Wooden machine gun of the second world war shooting. German "Schmeiser" against the Soviet PPSh: which submachine gun was better during the Second World War. Stopping the production of machine guns

I bring to your attention an overview of machine guns of the Second World War

Machine guns "Bred"

The machine gun of the 1930 model of the year was among those weapons that, to put it mildly, can be classified as unsuccessful. Outwardly, it consisted of corners of ledges, and therefore it was a real torment for the machine gunner to carry it, because all these ledges clung to clothing and equipment. In addition, the designers have developed a new power system using 20 charging clips, fragile and brittle. These clips were inserted into a folding magazine that had a very delicate mount, and if the magazine or mount was damaged, the machine gun could not be used.

Finally, the extraction of the spent cartridge case became a real problem, which forced the installation of an oil pump to lubricate and facilitate the extraction of cartridge cases. Theoretically, this should have worked, but the oil, mixing with dust and dirt, especially in North Africa, finally clogged the mechanism. Against this background, the lack of a handle for changing the barrel seems to be a minor nuisance. Since no other machine guns were produced, this one had to be treated with indulgence, even its modification of the 1938 model of the year chambered for 7.5 mm appeared.

Heavy machine gun

The company's large-caliber machine gun was designated the Breda machine gun of the 1937 model. In general, it was a good weapon, but its use was hampered by the use of an unusual power system - a flat 20-round tray that passed through the receiver and received spent cartridges. Today it is difficult to explain what the designers did when they introduced such an impractical scheme: after all, spent cartridges had to be removed from the tray in order to use it again.

The extraction of the sleeves was carried out using an oil pump from the 1930 model of the year, which led to the inheritance of old problems. Thus, the machine gun of the 1937 model of the year did not become a discovery, although it was adopted as a single heavy machine gun of the Italian army. A modification of the machine gun for installation on tanks was produced under the name Breda machine gun of the 1938 model.

Breda machine guns characteristics:

• Model 1930 machine gun
• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 10.32 kg
• Overall length: 1232 mm
• Barrel length: 520 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 629 m/s
• Rate of fire: 450 - 500 rounds /min
• Food: clip, 20 rounds

Model 1937 machine gun

• Caliber: 8 mm
• Weight: 19.4 kg: machine tool 18.7 kg
• Overall length: 1270 mm
• Barrel length: 740 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s
• Rate of fire: 450-500 rds / min
• Food: tray, 20 cartridges

Japan

The Type 11 entered service in 1922 and remained in service until 1945. The authorship officially belongs to General Kijiro Nambu, and it was under the name "Nambu" that he gained fame.

This machine gun used a unique power system, which was not used in any other model. The idea was that the receiver on the left side of the receiver was filled with cartridges, both single and in standard clips for five rounds, which did not require the creation of special magazines or cartridge belts.

But in practice, this advantage was overshadowed by the fact that the internal mechanism turned out to be too fragile and complex, often it could not withstand the intense firing of a conventional rifle cartridge. In addition, the same cartridge lubrication system added problems. which, as usual, in dusty conditions significantly hampered the operation of mechanisms.

Only automatic firing machine gun TYPE 11

The Type 11 machine gun could only fire automatically, and when fired, the cartridge funnel made the whole system unbalanced and uncomfortable. A special modification was developed - a tank machine gun "type 91" with a funnel for 50 rounds for installation on armored vehicles. The weak points of the Type 11 machine gun were revealed soon enough during the first battles in China in the 1930s, and in 1936 a new Type 96 light machine gun appeared.

Although the Type 96 was a significant improvement over its predecessor, it did not completely replace it, as the Japanese arms industry was unable to produce the required number of weapons of any type. The Type 96 was a combination of elements from the Hotchkiss machine gun and the Czechoslovakian ZB vz. 26.

From the latter, he took a store with an upper location, but the cartridge lubrication system remained, so the problem of “clogging” the mechanisms with dirt remained. At the same time, the process of changing the barrel was noticeably facilitated by installing a telescopic sight. However, soon such a sight began to be installed only by order, however, they left a convenient device for equipping the store. One of the features of the Type 96 machine gun was the bayonet mount.

Light machine guns "type 11" and "type 96" characteristics:

• Light machine gun "type 11"
• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 10.2 kg
• Overall length: 1105 mm
• Barrel length: 483 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 700 m/s
• Rate of fire: 500 rounds / min
• Store: 30 rounds

Light machine gun "type 96"

• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 9.07 kg
• Overall length: 1054 mm
• Barrel length: 552 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 730 m/s
• Rate of fire: 550 rounds / min
• Store: box-shaped, 30 rounds

USA

M1919 Browning machine gun

M1919A4 was produced mainly for the infantry and proved to be a first-class machine gun, with a high rate of fire and without any complaints or problems. The tank version was designated M1919A5, and the M2 modification was developed for the Air Force (it was installed both on fighters and on bombers - on turrets).

