Maschinenpistole 40 (MP40))
Type	submachine gun
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1939 – 1945
Used by	Nazi Germany, Israel
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designer	Heinrich Vollmer
Designed	1938
Manufacturer	Erma Werke
Produced	1940-1945
Number built	Over 1 million
Variants	MP36, MP38, MP40, MP40/1, MP41
Specifications
Weight	3.97 kg (8.7 lb)
Length	Stock folded: 630 mm (24.7 in) Stock extended: 833 mm (32.8 in)
Barrel length	251 mm (9.9 in)
Cartridge	9mm Parabellum/Luger
Action	Open bolt blowback
Rate of fire	500 round/min
Muzzle velocity	~380 m/s (~1247 ft/s)
Effective range	~ 100 m (110 yd)
Feed system	32 round detachable box magazine
Sights	Hooded blade front, fixed and flip-up U-notch rear

The MP40 (Maschinenpistole 40, literally "machine pistol 40") was a submachine gun developed in Germany and used extensively by paratroopers and platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II. The MP40 had a relatively lower rate of fire and low recoil, which made it more manageable than other contemporary submachine guns. Download high resolution version (1362x540, 42 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Heinrich Vollmer was one of the most well-known weapon technical designers of Europe. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... ball and hollowpoint 9mm Luger rounds are popular handgun ammunition. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... A semi or fully-automatic firearm which is said to fire from an open bolt is one where, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear. ... Blowback is a system in which automatic or semi-automatic firearms operate through the energy created by combustion in the chamber and bore acting directly on the bolt face through the cartridge. ... Rate of fire is the speed at which a specific firearm or artillery piece can ]] per minute (RPM or round/min), or rounds per second Note that heat and ammunition concerns mean that most automatic weapons are unlikely ever to sustain their cyclic rate of fire for a full minute... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Platoon is a term from military science. ... In the fire service a Squad is a Engine Company with a compliment of rescue tools. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

History

The MP40 is descended from the MP36, a select-fire prototype made of machined steel, of which few examples remain. The MP36 prototype was developed independently by Erma prior to the 1938 request from the German government for a new submachinegun which led to the MP38. The MP38 was a simplification of the MP36, as the MP40 was later a simplification of the MP38, the differences being in cost-saving alterations, especially the use of more pressed rather than machined parts and an improved safety.

The changes resulted from experiences with the several thousand MP38s, (in service since 1939), used during the invasion of Poland. The changes were incorporated into an intermediate version (MP38/40), and then used in the initial MP40 production version. Just over 1 million would be made of all versions in the course of the war. The designer of the MP38/40 was Heinrich Vollmer. Combatants Poland Germany, Soviet Union, Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-Śmigły Fedor von Bock (Army Group North), Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South), Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front), Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front), Ferdinand Čatloš (Field Army Bernolak) Strength 39 divisions, 16 brigades, 4,300 guns, 880 tanks, 400 aircraft Total: 950... Heinrich Vollmer was one of the most well-known weapon technical designers of Europe. ...

The MP40 was often called the Schmeisser by the Allies, after weapons designer Hugo Schmeisser. Although the name was evocative, Hugo Schmeisser himself did not design the MP40, but helped with the design of the MP41 which was effectively a MP40 with an old-fashioned wooden rifle stock. It is impossible to reconstruct how Schmeisser was honored with this legend, but it must have been inspiring for the soldiers: the German slang-word "Schmeisser" describes someone who throws something inaccurately, but with high force. Schmeisser did produce the MP40 magazines and his name was engraved on them, which may explain the confusion. Hugo Schmeisser (born 24 September 1884; died 12 September 1953) was one of the most important developers of infantry weapons in the 20th Century. ...

