The German WWII Standby: The MP38 and MP40 SMGs
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The MP40 is an iconic piece of World War 2 weaponry, and it's about time we took a closer look at its development...
Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology for allowing me to have access to these three examples so I can bring them to you! Check out the IMT at:
www.instmiltech.com
If you enjoy Forgotten Weapons, check out its sister channel, InRangeTV! / inrangetvshow
I recently ordered a 9mm replica of the MP40. I got it home, opened up the manual and flipped to the section on disassembly. It read "Disassembly of the MP40 is an easy matter, please ask your specialist dealer to demonstrate it for you" no pictures, no instructions. Thank you for this video, excellent as always.
Do you have a GSG? If so, is it any good?
Huh. Interesting
1938? B-B-But what did the Nazis have in 1936 while Indiana Jones was threatening to blow up the Ark of the Covenant with an RPG-2?
They will have had the mp34
+Major Tom Millions of German citizens would later be terror-bombed and exterminated from the sky by Allied bomber planes though (like the most famous example of Dresden, although this was done all throughout major cities in Germany), so it wouldn't have been as destructive as that anyway.
"We are going to scourge the Third Reich from end to end. We are bombing Germany city by city and ever more terribly in order to make it impossible for her to go on with the war. That is our object; we shall pursue it relentlessly." - Arthur Travers "Bomber" Harris [Radio address (28 July 1942), as quoted by Sir Courtauld Thomson, in a House of Lords debate on bombing policy (9 February 1944)]
starfleethastanks Bergmann MP-35
That kind of anachronism is typical in movies. In Seven years in Tibet, Brits had Stents in 1939.
"...and likely shoot you. This was a problem" Ian's dry humour is one of the many reasons to love FW!
The MP40, the most remembered forgotten weapon.
Otherwise known as the gun everybody picks up when they run out of bullets in a WW2 FPS.
JustSomeGuy ditch the mosin gain the mp
HomelessOstrich MP-40 over Mosin any day.
JustSomeGuy more like the first gun people try to get their hands on
Nah, Shpagin is pretty good my dude, if I have ammo for it I hold onto it.
The gun they pick up when no PPS-43, PPSH, or Thompson ammo can be found* :^)
Back in the 80s my dad was in the Norwegian homeguard servicing as a medic. He was still issued a Mp40 until somewhere around 89-91 where he got an Mp5.. Back in those days gun safes were not really all that common around here and it was not a necessity to have your service weapon locked down.. So the Mp40 hung by its sling on a nail on my parents bedroom wall. Magazine was in it but the ammunition was locked down somewhere else.. One "funny" episode was when i was around 7-8 and got pissed off at the neighbours kids.. I stormed in to the bedroom and got the gun. And i ran around the neighborhood waving this gun around and scaring the crap out of the children.. Funnily enough there were absolutely NO consequences afterwards.. If something like this would have happened today my father would probably be locked up.. Ah i miss the 80s...
jomjom1207 nigga tf
lol
Lol man if that happened in the USA in during the 1980's it could have been worse
Now we truly have a permanent record , zero tolerance and one strike . We are so much better off defeating the fascists (sarc)
“Locked down” and “locked up” intensifies
This must've looked so futuristic back then, I can't even imagine.
Everything war technology-related from WWII Germany looks dieselpunk.
@@ElliWoelfin it's more like the other way around / admiration for the aesthetic.
Nah. It looks like someone took the MP 35 and asked themselves "how can we make this simpler and cheaper to manufacture?". The MP 35 in turn looks like a modified MP 18, so it's pretty much a WW1 weapon.
@@KaptenN the mp18 is like barely a ww1 gun tho. it was rarely used because it was more of a prototype, and produced a little too late for it to be used all that much. calling the mp40 a ww1 gun is almost like calling the AK a ww2 gun
@@aversiac-2 Well, it kinda is. Kalashjnikov did start development during WW2. It's WW2 tech and the MP 40 is basically WW1 tech, is what I mean. It was just modified a bit.