The US Navy received the AN-M2 machine gun, developed on the basis of the M1919A4. Thus, over a long period of production, many modifications and production changes appeared, but the basic design of the M1919 remained unchanged. The supply of cartridges was carried out using a cloth or metal tape. In the infantry, a machine gun was usually mounted on a simple tripod mount, but there were a great many mounts, including quite complex ones for anti-aircraft installations and the simplest mounts for installation on various types of wheeled vehicles.

light machine gun

Perhaps the strangest modification of the M1919 was the M1919A6. It was created as a light machine gun to increase the firepower of the squad instead of the BAR machine gun. This model was introduced in 1943 and was an M191A4 with a strange shoulder rest, bipod, carrying handle and a lightweight barrel. The result is a machine gun that is quite heavy for a handgun, but easy to manufacture.

The disadvantages were the general clumsiness of the weapon and the need to use gloves to change the barrel. Despite this, the M1919 was produced in large numbers (a total of 43,479 units were produced). The troops were forced to use it, realizing that it copes with its task better than BAR. The main value of all models of this machine gun was reliability: they remained operational even in the most adverse conditions, when almost all other samples (except, perhaps, the Vickers) failed.

Browning machine gun M1919 specifications:

• Browning machine gun М1919А4
• Caliber - 7.62 mm
• Weight: 14.06 kg
• Overall length: 1041 mm
• Barrel length: 610 mm
• Rate of fire: 400 - 500 rds / min

Browning machine gun М1919А6

• Caliber: 7.62 mm
• Weight: 14.74 kg
• Overall length: 1346 mm
• Barrel length: 610 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 854 m/s
• Rate of fire: 400 - 500 rounds /min
• Food: cloth or metal tape, 250 rounds

United Kingdom

Bren light machine gun

The machine gun was designed for a 7.92 mm cartridge, so the British decided to remake it for their outdated 7.7 mm cartridge with a cordite charge and an uncomfortable rimmed cartridge case. Thus, a series of samples began with vz. 27, then vz 30 and transition model vz 32. After that, vz was created. 33, and it was on its basis that the designers of the small arms factory in the city of Enfield Lock created a prototype machine gun, which became known under the name "Bren" ("Bren" is an abbreviation for the cities of Brno and Enfield Lock).

As a result of improvements in 1937, the first serial machine gun "Bren" Mk1 was introduced. By 1940, about 30,000 machine guns were produced, and this model firmly took its place in the troops, but after the events in Dunkirk, a significant number of these machine guns fell into the hands of the Germans (the Wehrmacht assigned them the designation leichte MG 138 (e) and ammunition, which led to the need for the urgent release of new machine guns to compensate for their losses in the British army.

Simplified design

To simplify production, the original design was modified, and new production lines were soon opened. The mechanism created by the Czechs (using the energy of powder gases) was preserved, as well as the locking system and appearance. However, the new model "Bren" Mk 2 lacked a complex drum sight and additional details such as a handle under the butt.

The design of the bipod was simplified at the same time it was decided to use a sector magazine for 7.7 mm cartridges. Over time, the design was further simplified (Bren Mk 3 with a shortened barrel and Bren Mk 4 with a modified butt). There were even machine guns under the 7.92 mm cartridge, which were produced in Canada for China. The machine gun was produced in Enfield and at other factories after 1945.

Light machine gun "Bren" characteristics:

• Light machine gun "Bren" Mk 1
• Caliber: 7.7mm
• Weight: 10.03 kg
• Overall length: 1156 mm
• Barrel length: 635 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 744 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: 500 shots /min
• Shop: box sector, 20 rounds

Germany

Single machine gun MG 34

Under the terms of the Versailles Agreement, Germany was prohibited from having many types of weapons, including machine guns. However, this ban in the early 1920s could easily bypass the Rheinmetall-Borsig arms concern - it created a subsidiary in the city of Solothurn, located in Switzerland, which was not subject to restrictions.

Work on the creation of an air-cooled machine gun led to the appearance of a weapon under the name "Solothurn" model 1929 - at that time a very modern design. The company received a number of orders, but the Germans continued their research. As a result, based on the 1929 model of the year, the Rheinmetall MG15 aircraft machine gun was created, which was produced for the Luftwaffe for a long time.

