Submachine gun: yesterday, today, tomorrow. In the shadow of the famous
In the past, we talked about the most famous submachine guns of the third, post-war generation. Their development began either in the war years, or soon after it ended. The main trends in the work of designers were improving reliability (and the Swedes achieved a lot here), compactness and dirt and dust resistance (here again, Uzi takes first place), strength (here the French iron MAC 49 “beats everyone”), and all other indicators depended on the patron. 9 × 19 mm cartridge “Parabellum” became dominant here, but the Soviet cartridge from TT, yes, was used very widely, but not in new samples. After the appearance of AK-47, the USSR abandoned the production of new PP models at all, and sent all the old models to the allies and the national liberation movement.
However, it would be a mistake to think that in the West, where there were many different firms that produced weapon, would be limited only to the samples described in the previous materials. There were many of them that remained “in the shadow of the famous”, and we will also tell about them today.
Well, we will start with sunny France, where in 1949, the MAT 49 was put into service, and the main requirement for the designers was ... its national origin. Until the last screw! So that everyone can see that "France ... has not disappeared," that the French arms school is still at its best and can create weapons of the highest quality. All this is true, of course. But what happened between the 1945 and 1949 years? Really no other samples of PP in France at this time did not appear?
Recall that after the war, the French troops used mainly captured weapons of defeated Germany, and in addition, returned to the release of the pre-war MAS-38. The technical assignment for a completely new submachine gun was also issued. And in four years, several leading weapon companies offered their models of future submachine guns, sometimes quite curious in design.
The army wanted a weapon chambered for 9x19 mm “Parabellum”, with an effective range of up to 200 m. Attention was also paid to ergonomics. The submachine gun was supposed to be convenient for the shooter, and not only when firing. For some reason, the French believed that the weapon had to be folded during transportation in order to occupy a minimum volume. And here you always need to remember one important popular saying: “Make a fool to pray to God, he will break his whole forehead”. That is, none of these requirements can not be taken too seriously. Everything should be in moderation…
Well, a well-known company, Societe des Armes a Feu Portatives Hotchkiss et Cie, was attracted to the development of the PP, that is, the company Hochiss. And by the year 1949 their sample was ready, like everyone else. Officially it was called "Universal", because the company assumed that it could be used in a wide variety of troops.
Outwardly, he was not particularly different from the machine gun pistols of his time. The barrel of a long 273 mm (30 gauge) allowed for a good shooting performance. The receiver had the simplest shape. Automatics “Hotchkiss Yuniversal” was also very simple and contained no innovations. The shutter is like a shutter. The reloading handle is connected to a movable shutter covering the groove from dirt. When firing, it remained in place. True, the fire mode switch was inconvenient: pressing the button on the right included firing single, on the left - bursts. And it was necessary to constantly keep in mind which of them to press. The flag translator, as practice has shown, is always preferable in this case.
Meals were supplied from a box magazine on an 32 cartridge. But then “miracles” started, connected with the fact that the company considered the possibility of ... to develop in the design of its software. And she was subject to this goal without reserve. By the way, folding the “Universal” was not difficult. For this everything was provided. First of all, it was necessary to fold the magazine, turning it forward together with the receiver, after which it was pushed into the receiver as far as it would go (!), After which it was also possible to push the barrel inside the receiver, compressing the mainspring, which reduced the overall length of the submachine gun . But that was not all. Now it was necessary to turn down and forward the butt. At the same time he pressed on the pistol grip of the original device - U-shaped and hollow inside. She held a horizontal position and went to the trigger bracket. On the butt plate there was also a U-shaped notch into which the store fell, and a special lock on the butt tube at the same time caught on the tooth in the shaft of the store. The submachine gun was laid out in the reverse order, but the design did not provide for intermediate positions — that is, “or — or.”
The total length of the "Universal" in unfolded form was 776 mm. Folded - 540 mm. And the pushed trunk saved more 100 mm. The weight of the PP without cartridges was 3,63 kg. The rate of fire is about 650 shots per minute. Effective range to 150-200 m.
The submachine gun was tested all the same in 1949 and was even recommended for use as it was decided that it was convenient for paratroopers and crews tanks and combat vehicles. But while the court, yes the case, MAT 49 managed to appear and the military turned out to take the “Universal”.
True, the Venezuelan army, which, by the way, was the only buyer of this model, showed interest in the “universal” machine gun. The fact is that all the "collapsible" tricks of the designers led to the fact that this software turned out to be too complicated, and therefore expensive. As a result, in 1952, Venezuela received the last batch of "Universals", and more than "Hotchiss" did not release them. Some of them still managed to get into the parachute units of the French army, who fought at this time in Indochina. It is known that, in general, they proved to be no worse than other samples, however, their ability to form truly was never useful to anyone!
Submachine gun "Universal" in the folded form. It should be noted that the store is not shifted all the way back and therefore is not held by a special protrusion at the end of the trunk below.
