Editing Submachine gun

{{Short description|Type of automatic firearm}}
[[File:UZI and MP5K (3315252178).jpg|thumb|A [[Mini Uzi]] and a [[Heckler & Koch MP5K]], two common submachine guns]]A '''submachine gun''' ('''SMG''') is a [[magazine (firearms)|magazine]]-fed [[automatic firearm|automatic]] [[carbine]] designed to fire [[handgun cartridge]]s. The term "submachine gun" was coined by [[John T. Thompson]], the inventor of the [[Thompson submachine gun]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The%20Thompson%20submachine%20gun:%20shooting%20a%2020th%20century%20icon.-a0172907495|title=The Thompson submachine gun: shooting a 20th century icon. - Free Online Library}}</ref> to describe its design concept as an [[automatic firearm]] with notably less [[firepower]] than a [[machine gun]] (hence the prefix "[[wikt:sub-|sub-]]"). As a machine gun must fire [[rifle cartridge]]s to be classified as such, submachine guns are not considered machine guns.

The submachine gun was developed during [[World War I]] (1914–1918) as a [[Close-quarters battle|close quarter]] offensive weapon, mainly for [[trench raiding]]. At its peak during [[World War II]] (1939–1945), millions of submachine guns were made for [[shock troops|assault troops]] and [[auxiliaries]] whose [[military doctrine|doctrine]]s emphasized [[close-quarters combat|close-quarter]] [[suppressive fire]]. New submachine gun designs appeared frequently during the [[Cold War]],<ref name="Century. Ian Hogg 2000. p93">Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century. Ian Hogg & John Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. p93</ref> especially among [[special forces]], [[covert operation]] [[commando]]s and [[mechanized infantry]]men. Submachine gun usage for frontline combat decreased in the 1980s and 1990s,<ref name="Century. Ian Hogg 2000. p93" /> and by the early 21st century, submachine guns have largely been replaced by [[assault rifles]],<ref name="Century. Ian Hogg 2000. p93" /> which have a longer [[effective range]], have increased [[stopping power]], and can better penetrate the helmets and body armor used by modern soldiers.<ref name="defensereview.com">{{Cite web |title=Submachine Guns (SMG's): Outpaced by Today's Modern Short-Barreled Rifles (SBR's)/Sub-Carbines, or Still a Viable Tool for Close Quarters Battle/Close Quarters Combat (CQB/CQC)? |url=https://defensereview.com/submachine-guns-smgs-outpaced-by-today%e2%80%99s-modern-short-barreled-rifles-sbrssub-carbines-or-still-a-viable-tool-for-close-quarters-battleclose-quarters-combat-cqbcqc/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=DefenseReview.com |language=en-US}}</ref>  However, they are still used by [[security forces]], [[police tactical unit]]s, [[paramilitary]] and [[bodyguard]]s for [[close-quarters combat]] because they are "a pistol-caliber weapon that's easy to control, and less likely to [[overpenetration|overpenetrate]] the target".<ref name="defensereview.com" />{{TOC limit|3}}

== Name ==
There are some inconsistencies in the classification of submachine guns.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 93-94">Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 93–94.</ref> British Commonwealth sources often refer to SMGs as "machine carbines".<ref name="Century 2000. pages 93-94" /><ref>Sten Machine Carbine, by Peter Laidler & R Blake Stevens, Collector Grade Publications, Canada; 1ST edition (December 2000)</ref> Other sources refer to SMGs as "machine pistols" because they fire pistol-caliber ammunition, for example, the [[MP 40|MP-40]] and [[Heckler & Koch MP5|MP5]], where "MP" stands for ''Maschinenpistole'' ("submachine gun" in German, but [[cognate]] with the English term "machine pistol").<ref>Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 93–94 & 116–125.</ref> However, the term "[[machine pistol]]" is also used to describe a [[pistol|handgun]]-style [[firearm]] capable of [[automatic firearm|fully automatic]] or [[burst fire]],<ref>James Smyth Wallace. ''Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue''. CRC Press. 2008. p. xxiii</ref> such as the [[Stechkin automatic pistol|Stechkin]], [[Beretta 93R]], [[Glock 18]], and the [[Heckler & Koch VP70|H&K VP70]]. Furthermore, [[personal defense weapon]]s such as the [[FN P90]] and [[H&K MP7]] are often called submachine guns.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 93-94" />

==History==
[[File:Arty08.jpg|thumb|Artillery [[Luger pistol|Luger P08 pistol]] with snail-drum magazine and removable stock.]]

In 1895, [[Hiram Maxim]] produced the 'miniature Maxim' which was a pistol-calibre Maxim machinegun weighing {{convert|27|lb|kg|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} that was sold in small quantities to various countries and tested by the US military but not adopted.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/hirams-extra-light-maxim-gun/ | title=Hiram's Extra Light Maxim Gun | date=7 August 2019 }}</ref> In 1896, a [[Select fire|select-fire]] pistol was patented by the British inventor Hugh Gabbett-Fairfax.<ref>{{cite patent |country=GB |number=189617809 |status=patent |title=Improvements in the Firing Mechanism of Automatic and similar Fire-arms |inventor-last=Gabbett-Fairfax |inventor-first=Hugh William |gdate=1897-11-11}}</ref>

In April 1914, Abiel Bethel Revelli, an Italian military officer, patented a [[Villar Perosa aircraft submachine gun|twin-barreled, magazine-fed automatic gun]] in a pistol caliber, lighter than a machine gun and shorter than a rifle. A common myth is that this weapon was originally designed as an aircraft gun. In reality ground use was taken into consideration from the very beginning, particularly for the [[Bersaglieri]]'s [[Bicycle infantry|cyclist battalions]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Villar Perosa machine gun |url=http://firearms.96.lt/pages/Villar_Perosa.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=firearms.96.lt}}</ref>

===World War I===
Stocked pistols were common at the beginning of the 20th century, the Germans initially using heavier versions of the [[Luger pistol|P08]] [[pistol]] equipped with a detachable stock, larger-capacity snail-[[drum magazine]] and a longer [[Gun barrel|barrel]]. 