The first single machine gun

The designers of the Mauser company in Oberndorf used the Rheinmetall Model 1929 and MG15 as the starting point for a new type of weapon - a single machine gun. They created "Maschinen-gewehr 34", or MG 34, is considered to be one of the best machine guns in the world. It could be easily carried, when fired from a bipod it was a powerful weapon of the infantry squad, and when mounted on a heavy machine, the effectiveness of the fire increased even more.

Shooting mode selection

The barrel and butt of the machine gun lay on the same line. The barrel was made quick-detachable, the supply of cartridges was made either from a side magazine for 75 rounds, inherited from the MG 15, or from a tape. In addition to all the technical innovations, the machine gun had a high rate of fire and could be used to combat low-flying air targets. The MG 34 machine gun was one of the first weapons with a choice of firing mode.

When you press the upper part of the trigger, the firing was carried out with single shots, while pressing the lower part - in automatic mode. MG 34 showed excellent results in tests and was put into production for the German army and police. The needs of the Wehrmacht for this machine gun were not satisfied until 1945, as too many different variants were produced, which slowed down production.

Many machine tools and samples of twin installations were created, there was even a periscope sight for firing from trenches. However, the main reason was that the production of the MG 34 was too laborious, expensive and time consuming. The result was a magnificent weapon with virtually no flaws, but fighting it was like using a Rolls-Royce as a taxi - the price was too high.

Single machine gun MG 42

So, the MG 34 machine gun was too good to fight with it, because it was expensive and difficult to manufacture. Even mass mass production only slightly reduced the cost, so by 1940 the designers of the Mauser company began work on a new simplified model.

Manufacturers of the 9mm MP 40 submachine gun have shown what can be done to simplify production and reduce its cost. Following this example, the Mauser designers decided to apply new production methods, using as little as possible expensive machining, and also improve the design.

Hybrid

New components and mechanisms were frankly borrowed, Polish and Czech specialists were involved in the work - employees of weapons factories captured at the beginning of World War II. Thanks to the new power and locking systems they proposed, a new design appeared - MG 39/41. After a series of tests and subsequent improvements, the MG 42 was created - one of the most effective and flawless examples of small arms in the history of mankind.

The MG 42 made extensive use of mass production technology. The machine gun immediately began to enjoy success among the troops. Forged parts were used in the manufacture of the receiver and barrel shroud equipped with a quick change device. The ability to easily and quickly change the barrel proved to be vital for the MG 42, as its rate of fire was 1400 rounds. / min, which was almost twice as much as any other machine gun of that time.

rate of fire

This was the result of using a new locking mechanism, which was proposed by Polish and Czech designers and was distinguished by its simplicity and reliability. The result was a very effective single machine gun that could be installed on various types of machines and mounts.

The machine gun received its baptism of fire in 1942, appearing simultaneously on the Eastern Front against the USSR and in North Africa. It was mainly used in forward units, and although it was intended to replace the MG 34, in fact it only supplemented it. Encouraged by the success, the Mauser designers continued to develop, and shortly before the end of the war, the MG 45 appeared with an even higher rate of fire.

Single machine gun MG 42 characteristics:

• MG42
• Caliber: 7.92mm
• Single machine gun MG 42
• Weight: with bipod 11.5 kg
• Overall length: 1220 mm
• Barrel length: 533 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 755 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: up to 1550 rds. /min
• Food: tape, 50 rounds
• Sighting range: 600 m
• Maximum firing range: 3000 m

the USSR

Machine guns DShK 1938, SG-43

In many respects similar to the 12.7-mm Browning M2 machine gun, the DShK 1938/46 model is still in service with the armies of some states. As a result, the Soviet heavy machine gun turned out to be even slightly lighter than the 12.7 mm Browning machine gun designed in the USA. Shooting from it was also carried out with a 12.7-mm cartridge, the machine gun turned out to be really multi-purpose. The DShK 1938 machine gun (Degtyarev-Shpagin heavy-caliber machine gun model 1938) proved to be so successful that it remained in production for a long time, although after the war they began to produce its modernized version DShK 1938/46. This weapon is still widely used in various countries of the world.

massive machine

If the DShK 1938 itself was lighter than the Browning machine gun, the same cannot be said about its machine. In the basic modification, the designer retained the wheel machine from the Maxim machine gun, although a special anti-aircraft machine also existed and was used. The machine gun was mounted on most Soviet tanks, starting with the IS-2 heavy tank. In Czecho-Slovakia, quad anti-aircraft guns were produced. There was also a special version of the machine gun for installation on armored trains.

