fbpx
Wikipedia

MP 40

October 19, 2023

"MP40" redirects here. For the locomotive, see MPI MPXpress.

The MP 40 (Maschinenpistole 40) is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II.

Maschinenpistole 40
A Maschinenpistole 40 made by Erma Werke in 1943 with the stock unfolded
TypeSubmachine gun
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1939 – 1945 (Nazi Germany)
1940 – present (other countries)
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
DesignerHeinrich Vollmer
Berthold Geipel
Designed1938
Manufacturer
Unit cost57 ℛ︁ℳ︁ (1940)
250 EUR current equivalent
Produced1940–1945 (MP 40)
No. built1,100,000 (estimated)
Variants
  • MP 36
  • MP 38
  • MP 40
  • MP 40/1
  • MP 41
Specifications
Mass3.97 kg (8.75 lb)[2][3]
Length833 mm (32.8 in) stock extended/630 mm (24.8 in) stock folded[4]
Barrel length251 mm (9.9 in)[4]
Cartridge9×19mm Parabellum[4]
ActionStraight blowback, open bolt[3]
Rate of fire500–550 rounds/min[4]
Muzzle velocity400 m/s (1,312 ft/s)[4]
Effective firing range100–200 m (330–660 ft)[3]
Maximum firing range250 m (820 ft)[3]
Feed system32-round detachable box magazine, 64-round with dual magazines[3]
SightsHooded front blade

Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor the MP 38, it was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers, on the Eastern and Western Fronts as well as armoured fighting vehicle crews.[5][6] Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, after Hugo Schmeisser, who designed the MP 18, although he was not involved in the design or production of the MP 40. The weapon's other variants included the MP 40/I and the MP 41. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.

Development Edit

 
MP-40 on display for the Springfield Armory National Historic Site Archives

The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36, a prototype made of machined steel.[7] The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army. It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer's VPM 1930 and EMP. Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts.[7]

The MP 40 was often called the "Schmeisser" by the Allies, after the weapon designer Hugo Schmeisser. Schmeisser had designed the MP 18, which was the first mass-produced submachine gun. He did not, however, have anything to do with the design or development of the MP 40, although he held a patent on the magazine.[8]

Design Edit

 
MP 40 made by Erma Werke in 1943 with the stock folded
 
MP-40 front sight and muzzle

The MP 40 submachine guns are open-bolt, blowback-operated automatic arms. The only mode of fire is automatic, but the relatively low rate of fire permits single shots with controlled trigger pulls.[9] The bolt features a telescoping return spring guide which serves as a pneumatic recoil buffer.[9] The cocking handle was permanently attached to the bolt on early MP 38s, but on late-production MP 38s and MP 40s, the bolt handle was made as a separate part.[10] It also serves as a safety by pushing the head of the handle into one of two separate notches above the main opening; this action locks the bolt in either the cocked (rear) or uncocked (forward) position.[10] The absence of this feature on early MP 38s resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with a small loop that were used to hold the bolt in the forward position.[11]

The MP 38 receiver was made of machined steel, but this was a time-consuming and expensive process.[12] To save time and materials, and thus increase production, construction of the MP 40 receiver was simplified by using stamped steel and electro-spot welding as much as possible.[12] The MP 38 also features longitudinal grooving on the receiver and bolt, as well as a circular opening on the magazine housing. These features were eliminated on the MP 40.[12]

 
A soldier of the Russian Liberation Army with an MP 38 in 1943

One feature found on most MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns is an aluminum, steel, or Margolit (a variation of Bakelite) resting bar under the barrel. This was used to steady the weapon when firing over the side of open-top armored personnel carriers such as the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track. A handguard, also made of Margolit, is located between the magazine housing and the Margolit pistol grip.[13] The barrel lacked any form of insulation, which often resulted in burns on the supporting hand if it was incorrectly positioned.[13] The MP 40 also has a forward-folding metal stock, the first for a submachine gun, resulting in a shorter overall weapon when folded.[14] However, this stock design was at times insufficiently durable for hard combat use.[14]

Although the MP 40 was generally reliable, a major weakness was its 32-round magazine.[15] Unlike the double-column, staggered-feed magazine found on the Thompson M1921/1928 variants, the MP 40 uses a double-column, single-feed version.[15] The single-feed insert resulted in increased friction against the remaining cartridges moving upwards towards the feed lips, occasionally resulting in feed failures; this problem was exacerbated by the presence of dirt or other debris.[15] Another problem was that the magazine was also sometimes misused as a handhold.[16] This could cause the weapon to malfunction when hand pressure on the magazine body caused the magazine lips to move out of the line of feed, since the magazine well did not keep the magazine firmly locked.[16] German soldiers were trained to grasp either the handguard on the underside of the weapon or the magazine housing with the supporting hand to avoid feed malfunctions.[16]

Usage Edit

U.S. Army Signal Corps instructional video from 1943.