In 1915, the [[Kingdom of Italy]] adopted Revelli's design as the [[Villar-Perosa aircraft machine gun|FIAT Mod. 1915]]. It fired pistol-caliber [[9mm Glisenti]] ammunition, but was not a true submachine gun, as it was originally designed as a mounted weapon.[[File:Brzostrelka Hellriegel - 1.jpg|thumb|A [[Standschütze Hellriegel M1915]], the first submachine gun with a buttstock, seen here with stick and drum magazines]]In late 1915, the first submachine gun with a buttstock was built: the Austro-Hungarian [[Standschütze Hellriegel M1915]] although the weapon was never used in combat.

In February 1916, the Austro-Hungarian first fielded the M.12/P16 machine pistol. This was the first [[machine pistol]] to be adopted by any military, being  issued to Tyrolean units fighting in the Alps<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steyr M.1912/P16 machine-pistol |url=http://firearms.96.lt/pages/Steyr_M.12_P16.html |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=firearms.96.lt}}</ref>

In 1916, Heinrich Senn of Bern designed a modification of the Swiss Luger pistol to fire in single shots or in full-automatic. Around the same time Georg Luger demonstrated a similar Luger machine pistol which inspired the German Army to develop submachine guns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maschinenpistole Senn (Luger conversion) |url=http://firearms.96.lt/pages/Senn.html |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=firearms.96.lt}}</ref>

Colonel Bethel-Abiel Revelli had already conceived the principles of the submachine gun in September 1915, when he wrote that his gun could be converted to a single-barreled version that ''"may be mounted in the manner of a rifle so that it may be fired from the shoulder"''. The [[Villar Perosa aircraft submachine gun|FIAT Mod. 1915]] would be later modified into the [[OVP 1918]]  automatic carbine. The OVP 1918 had a traditional wooden [[Stock (firearms)|stock]], a 25-round top-fed [[box magazine]], and had a cyclic [[rate of fire]] of 900 rounds per minute.

By 1918, Bergmann Waffenfabrik had developed the [[9×19mm Parabellum|9x19mm Parabellum]] [[MP 18]], the first practical submachine gun. This weapon used the same 32-round snail-drum magazine as the Luger P-08. The MP 18 was used in significant numbers by German [[Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany)|stormtroopers]] employing [[infiltration tactics]], achieving some notable successes in the final year of the war. However, these were not enough to prevent [[German Revolution of 1918–1919|Germany's collapse]] in November 1918. After World War I, the MP 18 evolved into the MP28/II SMG, which incorporated a simple 32-round [[box magazine]], [[selective fire]], and other minor improvements.<ref>Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 116</ref> Though the MP18 had a rather short service life, it was influential in the design of later submachine guns, such as the [[Lanchester submachine gun|Lanchester]], [[Sten]] and [[PPD-40]].<ref name=McNab2015>{{Cite book|last=McNab|first=Chris|title=The World's Greatest Small Arms: An Illustrated History|year=2015|pages=61}}</ref>[[File:Bergmann MP18.1.JPG|thumb|A Bergmann MP 18, the first mass-produced submachine gun to see extensive use in an assault role]][[File:Thompson-and-his-gun.jpg|thumb|General [[John T. Thompson]] holding a [[Thompson submachine gun|Thompson Model 1921]]]]
The [[.45 ACP]] [[Thompson submachine gun]] had been in development at approximately the same time as the Bergmann and the Beretta. However, the war ended before prototypes could be shipped to Europe.<ref name="Frank Iannamico 1928">Frank Iannamico, ''American Thunder: The Military Thompson Submachine Gun 1928, 1928A1, M1, M1A1'', Moose Lake Publishing, 2000.</ref> Although it had missed its chance to be the first purpose-designed submachine gun to enter service, it became the basis for later weapons, and was much more successful than the submachine guns produced during World War I.

===Interwar period===
The Thompson entered production as the M1921. It was available to civilians, but, because of the weapon's high price, initially saw poor sales. The Thompson (with one Type XX 20 round "stick" magazine) had been priced at $200 in 1921 (roughly {{Inflation|US|200|1921|fmt=eq}}). The Thompson was used in combat that same year:

West Virginia state police bought 37 guns and used them during the [[Battle of Blair Mountain]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=National Rifle |title=An Official Journal Of The NRA {{!}} Guns of the Battle of Blair Mountain |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/guns-of-the-battle-of-blair-mountain/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=An Official Journal Of The NRA |language=en}}</ref> Some of the first batches of Thompsons were bought by agents of the [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|Irish Republican Army]]. They purchased a total of 653 units, though [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|U.S. customs authorities in New York]] seized 495 of the units in June 1921.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hart |first=Peter |title=The I.R.A. at war 1916 - 1923 |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-927786-5 |edition=1. pbk. |location=Oxford}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ryan |first=Meda |title=Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter |publisher=Mercier Press |year=2003 |isbn=1-85635-425-3 |page=125}}</ref>