And in France there was a company "Guevarm", which released around the same time the submachine gun D4. Moreover, he was even in service with the French police and was exported. The design was traditional: free shutter, shooting from an open shutter, the reloading handle was on the left. Butt butt, sight with the whole L-shaped, and installations on 50 and 100 meters. The cartridge is all the same: 9x19 mm "Parabellum", the weight of the weapon - 3,3 kg. With the butt folded, the length was 535 mm. With extended - 782 mm. The rate of fire was equal to 600 shots / min. This outstanding submachine-gun didn’t stand out among other things, except for the unusual shape of the barrel casing, which, therefore, resembled the Hotchiss barrel, and only that which was later often seen in films with Pierre Richard.
And now we turn to the designs of Italian engineers, who began to work on post-war samples of submachine guns also during the Second World War. Unusual design in 1943 was proposed by designer Giuseppe Oliani. His OG-43 submachine gun was produced by Armaguerra Cremona, and to this day only one sample of this submachine gun has been preserved, and it is in a private collection in Switzerland.
He was also one of the first types of weapons in his class with stores in the pistol grip and ... a "telescopic" bolt, much of the mass of which was in his front, not the back. But this was clearly not enough for the designer, and he envisaged the use of the most advanced technologies for the production of his sample, that is, stamping of its main parts from sheet metal. But ... apparently he was rather unusual. So, he had a pistol grip, but ... under the barrel in front, but it was supposed to hold him in the back directly behind the magazine that was inserted behind the trigger bracket.
The military didn’t like it very much, and they demanded ... to improve this sample, which could be understood as “bringing it to a more familiar look”. Therefore, in the 1944 year, Olani presented to them a modification with the “traditional” layout, which received the designation “Armaguerra” OG-44. Now he had a “normal” pistol grip stamped along with the receiver, and the store receiver was in front of the trigger guard.
Shops in it were used box-shaped, with a double-row arrangement of cartridges, from the Beretta submachine gun M38A, of various capacities from 20 to 40 cartridges. The flip sight of both the 43 and 44 models was mounted on 100 and 200 meters. The weight of the OG-44 without ammunition was 3,2 kg. OG-44 could be produced with a fixed wooden butt, or folding, metal, from OG-43.
But the most important thing is that the Armaguerra OG-43 submachine gun, although it produced it in small numbers, certainly had an impact on a number of post-war samples, setting the development vector, so to speak. For example, its layout solutions are well traced in the Walter MPL / MPK submachine guns, the Franchi LF-57 and in a number of others ...
Submachine gun "Franchi" LF-57, created by the company "Luigi Franchi" Brescia in 1956 year. Automatic equipment has a free shutter of the L-shaped form. The shutter handle when shooting is motionless. The sight on the 200 is fixed. The rate of fire within 450 – 470 shots / min. Entirely stamped out of metal. In 1962, he entered service with the Italian Navy. It was actively supplied to Africa (Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Zaire, Katanga, Mozambique, Nigeria) and even in the USA.
To be continued ...
However, it would be a mistake to think that in the West, where there were many different firms that produced weapon, would be limited only to the samples described in the previous materials. There were many of them that remained “in the shadow of the famous”, and we will also tell about them today.
French PP
Well, we will start with sunny France, where in 1949, the MAT 49 was put into service, and the main requirement for the designers was ... its national origin. Until the last screw! So that everyone can see that "France ... has not disappeared," that the French arms school is still at its best and can create weapons of the highest quality. All this is true, of course. But what happened between the 1945 and 1949 years? Really no other samples of PP in France at this time did not appear?
Recall that after the war, the French troops used mainly captured weapons of defeated Germany, and in addition, returned to the release of the pre-war MAS-38. The technical assignment for a completely new submachine gun was also issued. And in four years, several leading weapon companies offered their models of future submachine guns, sometimes quite curious in design.
The army wanted a weapon chambered for 9x19 mm “Parabellum”, with an effective range of up to 200 m. Attention was also paid to ergonomics. The submachine gun was supposed to be convenient for the shooter, and not only when firing. For some reason, the French believed that the weapon had to be folded during transportation in order to occupy a minimum volume. And here you always need to remember one important popular saying: “Make a fool to pray to God, he will break his whole forehead”. That is, none of these requirements can not be taken too seriously. Everything should be in moderation…
Folding "Universal"
Well, a well-known company, Societe des Armes a Feu Portatives Hotchkiss et Cie, was attracted to the development of the PP, that is, the company Hochiss. And by the year 1949 their sample was ready, like everyone else. Officially it was called "Universal", because the company assumed that it could be used in a wide variety of troops.
Outwardly, he was not particularly different from the machine gun pistols of his time. The barrel of a long 273 mm (30 gauge) allowed for a good shooting performance. The receiver had the simplest shape. Automatics “Hotchkiss Yuniversal” was also very simple and contained no innovations. The shutter is like a shutter. The reloading handle is connected to a movable shutter covering the groove from dirt. When firing, it remained in place. True, the fire mode switch was inconvenient: pressing the button on the right included firing single, on the left - bursts. And it was necessary to constantly keep in mind which of them to press. The flag translator, as practice has shown, is always preferable in this case.