At the outbreak of World War II, the majority of German soldiers carried either Karabiner 98k rifles or MP 40s, both of which were regarded as the standard weapons of choice for an infantryman.[17]

However, later confrontations with Soviet troops such as the Battle of Stalingrad, where entire enemy units were armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns, the Germans found themselves out-gunned in short range urban combat which caused a shift in their tactics, and by the end of the war the MP 40 and its derivatives were sometimes issued to entire assault platoons.[18] Starting in 1943, the German military moved to replace both the Karabiner 98k rifle and MP 40 with the new, revolutionary StG 44.[18][17] By the end of World War II in 1945, an estimated 1.1 million MP 40s had been produced of all variants.[19]

Post-war use Edit

During and after the end of World War II, many MP 40s were captured or surrendered (upwards of 200,000) to the Allies and were then redistributed to the paramilitary and irregular forces of some developing countries.[20] The Norwegian army withdrew the MP 38 from use in 1975 but used the MP 40 for some years more. In particular, the Territorials (Heimevernet) used it until about 1990, when it was replaced by the Heckler & Koch MP5.[11]

Variants Edit

MP 40/I Edit

The MP 40/I (sometimes erroneously called MP 40/II) was a modified version of the standard MP 40 with a dual side-by-side magazine holder (for a theoretical ammunition total of 64 rounds), designed for special operations troops on the Eastern Front to compensate for the enemies' PPSh-41 larger magazine capacity. However, the design proved unsuccessful due to weight and reliability issues. Authentic versions, in addition to the dual mag magazine well, also have a smaller buttpad and shortened ejector.[21]

MP 41 Edit

 
An MP 41 with wooden stock

In 1941, Hugo Schmeisser designed the MP 41, which was, in reality, an MP 40 upper receiver with a lower receiver of an MP 28 submachine gun. It saw limited service, however, and was issued only to SS and police units in 1944. The MP 41 was also supplied to Germany's Axis ally Romania.[22]

Later in 1941, rival company Erma Werke sued Haenel, at which Schmeisser was Chief Designer, for patent infringement. Production subsequently ceased on the MP41.[23][24]

Influence on later weapons Edit

The MP 38 and MP 40 also directly influenced the design of later weapons, including the Spanish Star Z45, the Yugoslavian Zastava M56, and the semi-automatic German Selbstladebüchse BD 38 replica.

Details of the MP 40 have also been adopted in other submachine guns, which otherwise differ significantly from a technical point of view:

  • The designers of the American M3 "Grease Gun" examined British Sten guns and captured MP 40s for usable construction details.
  • The folding stock became the model for those on later weapons, such as the Soviet PPS-43 and the AKS and AKMS versions of the AK-47.
  • The MP 40 magazine can also be used in the Belgian Vigneron submachine gun.

Users Edit

 
Simone Segouin, a French partisan, posing with an MP 40 in 1944

During World War II, the resistance and the Allies sometimes captured MP 40s to replace or supplement their own weapons.[25][26][27] The MP 40 was used for several decades following World War II by many countries around the world in armed conflicts. Some found their way into guerrilla groups such as the Viet Cong or African guerrillas.

Its operators have included:

Civilian ownership in the United States Edit

During the Allied occupation of Germany starting in 1945, U.S. servicemen shipped home thousands of captured firearms as war trophies,[55] including MP 40s. This practice required proper registration of automatic weapons in accordance with the National Firearms Act before they could be imported, but this was curtailed later in the occupation, meaning a relatively small number of civilian-transferable original German MP 40s remain in circulation and are valued at around $20,000-37,500 as of 2021, with some selling for almost $50,000.[56]

After the commercial importation of complete machine guns was banned by the Gun Control Act of 1968, MP 40 parts kits (the disassembled parts of the gun excluding the receiver tube) were imported and reassembled onto receivers manufactured in the United States by Charles Erb, Wilson Arms, and others.[57] These remanufactured legally transferable machine guns, colloquially called "tube guns", are (depending on quality of construction and condition) generally valued at 50-75% of the price of original German MP 40s, as they do not have their historical background.[58] As such, they are commonly used for recreational range shooting and WW2 historical reenactments, because the associated wear and tear (within reasonable limits) will not significantly diminish their value, as it would on original collectible examples. Manufacture of new tube guns ceased following the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986.