The Thompson, nicknamed "Tommy Gun" or "Chicago Typewriter" became notorious in the U.S. due to its employment by the [[Mafia]]: the image of pinstripe-suited [[James Cagney]] types wielding drum-magazine Thompsons caused some military planners to shun the weapon. However, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] and other U.S. police forces themselves showed no reluctance to use and prominently display these weapons. Eventually, the submachine gun was gradually accepted by many military organizations, especially as World War II loomed, with many countries developing their own designs. The [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] adopted the Thompson during this period and used them during the [[Banana Wars]] in [[Central America]]. The gun was also used by the [[China Marines]].

During the [[1924 Estonian coup d'état attempt|1924 uprising]] [[Soviet Union|the Soviets]] supplied four Thompsons to Estonian Communist militants; those were used against Estonian soldiers in a failed attempt to storm [[1924 Estonian coup attempt#Action|the Tallinn barracks]]. Some of the  defenders were armed with [[MP 18|the MP18s]]; and this was possibly the first engagement where submachine guns were used on both sides.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Отчет стрелкового полигона: пистолет-пулемет Томпсона |url=https://kalashnikov.media/article/weapons/otchet-strelkovogo-poligona-pistolet-pulemet-tompsona |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=kalashnikov.media |language=ru}}</ref>

Germany transferred its MP 18s to the German police forces after World War I. They also saw use in the hands of various [[paramilitary]] ''[[Freikorps]]'' during the aftermath of the [[German revolution of 1918–1919|German Revolution]]. In the 1920s a new, more reliable box magazine was developed for the MP 18 to replace the older snail-drum magazines.  In 1928 a new version of the MP 18, the MP 28, saw the light of day, it featured the new box magazine as standard, a bayonet lug and a single shot mode. The MP 28 was manufactured in Belgium and Spain and was widely exported from there, including to China and South America. Another variant based on the MP 18 was the [[MP 34]] that was manufactured by the Germans through the Swiss [[front company]] Solothurn. The MP 34 was manufactured from the very best materials available and finished to the highest possible standard. Consequently, its production costs were extremely high. It was adopted by the Austrian police and army in the 1930s, and they were taken over by the Germans after [[Anschluss|German annexation of Austria]] in 1938. The [[MP35]] was another interwar German submachine gun, designed by the Bergmann brothers. It was exported to Sweden and Ethiopia and also saw extensive use in the [[Spanish Civil War]]. About 40,000 of the type were manufactured until 1944, with many going into the hands of the [[Waffen-SS]]. The [[Erma EMP]] was yet another submachine gun from this period, based on a design by [[Heinrich Vollmer]], about 10,000 were manufactured. It was exported to Spain, Mexico, China and Yugoslavia, but also used domestically by the SS, as well as being produced under license in [[Francoist Spain]].

===World War II===
[[File:Beretta 38.jpg|thumb|A Beretta Model 38, one of the most successful Italian weapons of World War II]]

Changes in design accelerated during the war, with one major trend being the abandonment of complex and finely made pre-war designs like the [[Thompson submachine gun]] to weapons designed for cheap [[mass production]] and easy replacement like the [[M3 Grease Gun]].

While the Italians were among the first to develop submachine guns during World War I, they were slow to produce them under [[Mussolini]]; the 9mm Parabellum [[Beretta Model 38]] (MAB 38) was not available in large numbers until 1943. The MAB 38 was made in a series of improved and simplified models all sharing the same basic layout. The MAB 38 has two triggers, the front for semi-auto and rear for full-auto. Most models use standard wooden [[Stock (firearms)|stocks]], although some models were fitted with an MP40-style under-folding stock and are commonly mistaken for it. The MAB 38 series was extremely robust and proved very popular with both [[Axis powers|Axis]] and [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] troops (who used captured MAB 38s).<ref>Dunlap, Roy F., Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press, (1948), p. 58</ref> It is considered the most successful and effective Italian small arm of World War II. During the later years of the war, the [[TZ-45]] submachine gun was manufactured in small numbers in the [[Italian Social Republic]]. A cheaper alternative to the MAB 38, it also sported an unusual [[grip safety]].

[[File:MP 40 AYF 2.JPG|thumb|An MP 40 submachine gun with its stock extended]]
In 1939, the Germans introduced the 9mm Parabellum [[MP38]] which was first used during the [[invasion of Poland]] of September that year. The MP38 production was still just starting and only a few thousand were in service at the time. It proved to be far more practical and effective in close-quarters combat than the standard-issue German [[Karabiner 98k]] [[Bolt action|bolt-action rifle]]. From this experience, the simplified and modernized [[MP 40]] (commonly and erroneously referred to as the Schmeisser) was developed and made in large numbers; about a million were made during [[World War II]]. The MP40 was lighter than the MP38. It also used more stamped parts, making it faster and cheaper to produce.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 118-120">Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 118–120</ref> The MP38 and MP40 were the first SMGs to use plastic furniture and a practical folding stock, which became standard for all future SMG designs.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 118-120"/> The Germans used a large number of captured Soviet PPSh-41 submachine guns, some were converted to fire 9mm Parabellum while others were used unmodified (the German [[7.63×25mm Mauser]] cartridge had identical dimensions to the 7.62×25mm Tokarev, albeit slightly less powerful).