The most beautiful art decco design ever IMO. It's like the Chrysler Building of smgs
Ian's voice is so soothing you don't even have to be interested in guns to listen to him. His videos are like a haven of peace and sanity in a fucked up world.
Here here I quite argee!
I've always thought it to be quite the opposite, the sound always has me on edge. I only listen because of the amazing quality of his information/videos. I think either Australian or middle English are the most soothing. Bloke on the range actually has a very soothing speaking voice.
Indeed. My wife has no interest whatsoever in guns but likes listening to his voice when I'm watching his videos.
To be fair to those (correctly) pointing out these are not exactly forgotten: they may be widely recognised, but there is SO many misconceptions about these weapons. Really enjoyed this episode
And your british Brother ( the Sten) works just fine without misconceptions? I just think at the Assassination try from the czech guys that wanted to kill the asshole HEIDRICH.... The Sten, one of them were carrying has jammed and did Not shoot, through this shit HEIDRICH had enough time to shoot the Guy. Then the second Guy throw a granade at the Mercedes. A few days later the Nazi piggy died in a Hospital XD All i want to say, your guns at WW2 was not really practical, and pretend to jam the whole time. The german guns are also, but they did shoot at the right time ;-)
@@saschakorner9317 i think you do not understand what misconceptions means. he never said anything about the performance of the guns
@@saschakorner9317 you should look up the definition of the word "misconception"
The FG-42 and MP-38 are beautiful but expensive firearms. Absolutely love them.
I prefer the Gewehr 43 (K43). Would like to shoot it one day.
@@enlightenmentdoesntcomeeas5337 Germany's garand?
@@NickariusSN Yes.
The Germans have captured Ian from the French. What a prize!
Hoch lebe Vergessenewaffen!
May your swords stay sharp! (mysss29) Vergessene Waffen
It's Sedan 1870 all over again!
brillenfux C R O I S S A N T
I finally bought an MP40 after wanting one all these years. I used to prefer the late war models due to the iconic look of the magwell reinforcing ribs, but after learning more about the guns I have come to prefer the early MP40's and the MP38's. They are a lot more sleek and feel high-quality. The one I bought is an early production MP40; 1940 exactly, actually. Production code is 660 which is Steyr before they went over to the much more well known 'bnz'. The gun looks really sleek and the finish is beautiful, reminiscent of the glossy finish on early K98K's. This will look good beside my K98 and MG-34. Now I'm onto buying my final grail gun which is the MG-42, and after that I'll have to find something new to desire I guess.
So MP38 -> MP40 is essentially like AK-47 -> AKM.
Yes - I had not thought about that before.
Forgotten Weapons Why no MP41 ;-;
Because of insignificant number produced maybe? Or just didn't cross RIA...
That wouldn't be somewhat appropriate, I assume. AK46 was way more different from AK47 than AKM (starting with StG-alike upper receiver)... As Ian mentioned - all the changes in transition from MP38 to MP40 were about production technology, not the design itself. Clearly AK-AKM resemblance...
Dude, seriously? Whole design was torn apart and made anew - and you're saying it's still the same rifle? Time frame doesn't any matter, really... I know, it sounds convincing since Kalashnikov have managed to re-design his rifle in just about a year - well, it was that time in Russia... It took JMB 4 years to re-design M1907 into M1911 - but we all can see difference, obviously. However, modern M1911s are not much different from the original...
When I was in the Portuguese Army in the eighties one of my duties was the delivery of Priority Military Mail in many units. I remember that in the Army High Studies Institute there were a MP-38 and a Sten (without magazine) hanging on the wall. In the 6th floor there was a Vickers machine gun with tripod. I always took a couple of minutes to admire these beauties. Comparing them with my G3 was like comparing a Omega with a CASIO G-Shock... Well, the Sten not quite so! 😀
For some reason I just love how the MP40 looks. It just has a beautiful design.
Not as nice as the Owen gun.
The lack of polymer makes it look much cleaner, same for the stg44
Same goes for pretty much all of the WW2 German stuff. Too bad they were an embodiment of evil. Bastards ruined and ended not only the lives of millions, but also the reputation of many cool designs as well.
