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German MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" Submachine Gun

National Museum of American History

Object Details

licensee
Erma Werke - Erfurter Maschinenfabrik
Erma Werke - Erfurter Maschinenfabrik
Description
Physical Description
German MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" submachine gun, .40 caliber.
General History
The Maschinenpistole 40, commonly known as the MP40, is similar to the Thompson, but uses a smaller 9-mm round. This submachine gun evolved out of the MP38, which was prone to misfirings that had sometimes lethal results. A simple technical innovation to the hammer eliminated the problem, and the MP40 was born. Total production is unknown but it is believed that more that one million of these weapons were produced between 1940 and 1944.
Credit Line
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Medical Museum
ID Number
AF.53278
catalog number
53278
accession number
188409
Object Name
gun, submachine
Other Terms
gun, submachine; gun, submachine; Firearms; Center Fire; 9 Mm; Rifled
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 11 in x 34 in x 3 in; 27.94 cm x 86.36 cm x 7.62 cm
Place Made
Germany: Thuringia, Erfurt
See more items in
Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
Military
ThinkFinity
Exhibition
Price of Freedom
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
Subject
Firearms
related event
World War II
The Great Depression and World War II
Record ID
nmah_415106
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a2-19a1-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
German MP40 'Maschinenpistole .40' submachine gun
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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