MP34

Maschinenpistole 34 (MP34)
MP34
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Austria
Service history
In service	1930–1970s
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War II Portuguese Colonial War
Production history
Designer	Louis Stange
Designed	1929
Manufacturer	Waffenfabrik Steyr
Produced	1929–1940
Variants	S1-100, MP30
Specifications
Weight	Loaded 4.48 kg (9.9 lb) Unloaded 4.25 kg (9.4 lb)
Length	850 mm (33.5 in)
Barrel length	200 mm (7.9 in)
Cartridge	9×19mm Luger Parabellum; 9×23 Steyr; 9×25 Mauser Export
Action	open bolt blowback
Rate of fire	~600-round/min
Muzzle velocity	~410 m/s (1,345 ft/s)
Effective firing range	150 - 200 m (490-650 ft : 160-220 yds)
Feed system	20 or 32-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Hooded or open topped front, adjustable rear

The MP34 (Maschinenpistole 34, literally "Machine Pistol 34") is a submachine gun (SMG) that was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Steyr and used by the Austrian police and subsequently by units of the German Army and the Waffen SS, in World War II. An exceptionally well-made weapon, it was used by some forces well into the 1970s.

The MP34 was based on a design for the MP18 by the Rheinmetall company based in Düsseldorf. The weapon is similar in design to the MP18 Bergmann, which itself saw service towards the end of World War I.

Restrictions on the manufacture of certain armaments within the 1919 Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from manufacturing certain types of weapons, such as light automatic firearms (designated as SMGs with barrels in excess of four inches (102 mm) and magazines holding more than eight rounds). To circumvent the treaty, Rheinmetall acquired the Swiss company Waffenfabrik Solothurn in 1929 and began secret production of a prototype. What was to become the MP34 was originally designated ‘S1-100’ using the company’s standard naming convention.

Due to the Solothurn company being unsuited for mass production, Rheinmetall took a controlling interest in Waffenfabrik Steyr, an established arms manufacturer in Austria. Weapons manufactured by Steyr were sold via the Zurich-based trade company Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG to both the commercial and military markets.

The MP34 was manufactured from the very best materials available and finished to the highest possible standard. It was so well manufactured that it has often been nicknamed the "Rolls Royce of submachine guns". However, its production costs were extremely high as a consequence.

The MP34 was a selective-fire weapon (single shot or full auto), firing in blowback mode with an open bolt. The return spring was located in the wooden stock and was linked to the bolt via a long push rod, attached pivotally to the rear of the bolt. Easy access to the bolt and trigger assembly was via a hinged top cover which opened up and forward by depressing two release catches. This makes cleaning procedures very easy to perform.

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Wikipedia