The smaller SG-43 heavy machine gun was adopted in 1943 to replace pre-existing 7.62mm machine guns, including the venerable Maxim machine gun. During the German offensive of the first period of the war, the USSR lost a significant part of its material resources, including machine guns. While deploying new production facilities in the Urals to make up for losses, the Soviet leadership simultaneously set the task of developing a modern machine gun. This is how the Goryunov heavy machine gun of the 1943 model appeared.

For the operation of automation, the energy of powder gases was used, the cooling was air, some previously applied solutions were used in the design of the machine gun (including those developed by Browning), but in general the machine gun became very original and showed itself very well. The SG 43 was produced in large quantities, and even now its modernized version of the SGM is still in service with the armies of a number of countries.

Automation machine guns SG 43 and DShK 1938 used the same principle of operation. The number of moving parts was kept to a minimum, and maintenance of the machine gun consisted mainly of regular cleaning. Both machine guns were able to work at different temperatures, not susceptible to contamination. In other words, machine guns were ideally suited for the conditions for which they were created.

Machine guns DShK 1938, SG-43 characteristics:

• SG-43
• Caliber: 7.62 mm
• Weight: 13.8 kg
• Overall length: 1120 mm
• Barrel length: 719 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 863 m/s
• Rate of fire: 500 - 640 shots /min
• Power supply: metal tape
• chained with a capacity of 50 rounds

DShK 1938

• Caliber: 12.7mm
• Weight: 33.3 kg
• Overall length: 1602 mm
• Barrel length: 1002 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 843 m/s
• Rate of fire: 550 - 600 rounds /min
• Feed: 50-round metal chained belt

Light machine guns DP, DPM, DT, DTM

In 1922, Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev began work on creating a tribe of his own design, which was destined to become the first completely Russian machine gun. Tests lasted two years before the Degtyarev infantry light machine gun, or DP, was adopted in 1026.

The design of the weapon was simple but reliable. Despite the fact that there were 65 parts in it, only 6 of them moved. There were some shortcomings in the machine gun, the most noticeable of which were susceptibility to pollution and overheating (the latter is the most significant).

On the first machine guns, the barrel was made corrugated to cope with this problem, but it was never completely solved. The machine gun was used in the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939 and then, based on the combat experience gained, was modified.

Machine gun automation works on the principle of using the energy of powder gases. The locking system is made somewhat unusual: on each side of the bolt there is a movable combat ledge, each included in its own cutout. When the front edge of the bolt is firmly pressed against the bottom of the cartridge case in the chamber, the bolt stops. But the piston, connected to the bolt carrier with the drummer, continues to move forward.

In the final phase of the movement, the drummer pushes the lugs of the bolt into the cutouts in the side walls of the receiver, the bolt is locked at the very moment of the shot.

disk store

The ammo supply system turned out to be quite good. Ledge-case cartridges often caused delays in firing box-magazine weapons. A large flat single-row disk magazine with a spring feed eliminated the double feed of the cartridge. The magazine originally had a capacity of 49 rounds, then this was reduced to 47 to reduce the chance of misalignment.

In 1944, a modernized version appeared - the PDM with an interchangeable barrel, which could be removed with a special screwdriver. The recoil spring was placed in a tube under the barrel to reduce the chance of it overheating, which had previously weakened it.

Tank modifications of the DP and DPM machine guns received the designations DT and DTM, respectively. Despite their age, DP and PDM machine guns can still be found in some parts of the world.

Light machine guns DP, DTM characteristics:

DTM

• Caliber: 7.62 mm
• Weight: 12.9 kg
• Overall length: 1181 mm
• Barrel length: 597 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 840 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: 600 rds / min
• Food: 60-round disk magazine

DP

• Caliber: 7.62 mm
• Weight: 11.9 kg
• Overall length: 1265 mm
• Barrel length: 605 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 845 m/s
• Rate of fire: 520 - 580 rds / min
• Food: disk magazine, 47 rounds

During the Second World War, many interesting types of weapons were created in Germany. German products are regularly ranked among the "best" in their class. The legendary MG 42 “bone cutter” machine gun was no exception. A weapon that terrified the infantrymen of all fronts and naturally was one of the most beloved trophies.

History of appearance

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Wehrmacht used the MG 34, which was created in the early 30s of the XX century, as the main machine gun. For all its many advantages, this weapon had two significant disadvantages. First, the machine gun proved to be very sensitive to contamination. Secondly, its production was labor intensive and costly. The latter did not allow adequately satisfying the significantly increased demand of the German army against the backdrop of unfolding events.