During the [[Winter War]], the badly outnumbered Finnish used the [[Suomi KP/-31]] in large numbers against the Russians with devastating effect. Finnish ski troops became known for appearing out of the woods on one side of a road, raking Soviet columns with SMG fire and disappearing back into the woods on the other side. During the [[Continuation War]], the Finnish [[Sissi (Finnish light infantry)|Sissi patrols]] often equipped every soldier with KP/-31s. The Suomi fired 9mm Parabellum ammunition from a 71-round drum magazine (although often loaded with 74 rounds). "This SMG showed the world the importance of the submachine gun in modern warfare", prompting the development, adoption and [[mass production]] of submachine guns by most of the world's armies. The Suomi was used in combat until the end of the [[Lapland War]], was widely exported and remained in service to the late 1970s. Inspired by captured examples of the Soviet [[PPS submachine gun]], a gun that was cheaper and quicker to manufacture than the Suomi, the Finns introduced the [[KP m/44 submachine gun]] in 1944.

In 1940, the Soviets introduced the [[7.62×25mm Tokarev|7.62×25mm]] [[PPD-40]] and later the more easily manufactured [[PPSh-41]] in response to their experience during the Winter War against Finland. The PPSh's 71-round drum magazine is a copy of the Suomi's. Later in the war they developed the even more readily mass-produced [[PPS submachine gun]] - all firing the same small-caliber but high-powered Tokarev cartridges. The USSR went on to make over 6 million PPSh-41s and 2 million PPS-43s by the end of World War II. Thus, the Soviet Union could field huge numbers of submachine guns against the [[Wehrmacht]], with whole infantry battalions being armed with little else.<ref>Bishop, Chris (2002). The encyclopedia of weapons of World War II. New York: MetroBooks. {{ISBN|978-1-58663-762-0}}. Retrieved 19 October 2014.</ref> Even in the hands of [[Conscription|conscripts]] with minimal training, the volume of fire produced by massed submachine guns could be overwhelming.

[[File:Sten Mk II IMG 4764 (Nemo5576).jpg|thumb|A Sten Mk II, the second most produced submachine gun of World War II]]
Britain entered the war with no domestic submachine gun design but instead imported the expensive US M1928 Thompson. After evaluating their battlefield experience in the [[Battle of France]] and losing many weapons in the [[Dunkirk evacuation]], the [[Royal Navy]] adopted the 9mm Parabellum [[Lanchester submachine gun]]. With no time for the usual research and development for a new weapon, it was decided to make a direct copy of the German [[MP 18#Evolution|MP 28]]. Like other early submachine guns it was difficult and expensive to manufacture. Shortly thereafter, the simpler [[Sten]] submachine gun was developed for general use by the British armed forces, it was much cheaper and faster to make. Over 4 million Sten guns were made during World War II. The Sten was so cheap and easy to produce that towards the end of the war as their economic base approached crisis, Germany started manufacturing their own copy, the [[MP 3008]]. After the war, the British replaced the Sten with the [[Sterling submachine gun]].

The United States and its allies used the Thompson submachine gun, especially the simplified [[M1 Thompson submachine gun|M1]]. The Thompson was still expensive and slow to produce. Therefore, the U.S. developed the [[M3 submachine gun]] or "Grease Gun" in 1942, followed by the improved M3A1 in 1944. While the M3 was no more effective than the Tommy Gun, it was made primarily of stamped parts and welded together and could be produced much faster and at a fraction of the cost of a Thompson; its much lower rate of fire made it a lot more controllable. It could be configured to fire either [[.45 ACP]] or [[9mm Luger]] ammunition. The M3A1 was among the longest-serving submachine gun designs, being produced into the 1960s and serving in US forces into the 1990s.

[[File:MAS-38.jpg|thumb|The MAS-38 was France's only WWII submachine gun design, but France was defeated before very many were manufactured.]]
France produced only about 2,000 of the [[MAS-38]] submachine gun (chambered in [[7.65×20mm Longue]]) before the Fall of France in June 1940. Production was taken over by the occupying Germans, who used them for themselves and also put them into the hands of the [[Vichy France|Vichy French]].

The [[Owen gun]] is a 9mm Parabellum Australian submachine gun designed by [[Evelyn Owen]] in 1939. The Owen is a simple, highly reliable, open bolt, blowback SMG. It was designed to be fired either from the shoulder or the hip. It is easily recognisable, owing to its unconventional appearance, including a quick-release barrel and butt-stock, double pistol grips, top-mounted magazine, and unusual offset right-side-mounted sights. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II and was used by the Australian Army from 1943 until the mid-1960s, when it was replaced by the [[F1 submachine gun]]. Only about 45,000 Owens were produced during the war for a unit cost of about A$30.
[[File:Japanese smg and bayonet.jpg|thumb|A Type 100 submachine gun with bayonet]]