I just love the look of Bakelite plastic. It's no longer particularly good for gun production since it's such a primitive plastic, but it just looks exactly as retro as it is. It comes from a cool chemical reaction too. Bakelite is actually really interesting stuff. It's formed from a type of chemical reaction called a condensation reaction, specifically between phenol and formaldehyde (in real Bakelite plastic you also use lignin powder from wood to add strength.) The reaction starts as just adding formaldehyde to some phenol crystals, then adding some acetic acid (concentrated vinegar) with constant stirring, then, finally, a small amount of hydrochloric acid is added, and just a few seconds later this totally clear solution starts to form some color, then literally instantly **poof** it goes totally opaque and milky, and then **pop** this lump of malleable plastic just snaps out of the solution out of nowhere! It's great! Periodic Videos and Nile Red both have great videos making Bakelite and you can see it for yourself. Periodic Videos: kzhead.info/sun/idChYL18iZ-QY4E/bejne.html Nile Red (pt. 1): m.kzhead.info/sun/o8yHfMmbnauNhnA/bejne.html Nile Red (pt. 2): m.kzhead.info/sun/rZGlYsOPe6ONZHk/bejne.html
I really love that Ian is presenting us some more known guns from time to time, as although i know the MP40, I didn't know most stuff he talked about. Keep up the good work! :)
"Alright volksgrenadiers, new MP-40s, try not to shoot each other"
oooo, it’s rare for me to see a CoH2 reference lol
9:00 the split knurling (and also the angle on the knurl) is not for the gun operator, but it make machining easier, as the amount of area to knurl is reduced and the angle on the knurl make the tool run smoother, both of these means you can knurl faster and you tooling lasts MUCH MUCH longer
Makes sense
The book The Schmeisser Myth, by author Martin Helebrant (Collector Grade Pub.) says that when the steel muzzle flap (Mundungsschoner) was replaced with the rubber muzzle cap (Mundungskappe), the muzzle nut had a groove cut into the knurling to help grip the rubber cap. (Page 266, and figure 367)
at this point, Ian should just rename the channel "Weapons" and start doing reviews on tanks and battleships Ian we need this... Ian pls
And now it's time to take the USS Iowa apart, so we can se how it works!
Grifter to be fair there are plenty of forgotten models of tanks and planes etc he could certainly cover them one day
Grifter Imagine a nut and bolt breakdown of a battleship may take some time.Would need a fairly large range for test firing too.
Mikkel Fabricius "Lemme just pull apart this armored casemate over here and show you guys the cannons inner workings" 32 minutes later... "Ahh, got it, sorry the internals are a little rusty'
History is written by the victors: imgur.com/a/3IyIV
Each of the guns shown has the forward sling loop on the left side of the weapon, meaning that the barrels have been removed. The sling loop was always factory installed on the right side in order to avoid the sling interfering with the bolt handle. The groove in the muzzle nut was added so that the standard 98K rifle buna rubber muzzle cap could be used. The double stack, single feed magazine and the Vollmer telescoping recoil spring housing were patented. These might not have been the best designs, but Haenel was paid royalties on every gun delivered.
Know-it-all.
As always, an excellent overview and analysis (along with the dry humor). Thanks for putting these videos together! Well done.
My grand grandpa was partisan in Yugoslavia. He probably used the same MP 40 you had shown in the video. It was ( and it still is ! ) one of most famous weapons in the Balkans. It is known as "Šmajser" after it's manufacturer Schmeisser.
Schmeisser isn't correct , it's a Haenel
Schmeisser has nothing to do with the MP-40, except that many call it as such for no reason.
Jel deda bio Prle ili Tihi ?
@@XtreeM_FaiLit's like calling the AK-74U the Krinkov. A stupid myth, never happened.
I love how the Germans' first approach was "Instead of just bending sheet metal, let's take a solid metal bar and drill out the middle."
TBF, that happens frequently when there is little to no cross-pollination between the firearms and automobile/train/aircraft industries. Stamping just wasn't a familiar technique to gun designers at the time.
