The receiver with a perforated barrel casing has a cylindrical shape. The bolt cocking handle, located on the left side of the weapon, is connected to a cover that covers the groove in the bolt box. During firing, the handle remains motionless. The cartridges are fed from box magazines attached to the weapon through a neck located on top. The window for ejecting spent cartridges is located at the bottom of the receiver, in front of the trigger guard. The submachine gun is equipped with a wooden butt, and the pistol grip fire control is the same as that of the Belgian FN FAL assault rifle. The safety switch is located above the trigger guard, on the left side of the weapon. Due to the upper location of the magazine, the sights are shifted to the left and consist of an open front sight and a folding diopter rear sight. On the right side of the barrel casing there are protrusions for attaching a bayonet.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 714 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 34 rounds
The Lanchester Mk.1 submachine gun is based on the design of the German Schmeisser MP.28 submachine gun with only minor differences. The author of the Mk.1 is George H. Lanchester, who quickly developed this weapon for the British armed forces, which needed as many modern small arms as possible to confront the Wehrmacht and repel a possible German invasion of England. The production of this submachine gun was carried out by Sterling Engineering Co until 1945.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The fire mode translator is located in front of the trigger. Protection against an accidental shot was carried out by inserting the bolt cocking handle into the L-shaped groove of the receiver cutout when the bolt was in the rearmost position. The receiver and perforated barrel casing are tubular and connected to the stock using a hinge assembly. The stock is modeled after the English SMLE rifle, with a characteristic neck. The bayonet mount in the lower front part of the barrel casing is also borrowed from these rifles. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. The neck of the magazine was made of bronze. Sights allow targeted shooting at a distance from 100 to 600 meters.
Lanchester did not become a mass-produced submachine gun in the British army, the reason for which was the appearance of the STEN submachine gun, which was much cheaper and easier to manufacture. As a result, the STEN submachine gun was destined to become one of the most recognizable small arms of the Second World War, and the Lanchester Mk.1 was adopted by the Royal Navy of Great Britain. In addition to the standard Mk.1, a simplified version was also produced under the designation Mk.1*, without a fire mode translator and equipped with a simple reversible rear sight, allowing targeted shooting at 100 and 200 yards. In total, about 100,000 Lanchester submachine guns were produced.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 851 mm
Barrel length: 201 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.4 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 50 rounds
The STEN submachine gun was designed in 1941 in response to the huge need that arose among British troops after the evacuation from Dunkirk for small arms in general and submachine guns in particular. The name STEN consists of the first letters of the last names of the designers of R.V. Shepard and H.J. Turpin, and the manufacturing company – Enfield arsenal. In England, this weapon was also designated 9mm STEN machine carbine. The STEN submachine gun gradually entered the armed forces of the British Empire, increasingly displacing traditional bolt-action rifles and submachine guns of foreign systems. The leadership of the armed forces of the empire was never able to appreciate the promise of submachine guns, preferring traditional SMLE rifles, which were certainly excellent in their class of weapons, surpassing many analogues, but were hopelessly outdated during the First World War. Of course, progressive-minded officers tried to change the state of affairs, but they were unable to cope with the conservative majority. So the War Department in 1938, just on the eve of the war, rejected the idea of the BSA company to produce the American Thompson submachine gun in the United Kingdom.
Conservatives in the department considered these weapons to be gangster weapons and not needed by the armed forces of the empire... Quote from the refusal: “The British Army is not interested in gangster weapons.” Such naive jingoism and the imperial greatness of officials led to the fact that at the beginning of World War II, British soldiers were faced with the firepower of the German Wehrmacht, which was armed with an insufficiently large, but nevertheless respectable number of submachine guns. No rifles or heavy machine guns could compare with the firepower of this type of weapon in close combat, especially in urban battles. As a result, the War Department began to take action to correct the situation that was not in Britain's favor by purchasing American Thompsons. However, the purchased submachine guns were, to put it mildly, not enough. So in 1940, about 107,500 copies were delivered to the army... After the defeat in Europe and the hasty evacuation from Dunkirk with the loss of a huge amount of weapons and equipment, the British were forced to organize their own production of submachine guns on their territory, since sea convoys at that time were constantly were subjected to successful attacks by Kriegsmarine submariners.
