MP-40 Submachine Gun with Shoulder Strap, Germany 1940

Description of the Product

This world-renowned MP-40 (Maschinenpistole 1940) German submachine gun was used primarily by Nazi German forces and other Axis powers’ forces during World War II. The weapon was used by officers, mechanized infantry, and paratroopers who needed a light and easy-to-carry weapon.

The Erma weapons factory designed this new type of submachine gun at the request of the German war command in 1938, mainly for use by armored personnel and landing forces. The weapon had a folding metal stock, and no wooden parts at all. This submachine gun was named MP-38 and was involved in the 1939 invasion of Poland. The MP-38 was expensive to mass-produce, so with minor improvements and modifications, the gun could be molded of sheet steel, instead of having to be machined, and this new model, produced in 1940, was named the MP-40. With the exception of small differences in detail, the MP-40 and MP-38 look the same, meaning that this weapon can be used as the MP-38 version in movies, theaters, etc. where the details of the weapon are not examined in close-ups.

To Finland this German submachine gun was introduced in 1941 in the hands of German troops operating in northern Finland. The Finnish SS battalion, which fought on the German eastern front, also had MP-40 submachine guns at its disposal. These submachine guns were never purchased directly by Finland, but they were obtained as part of the standard equipment for assault artillery, combat tanks and SUVs purchased from Germany. After the war, the submachine guns were stripped from the vehicles and distributed to various military districts and prisons. Over time, the some pieces were deactivated as collectibles, given to museums and scrapped, and by the 1980s there were only a few dozen of these in use by the Defense Forces.

More than a million of these submachine guns were manufactured between 1940 and 1944, and as a modern and reliable weapon, the MP40 spread around the world after World War II. The Red Army caught thousands of pieces as war booty and even the French army used it in the wars in Indochina immediately after World War II, and later the weapon was used in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In Norway, the MP40 was used for a long time and was not abandoned until 1990. This submachine gun model has kept its ground in the turmoil of time and technology, and is still in use in today's conflicts, for example in Syria.

The MP40 (Maschinenpistole model year 1940) was designed as an effective assault weapon. The magazine could hold 32 9mm bullets and had a range of 100-150 meters. It was a reliable weapon and relatively cheap to manufacture. When repeating, the weapon was easy to control due to its low rate of fire, i.e. the weapon was accurate compared to its contemporaries over short distances (urban environments, forests, etc.). The disadvantages were its weakness in open spaces and its limited range, which is why the successor to the MP40, the Stg44, the modern assault rifle, was designed.

This submachine gun is an absolute classic of World War II among gun collectors.

This replica of the weapon has a folding stock and the handle plates are made of plastic, as were in the original so that the hand does not freeze. Comes with the leather shoulder strap pictured.

• This gun is an exact replica of the original. The replica matches the original in size and weight. The mechanisms of the weapon are working. The weapon can be cocked and dry fired like a real one. The magazine is detachable. Due to the materials used, the mechanisms cannot withstand continuous cocking and firing for long periods.
• Genuine wood and cast metal has been used to make this replica weapon. Zamac differs from steel in many respects, so the structure of the gun does not withstand pressure, it cannot be used to fire bullets, nor can it be converted to a functional weapon by any means.
• Replica guns such as this do not require permits in Finland, nor in many other countries. However, since the gun looks real, it should not be carried in public.
• A replica gun is perfect for historical re-enactment, on a theater stage, in film productions, for collectors of historical memorabilia, and as decoration.
• Compatible with the MP-40 submachine gun decorative cartridge # 52
• Length: 64 cm
• Weight: 3,3 kg
• Manufacturer: Denix, Spain

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