There are several semi-automatic variants and cosmetic replicas of the MP 40 available for civilian ownership in the U.S. Beginning in 2014, American Tactical Imports began importing an MP 40 replica manufactured by German Sporting Guns GmbH chambered in .22LR,[59] and since 2016 has also imported a pistol variant chambered in 9mm.[60] The .22LR variant features an all-metal construction with period-accurate Bakelite furniture, a folding stock, and a faux-suppressor to meet barrel length import requirements. The 9mm variant is classified as a pistol and therefore does not ship with a folding stock. Both variants are closed-bolt, blowback-operated semi-automatic firearms that vary substantially from originally manufactured MP 40s in internal operation, making them more of an affordable cosmetic replica than a faithful reproduction. Neither of the GSG-manufactured variants are compatible with originally manufactured MP 40 parts and magazines.[citation needed]

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ Medal Net.
  2. ^ Hogg 2001, p. 16.
  3. ^ a b c d e Fowler 2005, p. 98.
  4. ^ a b c d e Myatt & Ridefort 1992, p. 107.
  5. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "MP 40 - Role & Tactics". YouTube.
  6. ^ "MP40 Sub Machine Gun | ParaData". www.paradata.org.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b de Quesada 2014, p. 13.
  8. ^ Rottman 2012, p. 9.
  9. ^ a b Peterson 2011, p. 314.
  10. ^ a b Bishop 2002, p. 259.
  11. ^ a b World Guns.
  12. ^ a b c de Quesada 2014, p. 17.
  13. ^ a b Hobart 1975, pp. 95–98.
  14. ^ a b Hogg & Weeks 1977, p. 90.
  15. ^ a b c Hogg & Weeks 1977, p. 33.
  16. ^ a b c Dunlap 1966, pp. 80–81.
  17. ^ a b Neil 2015, p. 65.
  18. ^ a b Priestley & Cavatore 2014, pp. 105–108.
  19. ^ Willbanks 2004, p. 82.
  20. ^ Ingram 2001, p. 75.
  21. ^ The WW2 Double-Magazine MP40/I
  22. ^ Axworthy 1991, p. 42.
  23. ^ "MP41". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  24. ^ "MP.41 Schmeisser". Modern Firearms. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  25. ^ a b Sakaida, Henry (20 May 2003). Hook, Christa (ed.). Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 59. ISBN 1841765988.
  26. ^ a b Cornish, Nik (20 June 2014). Karachtchouk, Andrei (ed.). Soviet Partisan 1941-45. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 9781472801456.
  27. ^ Weckstein, Leon (2011). 200,000 Heroes: Italian Partisans and the American OSS in WWII. Hellgate Press. p. 233. ISBN 9781555716981.
  28. ^ Windrow, Martin (1997). The Algerian War, 1954-62. Men-at Arms 312. London: Osprey Publishing. pp. 10&37. ISBN 978-1-85532-658-3.
  29. ^ a b c d e f de Quesada 2014, p. 66.
  30. ^ a b de Quesada 2014, p. 64.
  31. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 28.
  32. ^ Brnardic, Vladimir (17 November 2016). Aralica, Višeslav (ed.). World War II Croatian Legionaries: Croatian Troops Under Axis Command 1941—45. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4728-1767-9.
  33. ^ "FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: MACHINEPISTOLS PART 2". www.jaegerplatoon.net. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  34. ^ Windrow, Martin (15 November 1998). The French Indochina War 1946–54. Men-at-Arms 322. Osprey Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9781855327894.
  35. ^ "L'armement français en A.F.N." Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 220. March 1992. pp. 12–16.
  36. ^ McNab, Chris (2002). 20th Century Military Uniforms (2nd ed.). Kent: Grange Books. p. 124. ISBN 1-84013-476-3.
  37. ^ Perutka, Lukáš (September 2014). Checoslovaquia, Guatemala y México en el Período de la Revolución Guatemalteca: Ibero-Americana Pragensia - Supplementum 32/2013 (in Spanish). Karolinum Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-80-246-2429-7.
  38. ^ Montes, Julio A. (4 December 2015). "Police Small Arms Arsenals in the Northern Central American Triangle". Small Arms Defense Journal. Vol. 7, no. 5.
  39. ^ Tibor, Rada (2001). "Német gyalogsági fegyverek magyar kézben" [German infantry weapons in Hungarian hands]. A Magyar Királyi Honvéd Ludovika Akadémia és a Testvérintézetek Összefoglalt Története (1830-1945) (in Hungarian). Vol. II. Budapest: Gálos Nyomdász Kft. p. 1114. ISBN 963-85764-3-X.
  40. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 77.
  41. ^ Katz 1988, p. 9.
  42. ^ "Silah Report Podcast V33: Iranian Submachine Guns (1941-1979)". 21 June 2021.
  43. ^ Gianluigi, Usai; Riccio, Ralph (28 January 2017). Italian partisan weapons in WWII. Schiffer Military History. pp. 184–185. ISBN 978-0764352102.
  44. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 69.
  45. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 20.
  46. ^ "Kiprah Tempur Pasukan Belanda" [Dutch Troops Combat History]. Angkasa Edisi Koleksi No. 82: Kisah Heroik Pertempuran Laut Trikora (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Kompas Gramedia Group. February 2013. p. 90.
  47. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 68.
  48. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 56.
  49. ^ de Quesada 2014, p. 23.
  50. ^ Williams, Anthony G.; Popenker, Maxim (15 January 2012). Sub-Machine Gun: The Development of Sub-Machine Guns and their Ammunition from World War 1 to the Present Day. Crowood Press UK. p. 15. ISBN 978-1847972934.
  51. ^ a b Ezell, Edward Clinton (1988). Personal firepower. The Illustrated history of the Vietnam War 15. Bantam Books. pp. 42–44. ISBN 9780553345490. OCLC 1036801376.
  52. ^ Campbell, David (2016). Israeli Soldier vs Syrian Soldier: Golan Heights 1967–73. Combat. illustrated by Johnny Shumate. Osprey Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 9781472813305.
  53. ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (25 July 2002). Green Beret in Vietnam 1957–73. Warrior 28. Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9781855325685.
  54. ^ Abbott, Peter; Botham, Philip (15 June 1986). Modern African Wars (1): Rhodesia 1965–80. Men-at-Arms 183. Osprey Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 9780850457285.
  55. ^ "Chapter XVIII: The Occupation Troops". history.army.mil. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  56. ^ "Lot 1566: German - MP 40". www.rockislandauction.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  57. ^ Iannamico, Frank (1 December 2017). "MP 40 Road Test". Small Arms Review. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  58. ^ "Submachine Guns". Machine Gun Price Guide. April 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  59. ^ Grant, Jim (19 January 2014). "ATI's GSG MP40, the quintessential bad-guy gun". Guns.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  60. ^ Johnson, Steve (24 February 2016). "BREAKING NEWS: ATF Approve ATI MP40 9mm Pistol (Pistol Version of German WWII MP40 Submachine Gun) - The Firearm Blog". The Firearm Blog. Retrieved 5 January 2018.