While most other countries during World War II developed submachine guns, the [[Empire of Japan]] had only produced one, the [[Type 100 submachine gun]], based heavily on the German MP28. Like most other small arms created in Imperial Japan, the Type 100 could be fitted with the [[Type 30 bayonet]]. It used the [[8×22mm Nambu]] cartridge, which was about half as powerful as a standard Western 9mm Parabellum round.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|last1=Henrotin|first1=Gerard|title=The Nambu Type 14 pistol explained|date=2010|publisher=HL Publishing|page=5}}</ref>  Production of the gun was even more inadequate: by the war's end, Japan had only manufactured about 7,500 of the Type 100, whereas Germany, America, and other countries in the war had produced well over a million of their own SMG designs.<ref name="Miller2007">{{cite book|last=Miller|first=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kqm5J6W1VuQC&pg=PA279|title=Fighting Men of World War II: Uniforms, Equipment and Weapons|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8117-0277-5|volume=1|page=279}}</ref>

The German military concluded that most firefights took place at ranges of no more than ~{{cvt|300|yd}}. They therefore sought to develop a new class of weapon that would combine the high volume of fire of the submachine gun with an [[intermediate cartridge]] that enabled the shooter to place accurate shots at medium ranges (beyond that of the {{cvt|100|–|200|yd}} range of the typical submachine gun). After a false start with the [[FG 42]], this led to the development of the {{lang|de|[[StG 44|Sturmgewehr 44]]}} [[Select fire|select-fire]] [[assault rifle]] (assault rifle or storm rifle is a translation of the German {{lang|de|Sturmgewehr}}).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moncure |first=Billy |date=2019-02-10 |title=StG 44 - Approved by Hitler, The Gun that Revolutionized Modern Rifles (includes footage) {{!}} War History Online |url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/stg-44-the-nazi-gun.html |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=warhistoryonline |language=en}}</ref> In the years following the war, this new format began to replace the submachine gun in military use to a large extent. Based on the StG44, the Soviet Union created the [[AK-47]], which is to date the [[List of most-produced firearms|world's most produced firearm]], with over 100 million made.

===Post–World War II===
After World War II, "new submachine gun designs appeared almost every week to replace the admittedly rough and ready designs which had appeared during the war. Some (the better ones) survived, most rarely got past the glossy brochure stage."<ref>Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 93–94</ref> Most of these survivors were cheaper, easier, and faster to make than their predecessors. As such, they were widely distributed.
[[File:Kpist m 45B Jvm21378 (2).jpg|thumb|A Carl Gustaf m/45]]
In 1945, Sweden introduced the 9 mm Parabellum [[Carl Gustaf m/45]] with a design borrowing from and improving on many design elements of earlier submachine-gun designs. It has a tubular stamped steel receiver with a side folding stock. The m/45 was widely exported and especially popular with CIA operatives and U.S. special forces during the Vietnam War. In U.S. service it was known as the "Swedish-K". In 1966, the Swedish government blocked the sale of firearms to the United States because it opposed the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>Fredrik Logevall, "The Swedish-American conflict over Vietnam", pp. 199–223 in, Walter L. Hixson (ed), ''Leadership and diplomacy in the Vietnam War'', Taylor & Francis, 2000 {{ISBN|0815335334}}.</ref> As a result, in the following year [[Smith & Wesson]] began to manufacture an m/45 clone called the [[Smith & Wesson Model 76|M76]]. The m/45 was used in combat by Swedish troops as part of the [[United Nations Operation in the Congo]], during the [[Congo Crisis]] during the early 1960s. Battlefield reports of the lack of penetrative power of the 9mm Parabellum during this operation led to Sweden developing a more powerful 9 mm round designated "9mm m/39B".

In 1946, Denmark introduced the Madsen M-46 and, in 1950, an improved model, the [[Madsen M-50]]. These 9 mm Parabellum stamped steel SMGs featured a unique clamshell type design, a side-folding stock, and a grip safety on the magazine housing. The Madsen was widely exported and especially popular in Latin America, with variants made by several countries.

In 1948, [[Czechoslovakia]] introduced the [[Sa vz. 23]] series. This 9 mm Parabellum SMG introduced several innovations: a [[progressive trigger]] for selecting between semi-automatic and full auto fire, a [[telescoping bolt]] that extends forward wrapping around the barrel, and a vertical handgrip housing the magazine and trigger mechanism. The vz. 23 series was widely exported and especially popular in Africa and the Middle East with variants made by several countries. The vz. 23 inspired the development of the [[Uzi submachine gun]].<ref>Hogg, Ian V. (1979). Guns and How They Work. New York: Everest House. p. 157. {{ISBN|0-89696-023-4}}.</ref>

[[File:MP IMG 1690.JPG|thumb|MAT-49 on display]]
In 1949, France introduced the [[MAT-49]] to replace the hodgepodge of French, American, British, German, and Italian SMGs in French service after World War II. The 9 mm Parabellum MAT-49 is an inexpensive stamped-steel SMG with a telescoping wire stock, a pronounced folding magazine housing, and a grip safety. This "wildebeast-like design" proved to be an extremely reliable and effective SMG and was used by the French well into the 1980s. It was also widely exported to Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

===1950s===
In 1954, Israel introduced a 9mm Parabellum open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine gun called the [[Uzi]] (after its designer [[Uziel Gal]]). The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a [[telescoping bolt]] design with the magazine housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon. The Uzi has become the most popular submachine gun in the world, with over 10 million units sold,<ref name="mcmanners2003">{{cite book |title=Ultimate Special Forces |last=McManners |first=Hugh |year=2003 |publisher=DK Publishing |location=New York |isbn=0-7894-9973-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ultimatespecialf00hugh/page/157 157] |oclc=53221575 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ultimatespecialf00hugh/page/157 }}</ref> more than any other submachine gun.<ref name="FF">{{cite journal | last = Hackathorn| first = Ken | title = Using the Uzi| journal = Fighting Firearms| volume = 3| issue = 1| pages = 18–23| publisher = Soldier of Fortune| year = 1995 }}</ref>

In 1959, Beretta introduced the [[Beretta M12|Model 12]]. This 9mm Parabellum submachine gun was a complete break with previous Beretta designs.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 138-139">Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 138–139</ref> It is a small, compact, very well made SMG and among the first to use a telescoping bolt design.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 138-139"/> The M12 was designed for mass production and was made largely of stamped steel and welded together.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 138-139"/> It is identified by its tubular shape receiver, double pistol grips, a side folding stock and the magazine housed in front of the trigger guard. The M12 uses the same magazines as the Model 38 series.