@@hailexiao2770 It might have been well known to the designers, but they found that stamped guns were a tough sell to military officers who were accustomed to the 98 Mauser.
The lug under the barrel that Ian points out at 4:40 also works in conjunction with the front sight when used in AFV firing ports (MP Stopfen). The muzzle has to be pushed up and then down to get it through the port. This ensures that the gun cannot be pulled straight back through the port in the event of the shooter losing his footing.
I found this video to be exceptionally well done. Thank you for making it and for sharing all of these many details.
Always wanted to know more about the 38.
Thanks for another great video, Ian. You’re such a good speaker and explain things so articulately. A real pleasure to learn stuff from you.
Very interesting. Especially the charging handle issue. Never knew about that.
I loved using this gun in WaW back in the day
The very first frame with that gorgeous looking German steel and I'm drooling..There is nothing else like it.
Hey I'm here again 3 months later and went to the comments to make the same comment to see I already did. The German steel just makes me moist. Lol.
perhaps those that did not get an upgrade were captured guns, don't think that the Maquis would send their inventory to Erma for the latest fix.
*its such a pretty gun*
This is my favorite channel, keep em coming!
probably the most pleasant and easy going SMG'S I've had the opportunity to fire and that's including the MP5 which I also loved.
Where do you think are the advantages of the more moderm HK5?
@steffenwurster352 the magazines are far better designed in the mp5. The mag is the big negative of the mp40. The MP5 is more modular, and being closed bolt it's less exposed to the elements.
@@dubvuchyea502 thanks a lot
This was such an awesome review! Thank you Ian!! My Dad used to play with these as a kid in Italy from '38 to '43. I wanted to get him a replica in .177 cal but...his wife ... :( Awesome review!!!! Thank you very much for this; passing it along to Dd who...is now 85. :) and going strong!
Old German guns look so beautiful, been fascinated with the mp40's design since I had it as a toy gun as a kid
Thanks Ian, enjoying the videos. Please keep doing what you do.
Definitey a detailed and complete look on these series
I've always loved these guns, such a cool design with the underfolder stock. I just wish they had a selector switch to make semi auto fire an option, but that's just me nitpicking. Thanks again Ian!
I'd been led to believe by "older gentlemen" that with some skill, the trigger could be manipulated well enough to accomplish single round discharges. They, however also said due to accuracy issues there was little point in the exercise. To be fair, I've no personal experience by which to verify or deny.
My grandfather was in Metz , France (95th infantry division, part of The Iron Men of Metz) and multi Gold Star recipient, he never talked much about the war but he did say that the MP40 was highly sought after by fellow American GIs
I very much enjoyed this video as I do all that I view and am constantly amazed by your knowledge of firearms. German firearms craftsmanship has always amazed me and it’s frightening to think what they could have done with a more cogent war strategy/leadership and where we might all be today. Thank you.
another fantastic video ian! i eagerly watch your videos every morning on my morning commute 😁
It may be interresting for you, in Soviet Union MP 38 and MP 40 were usually named Schmeisser (Шмайсер),but for the last two decades we have a tendency to call them mith original name. My grandfather was on war, and he was colling those MPs "Schmeisser"
The book The Schmeisser Myth, by author Martin Helebrant (Collector Grade Pub.) explains how the MP 38 and 40 got the incorrect name. It was the British that captured one early in the war and described it as "being of the Schmeisser type".
Very few in depth videos on the German sun machine guns, thanks Ian!
Thank you for making these videos!
Very interesting. My dads friend was a camera man for one of the big 3 news organizations. He bought a MP- 38 in Europe ( about 1958 ) . He pointed out the different things, as you so well pointed out . I happened to like the underfolding stock ( most do not ) Thanx for showing how to field strip, great video. It was a trip down memory lane , my dad , his good friend, myself and a piece of history.
When my grandpa passed away he left my family MP 38 officers rifle and an MP 40. Both very impressive guns.
