The Maschinenpistole 38, or MP 38 for short, was the premiere submachinegun in use by the German
Wehrmacht during
World War II.
The MP 38 entered
German military service in 1938, as its name suggests, and was built by Erfurt Maschinenwerk (ERMA) on the design of the MP 18. It featured a telescopic casing that contained the bolt, firing pin and return spring, which all could be taken out as a unit during disassembly. This protected the moveable parts from dirt.
The MP 38 used
plastic instead of wooden features in the grip. This combined with a folding butt made the weapon very manageable and light.
The MP 38 was soon phased out by the
MP 40, which entered service in 1940.
Like its predecessor, it was a stable gun-platform which offered the shooter accurate fire - even during prolonged bursts.
The often tended to jam becuase of the sensitive magazine/receiver interface when dirt entered the clip together with the ammunition, or the slightly elliptical
9mm parabellum rounds themselves.
Specs:
Round:
9mm Parabellum.
Clip: 32 rounds.
Rate of fire: ~500 rounds per minute.
Action: Fully automatic only.
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