CODE – 02-040-928

NAME – MP 28/II

NAME (NATIVE) – Maschinenpistole 28.II

COMMON NAMES – MP 28, MP Schmeisser 28 II

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1928 – late 1930s

CALIBER – 9x19mm – other calibers include 9mm Bergman-Bayard, 7.65mm Parabellum, 7.63mm Mauser, and .45 ACP

OVERALL LENGTH – 81 cm (32 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 20 cm (7.93 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 6 groove, Right hand twist

BULLET DIAMETER – 9mm (0.355 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 8.04 g (124 gr)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 340 m/s (1115 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 464 j (342 ft/lbs)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 4.08 kg (9 lbs)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 4.75 kg (10 lbs 8 oz) with 32 round magazine

SIGHTS – Front sight – inverted V-blade, Rear sight – Tangent open-V notch calibrated from for 100 to 1000 meters in 100 meter increments

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 200 m (219 yds)

MAXIMUM RANGE 1600 m (1750 yds)

OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Select-fire, Semi and Full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 40 rpm (Semi), 96 rpm (Full)

CYCLIC ROF – 500 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 20, 32 or 50 round box magazine, Double column, single feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 20 round 0.24 kg (8 oz), (32 round – 0.31 kg (11 oz), 50 round – 0.37 kg (13 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 20 round – 0.47 kg (1 lb 0.6 oz), 32 round – 0.67 kg (1 lb 8 oz), 50-round – 0.93 kg (2 lbs, 1 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – 3 – 32 round magazines (96 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 2.01 kg (4 lbs, 8 oz)

MANUFACTURER – C. G. Haenel Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Germany, licensed to Anciens Establissements Pieper S. A., Herstal, Belgium and Schwerizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in Switzerland.

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Germany through WWII (substitute standard), Belgium, Bolivia, Portugal, Spain, Japan, China, South America and others

NOTE, all weights and specifications are for the 9x19mm version

   Developed in secrecy in 1924 by a design team led by Hugo Schmeisser, the MP 28/II is not much more than an improved MP 18/I. The central change in the design is the Schmeisser-patented side mounted box magazine and magazine well. Another change in the basic design is the addition of a select-fire capability.

     The fire selector is a cross pin above the trigger. When the selector is pressed in to the right, the letter D (for Dauer – full automatic) is exposed and the weapon fires on full automatic. When the end of the selector pin is pressed in to the left, the E (For Einzel – single fire) is exposed and the weapon fires on semiautomatic. The safety is an inverted L-shaped notch cut upwards near the rear of the cocking-handle slot on the right-hand side of the weapon. To use the safety, the cocking handle of the bolt is drawn to the rear and lifted up into the notch where it is held by the forward pressure of the mainspring.

    Another change from the MP 18/I design is the removal of the relatively simple and effective rear sight of the earlier weapon, and its replacement with a tangent sight more in line with what was found of the military rifles of the time. The tangent sight is adjustable for range by sliding a movable crossbar on the sight leaf along a graduated ramp. The graduations on the MP 28/II are marked in 50 meter divisions from 100 meters to a fairly excessive 1,000 meters.

    Like most other weapons of the time, the MP 28/II is made up of carefully machined parts, well finished and fitted. The weapon is accurate for its type, especially with the full carbine-style wooden stock. The weight of the weapon also helps hold it down on full automatic fire adding to its general accuracy.

     The MP28/II was manufactured in multiple calibers to increase international sales. The data above is for the 9x19mm version, the most popular caliber it was chambered and the caliber it was used for in Germany.