Sources Edit

  • Axworthy, Mark (1991). The Romanian Army of World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1855321694.
  • Bishop, Chris (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1586637620.
  • Dunlap, Roy (1966). Ordnance Went Up Front. R & R Books. ISBN 978-1884849091.
  • Fowler, William (2005). Stalingrad, the Vital Seven Days. Spellmount. ISBN 978-1862272781.
  • Hobart, Frank (1975). Pictorial History of the Sub-machine Gun. Scribner Publishing. ISBN 978-0684141862.
  • Hogg, Ian; Weeks, John, eds. (1977). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-301-8.
  • Hogg, Ian (2001). Submachine Guns. Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1853674488.
  • Ingram, Mike (2001). The MP40 Submachine Gun. Zenith Imprint. ISBN 0-7603-1014-9.
  • Katz, Samuel (1988). Israeli Elite Units Since 1948. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-8374.
  • Myatt, Frederick; Ridefort, Gerard, eds. (1992). New Illustrated Guide to Modern Rifles & Sub-Machine Guns. Smithmark Publishing. ISBN 978-0831750558.
  • Neil, Grant (2015). Mauser Military Rifles. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472805942.
  • Peterson, Philip (2011). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. F+W Media, Inc. ISBN 978-1440228810.
  • Priestley, Rick; Cavatore, Alessio, eds. (2014). Bolt Action: World War II Wargames Rules. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782009702.
  • de Quesada, Alejandro (2014). MP 38 and MP 40 Submachine Guns. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1780963884.
  • Rottman, Gordon L (2012). The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series Assault Rifles. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-835-0.
  • Willbanks, James (2004). Machine Guns: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1851094806.
  • . World Guns. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  • "MP40 Manufacturers and Markings". Medal Net. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to MP40 and MP41.
  • Website dedicated to the MP 38, MP 40 and MP 41
  • Gunworld article on the MP 40 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  • The Schmeisser MP41: A Hybrid Submachine Gun