====Submachine guns in the Korean War====
Submachine guns again proved to be an important weapon system in the [[Korean War]] (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953).{{Cn|date=November 2024}} The [[Korean People's Army]] (KPA) and the Chinese [[People's Volunteer Army]] (PVA) fighting in Korea received massive numbers of the PPSh-41, in addition to the North Korean Type 49 and the Chinese Type 50, which were both licensed copies of the PPSh-41 with small mechanical revisions.{{sfn|McNab|2015|pp=22-23}} While lacking the accuracy of the U.S. [[M1 Garand]] and [[M1 carbine]], it provided more firepower at short distances and was well-suited to the close-range firefights that typically occurred in that conflict, especially at night.<ref name="Halberstam447">{{cite book
|last=Halberstam
|first=David
|title=The Coldest Winter
|publisher=Hyperion Press
|year=2007
|page=[https://archive.org/details/coldestwinterame00halb/page/447 447]
|isbn=978-1-4013-0052-4
|url-access=registration
|url=https://archive.org/details/coldestwinterame00halb/page/447
}}</ref> [[United Nations Command]] forces in defensive outposts or on patrol often had trouble returning a sufficient volume of fire when attacked by companies of infantry armed with the PPSh.  As infantry Captain (later General) [[Hal Moore]] stated: "on full automatic it sprayed a lot of bullets and most of the killing in Korea was done at very close ranges and it was done quickly—a matter of who responded faster. In situations like that it outclassed and outgunned what we had. A close-in patrol fight was over very quickly and usually we lost because of it."<ref name="Halberstam447"/> U.S. servicemen, however, felt that their [[M2 carbine]]s were superior to the PPSh-41 at the typical engagement range of 100–150 meters.<ref name="Thompson2011">{{cite book|author=Leroy Thompson|title=The M1 Carbine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=km5XxecLeOkC&pg=PA56|year=2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84908-619-6|page=56}}</ref>

Other older designs also saw use in the Korean War. The Thompson had seen much use by the U.S. and South Korean militaries, even though the Thompson had been replaced as standard-issue by the M3/M3A1. With huge numbers of guns available in army ordnance arsenals, the Thompson remained classed as "limited standard" or "substitute standard" long after the standardization of the M3/M3A1. Many Thompsons were distributed to the US-backed Nationalist Chinese armed forces as military aid before the fall of Chiang Kai-shek's government to Mao Zedong's communist forces at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. (Thompsons had already been widely used throughout China since the 1920s, at a time when several Chinese warlords and their military factions running various parts of the fragmented country made purchases of the weapon and then subsequently produced many local copies.) US troops were surprised to encounter communist Chinese troops armed with Thompsons (among other captured US-made Nationalist Chinese and American firearms), especially during unexpected night assaults, which became a prominent Chinese combat tactic in the conflict. The gun's ability to deliver large quantities of short-range automatic assault fire proved very useful in both defense and assault during the early part of the war when it was constantly mobile and shifting back and forth. Many Chinese Thompsons were captured and placed into service with American soldiers and marines for the remaining period of the war.

===1960s===
In the 1960s, [[Heckler & Koch]] developed the 9mm Parabellum [[MP5]] submachine gun. The MP5 is based on the [[G3 rifle]] and uses the same [[closed-bolt]] [[roller-delayed blowback]] operation system. This makes the MP5 more accurate than [[open-bolt]] SMGs, such as the Uzi. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world,<ref name="hogg2002">Hogg, Ian (2002). ''Jane's Guns Recognition Guide''. Jane's Information Group. {{ISBN|0-00-712760-X}}.</ref> having been adopted by over 40 nations and numerous military, law enforcement, and security organizations.<ref name="Tilstra 2012 42">{{cite book|last=Tilstra|first=Russell C.|title=Small Arms for Urban Combat|year=2012|publisher=McFarland|location=US|isbn=978-0-7864-6523-1|page=42|url=http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-6523-1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509024618/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-6523-1|archive-date=2012-05-09}}</ref>

In 1969, [[Steyr AUG|Steyr]] introduced the [[MPi 69]], which is similar in appearance to the Uzi SMG.<ref name="Century 2000. pages 97-98">Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. pages 97–98</ref> The MPi 69's receiver is a squared stamped steel tube that partly nestles inside a large plastic molding (resembling a lower receiver) which contains the forward hand-grip, vertical pistol-grip and the [[fire control group]],<ref name="Century 2000. pages 97-98" /> making the MPi 69 one of the first firearms to use plastic construction in this way.{{Cn|date=November 2024}}

