NAME – MP38

NAME (NATIVE) – Maschinenpistole 38

COMMON NAMES – Schmeisser

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1938 to 1941

CALIBER – 9x19mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 63 cm (24.8 in) (Stock folded), 83.3 cm (32.8 in) (Stock open)

BARREL LENGTH – 25.1 cm (9.9 in)

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

BULLET WEIGHT – 8.04 g (124 gr)

BULLET DIAMETER – 9mm (0.355 in)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 381 m/s (1250 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 583 j (430 ft/lbs)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 3.96 kg (8 lbs 11.7 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 4.61 kg (11 lbs 13 oz)

SIGHTS – Front – Blade, Rear open U-notch, flip sight for 100 and 200 meters (109 and 218 yds)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 200 m (218 yds)

OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Full automatic only

RATE OF FIRE – 96 rpm

CYCLIC ROF – 500 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 32 round box magazine, double-column, single position feed

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 0.26 kg (9 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.65 kg (1 lb 7 oz)

MAGAZINE LOADER WEIGHT 0.15 kg (5.3 oz)

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – 6 magazines (192 rds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 3.9 kg (8 lbs 10 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Erma, Erfurter Maschinen und Werkzeugfabrik, Erfurt, Germany (pre 1942 manufacturers code 27, Post 1942 manufacturers code ayf)

STATUS – Obsolete, May still be found in guerilla hands throughout the world

SERVICE – Extensive issue and use throughout all of the German forces during WWII. Post World War II saw widespread use of the MP38 in Chinese and other Asian countries as well as South and Central America with both military and police forces.

     Adopted in August, 1938, the MP38 was the first standard issue submachinegun of the post World War I German Army. Intended for armored and airborne units, the weapon was the first of its kind to incorporate a folding stock in its design. There were no wooden components in the design of the MP38. Those parts that would normally have been made of wood, the grips and foregrip were made from Margolite (Bakelite) plastic. During the production life of the weapon, approximately 42,200 were produced. In spite of being designed for mass production, the MP38 was produced almost entirely from machined components for the larger parts. This helped make the MP38 one of the last submachinegun designs to be made of machined parts. In spite of the extensive machining used in its manufacture the design is considered significant as the first of the second-generation of machineguns.

      Along with the grooves cut into the receiver tube, there were additional lengths taken to help lighten the basic design of the weapon. The magazine well had a large hole cut through the sides in order to remove weight. Various other parts, particularly the grip frame, were made from aluminum castings or forgings. The trigger housing also had a number of lightening holes cut into it.

   The upper receiver of the MP38 is distinctive as it has twelve grooves machined lengthwise into the metal. These grooves both lighten and stiffen the metal tube of the receiver. The bolt handle is a simple hook shape following the slot cut for it on the left side of the weapon. With the bolt handle on the left side of the weapon, it is easy to manipulate for any right-handed operator without having the let go of the pistol grip. At the rear of the bolt handle slot is an inverted “L” shaped slot that acts as the safety notch. With the bolt drawn to the rear, the bolt handle is raised up into the slot. As it moves forward into the shot leg of the inverted “L”, the handle is locked into place. To release the safety, the bolt handle must simply be drawn to the rear and lowered into firing position.

      The simple blowback operation of the MP38 did cause some difficulties when the Germans started using the weapon in heavy action early in WWII in Poland. When troops armed with the submachinegun would jump from the back of a truck or armed vehicle. it was possible for there to be an accidental discharge of the weapon. When the soldier hit the ground hard, there could be enough inertia in the bolt to cause it to move back far enough to pick up a round from the magazine, but not to have travelled far enough to engage the sear and be locked back. This would cause the bolt to move forward and fire a round. Additionally, the hook-shaped cocking lever could be snagged on clothing or combat harness while moving, also causing an accidental discharge. These accidents happened often enough for there to be an immediate and simple correction to be issued.

      A strap assembly was issued that would secure around the base of the barrel, in front of the barrel nut. A long strap extended from the right side of the strap assembly back to the location of the bolt handle when in the forward position. A slot on the strap assembly would be slipped over the bolt handle, holding it in the forward position. The strap could be slipped off the bolt handle with the fingers as the handle was grasped for cocking the weapon.

     An additional design feature unique to German submachineguns made its appearance with the MP38. Having been intended for armored forces, there was a difficulty in using submachineguns from within armored cars, personnel carriers, and other vehicles. If an operator was firing his submachinegun through a vision slit or firing port, especially while a vehicle was moving, there was a great danger of him falling backwards, pulling his weapon into the vehicle with him. Additionally, the open-bolt system of the MP38 submachinegun could be badly jarred, causing a unintentional firing, if the steel barrel of the weapon struck the side of the firing slot hard. There were few dangers as obvious as the uncontrolled firing of a submachinegun inside of what was effectively a steel box. To prevent this problem, designers added a resting bar below the barrel on the MP38.

    The barrel rest acted as both a locking piece, holding the weapon from sliding out of the firing slot, as well as a shock absorber. The part is unique to the German MP38 & 40 series and first made its appearance on the prototype weapon leading to the MP38. The bar is a softer material than the steel of the barrel. It has been made of aluminum, Nüral (an aluminum alloy), Margolite (Bakelite) plastic, zinc, sheet metal, and even wood. The wooden resting bars were never an issue part but were a field repair expedient authorized in August, 1944.

      In addition to “padding” the bottom of the barrel of the MP38, the resting bar also acted as a locking piece to the barrel collar. The bar had a lug that fit into a slot at the bottom of the barrel collar, the other end being riveted by a small tube into the underlug at the bottom of the muzzle. The barrel rest has not been seen again since the MP40 submachinegun was used at the end of World War II