The Maschinenpistole 40, or MP 40 for short, was the general purpose submachinegun of the
Third Reich Wehrmacht during
World War II.
It superseded its older predecessor the
MP 38, because the
MP 38 took an unacceptable long time to produce.
To accelerate the production the MP 40 was developed, which basically serves as a machine-stamped version of the
MP 38. The MP 40 entered service in mid-1940, and soon all submachineguns were converted to the MP 40 standard.
Like its predecessor, it was a stable gun-platform which offered the shooter accurate fire - even during prolonged bursts.
The greatest problem with the MP 40 was the tendency to jam when dirt entered the clip together with the ammunition, or the slightly elliptical
9mm parabellum rounds themselves.
Specs:
Round:
9mm Parabellum.
Clip: 32 rounds.
Rate of fire: ~500 rounds per minute.
Action: Fully automatic only.
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