Design

MP40, stock folded

Both MP38 and MP40 submachine guns are open bolt blowback operated automatic arms. Full-automatic fire was the only setting, but the relatively low rate of fire allowed for single shots with controlled trigger pulls. The bolt features a telescoped return spring guide which serves as a pneumatic recoil buffer. The cocking handle was permanently attached to the bolt on early MP38s but on late production MP38s and MP40s bolt handle was made as a separate part. It also served as a safety by pushing the head of handle into a separate notches above the main opening which locked the bolt either in the cocked or forward position. The absence of this feature on early MP38s resulted in field expedients such as leather harnesses with a small loop, used to hold the bolt in forward position.^[1] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3663x1807, 787 KB) [edit] Licensing Photographer: Mak Thorpe, taken 2006 at Battery Randolf US Army Museum, Honolulu. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3663x1807, 787 KB) [edit] Licensing Photographer: Mak Thorpe, taken 2006 at Battery Randolf US Army Museum, Honolulu. ...

The receiver was originally machined steel but this was a time consuming and expensive process. This prompted the development of a simpler version which used pressed steel and electro-spot welding as much as possible. The MP38 also features longitudinal grooving on the receiver and bolt, as well as a circular opening was on the magazine housing. These features are deleted on the M38/40 and MP40.

One idiosyncratic and visible feature on most MP38 and MP40 submachine guns was an aluminum or plastic rail under the barrel which was handy as a support when firing over the side of open top armored personnel carriers such as the Sdkfz 251 half-track. A handguard was located between magazine housing and pistol grip and was made from plastic. The barrel lacked any form of insulation such as a barrel jacket seen on the MAB38 or Sten, which often resulted burns for the supporting hand if it strayed. It also has a folding stock, the first for a submachinegun^[2], resulting in a more handy weapon when folded, but it was insufficiently durable for hard use and hand-to-hand combat. Sd. ... M3 Half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. ... The MAB 38 and its variants were the official submachine guns of the Italian Army during World War II. The MAB (Moschetto Automatico Beretta) 1938A was introduced in 1938. ... This article is about the submachine gun. ...

Though the MP40 was generally reliable, a major weak point of the MP38 and MP40 was its 32-round magazine, a weakness inherited by the British Sten which copied the same design. Unlike the Thompson's double-column, dual-feed magazine, the MP38 and MP40 used a 'single-feed' design. With the single-feed design, a double column of cartridges narrowed to a single-cartridge width at the feed end of the magazine.^[3][4] This meant that the 9 mm cartridges had to overcome increased friction in order to reach the chamber, as well as a loading device to fill the magazine to capacity. This article is about the submachine gun. ... A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment, British Army equipped with a Thompson M1928 submachine gun (drum magazine), 25 November 1940 The Thompson was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. ...

The design was also sensitive to dirt and debris. German soldiers soon learned to give the magazine a sharp slap to restore operation.^[5] The magazine was also frequently misused as a handhold, which could also cause a failure to feed when hand pressure on the magazine body caused the feed lips to move out of position. German soldiers were trained to grasp either the intended handhold on the underside of the weapon or the magazine housing with the supporting hand (not the magazine itself) to avoid feeding malfunctions.^[6][7]

Unlike the impression given by popular culture, MP40s were generally issued only to paratroopers and platoon and squad leaders; the majority of soldiers carried Karabiner 98k rifles. However, experience with Soviet Union tactics where entire troops armed with submachine guns out-gunned their German counterparts in short range urban combat caused a shift in tactics and by the end of the war it was being issued to entire assault platoons on a limited basis. An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Platoon is a term from military science. ... In the fire service a Squad is a Engine Company with a compliment of rescue tools. ... The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht, and was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. ... MOUT/FIBUA simulated in US Army exercise Urban warfare is warfare conducted in populated urban areas such as towns and cities. ...

Copies and post-war usage

The MP38 or MP40 was a pattern for diverse submachine guns such as:

• As the design of the M3 Grease Gun started, the designers looked at Sten guns and captured MP40s.

• The German semi-automatic copy of the MP38, Selbstladebüchse BD-38 (since 2005).

• The former Yugoslav military used a clone of it called the M56 submachine gun used in the various conflicts in Bosnia. They have also used some quantities of the MP40.

