Editing Machine pistol (section)

== Comparison with compact submachine guns ==

The dividing line between machine pistols and compact [[submachine gun]]s is difficult to determine with any precision. The term "submachine gun" usually refers to magazine-fed, [[automatic firearm|fully automatic]] [[carbine]]s designed to fire pistol cartridges, while the term "machine pistol" usually refers to [[automatic firearm|fully automatic]] [[handgun]] based weapons. However, many weapons fall into both categories.

An example of this is the [[Škorpion vz. 61]], often called a submachine gun. However, it is small enough to be carried in a pistol holster and so is also often referred to as a machine pistol. The [[MAC-10]] and [[MAC-11]] are compact and have been placed in both classes due to their sizes. The [[Steyr TMP]] (Tactical Machine Pistol) is also referred to as a compact submachine gun.<ref name="HoggWeeks2000">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|author2=John Weeks|title=Military small arms of the 20th century|edition=7th|year=2000|publisher= Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9|page=99}}</ref> Likewise, the German [[Heckler & Koch MP5K]] falls in both categories.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|author2=John Weeks|title=Military small arms of the 20th century|edition=7th|year=2000|publisher= Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9|pages=122–123}}</ref> [[Personal defense weapon|PDWs]] such as the [[Heckler & Koch MP7]] are also often called machine pistols.

The difference is also blurred by the fact that several languages use what would be literally translated as "machine pistol" as the term for submachine guns; for example the "MP" in [[MP 40]] stands for  ''Maschinenpistole''.