October 19, 2023
mp40, redirects, here, locomotive, mpxpress, maschinenpistole, submachine, chambered, 19mm, parabellum, cartridge, developed, nazi, germany, used, extensively, axis, powers, during, world, maschinenpistole, maschinenpistole, made, erma, werke, 1943, with, stoc. MP40 redirects here For the locomotive see MPI MPXpress The MP 40 Maschinenpistole 40 is a submachine gun chambered for the 9 19mm Parabellum cartridge It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II Maschinenpistole 40A Maschinenpistole 40 made by Erma Werke in 1943 with the stock unfoldedTypeSubmachine gunPlace of originNazi GermanyService historyIn service1939 1945 Nazi Germany 1940 present other countries Used bySee UsersWarsWorld War IIContinuation WarGuerrilla war in the Baltic statesGreek Civil WarFirst Indochina War1948 Arab Israeli WarKorean WarAlgerian WarMalayan emergencyVietnam WarWest New Guinea disputeRhodesian Bush WarLebanese Civil WarGuatemalan Civil WarYugoslav WarsIraq War limited Syrian Civil War limited Production historyDesignerHeinrich VollmerBerthold GeipelDesigned1938ManufacturerSteyr Mannlicher 1 Erma WerkeHaenelUnit cost57 ℛ ℳ 1940 250 EUR current equivalentProduced1940 1945 MP 40 No built1 100 000 estimated VariantsMP 36MP 38MP 40MP 40 1MP 41SpecificationsMass3 97 kg 8 75 lb 2 3 Length833 mm 32 8 in stock extended 630 mm 24 8 in stock folded 4 Barrel length251 mm 9 9 in 4 Cartridge9 19mm Parabellum 4 ActionStraight blowback open bolt 3 Rate of fire500 550 rounds min 4 Muzzle velocity400 m s 1 312 ft s 4 Effective firing range100 200 m 330 660 ft 3 Maximum firing range250 m 820 ft 3 Feed system32 round detachable box magazine 64 round with dual magazines 3 SightsHooded front bladeDesigned in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor the MP 38 it was heavily used by infantrymen particularly platoon and squad leaders and by paratroopers on the Eastern and Western Fronts as well as armoured fighting vehicle crews 5 6 Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war It was often called Schmeisser by the Allies after Hugo Schmeisser who designed the MP 18 although he was not involved in the design or production of the MP 40 The weapon s other variants included the MP 40 I and the MP 41 From 1940 to 1945 an estimated 1 1 million were produced by Erma Werke Contents 1 Development 2 Design 3 Usage 3 1 Post war use 4 Variants 4 1 MP 40 I 4 2 MP 41 5 Influence on later weapons 6 Users 7 Civilian ownership in the United States 8 See also 9 References 10 Sources 11 External linksDevelopment Edit nbsp MP 40 on display for the Springfield Armory National Historic Site ArchivesThe Maschinenpistole 40 Machine pistol 40 descended from its predecessor the MP 38 which was in turn based on the MP 36 a prototype made of machined steel 7 The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke s Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer s VPM 1930 and EMP Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel s MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt Army Weapons Office for a new submachine gun which was adopted as MP 38 The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36 and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38 with certain cost saving alterations most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts 7 The MP 40 was often called the Schmeisser by the Allies after the weapon designer Hugo Schmeisser Schmeisser had designed the MP 18 which was the first mass produced submachine gun He did not however have anything to do with the design or development of the MP 40 although he held a patent on the magazine 8 Design Edit nbsp MP 40 made by Erma Werke in 1943 with the stock folded nbsp MP 40 front sight and muzzleThe MP 40 submachine guns are open bolt blowback operated automatic arms The only mode of fire is automatic but the relatively low rate of fire permits single shots with controlled trigger pulls 9 The bolt features a telescoping return spring guide which serves as a pneumatic recoil buffer 9 The cocking handle was permanently attached to the bolt on early MP 38s but on late production MP 38s and MP 40s the bolt handle was made as a separate part 10 It also serves as a safety by pushing the head of the handle into one of two separate notches above the main opening this action locks the bolt in either the cocked rear or uncocked forward position 10 The absence of this feature on early MP 38s resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with a small loop that were used to hold the bolt in the forward position 11 The MP 38 receiver was made of machined steel but this was a time consuming and expensive process 12 To save time and materials and thus increase production construction of the MP 40 receiver was simplified by using stamped steel and electro spot welding as much as possible 12 The MP 38 also features longitudinal grooving on the receiver and bolt as well as a circular opening on the magazine housing These features were eliminated on the MP 40 12 nbsp A soldier of the Russian Liberation Army with an MP 38 in 1943One feature found on most MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns is an aluminum steel or Margolit a variation of Bakelite resting bar under the barrel This was used to steady the weapon when firing over the side of open top armored personnel carriers such as the Sd Kfz 251 half track A handguard also made of Margolit is located between