Meals were supplied from a box magazine on an 32 cartridge. But then “miracles” started, connected with the fact that the company considered the possibility of ... to develop in the design of its software. And she was subject to this goal without reserve. By the way, folding the “Universal” was not difficult. For this everything was provided. First of all, it was necessary to fold the magazine, turning it forward together with the receiver, after which it was pushed into the receiver as far as it would go (!), After which it was also possible to push the barrel inside the receiver, compressing the mainspring, which reduced the overall length of the submachine gun . But that was not all. Now it was necessary to turn down and forward the butt. At the same time he pressed on the pistol grip of the original device - U-shaped and hollow inside. She held a horizontal position and went to the trigger bracket. On the butt plate there was also a U-shaped notch into which the store fell, and a special lock on the butt tube at the same time caught on the tooth in the shaft of the store. The submachine gun was laid out in the reverse order, but the design did not provide for intermediate positions — that is, “or — or.”
The total length of the "Universal" in unfolded form was 776 mm. Folded - 540 mm. And the pushed trunk saved more 100 mm. The weight of the PP without cartridges was 3,63 kg. The rate of fire is about 650 shots per minute. Effective range to 150-200 m.
The submachine gun was tested all the same in 1949 and was even recommended for use as it was decided that it was convenient for paratroopers and crews tanks and combat vehicles. But while the court, yes the case, MAT 49 managed to appear and the military turned out to take the “Universal”.
True, the Venezuelan army, which, by the way, was the only buyer of this model, showed interest in the “universal” machine gun. The fact is that all the "collapsible" tricks of the designers led to the fact that this software turned out to be too complicated, and therefore expensive. As a result, in 1952, Venezuela received the last batch of "Universals", and more than "Hotchiss" did not release them. Some of them still managed to get into the parachute units of the French army, who fought at this time in Indochina. It is known that, in general, they proved to be no worse than other samples, however, their ability to form truly was never useful to anyone!
Submachine gun "Universal" in the folded form. It should be noted that the store is not shifted all the way back and therefore is not held by a special protrusion at the end of the trunk below.
"Gewarm" D4
And in France there was a company "Guevarm", which released around the same time the submachine gun D4. Moreover, he was even in service with the French police and was exported. The design was traditional: free shutter, shooting from an open shutter, the reloading handle was on the left. Butt butt, sight with the whole L-shaped, and installations on 50 and 100 meters. The cartridge is all the same: 9x19 mm "Parabellum", the weight of the weapon - 3,3 kg. With the butt folded, the length was 535 mm. With extended - 782 mm. The rate of fire was equal to 600 shots / min. This outstanding submachine-gun didn’t stand out among other things, except for the unusual shape of the barrel casing, which, therefore, resembled the Hotchiss barrel, and only that which was later often seen in films with Pierre Richard.
Submachine gun "Guevarm" D4.
Italian PP
And now we turn to the designs of Italian engineers, who began to work on post-war samples of submachine guns also during the Second World War. Unusual design in 1943 was proposed by designer Giuseppe Oliani. His OG-43 submachine gun was produced by Armaguerra Cremona, and to this day only one sample of this submachine gun has been preserved, and it is in a private collection in Switzerland.
He was also one of the first types of weapons in his class with stores in the pistol grip and ... a "telescopic" bolt, much of the mass of which was in his front, not the back. But this was clearly not enough for the designer, and he envisaged the use of the most advanced technologies for the production of his sample, that is, stamping of its main parts from sheet metal. But ... apparently he was rather unusual. So, he had a pistol grip, but ... under the barrel in front, but it was supposed to hold him in the back directly behind the magazine that was inserted behind the trigger bracket.
The military didn’t like it very much, and they demanded ... to improve this sample, which could be understood as “bringing it to a more familiar look”. Therefore, in the 1944 year, Olani presented to them a modification with the “traditional” layout, which received the designation “Armaguerra” OG-44. Now he had a “normal” pistol grip stamped along with the receiver, and the store receiver was in front of the trigger guard.
Shops in it were used box-shaped, with a double-row arrangement of cartridges, from the Beretta submachine gun M38A, of various capacities from 20 to 40 cartridges. The flip sight of both the 43 and 44 models was mounted on 100 and 200 meters. The weight of the OG-44 without ammunition was 3,2 kg. OG-44 could be produced with a fixed wooden butt, or folding, metal, from OG-43.
But the most important thing is that the Armaguerra OG-43 submachine gun, although it produced it in small numbers, certainly had an impact on a number of post-war samples, setting the development vector, so to speak. For example, its layout solutions are well traced in the Walter MPL / MPK submachine guns, the Franchi LF-57 and in a number of others ...
Submachine gun "Franchi" LF-57, created by the company "Luigi Franchi" Brescia in 1956 year. Automatic equipment has a free shutter of the L-shaped form. The shutter handle when shooting is motionless. The sight on the 200 is fixed. The rate of fire within 450 – 470 shots / min. Entirely stamped out of metal. In 1962, he entered service with the Italian Navy. It was actively supplied to Africa (Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Zaire, Katanga, Mozambique, Nigeria) and even in the USA.
To be continued ...
- Vyacheslav Shpakovsky
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