However, a suitable pistol cartridge was not produced in England and the choice fell on the German 9mm Parabellum. This cartridge was chosen because it was already produced in the UK as a commercial cartridge, and also because of its optimal characteristics, and in view of the possibility of using captured ammunition. The Lanchester Mk.1 submachine gun was complex and expensive to manufacture, requiring a lot of time and skilled workers. The problem was solved by employees of the RSAF arsenal in the city of Enfield - R. Sheppard and G. Tarpin proposed a submachine gun of their own design, extremely unusual, looking like a pair of welded scraps from water pipes with a bolt and magazine. The weapon's layout was reminiscent of the same Lanchester Mk.1, but was radically different from it in everything else. Sheppard and Tarpin's designs made very extensive use of stamping, essentially producing most of the weapon's parts. Which ultimately made it possible to organize production not only in weapons factories, but also wherever there was primitive equipment for stamping production. In January 1941, mass production of STEN submachine guns was launched.
Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cylindrical receiver and barrel casing were made of steel sheet. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. When the bolt is in the rear position, the weapon can be put on safety by inserting the handle into a special cutout in the receiver. The fire mode translator is designed as a horizontally moving button. The cartridges are fed from box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges. The magazine is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. STEN submachine guns were usually equipped with metal welded tubular butts or skeletal-type wire butts, although there were also options with wooden butts. The simplest sighting devices consist of a non-adjustable front sight and a diopter rear sight, aimed at a distance of 100 yards.
The STEN Mark 1 submachine gun was produced since 1941 and was distinguished by the presence of a folding front handle, wooden parts and a compensator. The Mark II, or Mk.II, was produced from 1942 to 1944. no longer has a front handle and compensator. The most obvious difference between this modification is the steel wire stock, curved in the shape of a rifle stock, but the Mark II was also equipped with tubular stocks. The magazine neck is made to rotate around the central axis of the weapon, turning 90°, which was done to protect against dirt getting into the receiver in the stowed position, with the magazine removed. The barrels, which had from 6 to 4 grooves, were connected to the receiver with threads. The first combat use of this weapon took place during the famous disastrous amphibious landing of British commandos with the support of Churchill tanks near the city of Dieppe in August 1942. The Mark II was used by the British armed forces until the end of the war, as well as by partisans and the French underground. In total, approximately 3,500,000 Mark II submachine guns were produced.
At first, the WALL troops did not take it seriously; it received the nickname “a plumber’s dream.” So the commandos, who had previously used Thompson submachine guns, with their formidable reputation as gangster weapons, seeing the new English submachine gun spoke about it in something like this: “It must have been made by a drunken apprentice plumber in his free time from his main job using that whatever was at hand." However, it was simple and cheap to produce, and equally easy to handle, light, convenient and compact, which was especially noticeable on the march. The STEN was no less effective on the battlefield than the much more expensive submachine guns of the time. Of course, STEN also had a number of disadvantages. So, when shooting from new models, with parts that had not yet been worn in, there were cases of the weapon jamming during firing in automatic mode in such a way that the shooter had to wait until the cartridges in the magazine ran out, since releasing the trigger did not lead to the cocking of the bolt whispered. But after shooting a couple of magazines, this drawback no longer appeared. This was typical for WALLS of early release.
Of course, this submachine gun did not have very high firing accuracy, especially in automatic mode, unlike the Thompsons supplied to Britain. But the biggest problem with the WALLS was its double-row magazines, with the cartridges being rearranged into one row, which was the reason for most of the delays when firing. The soldiers quickly found a solution to the problem with magazines, equipping them not with 32 rounds, but with 28 - 29. The enterprises that produced most of these submachine guns were the RSAF, BSA, ROF in England, and the Long Branch Arsenal in Canada, as well as the CAA in New Zealand. The production of these weapons grew steadily. Total from 1941 to 1945 About 3,750,000 copies of all WALL variants were produced in the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
Main characteristics of STEN Mark 1 (STEN Mk.I)
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 845 mm
Barrel length: 198 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.3 kg.
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
Main characteristics of STEN Mark 2 (STEN Mk.II)
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 762 mm
Barrel length: 197 mm
Weight without cartridges: 2.8 kg.