the magazine housing and the Margolit pistol grip 13 The barrel lacked any form of insulation which often resulted in burns on the supporting hand if it was incorrectly positioned 13 The MP 40 also has a forward folding metal stock the first for a submachine gun resulting in a shorter overall weapon when folded 14 However this stock design was at times insufficiently durable for hard combat use 14 Although the MP 40 was generally reliable a major weakness was its 32 round magazine 15 Unlike the double column staggered feed magazine found on the Thompson M1921 1928 variants the MP 40 uses a double column single feed version 15 The single feed insert resulted in increased friction against the remaining cartridges moving upwards towards the feed lips occasionally resulting in feed failures this problem was exacerbated by the presence of dirt or other debris 15 Another problem was that the magazine was also sometimes misused as a handhold 16 This could cause the weapon to malfunction when hand pressure on the magazine body caused the magazine lips to move out of the line of feed since the magazine well did not keep the magazine firmly locked 16 German soldiers were trained to grasp either the handguard on the underside of the weapon or the magazine housing with the supporting hand to avoid feed malfunctions 16 Usage Edit source source source source source U S Army Signal Corps instructional video from 1943 At the outbreak of World War II the majority of German soldiers carried either Karabiner 98k rifles or MP 40s both of which were regarded as the standard weapons of choice for an infantryman 17 However later confrontations with Soviet troops such as the Battle of Stalingrad where entire enemy units were armed with PPSh 41 submachine guns the Germans found themselves out gunned in short range urban combat which caused a shift in their tactics and by the end of the war the MP 40 and its derivatives were sometimes issued to entire assault platoons 18 Starting in 1943 the German military moved to replace both the Karabiner 98k rifle and MP 40 with the new revolutionary StG 44 18 17 By the end of World War II in 1945 an estimated 1 1 million MP 40s had been produced of all variants 19 Post war use Edit During and after the end of World War II many MP 40s were captured or surrendered upwards of 200 000 to the Allies and were then redistributed to the paramilitary and irregular forces of some developing countries 20 The Norwegian army withdrew the MP 38 from use in 1975 but used the MP 40 for some years more In particular the Territorials Heimevernet used it until about 1990 when it was replaced by the Heckler amp Koch MP5 11 Variants EditMP 40 I Edit The MP 40 I sometimes erroneously called MP 40 II was a modified version of the standard MP 40 with a dual side by side magazine holder for a theoretical ammunition total of 64 rounds designed for special operations troops on the Eastern Front to compensate for the enemies PPSh 41 larger magazine capacity However the design proved unsuccessful due to weight and reliability issues Authentic versions in addition to the dual mag magazine well also have a smaller buttpad and shortened ejector 21 MP 41 Edit nbsp An MP 41 with wooden stockIn 1941 Hugo Schmeisser designed the MP 41 which was in reality an MP 40 upper receiver with a lower receiver of an MP 28 submachine gun It saw limited service however and was issued only to SS and police units in 1944 The MP 41 was also supplied to Germany s Axis ally Romania 22 Later in 1941 rival company Erma Werke sued Haenel at which Schmeisser was Chief Designer for patent infringement Production subsequently ceased on the MP41 23 24 Influence on later weapons EditThe MP 38 and MP 40 also directly influenced the design of later weapons including the Spanish Star Z45 the Yugoslavian Zastava M56 and the semi automatic German Selbstladebuchse BD 38 replica Details of the MP 40 have also been adopted in other submachine guns which otherwise differ significantly from a technical point of view The designers of the American M3 Grease Gun examined British Sten guns and captured MP 40s for usable construction details The folding stock became the model for those on later weapons such as the Soviet PPS 43 and the AKS and AKMS versions of the AK 47 The MP 40 magazine can also be used in the Belgian Vigneron submachine gun Users Edit nbsp Simone Segouin a French partisan posing with an MP 40 in 1944During World War II the resistance and the Allies sometimes captured MP 40s to replace or supplement their own weapons 25 26 27 The MP 40 was used for several decades following World War II by many countries around the world in armed conflicts Some found their way into guerrilla groups such as the Viet Cong or African guerrillas Its operators have included nbsp Algeria The National Liberation Army used MP 40s supplied by Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia 28 nbsp Austria 29 nbsp Bosnia 30 nbsp Bulgaria 31 29 nbsp Croatia 32 nbsp Czechoslovakia 29 nbsp Finland 33 Around 160 were delivered together with German vehicles during the Continuation War after the war they were used by prison administration before being retired in the 1970s nbsp France 29 French resistance used captured guns during World War II MP 40s were also carried by French Army in French Indochina 34 and French Algeria 35 especially by paratroopers nbsp Greece 29 36 nbsp Guatemala MP 38 40 supplied in 1954 