 |
| © 2012 Soldiers Memorial |
Caliber: 9mm
Weight: 8lbs, 12 oz
Rate of Fire: 500 rounds per minute
- The Maschinenpistole 40 (literally meaning "Machine Pistol") came about to fill the need for a cheaper version of its innovative predecessor, the MP-38, which was a breakthrough in the field of machine gun weaponry but very expensive to produce.
- Relatively basic in its construction, the MP-40 was produced with low quality steel and was one of the first firearms of its kind to be made entirely of metal and plastic, with no wood piecing whatsoever.
- A design flaw of the MP-38 was that a severe jolt could cause the bolt to jump back and unintentionally fire a round. As a result, most MP-40s were produced with horizontal ribbing on the magazine housing to prevent such an occurrence.
- The MP-40 was one of the most well-known weapons of WWII, with over a million having been produced by 1945. There are many accounts of Allied soldiers choosing to use captured Nazi MP-40s rather than their own standard issue guns.
- This particular weapon was captured by Sgt. Edward M. Hopkins, 281st Combat Engineer Bttn. Sgt. Hopkins fought in Patton's Third Army and came into possession of the gun during the German Ardennes Offensive, more commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge.
References:
Hogg, Ian V. The Complete Machine-Gun. New
York: Exeter Books, 1979.
Miller, David. The
Illustrated Directory of Guns. Kent, United Kingdom: Pepperbox Press,
Ltd., 2011.