After the war the MP40 was still the standard submachine gun of the Israeli army and was often used in the Palestinian area. It remained the official submachine gun of the Israeli paratroopers until 1956. Some MP40s were in use by the Kosovo Liberation Army in the Kosovo War in 1999 [1]. The M3 Grease Gun (more formally United States Submachine Gun, Cal. ... This article is about the submachine gun. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: ‎  , [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated with the Hebrew acronym צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels military forces, comprising the Israeli Army, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Sea Corps. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës. ... The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Two MP40's were used by the LAPD SWAT team during the famous May 1974 shootout with members of the terrorist Symbionese Liberation Army.^{[citation needed]}

Variants and developments

The MP40 9 mm submachinegun stock extended

• MP40/I - main production version
• MP40/II - experiment with a 64 round magazine. The MP40/II appeared in the latter stages of World War II. This version of the MP40 has a three-magazine sliding magazine receiver that slides horizontally to use the additional magazines as each becomes depleted. This design was intended to counter the superior firepower of the Russian PPSh-41, but made the weapon heavy and unbalanced in the field, and did not work well.^[8]. However, by 1943 the Soviets shifted the production of PPSh-41 drums to 35rd magazines to combat weapon jams.^{[citation needed]}
• MP41: A variant designed by Louis Schmiesser for the Haenel Company, which featured the receiver, operating mechanism, and magazine housing of the MP40 and the stock, trigger and fire selector of the MP28.
• Many countries involved in World War II developed submachine guns which had a similar features to the MP40 (with a folding shoulder stock, magazine as a front handgrip, and production techniques). The most famous examples are the Russian PPS-43 and the American M3 Grease Gun. Most derivative designs also copied the troublesome magazine design as well.
• BD38 - a new semi-automatic reproduction of the MP38 submachinegun

This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. ... This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. ... Designed by Georgii Shpagin, the PPSh-41 (Pistolet-Pulemet Shpagina, Russian: Пистолет-пулемёт Шпагина, nicknamed Phe-phe-sha, Shpagin and Burp Gun) was one of the most mass produced weapons of World War II. It was designed as an inexpensive alternative to the PPD-40 which was expensive and time consuming to build. ... The MP18 was a submachine gun used by the German Army during World War I. Produced from 1916 to 1945, it and its derivatives were also later used in World War II. History In 1915 the German Rifle Testing Commission at Spandau decided to develop a new weapon for trench... Designed by Aleksei Sudaev and first issued during the Siege of Leningrad, PPS-43 (Pistolet-Pulemet Sudaeva, Russian: Пистолет-пулемёт Судаева) was a result of further simplification of the PPSh-41, and it is often considered the best submachine gun of World War II. It was initially produced as PPS-42, but soon... The M3 Grease Gun (more formally United States Submachine Gun, Cal. ...

See also

• List of submachine guns
• List of common World War II infantry weapons
• List of World War II firearms of Germany

This is a partial list of submachine guns. ... This page lists the common infantry weapons used by the various armies engaged in World War II. // Handguns Enfield Revolver No. ... // Submachine Guns MP 18 I (WWI Bergmann) MP 28 (improved MP 18 I) MP 30(ö) (ex-Austrian S1-100 variant) MP 34(ö) (ex-Austrian Steyr Solothurn) MP 34 Bgm (Bergmann) MP 35 (Bergmann version of the MP.34 Bgm. ...

References

1. ^ Popenker, Max. Modern Firearms - MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
2. ^ Hogg, Ian; John Weeks (1977). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. Arms & Armour Press, page 90. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8. 
3. ^ Weeks, John, WWII Small Arms, Galahad Press, 1980
4. ^ Nelson, Thomas B., The World's Submachine Guns, TBN Enterprises, 1977
5. ^ Weeks, John, WWII Small Arms, Galahad Press, 1980
6. ^ Weeks, John, WWII Small Arms, Galahad Press, 1980
7. ^ Nelson, Thomas B., The World's Submachine Guns, TBN Enterprises, 1977
8. ^ Nelson, Thomas B., The World's Submachine Guns, TBN Enterprises, 1977

March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

Bibliography

• The German Submachine Guns (downloadable) by Lyndon Haywood (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com - 2001)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

MP40

• Small Arms Review: The MP36 The Missing Link
• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide on MP-38 / 40
• Polish MP-38 / 40 site
• MP40 schematics
• BD38 Page