The MG 42 machine gun model was born thanks to the then little-known enterprise of Johannes Grosfuss in Döbeln under the name "Metall-und Lackwarenfabrik Johannes Großfuß". The new machine gun was put into service in 1942. It turned out to be so successful that it was released in quantities from 360 to 400 thousand copies.

Design and features

The MG 42 machine gun fully met the requirements of the army: simple, reliable, with high firepower and very cheap to manufacture. Machine gun parts were made by milling, welding and stamping. The total number of parts in the MG 42 was about 30% less than in the MG 34 and amounted to 200 pieces. At the same time, the metal consumption of weapons fell by 50%.

This "machine of death" works on the principle of barrel recoil (short stroke). The weapon consists of a barrel with a receiver, a bipod, a casing, a recoil pad with a butt, a feeding, locking and trigger mechanism. The latter has a striker type and is located in the gate. The MG 42 machine gun could only fire continuously. The mechanisms for switching fire modes were abandoned in favor of the idea of ​​​​reducing the cost of production. An important feature was the ability to combine two or more machine-gun belts into one.

Another interesting feature of the machine gun can be considered its cooling system. Like the MG 34, the muzzle of the new machine gun was carried out by replacing it. Depending on the experience of the machine gunner, this procedure took from 20 to 30 seconds.
The effective range of the weapon is 1000 meters. The machine gun can be adapted to different calibers, but 7.92 × 57 mm is considered “canonical”. The total length of the machine gun is 1220 mm, and the weapon weighs 11.58 kg. The rate of fire, depending on the shutter used, can be 1200-1550 rounds per minute.

Legendary weapon

The German machine gun MG 42 was recognized as one of the best examples of a single weapon for the army in principle. It is important that here we are talking not only about the history of the Second World War, but also in the context of modern military affairs. The MG 42 earned a dismal reputation for its high performance in combat among Soviet and Allied soldiers. What are the nicknames invented for this machine gun worth: “Widowmaker”, “Bone Cutter”, “Hitler's Saw”, “Emga”, “Cross”.

It is important to say that the production of MG 42 was closed in 1945. Despite this, the machine gun continues to appear in armed conflicts around the world. Moreover, since the 1960s, the German army has been armed with a single MG 3 machine gun, which is a modification of the legend of the Second World War.

The sound every WW2 infantryman knew:

Shooting from a machine gun:

Would you like to know about even more interesting samples of weapons developed in Germany? How about seeing with your own eyes a special service.

Thanks to the cinema, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht have earned at least two symbolic types of weapons. For Germany, this was the MP 38/40 submachine gun, and for the Soviet Union - PPSh. These two PPs are incredibly similar, but at the same time completely different. This raises a logical question, whose weapon was still better?

"Schmeiser" for the elite

The history of the MP 38/40 began long before World War II. The legendary submachine gun was the result of a deep modernization of the VMP1925 submachine gun, created back in 1925. The weapon was developed by the German gunsmith Heinrich Volmer. When Nazi Germany began to rebuild its army for the future campaign of conquest, its command remembered the importance of submachine guns as a very promising type of weapon in the coming war. It was then that the MP 38/40 appeared. The automatic baptism of fire took place in Spain. Subsequently, the machine gun was finalized by another German gunsmith - Hugo Schmeisser, in whose honor, in fact, he earned the "affectionate" name in the Soviet troops.

Despite the fact that the MP 38/40 is firmly rooted in popular culture as perhaps the only weapon of the Wehrmacht soldiers, in practice everything was completely different. The main weapon of the German ground forces was the Mauser 98k rifle. The ratio of rifles and mentioned PPs in the troops was approximately 1 to 10 (where 1 is MP 38/40). The submachine gun was used for the most part by sabotage, airborne, assault units, as well as crews of combat vehicles and security units.

"I blinded you from what was"

Before World War II, the Red Army already had its own submachine gun. However, he had a number of shortcomings, primarily preventing him from becoming truly massive. As a result, in 1940, the party instructed to develop, on the basis of an existing PPD, a submachine gun similar in design, but at the same time adapted for mass production. The task of the gunsmiths was to “not drop” the performance characteristics of the weapon, but at the same time to make the machine quite cheap. The legendary PPSh was adopted on December 21, 1940.

Unlike the Wehrmacht troops, the PPSh from the very beginning claimed to be a truly massive weapon for the ground forces. By the way, it was the experience of Soviet submachine gunners during the Second World War that proved the undeniable advantage of infantry fully armed with automatic weapons. By the end of the war, about 55% of all soldiers were armed with this type of weapon.