from Czechoslovakia 37 still in service with the police at the end of the Guatemalan Civil War 38 nbsp Hungary 39 nbsp Indonesia 40 nbsp Israel Used during the 1948 Arab Israeli War and by Unit 101 before replaced by the Uzi 41 nbsp Iran Used in small numbers by the 55th Airborne Brigade and Iranian Imperial Guards 42 nbsp Italian Partisans Used examples captured from German soldiers 43 nbsp Kosovo Liberation Army 44 nbsp Nazi Germany 45 Used by the Wehrmacht military police Gestapo Waffen SS Volkssturm and Hitler Youth at the end of war nbsp Netherlands Post war used by the Papuan Volunteer Corps during West New Guinea dispute 46 nbsp Norway 47 nbsp Poland 48 Captured MP 40s were used by Polish rebels during World War II nbsp Romania 49 nbsp Soviet Union Captured MP 40s were used by Soviet partisans and Worker Peasant Red Army After the war the MP 40 with other weapons were sold to others countries in the Eastern Bloc 25 26 50 nbsp Spain Copied as the Star Model Z 45 30 nbsp South Vietnam Used by the South Vietnamese Popular Force 51 nbsp Syria Used against Israel 52 nbsp United States Captured MP 40s used by United States during World War II and by Special Forces and their Civilian Irregular Defense Group program at the beginning of the Vietnam War 53 Some also apparently captured in the Iraq War citation needed nbsp Vietnam Captured from the French Far East Expeditionary Corps and used by the Viet Minh the Viet Cong and the People s Army of Vietnam 51 nbsp Yugoslavia 29 nbsp Zimbabwe Used by ZIPRA and ZANLA 54 Civilian ownership in the United States EditDuring the Allied occupation of Germany starting in 1945 U S servicemen shipped home thousands of captured firearms as war trophies 55 including MP 40s This practice required proper registration of automatic weapons in accordance with the National Firearms Act before they could be imported but this was curtailed later in the occupation meaning a relatively small number of civilian transferable original German MP 40s remain in circulation and are valued at around 20 000 37 500 as of 2021 with some selling for almost 50 000 56 After the commercial importation of complete machine guns was banned by the Gun Control Act of 1968 MP 40 parts kits the disassembled parts of the gun excluding the receiver tube were imported and reassembled onto receivers manufactured in the United States by Charles Erb Wilson Arms and others 57 These remanufactured legally transferable machine guns colloquially called tube guns are depending on quality of construction and condition generally valued at 50 75 of the price of original German MP 40s as they do not have their historical background 58 As such they are commonly used for recreational range shooting and WW2 historical reenactments because the associated wear and tear within reasonable limits will not significantly diminish their value as it would on original collectible examples Manufacture of new tube guns ceased following the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986 There are several semi automatic variants and cosmetic replicas of the MP 40 available for civilian ownership in the U S Beginning in 2014 American Tactical Imports began importing an MP 40 replica manufactured by German Sporting Guns GmbH chambered in 22LR 59 and since 2016 has also imported a pistol variant chambered in 9mm 60 The 22LR variant features an all metal construction with period accurate Bakelite furniture a folding stock and a faux suppressor to meet barrel length import requirements The 9mm variant is classified as a pistol and therefore does not ship with a folding stock Both variants are closed bolt blowback operated semi automatic firearms that vary substantially from originally manufactured MP 40s in internal operation making them more of an affordable cosmetic replica than a faithful reproduction Neither of the GSG manufactured variants are compatible with originally manufactured MP 40 parts and magazines citation needed See also EditList of common World War II infantry weapons List of submachine guns List of World War II firearms of GermanyReferences Edit Medal Net Hogg 2001 p 16 a b c d e Fowler 2005 p 98 a b c d e Myatt amp Ridefort 1992 p 107 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine MP 40 Role amp Tactics YouTube MP40 Sub Machine Gun ParaData www paradata org uk Retrieved 27 March 2021 a b de Quesada 2014 p 13 Rottman 2012 p 9 a b Peterson 2011 p 314 a b Bishop 2002 p 259 a b World Guns a b c de Quesada 2014 p 17 a b Hobart 1975 pp 95 98 a b Hogg amp Weeks 1977 p 90 a b c Hogg amp Weeks 1977 p 33 a b c Dunlap 1966 pp 80 81 a b Neil 2015 p 65 a b Priestley amp Cavatore 2014 pp 105 108 Willbanks 2004 p 82 Ingram 2001 p 75 The WW2 Double Magazine MP40 I Axworthy 1991 p 42 MP41 Imperial War Museums Retrieved 5 July 2020 MP 41 Schmeisser Modern Firearms 27 October 2010 Retrieved 5 July 2020 a b Sakaida Henry 20 May 2003 Hook Christa ed Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941 45 Bloomsbury Publishing p 59 ISBN 1841765988 a b Cornish Nik 20 June 2014 Karachtchouk Andrei ed Soviet Partisan 1941 45 Bloomsbury Publishing p 29 ISBN 9781472801456 Weckstein Leon 2011 200 000 Heroes Italian Partisans and the American OSS in WWII Hellgate Press p 233 ISBN 9781555716981 Windrow Martin 1997 The Algerian War 1954 62 Men at Arms 312 London Osprey Publishing pp 10 amp 37 ISBN 978 1 85532 658 3 a b c d e f de Quesada 2014 p 66 a b de Quesada 2014 p 64 