Rate of fire: 540 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The STEN Mk.IIS submachine gun was created to arm British commandos and carry out sabotage operations behind enemy lines. This weapon is based on the STEN Mk.II. The Mk.IIS submachine gun has a short barrel, which is covered by an integrated silencer (silent-flameless firing device). The shooting was carried out with special cartridges loaded with a heavy bullet with a subsonic initial speed that did not create a shock wave. Other differences from the prototype are a lighter bolt and a shortened recoil spring. Firing from this submachine gun was carried out mainly with single shots, and the use of automatic mode and burst fire according to instructions was allowed only in extreme cases, since this would disable the silencer. The maximum sighting range is 150 yards, but this weapon was, of course, used at much closer distances. In total, about several thousand Mk.IIS were produced, supplied to special forces units in England and Canada, and in addition, a number were transferred to France to the local resistance movement.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 900 mm
Barrel length: 90 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.5 kg.
Rate of fire: 540 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The STEN Mark 3 (Mk.III) submachine gun was produced from 1943 to 1944. Distinctive features of this option are very high manufacturability, a non-perforated barrel casing that hid almost its entire length, the receiver was made as a single part with the barrel casing, a safety stop in front of the window for ejecting spent cartridges, a fixed magazine neck welded to the receiver, and so on. same tubular steel stock. Most of these weapons were supplied to British paratroopers, and there were also supplies to the partisan movements of many occupied countries in Europe.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 762 mm
Barrel length: 197 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 540 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The STEN Mark 4 submachine gun was developed for British commandos, who required a compact and lightweight weapon that would be discreet and easy to carry concealedly in enemy territory. In 1943, based on the STEN Mk.II design, the compact STEN Mark 4 (Mk.IV) submachine gun was created and produced in limited quantities of approximately 2000 copies in two versions - Mk.IVA and Mk.IVB. The Mk.IVA submachine gun was equipped with a wooden pistol grip, a folding metal stock and had a short barrel with a flash suppressor. The Mk.IVA model was equipped with a silencer in 1944 and was supplied to MI5 military intelligence units, as well as SAS soldiers. The Mk.IVB submachine gun received a folding shoulder rest and a pistol grip in a different configuration, a shorter barrel and a trigger mechanism with several design changes.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 622/445 mm
Barrel length: 98 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.5 kg.
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The turning point in the course of hostilities in favor of the Allies made it possible for England to move from quantity to quality in the production of small arms. In 1944, a new version of the STEN submachine gun was created - Mark 5 (Mk.V). This modification differed from earlier ones in the presence of a wooden butt with a metal butt plate and a pistol grip for fire control, a wooden front handle, a mount on the barrel for attaching a bayonet No. 7 Mk.I or No. 4 Mk.II, as well as a muzzle like on the SMLE rifle No. 4 Mk 1. Later, in June 1945, the Mk.V began to be produced in a simplified version without a front handle. STEN Mark 5 submachine guns were primarily supplied to elite troops such as commandos and paratroopers. This weapon was first used in combat during the disastrous Arnhem airborne operation of 1944, when for 8 days the paratroopers fought fierce battles with German tank and infantry units, suffering heavy losses, and eventually retreating across the Rhine River without achieving their goals. During combat use, soldiers complained about the front handle; in the field, it was simply removed. As mentioned above, the Mark 5 was subsequently produced without this handle. But if such problems could be solved in the field and in production in the shortest possible time, then the main problem of all STEN submachine guns remained unresolved. Delays continued to occur due to the fault of the magazines - the weakest link of this, undoubtedly, overall very successful weapon for its time.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 762 mm
Barrel length: 198 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 575 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds
The Star SI-35, RU-35 and TN-35 submachine guns were developed by the Spanish company Bonifacio Echeverria S.A., known under the Star brand, and introduced in 1935. The weapons had a complex automation design, and most of their steel parts were made using turning and milling operations, which resulted in the high cost of these samples. The only difference between the above submachine guns was the rate of fire: 300/700 (SI-35), 300 (RU-35), 700 (TN-35) rounds/min. The automation operates according to a semi-blowback design. The shutter itself consists of two parts. At the early stage of the bolt's rollback, its speed is reduced by a special cylinder, which connects the bolt's combat cylinder to the receiver for a short period of time. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The weapon is equipped with a fire rate retarder, the control lever of which is located on the left side of the receiver. The firing mode translator is located on the left side of the weapon, behind it there is a control lever for the rate of fire retarder. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the receiver. The receiver and the perforated cylindrical barrel casing were made by milling from solid steel blanks. The barrel casing has a muzzle brake-compensator with a bayonet mount. The stock is made of wood. The cartridges were fed from straight box-shaped double-row magazines. On the left side, the stores have longitudinal holes to control the consumption of ammunition when firing. This solution has a significant drawback - in combat conditions, dirt quickly fills into the magazine body through these holes, which immediately causes delays in shooting. The sector sight allows for targeted shooting at distances from 50 to 1000 meters.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×23 (9mm Largo)
Weapon length: 900 mm
Barrel length: 270 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.7 kg.