Wait so you have a MP38 Submachine gun
So i was gonna ask about the MP 40 double mag configuration, that i have seen in a game (Red Orchestra 2) and if it was actually a real thing, seeing as i had never heard of it before. Just to make sure i didn't look stupid for asking about it, i googled it real quick. The first pic shows up is from your website with a whole article on it. :D Love the work you do. Keep it up
Wow. I see a new video comes out, I like it instantly.
4:07 the stock folds away so beautiful, and the whole rifle is a piece of master engineering!.
I remember a video on Tank Museum channel about a captured, half built Panther tank, which was then completed by the Brits. You could tell apart parts was made by the Germans from parts made by the Brits.
@@muhammadnursyahmi9440 could you link the video pls, I'm very interested
@@abdullaalsulaiti1803 kzhead.info/sun/o5mfddeGrnqJd6s/bejne.html
Did you forget to talk about how the back sight mounts on the MP40? You were talking about it being screwed down on the 38.
Love these videos, I would love it even more if you tested the oldschool weapons.
Subscribed! Thank you for making a very high-quality video.
These are honestly very cool and versatile looking weapons. Simple, compact and effectively nasty at they're job. I've always personally admired these particular guns, they're badass
Most beautiful family of SMGs in history.
Woo hoo for the early upload and the detailed look at this iconic weapon. Now I want to play medal of honor or CoD.
Great lesson!! I love your channel. I'm spanish and loving when see spanishs weapons on your channel. Thank you very much. ( sorry for my english)
Thank you Ian I love your work
“The guys really liked them and they did good service.” ... yeah... but I get what you meant.
Could you review some Nerf Gun, just for kicks sometime?
The best part about the CS mag system blasters is that they turn what should be an ejection port into a jam door.
Gun Jesus pls respond
Please make this happen!!
The only way to decock the Nerf Longshot is to shoot yourself in the hand. I think this is an amazing safety feature that should be used in all firearms.
@@KC-bg1th lmao
Very nice. I was never super clear on the differences between the 38 and 40, other than the 40 being simplified. The 40 has a reputation for being controllable and fairly accurate, based on demos i have seen. It is certainly well made. The bolt handle safety mod is a great idea, simple and effective. That recoil spring system is ingenious too. I think i heard somewhere that it has a buffering effect and keeps the cyclic rate down to a usable level. Great video as always. Thank you
This is one of the best channels on the internet!
Just seen this review and the section about the cocking handle brought back a bad memory for me. . Our squadron lost one of our guys on "Operation Granby" when the cocking lever on his S.M.G ( L2a3) slung over his shoulder caught on the door of his truck picked up a round and shot himself in the head.
I love how this was simple for Germany while the Soviets has the pps-43 for simple
Amazing videos man. Been waiting for the Enfield and Ppsh to come in my feed.
Thank you Sir, amazing video!
I once read in an issue of shotgun news where the author had toured the Finnish FBI's collection of confiscated firearms, and lo and behold, an enterprising farmer made a lower receiver for one of these out of wood, replacing the bakelite...
Just got my GSG MP40p 2 days ago. Wish mine was open bolt and had the folding stock, but still it's an awesome gun and it's cool to see where some of it's design aspects came from.
I always loved the "Schmeisser". awesome! 👍
Mr. McCallum, I have seen a few videos of yours over the last couple of Years, but over the last 2 Months (the Q) I have watched a ton...I am a Huge History Nerd and major gun guy (US Military), but as I have had nothing but time, I have ventured off the beaten path. I grew up loving the looks of the MP-38/40...but never knew the difference. I had looked off and on, but never really in depth...but this video really showed the progression of this weapon...You have been a huge help during this incredibly boring time...I'm finally going to venture out tomorrow for some Cordite therapy on my new Remington 700 Hunter .308. Semper Fi
Despite all the simplifications from mp38 to mp40, if you compare it to PPS for example, it still look quite complex to manufacture.
I do want you to know that I'm being honest to each and every Russian citizen regarding what Duane G. Shelton said about Nikolai Lenin/Vladimir Ilyitch Ulianov. "Lenin, he wanted the power. He got it." This was back then in 1917.
One of the first ever used firearms, the "Arquebus" (haakbus, in Dutch) had a hook on the same place on the barrel, and for a similar reason... To absorb the recoil, by hooking it on the wall of a castle...