From love to hate

The main drawback of the MP 38/40 was the ammunition chosen for the machine gun. The cartridge of caliber 9 × 19 mm Parabellum had, to put it mildly, “doubtful” ballistic qualities. The bullet had a small muzzle velocity. Due to the large area of ​​frontal resistance, it could not step above 400 m / s. This, in turn, had a negative impact on the effective firing range.

The second major drawback of the MP 38/40 was the weapon's ergonomics. She was far from the best. Added a fly in the ointment and a butt. On the one hand, the folding stock made the weapon very compact, which is quite practical. However, the Schmeiser butt hinge quickly wore out, and this negatively affected the accuracy of shooting with aimed fire. Finally, the Wehrmacht soldiers simply hated their machine gun for the banal lack of a barrel casing. It was impossible to grab it with a hand without a glove after shooting.

But the MP 38/40 was still a good weapon. The machine gun had a simple and reliable design (it was in no way inferior to the Soviet PPSh). Many shortcomings were "smoothed out" by subsequent modifications during the war years. Schmeisser was used in different countries of the world until the 70s of the XX century.

Weapons of Victory

For a number of characteristics, the PPSh outperformed its competitor from Germany. The effective firing range aspired to 200 meters versus 100-120 for the MP 38/40. The machine had much better ergonomics, although it weighed more - 5.3 kg versus 4.8 kg in the case of equipped ammunition, and was far from being so compact. In terms of rate of fire, the Soviet machine gun also beat its "colleague" - 1000 rounds per minute against 600-900 rounds. The weapon should be praised for the huge capacity of the selector (drum) magazine of 71 rounds. It was also easier to clean!

Of course, the Soviet machine gun had its drawbacks. These include the difficult replacement of the store, an insufficiently reliable fuse and an increased risk of an arbitrary shot of a weapon in the event of a fall on a hard surface. In the dark, the PPSh was much easier to identify by its characteristic triple muzzle flash. Finally, it was very noisy. A fighter, located on the side of the machine gunner, 2-3 meters away, could earn a ruptured eardrum.

On May 17, 1718, James Puckle patented his gun, which became the prototype of the machine gun. Since that time, military engineering has come a long way, but machine guns are still one of the most formidable weapons.

"Pakla's gun"

Attempts to increase the rate of fire of firearms were made repeatedly, but before the advent of a unitary cartridge, they failed due to the complexity and unreliability of the design, the extremely high cost of production and the need to have trained soldiers whose skills would go far beyond the automatic manipulations with a gun.

One of the many experimental designs was the so-called "Pakla gun". The weapon was a rifle mounted on a tripod with a cylinder with 11 charges acting as a magazine. The calculation of the gun consisted of several people. With coordinated actions of the calculation and the absence of misfires, a rate of fire of up to 9-10 rounds per minute was theoretically achieved. This system was supposed to be used at short distances in naval combat, but due to the unreliability of this weapon, this weapon was not widely used. This system illustrates the desire to increase the firepower of rifle fire by increasing the rate of fire.

Machine gun "Lewis"

The Lewis light machine gun was developed in the United States by Samuel McClen, and was used as a light machine gun and aircraft gun during the First World War. Despite the impressive weight, the weapon turned out to be quite successful - the machine gun and its modifications were kept for quite a long time in Britain and its colonies, as well as the USSR.

In our country, Lewis machine guns were used until the Great Patriotic War and are visible on the chronicle of the parade on November 7, 1941. In domestic feature films, this weapon is relatively rare, but the frequent imitation of the Lewis machine gun in the form of a "camouflaged DP-27" is very common. A genuine Lewis machine gun is captured, for example, in the film "White Sun of the Desert" (with the exception of shooting shots).

Machine gun "Hotchkiss"

During the First World War, the Hotchkiss machine gun became the main machine gun of the French army. Only in 1917, with the spread of light machine guns, did its production decline.

In total, the easel "Hotchkiss" was in service in 20 countries. In France and a number of other countries, these weapons were kept during the Second World War. Limited "Hotchkiss" was delivered before the First World War and to Russia, where a significant part of these machine guns was lost during the East Prussian operation in the first months of the war. In domestic feature films, the Hotchkiss machine gun can be seen in the film adaptation of The Quiet Flows the Don, which shows the Cossacks attacking German positions, which from a historical point of view may not be typical, but acceptable.

Maxim machine gun

The Maxim machine gun entered the history of the Russian Empire and the USSR, remaining officially in service much longer than in other countries. Along with the three-line rifle and revolver, it is strongly associated with the weapons of the first half of the 20th century.