Rate of fire: 300/700 (SI-35), 300 (RU-35), 700 (TN-35) rds/min
Magazine capacity: 10, 30 or 40 rounds
The Star Z-45 submachine gun was designed by the Spanish gunsmiths of the Bonifacio Echeverria S.A. company, presented on the arms market under the Star brand, based on the famous German MP.40 towards the end of World War II and was adopted by the Spanish Army. The Z-45 was used in the Spanish armed forces almost until the end of the 20th century, and was also sold for export to Asia and South America. The Star Z-45 uses the powerful 9mm Largo pistol cartridge. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The translator of fire modes is the degree of pressure on the trigger: fully squeeze the trigger - burst fire, short squeeze not at full speed - single shot. The return spring, like the MP.40, is equipped with its own telescopic casing that protects it from dirt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The safety is an L-shaped cutout in the bolt box into which the cocking handle is inserted when the bolt is in the rear position. In addition, the cocking handle is movable in the transverse plane and when it is retracted, the bolt is locked. Unlike the MP.40, the Star Z-45 submachine gun has a perforated barrel casing, which prevents burns to the shooter’s hands during prolonged shooting. The receiver and barrel casing are made cylindrical. The handguard and pistol grip fire control were made of wood. The weapon has a folding steel stock, also similar in design to the MP.40. The cartridges are fed from straight box magazines with a double-row arrangement of cartridges with their output also in two rows. A different design of the magazine with a double-row exit eliminated delays in firing when the magazine was dirty, which was one of the main problems of the MP.40. Sighting devices consist of a front sight protected by a front sight and a reversible rear sight, allowing for targeted shooting at 100 and 200 meters. In the manufacture of steel weapon parts, except for the bolt, stamping was widely used. In general, the Z-45 was manufactured with high quality and has a fairly high reliability of operation, without some of the shortcomings of its prototype.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×23 (9mm Largo)
Weapon length: 840/580 mm
Barrel length: 190 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 450 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 10 or 30 rounds
The Beretta M1918 submachine gun is based on the Villar-Perosa M1915 and was adopted by the Italian army at the end of the First World War. Unlike the Villar-Perosa, which is actually a unit support weapon, the Beretta M1918 submachine gun is already an individual weapon for the infantryman, like the Bergmann-Schmeisser MP.18. After the end of the war, the Beretta M1918 was exported, mainly to South America, and continued to be used by the Italian armed forces. The automation operates according to a semi-blowback design. The reduction in the recoil speed of the bolt at the beginning of its stroke when firing occurred by sliding the cocking handle along the slope of the front part of the groove in the receiver. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts, from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The rifle-type stock was made of walnut wood. To feed the weapon with cartridges, box magazines attached to the top were used. The spent cartridges were extracted downwards through the corresponding window in the receiver. The window itself had a protective casing to prevent contact of the extracted cartridges with the shooter’s hand supporting the weapon. For hand-to-hand combat, the weapon is equipped with an integral folding needle bayonet attached to the muzzle of the barrel.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Glisenti)
Weapon length: 850 mm
Barrel length: 318 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.3 kg.