Thanks for the disassembly.
If I was issued one of these I would have a lot of comfort in knowing I had a very well made and well thought out gun. This is some of the best hands on information on this family of guns I have ever seen.
Can you review the moonraker laser please?
Would have loved for him to review the golden gun thats at the Leeds Royal Armouries or one of the punt guns.
got em
Ah, the gun that has equipped every Hollywood goon squad between 1945 and circa 1980.
Very interesting to listen to you. Great knowledge.
Fascinating as always!!
Maybe I've missed it at some point, or the unlisting made it hard to find, but do you have (or plan to have) a video on the De Lisle carbine? It's funny because the first autocomplete result in google comes up "De Lisle Carbine Forgotten Weapons" :p
I have one filmed, but it has not posted yet. :)
Excellent! I'm more than a little excited.
Does this mean you'll be doing the PPSh-41 and PPs-43 soon?
Great review-----i learned a lot from you. As a student of WWll and vet. myself I always wished I could give one of these a try
Excellent Sir. Thank You. I appreciate your effort, and knowledge. Damn cool firearm as well !!
All hail Gun Jesus for spreading his vast knowledge upon us lowly peasants.
Cannot wait for MP 18 video...
Great tutorial video. Thanks much. Great weapons. Wish I had one.
thank you. great video!
I'm just waiting than lan show us a select fire version of this and a spanish copy.
What's the MP with the wooden stock? Is it the '41?
The MP41 is actually not an MP40 in a wood stock, although it looks like that. I have an MP41 video coming later this month.
Forgotten Weapons Well, I'm looking forward to it.
Toby Wood The MP18 has a wood stock, but the magazine is side loaded and it is a WW1 gun.
Cody Brown I was referring to the MP41 it seems, with similar looks to the MP40 but with a wooden stock, rather than the synthetic one. Same downwards facing magazine etc.
Toby Wood probably the mp34
Although it's certainly not forgotten, I would love to see you do a video about the development of the Thompson SMG.
i was searching for this in your site thinking you must already have them only saw you shooting them hour later this happened, lucky day!
Was there a significant weight difference between the 38 and 40?
Hazcat the MP 38 weighs 4,2 kg, the MP 40 weighs 3,97 kg
Thanks for the answer! So not really substantial. 8.2 ounces (1/2 pound). I would have thought it would have been more going from milled to stamped.
I agree that 1/2 lb is real reduction but when you go from 9.25 lbs to 8.75 lbs it is not truly significant (IMHO). It is still a heavy weapon.
Also stamped guns are cheaper and easier to make than milled
Carl Gustav m45 Or is it that forgotten?
keep up the good work ian.
bakelite was developed right down the street from me in yonkers NY way back in 1907!
The EMP 44 was the final step in making a very cheap submachine gun, based on the MP38/40. Does Ares has more infos about it, than the few stuff that is already to be found?
The EMP 44 might just be the coolest and ugliest Smg that i have ever seen!
One thing that puzzles me about the MP40 is the massive distance between the trigger and magwell. While a lot of SMGs of the time had this, usually out of necessity/simplicity, the MP40 design seems to go out of its way to maximise the distance between trigger on magwell. There's a pretty big transfer bar going from the trigger to the sear. You'd think you'd want the trigger close to the magwell to make the weapon as functionally short as possible, but for some reason they went out of their way to not do that.
I don't see the issue as you're holding the magwell to begin with.
Same, the Soviets also did that with PPS 43 for no apparent reason at all. Ironic that both guns are my favorite.
Looking back, they might have intentionally done that since barrel length is not important for SMG and the magwell makes nice foregrip.
slow down rate of fire
steve gable ah, that makes sense now! Thank you, sir!
Thank you for the video- it was very interesting and informative. :)
great info and discussion. in the movies we always see the soldiers kind of shooting from the hip with the stock folded and not shouldered using the sights. in one of my books there's a version or a special 90 degree barrel for shooting around a corner of a wall, kinda bizarre never seen that before.