===1970s===
[[File:MAC10.jpg|thumb|right|An Ingram MAC-10 with a [[Silencer (firearms)|suppressor]], magazine detached]]
In the 1970s, extremely compact submachine guns, such as the [[.45 ACP]] [[MAC-10]] and [[.380 ACP]] [[MAC-11]], were developed to be used with [[suppressor|silencers or suppressors]].<ref name="Century 2000. page 166">Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. by Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 166</ref> While these SMGs received enormous publicity, and were prominently displayed in films and television, they were not widely adopted by military or law enforcement agencies.<ref name="Century 2000. page 166"/>  

===1980s===
By the 1980s, the demand for new submachine guns was very low and could be easily met by existing makers with existing designs.<ref name="Century. Ian Hogg 2000. p93"/> However, following H&K's lead, other manufacturers began designing submachine guns based on their existing [[assault rifle]] patterns. These new SMGs offered a high degree of parts commonality with parent weapons, thereby easing logistical concerns.

In 1982, [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] introduced the [[Colt 9mm SMG]] based on the [[M16 rifle]].<ref name="coltsmg0">{{cite web|url=http://www.colt.com/mil/SMG.asp |title=Colt Weapon Systems |access-date=2016-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030518122948/http://www.colt.com/mil/SMG.asp |archive-date=2003-05-18 }}</ref> The Colt SMG is a closed bolt, [[blowback (arms)|blowback]] operated SMG and the overall aesthetics are identical to most M16 type rifles. The magazine well is modified using a special adapter to allow the use of the smaller 9mm magazines. The magazines themselves are a copy of the Israeli [[Uzi]] SMG magazine, modified to fit the Colt and lock the bolt back after the last shot. The Colt was widely used by US law enforcement and the [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]].<ref>Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century. Ian Hogg & John Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. p167</ref>

===1990s===
[[File:HKUMP45.JPG|thumb|right|A Heckler & Koch UMP45 with a vertical foregrip]]
In 1999, H&K introduced the [[Heckler & Koch UMP|UMP "Universal Machine Pistol"]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heckler-koch.com/HKWebText/detailProd/1926/82/4/20 |title=Heckler & Koch – Group Website |publisher=Heckler-koch.com |access-date=2009-06-26 |archive-date=2009-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527112537/http://www.heckler-koch.com/HKWebText/detailProd/1926/82/4/20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The UMP is a 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP, closed-bolt blowback-operated SMG, based on the [[H&K G36]] assault rifle.<ref name="Cutshaw2011">{{cite book|last=Cutshaw|first=Charles Q|title=Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Small Arms From Around the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=55szjc6g520C&pg=PA156|year=2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2709-7|page=156}}</ref><ref name="Jane's Guns Recognition Guide 2005. page 192">Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. by Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 192</ref> It features a predominantly [[polymer]] construction and was designed to be a more cost effective, lighter weight, and less complex design alternative to the MP5.<ref name="Cutshaw2011"/><ref name="Dockery2007">{{cite book|last=Dockery|first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Dockery (author)|title=Future Weapons|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_BJgKhwD2o4C&pg=PT383|year=2007|publisher=Penguin Group US|location=New York|isbn=978-1-101-20618-8|pages=383–385}}</ref> The UMP has a side-folding stock and is available with four different trigger group configurations.<ref>{{cite book|author=Andrius Genys|title=Submachine Guns and Assault Rifles|website=Military-Today.com|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4W-iAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT2|year=2010|publisher=Andrius Genys|page=2}}</ref> It was also designed to use a wide range of [[Picatinny rail]] mounted accessories <ref name="Cutshaw2011"/><ref name="Jane's Guns Recognition Guide 2005. page 192"/>

===2000s===
[[File:Kriss Vector left.JPG|thumb|A KRISS Vector, seen here with a suppressor]]
In 2004, [[Izhmash]] introduced the [[Vityaz-SN]] a 9mm Parabellum, [[closed bolt]] [[Blowback (arms)|straight blowback]] operated submachine gun. It is based on the [[AK-74]] rifle and offers a high degree of parts commonality with the AK-74.<ref>{{cite web | title=9-mm. submachine gun "Vityaz-SN" | website=izhmash.ru | date=2001-09-02 | url=http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/vityaz.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109005400/http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/vityaz.shtml | archive-date=2011-11-09 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It is the standard submachine gun for all branches of Russian military and police forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/new-guns-for-russias-cops-so-what/|title=New guns for Russia's cops – so what? - In Moscow's Shadows|work=In Moscow's Shadows|date=23 October 2008|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://army.lv/ru/pp-19-01/istorija/625/617|title=Исторические сведения ПП-19-01 "Витязь"/"Витязь-СН" - пистолет-пулемёт|access-date=2015-07-31|archive-date=2015-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121133947/http://army.lv/ru/pp-19-01/istorija/625/617|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2009, KRISS USA introduced the [[KRISS Vector]] family of submachine guns.<ref name=kriss-products>{{cite web | url = http://kriss-usa.com/products | title = Products | publisher = KRISS Arms | access-date = 30 November 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130120031635/http://kriss-usa.com/products | archive-date = 20 January 2013 }}</ref> Futuristic in appearance, the KRISS uses an unconventional delayed blowback system combined with in-line design to reduce perceived [[recoil]] and [[muzzle climb]]. The KRISS comes in 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 9×21mm, 10mm Auto, and .357 SIG. It also uses standard [[Glock]] pistol magazines.