Rate of fire: 900 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 25 rounds
In 1935, the Italian gunsmith Tulio Marengoni, who worked as the chief designer of Pietro Beretta, took the design of the German Bergmann submachine gun as a basis and worked for three years to improve it, creating his Beretta Modello 1938A submachine gun, which is one of the best examples of Italian small arms from the Second World War. world war. This submachine gun used 9mm Parabellum cartridges, as well as reinforced, specially designed M38 cartridges with a muzzle velocity of 450 m/s. The automatic operation of this weapon operates according to a blowback mechanism. A special feature of the Modello 1938A was the firing mechanism with two triggers. The front one was used for firing single shots, the rear one for firing in bursts. Striker-type USM. The cocking handle is equipped with a dust shield. The barrel is covered with a perforated cylindrical casing with a muzzle brake-compensator in the front part, which reduces the weapon's deflection and recoil force during firing. The safety lever is located on the receiver, on the left side of the weapon. Cartridges are fed from box-shaped double-row magazines with a capacity of 10 to 40 rounds. The rifle-type stock was made of wood. The sector sight allows for targeted shooting up to 500 meters. Beretta produced the 1938A submachine guns from 1938-1950. in three versions. The first of them was produced in small batches from January 1938. It is distinguished by oval holes in the barrel casing, which had a large diameter. The muzzle brake-compensator is made with two symmetrical windows in its upper part. In the front lower part of the barrel casing there is a bayonet mount. The second option is distinguished by a large number of holes of smaller diameter in the barrel casing. The third option was developed in accordance with the specifications of the Ministry of Italian Africa, taking into account the peculiarities of combat in the desert. This weapon received a fixed firing pin, a muzzle brake-compensator of a new design, and a window for extracting spent cartridges of a different configuration. This option was most widely used by the German airborne forces in World War II. In Italy itself, the Beretta Modello 1938A submachine gun was in service with the front-line units of the army, while the rear units had mostly outdated models. The 1938A submachine gun was purchased in significant quantities for the Wehrmacht in Italy from 1940 to 1942, and was in service with the Wehrmacht and the Romanian armed forces. In the Wehrmacht, the 1938A was designated MP.739(i).
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 946 mm
Barrel length: 315 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 10, 20, 30 or 40 rounds
The Beretta Modello 1938/42 submachine gun combines the best qualities of the Modello 1938A and the experimental Beretta mod.1, also designed by Tulio Marengoni, which was the first in Italian small arms to use stamping in the manufacture of the main parts of the weapon. Externally, the main difference between the 1938/42 model and the 1938A is the absence of a barrel casing. The barrel itself was shortened from 315 to 231 mm and has deep longitudinal cooling fins, as well as a slot-shaped compensator with two holes. The Modello 1938/42 automatic operates according to a blowback design. The striker-type trigger mechanism allows firing single shots and bursts. The trigger is equipped with two triggers. The front one was used for firing single shots, the rear one for firing in bursts. The drummer is motionless. The safety lever is located on the receiver, on the left side of the weapon. The dust cover for the cocking handle was made by stamping instead of milling. Cartridges are fed from box-shaped double-row magazines with a capacity of 20 or 40 rounds. The magazine neck on the 1938/42 is not covered by the front of the wooden stock as on the 1938A. Sights with a reversible rear sight allow for targeted shooting at distances of 100 and 200 meters. The Beretta Modello 1938/42 submachine gun was used by the Italian armed forces during the final stage of hostilities in North Africa, as well as in Sicily, in battles with American troops. After the occupation of the northern regions of Italy by German troops in 1943, production of the Modello 1938/42 was carried out for the German armed forces, mainly the troops of Field Marshal Kesselring, and also the 1st and 2nd parachute divisions of the Luftwaffe. For the German troops, the Bereta company produced about 20,000 submachine guns of the 1938/42 model every month. Further improvements were made in terms of simplifying and reducing the cost of production, carried out in 1943-1944. under the control of the occupiers. So in 1943, a new modification M38/43 was created, the barrel of which no longer had cooling fins. The following year, 1944, two more modifications appeared: M38/44, characterized by the absence of a recoil spring guide tube and a shortened bolt; M38/44 mod.2 with folding metal stock.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 800 mm
Barrel length: 231 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 550 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 40 rounds
The FNAB 43 submachine gun was developed by the Italian company Fabbrica Nazionale d'Armi di Brescia (National Arms Factory in Brescia). The first prototype was assembled in 1942, and mass production was carried out in 1943-1944. The design of this submachine gun and the technology for its production was too expensive, especially in wartime, as a result of which about 7,000 copies of the FNAB 43 submachine guns were produced. The automation operates according to a semi-blowback design. The shutter is braked during a shot using a lever, similar to the design used in the Hungarian Kiraly 39M submachine gun. The trigger mechanism allows firing in bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cylindrical barrel casing is made as a single piece with a slotted compensator having a sloped front wall, similar to the Soviet PPSh-41, which effectively reduces throwing up the weapon when firing.The manual safety and fire mode selector levers are located on the receiver, on the left side. The magazine receiver in this submachine gun is made to fold forward, which is made for ease of carrying the weapon in the stowed position. The weapon is fed with cartridges from double-row box magazines from the Beretta Modello 1938/42 submachine gun from Beretta. The FNAB 43 is equipped with a downward folding metal stock, similar in design to the stock of the German MP.38 and MP.40. Sights are not adjustable. These weapons were used by the armed forces of the Italian Social Republic (Republic of Salo) and German troops in the fight against partisans in Northern Italy during the occupation of this part of the country in 1943-1944.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 790/525 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.7 kg.