de Quesada 2014 p 28 Brnardic Vladimir 17 November 2016 Aralica Viseslav ed World War II Croatian Legionaries Croatian Troops Under Axis Command 1941 45 Bloomsbury Publishing p 17 ISBN 978 1 4728 1767 9 FINNISH ARMY 1918 1945 MACHINEPISTOLS PART 2 www jaegerplatoon net Retrieved 14 November 2022 Windrow Martin 15 November 1998 The French Indochina War 1946 54 Men at Arms 322 Osprey Publishing p 12 ISBN 9781855327894 L armement francais en A F N Gazette des Armes in French No 220 March 1992 pp 12 16 McNab Chris 2002 20th Century Military Uniforms 2nd ed Kent Grange Books p 124 ISBN 1 84013 476 3 Perutka Lukas September 2014 Checoslovaquia Guatemala y Mexico en el Periodo de la Revolucion Guatemalteca Ibero Americana Pragensia Supplementum 32 2013 in Spanish Karolinum Press p 110 ISBN 978 80 246 2429 7 Montes Julio A 4 December 2015 Police Small Arms Arsenals in the Northern Central American Triangle Small Arms Defense Journal Vol 7 no 5 Tibor Rada 2001 Nemet gyalogsagi fegyverek magyar kezben German infantry weapons in Hungarian hands A Magyar Kiralyi Honved Ludovika Akademia es a Testverintezetek Osszefoglalt Tortenete 1830 1945 in Hungarian Vol II Budapest Galos Nyomdasz Kft p 1114 ISBN 963 85764 3 X de Quesada 2014 p 77 Katz 1988 p 9 Silah Report Podcast V33 Iranian Submachine Guns 1941 1979 21 June 2021 Gianluigi Usai Riccio Ralph 28 January 2017 Italian partisan weapons in WWII Schiffer Military History pp 184 185 ISBN 978 0764352102 de Quesada 2014 p 69 de Quesada 2014 p 20 Kiprah Tempur Pasukan Belanda Dutch Troops Combat History Angkasa Edisi Koleksi No 82 Kisah Heroik Pertempuran Laut Trikora in Indonesian Jakarta Kompas Gramedia Group February 2013 p 90 de Quesada 2014 p 68 de Quesada 2014 p 56 de Quesada 2014 p 23 Williams Anthony G Popenker Maxim 15 January 2012 Sub Machine Gun The Development of Sub Machine Guns and their Ammunition from World War 1 to the Present Day Crowood Press UK p 15 ISBN 978 1847972934 a b Ezell Edward Clinton 1988 Personal firepower The Illustrated history of the Vietnam War 15 Bantam Books pp 42 44 ISBN 9780553345490 OCLC 1036801376 Campbell David 2016 Israeli Soldier vs Syrian Soldier Golan Heights 1967 73 Combat illustrated by Johnny Shumate Osprey Publishing p 10 ISBN 9781472813305 Rottman Gordon L 25 July 2002 Green Beret in Vietnam 1957 73 Warrior 28 Osprey Publishing p 41 ISBN 9781855325685 Abbott Peter Botham Philip 15 June 1986 Modern African Wars 1 Rhodesia 1965 80 Men at Arms 183 Osprey Publishing p 10 ISBN 9780850457285 Chapter XVIII The Occupation Troops history army mil Retrieved 5 January 2018 Lot 1566 German MP 40 www rockislandauction com Retrieved 19 March 2021 Iannamico Frank 1 December 2017 MP 40 Road Test Small Arms Review Retrieved 29 July 2022 Submachine Guns Machine Gun Price Guide April 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2022 Grant Jim 19 January 2014 ATI s GSG MP40 the quintessential bad guy gun Guns com Retrieved 5 January 2018 Johnson Steve 24 February 2016 BREAKING NEWS ATF Approve ATI MP40 9mm Pistol Pistol Version of German WWII MP40 Submachine Gun The Firearm Blog The Firearm Blog Retrieved 5 January 2018 Sources EditAxworthy Mark 1991 The Romanian Army of World War II Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1855321694 Bishop Chris 2002 The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Sterling Publishing Company Inc ISBN 978 1586637620 Dunlap Roy 1966 Ordnance Went Up Front R amp R Books ISBN 978 1884849091 Fowler William 2005 Stalingrad the Vital Seven Days Spellmount ISBN 978 1862272781 Hobart Frank 1975 Pictorial History of the Sub machine Gun Scribner Publishing ISBN 978 0684141862 Hogg Ian Weeks John eds 1977 Military Small Arms of the 20th Century Arms amp Armour Press ISBN 0 85368 301 8 Hogg Ian 2001 Submachine Guns Greenhill Books ISBN 978 1853674488 Ingram Mike 2001 The MP40 Submachine Gun Zenith Imprint ISBN 0 7603 1014 9 Katz Samuel 1988 Israeli Elite Units Since 1948 Osprey Publishing ISBN 0 85045 8374 Myatt Frederick Ridefort Gerard eds 1992 New Illustrated Guide to Modern Rifles amp Sub Machine Guns Smithmark Publishing ISBN 978 0831750558 Neil Grant 2015 Mauser Military Rifles Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1472805942 Peterson Philip 2011 Standard Catalog of Military Firearms The Collector s Price and Reference Guide F W Media Inc ISBN 978 1440228810 Priestley Rick Cavatore Alessio eds 2014 Bolt Action World War II Wargames Rules Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1782009702 de Quesada Alejandro 2014 MP 38 and MP 40 Submachine Guns Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1780963884 Rottman Gordon L 2012 The AK 47 Kalashnikov series Assault Rifles Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84908 835 0 Willbanks James 2004 Machine Guns An Illustrated History of Their Impact ABC CLIO ISBN 978 1851094806 Erma MP 38 and MP 40 submachine gun Germany World Guns Archived from the original on 4 June 2012 Retrieved 7 March 2015 MP40 Manufacturers and Markings Medal Net Retrieved 7 March 2015 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to wbr MP40 and wbr MP41 Website dedicated to the MP 38 MP 40 and MP 41 Gunworld article on the MP 40 Archived 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Schmeisser MP41 A Hybrid Submachine Gun Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title MP 40 amp oldid 1177493734, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.