He served from the Russian-Japanese to the Great Patriotic War inclusive. Powerful and distinguished by a high rate of fire and accuracy of fire, the machine gun had a number of modifications in the USSR and was used as an easel, anti-aircraft and aviation machine gun. The main disadvantages of the easel version of "Maxim" were excessively large mass and water cooling of the barrel. Only in 1943 was the Goryunov machine gun adopted, which by the end of the war began to gradually replace the Maxim. In the initial period of the war, the production of "Maxims" not only did not decrease, but, on the contrary, increased and, in addition to Tula, was deployed in Izhevsk and Kovrov.

Since 1942, machine guns have been produced only with a receiver for canvas tape. The production of legendary weapons was stopped in our country only in the victorious 1945.

MG-34

The German machine gun MG-34 has a very difficult history of adoption, but, nevertheless, this model can be called one of the first single machine guns. The MG-34 could be used as a light machine gun, or as an easel machine gun on a tripod machine, as well as as an anti-aircraft and tank gun.

A small mass gave the weapon high maneuverability, which, combined with a high rate of fire, made it one of the best infantry machine guns of the beginning of World War II. Later, even with the adoption of the MG-42, Germany did not abandon the production of the MG-34; this machine gun is still in service with a number of countries.

DP-27

From the beginning of the 30s, the Degtyarev system light machine gun began to enter service with the Red Army, which until the mid-40s became the main light machine gun of the Red Army. The first combat use of the DP-27 is most likely associated with the conflict on the CER in 1929.

The machine gun proved itself well during the fighting in Spain, on Khasan and Khalkhin Gol. However, by the time the Great Patriotic War began, the Degtyarev machine gun was already inferior in a number of parameters such as mass and magazine capacity to a number of newer and more advanced models.

During operation, a number of shortcomings were also identified - a small magazine capacity (47 rounds) and an unfortunate location under the barrel of a return spring, which was deformed from frequent firing. During the war, some work was carried out to eliminate these shortcomings. In particular, the survivability of the weapon was increased by moving the return spring to the rear of the receiver, although the general principle of operation of this sample has not changed. The new machine gun (DPM) since 1945 began to enter the troops. On the basis of the machine gun, a very successful DT tank machine gun was created, which became the main Soviet tank machine gun of the Great Patriotic War.

Breda machine gun 30

One of the first places in terms of the number of shortcomings among mass-produced samples can be given to the Italian Breda machine gun, which, perhaps, has collected their maximum number.

Firstly, an unsuccessful store and only 20 rounds, which is clearly not enough for a machine gun. Secondly, each cartridge must be lubricated with oil from a special oiler. Dirt, dust gets in and the weapon instantly fails. One can only guess how it was possible to fight with such a "miracle" in the sands of North Africa.

But even at sub-zero temperatures, the machine gun also does not work. The system was distinguished by great complexity in production and a low rate of fire for a light machine gun. To top it off, there is no handle for carrying the machine gun. However, this system was the main machine gun of the Italian army in World War II.

A submachine gun is an individual manual automatic small arms of continuous fire, using a pistol cartridge for firing. An extremely unfortunate name should be noted, since this type of weapon has nothing to do with a pistol or a machine gun. Most likely, it is a kind of machine gun (automatic carbine, assault rifle). Thus, a submachine gun should be defined as an automatic weapon that fires continuously with pistol cartridges, while not falling into the class of pistols in terms of mass and overall characteristics.

In English-speaking countries, especially in the United States, the submachine gun is called the "Submachine Gun" (SMG) in the sense of "a lighter version of the machine gun." In the countries of the British Commonwealth, submachine guns were called “automatic carbines” (Machine Carbine) for a long time. In German-speaking countries, the term "Machinenpistole" (MP) is used, i.e. - Automatic pistol. In French, for this class of weapon, either the term "Pistolet mitrailleur" (PM), which means a submachine gun, or a diminutive version of the word machine gun is used - "Mitraillette, i.e. Literally, gunner. In Spanish, the terms "Subfusil" are used - literally friend. In Czech and Slovak - "Samopal".

The submachine gun arose during the First World War, almost simultaneously in several countries at once. By that time, automatic machine gun fire had already shown its high efficiency. However, being ideal for the defense of fortifications, they were not suitable for active offensive operations. The idea of ​​creating a lighter weapon of the same type, which could be carried and effectively used in battle by one person, led to the emergence of three new types of weapons at once: a light machine gun, an automatic rifle, and, in fact, a submachine gun.

In Italy, in 1918, on the basis of the Villar-Perosa M-1915 double-barreled light machine gun chambered for the Glisenti pistol cartridge (9 × 20 mm), the Beretta M-1918 submachine gun of the Tulio Marengoni system was created. At the same time, the MP-18 submachine gun began to be produced in Germany. In 1916-1918. in the USA, the Thompson submachine gun was developed, which became widespread and loudly famous as a weapon of gangsters and the police.