Rate of fire: 400 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 10, 20, 32 or 40 rounds
The Type 100 submachine gun, designed by Kijiro Nambu, referred to by many as the Japanese John Browning, was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1940, following Army field trials in 1939. The Type 100 was developed in accordance with the tactical and technical specifications of the Army Weapons Directorate of 1935. Automation operates according to a blowback mechanism. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts. The fire is fired from an open bolt. The weapon is fed with cartridges from box-shaped double-row magazines attached to the weapon on the left. The receiver and the perforated barrel casing are made tubular. The wooden stock has a butt with a semi-pistol grip. During the Second World War, two modifications of the Type 100 were created. For the Airborne Forces, a variant was designed with a butt folding to the right on a hinge. For infantry, they produced a version with a wire bipod. Based on the study of combat experience gained during the use of the Type 100, a number of changes were made to the design of the submachine gun in 1944. The rate of fire was increased from 450 to 800 rounds per minute, the open sector sight was replaced with a diopter, a compensator and a lug for attaching a bayonet from an infantry rifle were added to the barrel casing. The Type100 proved to be an effective weapon in the hands of Imperial Navy Marines during combat in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. However, it did not become a mass weapon in the armed forces of the Great Japanese Empire; only a few tens of thousands of these submachine guns were produced, including those released at the Kakuro and Nagoya arsenals, which was extremely insufficient to significantly increase the firepower of infantry units on the battlefield.
Main characteristics
Caliber: 8×22 (8mm Nambu)
Weapon length: 900 mm
Barrel length: 228 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.4 kg.
Rate of fire: 800 rounds/min
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
The MG 42 (an abbreviation of the German Maschinengewehr, which literally translates as "mechanical rifle") is a 7.92 mm Mauser general purpose machine gun developed in Nazi Germany and adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1942.
It complemented, and in some cases replaced, the MG 34 general purpose machine gun in all branches of the German armed forces, although both machine guns continued to be manufactured and used until the end of the war.
The MG 42 is known for its reliability, durability, simplicity and ease of use, but its main feature is its rate of fire. The MG 42 has one of the highest rates of fire for a single-barrel man-portable machine gun, ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 rounds per minute, with an impressive muzzle flash.
MG 42
There were other automatic weapon designs with similar firepower. These are machine guns such as the French Darne, the Hungarian tank Gebauer, the Russian aviation 7.62-mm ShKAS and the British Vickers K. However, the belt feed and quick barrel change system of the MG 42 allows longer firing compared to the above machine guns .
Production of the MG 42 continued after the defeat of Nazi Germany. On its basis, an almost identical MG1 (MG 42/59) was created, which was then improved into the MG1A3, and this, in turn, into the MG 3. Also, the MG 42 became the model for the Swiss machine guns MG 51, SIG MG 710-3, Austrian MG 74 and for the Spanish 5.56 mm Ameli light machine gun.
Many design elements of the MG 42 were borrowed from the development of the American M60 and the Belgian MAG. After the war, many military formations adopted the MG 42 machine gun; it was both produced under license and copied.
The MG-42 automatic operates on the recoil principle with a short barrel stroke. The shutter is locked by two rollers. The MG 42 is designed for automatic fire only. Due to the high rate of fire, single fire is difficult even for experienced shooters. Typically, the goal of training was to acquire the skill of firing in bursts of no more than three shots.
The machine gun has a recoil amplifier at the end of the muzzle, which increases functional reliability and rate of fire. The MG 42 fires from an open bolt, meaning the bolt (not just the firing pin) is in the rear position when the trigger is not pulled. Pressing the trigger releases the bolt, of which the firing pin itself is part.