===2010s===
By the early 2010s, [[assault rifle#Compact assault rifles|compact assault rifles]] and [[personal defense weapon]]s had replaced submachine guns in most roles.<ref name="Century. Ian Hogg 2000. p93"/>  Factors such as the increasing use of [[ballistic vest|body armor]] and logistical concerns have combined to limit the appeal of submachine guns. However, SMGs are still used by police (especially [[SWAT]] teams) for dealing with heavily armed suspects and by military [[special forces]] units for close-quarters combat, due to their reduced size, recoil and muzzle blast, and capability for sound suppression. Submachine gun designs adopted during this period include the [[Brügger & Thomet APC]] and [[SIG MPX]].

==Land defence pistol==
During the [[Apartheid]] era of South Africa and the [[Rhodesian Bush War]]/[[South African Border War]], a semi-automatic only pistol calibre carbine based on submachine guns existed for civilian personal protection as ''Land Defence Pistol''s (LDP).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/ldp-kommando-the-rhuzi/ | title=LDP / Kommando: The "Rhuzi" | date=5 December 2018 }}</ref> Known examples were the Bell & White 84,<ref>Soldier of Fortune. SOF Weapons, Bell & White 84, South Africa's New Machine Pistol. Text & Photos by Brady Ridgeway. February 86, Page 30.</ref> BHS Rhogun, [[MAC-10#Cobra carbine|Cobra Mk1]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30029445 | title=Cobra Mk1 pistol-carbine }}</ref> GM-16, Kommando LDP,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2071 | title=THE KOMMANDO L.D.P. - Small Arms Review | date=February 2004 }}</ref> Northwood R-76,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.historicalfirearms.info/post/136070368069/northwood-r-76-the-northwood-r-76-was-9mm/embed | title=Tumblr }}</ref> Paramax, [[Sanna 77]] and TS III.

==Personal defense weapons==
[[File:FN P90 PDW.jpg|thumb|An FN P90 personal defense weapon]]
First developed during the 1980s, [[personal defense weapon]]s (PDWs) were created in response to a [[NATO]] request for a replacement for [[9×19mm Parabellum]] submachine guns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-20 |title=Evolution of the Personal Defense Weapon - Small Arms Review |url=https://smallarmsreview.com/evolution-of-the-personal-defense-weapon/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> PDWs are compact automatic weapons that are sufficiently light to be issued to non-combat arms or support troops, particularly those in vehicles, while being capable of greater range and terminal ballistics than a handgun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) |url=https://www.sigsauer.com/glossary/personal-defense-weapon-pdw/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=www.sigsauer.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Caleb |date=2021-02-08 |title=PDW - All About Personal Defense Weapons - TargetBarn.com |url=https://www.targetbarn.com/broad-side/pdw-personal-defense-weapons/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=The Broad Side |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Ammoland Editors & |date=2024-11-09 |title=What is a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) {{!}} Video |url=https://www.ammoland.com/2024/11/what-is-a-personal-defense-weapon-pdw-video/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=AmmoLand Shooting Sports News |language=en-US}}</ref> As a result of these characteristics, most PDWs can be used as [[close quarters battle]] weapons for [[special forces]] and [[counter-terrorist]] groups.<ref name="miller2001"/><ref name="oliver2007"/> 

Introduced in 1991, the [[FN P90]] features an unusual appearance, having a 50-round magazine housed horizontally above the barrel, an integrated [[reflector sight|reflex sight]] and fully [[ambidextrous]] controls.<ref name="Kevin, Dockery 2007">Kevin, Dockery (2007). Future Weapons. New York: Berkley Trade. {{ISBN|9780425217504}}.</ref>  A simple [[blowback (firearms)|blowback]] automatic weapon, it was designed to fire the proprietary [[FN 5.7×28mm]] cartridge which can penetrate soft body armor.<ref name="miller2001">{{cite book |first=David |last=Miller |year=2001 |title=The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns |publisher=Salamander Books Ltd. |location=London |isbn=9781840652451}}</ref><ref name="oliver2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.global-defence.com/2006/Utilities/article.php?id=40 |title=In the Line of Fire |author=Oliver, David |year=2007 |publisher=Global Defence Review |access-date=October 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016074936/http://www.global-defence.com/2006/Utilities/article.php?id=40 |archive-date=October 16, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The FN P90 was designed to have a length no greater than an average-sized man's shoulder width, to allow it to be easily carried and maneuvered in tight spaces, such as the inside of an [[infantry fighting vehicle]].<ref name="Kevin, Dockery 2007" />  The FN P90 is currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 nations.<ref name="milrev">Tirans, Ivars (2009). "Baltic Defence Research and Technology 2009 Conference Proceedings". Military Review: Scientific Journal for Security and Defence ({{ISSN|1407-1746}}), Nr. 3/4 (132/133), p 103.</ref>

==See also==

{{div col}} 
*[[Assault rifle]]
*[[Firearm action]]
*[[List of submachine guns]]
*[[Machine gun]]
*[[Machine pistol]]
*[[Overview of gun laws by nation]]
*[[Personal defense weapon]]
*[[Semi-automatic pistol]]
*[[Sputter Gun]]
{{div col end}}

{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Submachine guns}}
*[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9070101/submachine-gun Submachine Gun] at the  ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Submachine Gun}}
[[Category:Submachine guns| ]]
[[Category:Law enforcement equipment]]
[[Category:Military equipment]]
[[Category:World War I weapons]]