In the interwar period, the development of weapons took place in two ways. The first was that the submachine gun was recognized as a powerful auxiliary fire weapon, an infantry support weapon in combat at the closest distances - up to 200 m - that is, a kind of light machine gun. Weapons created in this direction were usually equipped with long barrels, often with the ability to quickly change them during combat, bipods for greater stability when conducting automatic fire, high-capacity magazines and sights graduated up to 500 or even up to 1,000 meters, calculated on the possibility of conducting "harassing" fire on a group target. An example of such a weapon is the Suomi submachine gun, adopted by the Finnish army in 1931. In Czechoslovakia, the ZK-383 was also introduced as an infantry support weapon, as evidenced by the presence of a bipod and a quick-change barrel.

The second approach was to recognize the submachine gun as a kind of more powerful version of the pistol, suitable for replacing it in the arsenal of command personnel directly involved in hostilities, fighters of the "second line", as well as various kinds of auxiliary units and subunits. So it was, for example, in the Red Army, where the Degtyarev submachine gun was adopted.

The practice of using a submachine gun in military conflicts of that time refuted both ways of the design approach. The submachine gun turned out to be a powerful and effective fire weapon for infantry, but only at close combat distances and provided that this weapon was used by a sufficiently large number of shooters.

The period of World War II was the peak of the development of the submachine gun as an army weapon. In fact, only during this period, submachine guns were used by the infantry of a number of armies as the main weapon. The models of weapons created at that time were produced in millions of units, they armed entire military units, which required radical changes in the technology of their production.

It is important to note that the mass distribution of the submachine gun during the war was not due to any of their outstanding fighting qualities. The mass character was explained by the achieved manufacturability and low cost of production, thanks to the use of stamp-welded parts and a general simplification of the design. This made submachine guns the most suitable for the role of wartime weapons - inexpensive, not requiring scarce strategic resources for their production and produced in a mass series, albeit not with high combat and operational qualities.

Thus, the combination of low cost, due to the primitive design and high manufacturability, which opened up opportunities for large-scale production, with acceptable fighting qualities, primarily manifested in close combat and due to the high rate of fire, made the submachine gun one of the main types of weapons of the Second World War. world war.

Among the weapons released during the war, submachine guns of Great Britain, Germany, the USSR and the USA stand out.

English "STEN" in fact, was a simplified version of the German MP-28, made from tubular blanks and stamped parts - only the barrel and bolt required relatively complex machining. Some batches of weapons even had cast aluminum bronze breechblocks. Its production cost only 5 dollars 20 cents. Therefore, more than 4 million of them were released, despite the fact that STEN did not shine with combat qualities.

The German MP-38 submachine gun was put into service shortly before the start of the war and was intended to equip paratroopers, tankers and motorized infantry. Its cost was 57 marks. A simplified general army version - "MP 40", in which the receiver was not milled from a forging, but rolled from a steel sheet with a welded seam - already cost only 40 marks. At the same time, the Mauser-98k rifle was valued at 70 marks. Of the positive characteristics, these submachine guns had only one - a low rate of fire. All other tactical and technical data remained beyond perfection. An uncomfortable folding shoulder rest, which allowed a strong backlash in the joints, relatively primitive sights and a short barrel, combined with the not the best ballistics of a rather weak cartridge, limited their scope to combat at the closest distances, even “according to the passport” - no more than 200 m. However, it should It should also be noted that in Germany submachine guns did not belong to the main armament, but were considered auxiliary.

Most of the details of the Soviet PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun) were made by stamping on low-power press equipment that was available at almost any industrial enterprise, and the rest, except for the barrel (unified along the channel with a three-line rifle) - mainly by turning or rough milling. The cost of the PPSh was 142 rubles against 500 rubles for the cost of the Mosin rifle. The high rate of fire gave the weapon the nickname "ammo eater". But despite this, by the end of the war, almost 55% of the soldiers of the Red Army were armed with PPSh.

In the United States, the submachine gun was considered as an auxiliary weapon. In the army, it was a Thompson submachine gun, in the navy and in the Marine Corps - M-3 and Reising. Moreover, submachine guns were used to arm, as a rule, command staff, drivers, gunners, armored vehicle crews, paratroopers, as well as all kinds of auxiliary units and special forces. In the infantry, they were also available as an aid to combat at close range, but in small numbers.

Estimated number of submachine guns, samples of which were used in the war in the context of some countries (in thousand units)

Captured weapons and submachine guns transferred by the allied countries to each other were not taken into account.