How the MG42 works YouTube
Another unique feature of the German machine guns of the Second World War (which the German Bundeswehr continued to use afterward) was the Tiefenfeuerautomat (automatic depth of fire). If you select this function, the barrel of the machine gun will begin to perform wave-like movements up and down with a certain frequency. For example, if the shooter is confident that the target is at a distance of 2000 and 2300 m, then he can adjust the machine gun so that the aiming will be carried out from 1900 to 2400 meters and back. These oscillations within a given range (Tiefenfeuer) continue as long as the machine gun fires.
American and British doctrine of the time was built around the marksman with a rifle, with the machine gun playing a supporting role. The German doctrine was the opposite: the machine gun played the leading role, and the rifle played a secondary role. That is, the German army had many more machine guns than the Allies, and when attacking a German position, soldiers almost always faced the firepower of the MG 42.
The MG 42 shooter could create a continuous fire barrier, which was interrupted only to replace the barrel. This allowed the MG 42 to stop the advance of an overwhelming number of enemies. Both the Americans and the British trained their soldiers to hide from MG 42 fire and attack the position only during the barrel change (about 7 seconds).
This weapon was so terrifying that the United States Army even produced training films on how to help soldiers who had suffered psychological trauma from exposure to MG 42 fire. American soldiers called this machine gun “Hitler's circular saw,” Soviet soldiers called it a “lawn mower.” German soldiers called it Hitlersäge ("Hitler's Saw").
Despite the high rate of fire of the MG 42, a decree of the German army (1940) prohibited the use of more than 250 rounds in one burst, and the constant rate of fire should not exceed 300-350 rounds per minute in order to reduce overheating and barrel wear.
After watching this video, you can get a rough idea of what it's like to come under fire from an MG 42.
MG-42 full auto
A submachine gun is an individual hand-held automatic small arms weapon of continuous fire, using a pistol cartridge for firing. It should be noted that this is an extremely unfortunate name, since this type of weapon has nothing to do with either a pistol or a machine gun. Most likely, it is a type of machine gun (automatic carbine, assault rifle). Thus, a submachine gun should be defined as an automatic weapon that fires continuously with pistol cartridges, but does not fall into the class of pistols in terms of its mass-dimensional characteristics.
In English-speaking countries, especially in the United States, a submachine gun is called a “Submachine Gun” (SMG) meaning “a lighter type of machine gun.” In the countries of the British Commonwealth, submachine guns were called “automatic carbines” (Machine Carbine) for quite a long time. In German-speaking countries the term "Machinenpistole" (MP) is used, i.e. - automatic pistol. In French, for this class of weapon, either the term “Pistolet mitrailleur” (PM) is used, which means a submachine gun, or a diminutive version of the word machine gun is “Mitraillette, i.e. literally, machine gun. In Spanish the terms "Subfusil" are used - literally, subfusil. In Czech and Slovak languages – “Samopal”.
The submachine gun arose during the First World War, almost simultaneously in several countries. By that time, automatic fire from machine guns had already shown its high efficiency. However, while ideal for the defense of fortifications, they were not suitable for active offensive operations. The idea of creating a lighter weapon of the same type that could be carried and effectively used in battle by one person led to the emergence of three new types of weapons at once: a light machine gun, an automatic rifle and, in fact, a submachine gun.
In Italy, in 1918, on the basis of the double-barreled Villar-Perosa M-1915 light machine gun chambered for the Glisenti pistol cartridge (9x20 mm), the Beretta M-1918 submachine gun of the Tulio Marengoni system was created. At the same time, the MP-18 submachine gun began to be produced in Germany. In 1916-1918 In the USA, the Thompson submachine gun was developed, which became widely used and became famous as a weapon of gangsters and police.
During the interwar period, weapons development occurred in two ways. The first was that the submachine gun was recognized as a powerful auxiliary fire weapon, a weapon to support infantry in combat at the shortest distances - up to 200 m - that is, a kind of light machine gun. Weapons created in this direction were usually equipped with long barrels, often with the ability to quickly change them during combat, bipods for greater stability when conducting automatic fire, high-capacity magazines and sights calibrated to 500 or even 1,000 meters, designed the possibility of conducting “harassing” fire on a group target. An example of such a weapon is the Suomi submachine gun, adopted by the Finnish army in 1931. In Czechoslovakia, the ZK-383 was also introduced as an infantry support weapon, as evidenced by the presence of a bipod and quick-change barrel.
