W72033 MP40 SUBMACHINE GUN

MP 40 (Ger. Maschinenpistole 40 ), commonly known as the "Schmeiser", is a German 9mm submachine gun from the World War II period. The first prototypes of this weapon were created in 1939, and serial production began in 1940 and lasted until 1944. The initial velocity of the projectile fired from this weapon was up to 380-400 m / s, and the theoretical rate of fire was up to 500-550 rounds per minute. Effective firing range it was up to 150-200 meters. The weight of the loaded weapon is 4.61 kilograms. The MP 40 was developed for the needs of the German armed forces in order to replace the MP 18 and MP 28 submachine guns obsolete in the late 1930s, but above all as a much more simplified and more reliable development of the MP 38 pistol, while retaining almost all of its advantages ballistic properties. However, the main design change concerned the breech chamber, which was much cheaper to produce, and at the same time minimized the risk of jamming the weapon. Ultimately, the MP 40 turned out to be a successful weapon, used by the Wehrmacht on virtually all fronts of World War II. It is worth noting that Heinrich Vollmer is widely regarded as the main designer of the MP 40, but Hugo Schmeisser and Berthold Geipel also contributed to the creation of this weapon. On the other hand, the production of the MP 40 was primarily the responsibility of the Steyr-Mannlicher plants, but also Erma Werke and Haenel.