The second approach boiled down to recognizing the submachine gun as a kind of more powerful type of pistol, suitable for replacing it in the arsenal of command personnel directly involved in combat operations, “second line” fighters, as well as various kinds of auxiliary units and subunits. This was the case, for example, in the Red Army, where the Degtyarev submachine gun was adopted.
The practice of using a submachine gun in military conflicts of that time refuted both ways of the design approach. The submachine gun turned out to be a powerful and effective infantry fire weapon, but only at close combat distances and provided that this weapon was used by a sufficiently large number of shooters.
The period of World War II marked the peak of the development of the submachine gun as an army weapon. In fact, only during this period were submachine guns used by the infantry of a number of armies as the main weapon. The weapons created at this time were produced in millions of units; they armed entire military units, which required radical changes in the technology of their production.
It is important to note that the massive distribution of submachine guns during the war was not due to any outstanding combat qualities. The mass production was explained by the achieved manufacturability and low cost of production, thanks to the use of stamped and welded parts and a general simplification of the design. This made submachine guns most suitable for the role of wartime weapons - inexpensive, not requiring scarce strategic resources for their production and produced in mass series, albeit not with high combat and operational qualities.
Thus, the combination of low cost, due to the primitiveness of the design and high manufacturability, which opened up opportunities for large-scale production, with acceptable combat qualities, primarily manifested in close combat and due to the high rate of fire, made the submachine gun one of the main types of weapons of the Second period. world war.
Among the weapons released during the war, submachine guns from Great Britain, Germany, the USSR and the USA stand out.
The English “STEN” was essentially a simplified version of the German MP-28, made from tubular blanks and stamped parts - only the barrel and bolt required relatively complex machine processing. Some batches of weapons even had cast aluminum bronze breech blocks. It cost only $5.20 to produce. That’s why more than 4 million of them were produced, despite the fact that “STEN” did not shine with its fighting qualities.
The German MP-38 submachine gun was adopted shortly before the start of the war and was intended to arm paratroopers, tank crews and motorized infantry. Its cost was 57 marks. The simplified all-army version - “MP 40”, in which the receiver was not milled from a forging, but was rolled up from a steel sheet with a welded seam - cost only 40 marks. At the same time, the Mauser-98k rifle was valued at 70 marks. Of the positive characteristics, these submachine guns had only one - a low rate of fire. All other tactical and technical data remained beyond perfection. An inconvenient folding shoulder rest, which allowed for strong play in the joints, relatively primitive sighting devices and a short barrel, combined with the poor ballistics of a rather weak cartridge, limited their scope of use to combat at very short distances, even “according to the passport” - no more than 200 m. However, it should It should also be noted that in Germany submachine guns were not considered the main weapon, but were considered auxiliary.
Most of the parts of the Soviet PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun) were made by stamping on low-power pressing equipment available at almost any industrial enterprise, and the rest, except for the barrel (unified along the channel with a three-line rifle) - mainly by turning or rough milling. The cost of the PPSh was 142 rubles versus 500 rubles for the cost of the Mosin rifle. The high rate of shooting gave the weapon the nickname “ammo eater.” But despite this, by the end of the war, almost 55% of the Red Army soldiers were armed with PPSh.
In the USA, the submachine gun was considered as an auxiliary weapon. In the army it was the Thompson submachine gun, in the navy and marines it was the M-3 and the Raising. Moreover, submachine guns were used to arm, as a rule, command personnel, drivers, artillerymen, crews of armored vehicles, paratroopers, as well as all kinds of auxiliary units and special forces. The infantry also had them as an aid for close-range combat, but in small quantities.
Approximate number of submachine guns, samples of which were used in the war in the context of some countries (in thousands)
| A country | Number of PP | A country | Number of PP |
| Australia | 65 | USSR | 6 635 |
| Austria | 3 | USA | 2 137 |
| Argentina | 2 | Finland | 90 |
| Great Britain | 5 902 | France | 2 |
| Germany | 1 410 | Czechoslovakia | 20 |
| Spain | 5 | Switzerland | 11 |
| Italy | 565 | Sweden | 35 |
| Poland | 1 | Japan | 30 |
| Romania | 30 | TOTAL | 16 943 |
Captured weapons and submachine guns transferred by allied countries to each other were not taken into account.
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