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Based on the then-revolutionary Machinenpistole 38, the MP40 with its stamped steel receiver and simpler bolt was the most-produced German submachine gun of World War II. Chambered in 9 mm and feeding from a 32-round, detachable-box magazine, the MP40 with its folding stock was compact, handy and reliable. Although the MP40 was called the “Schmeisser’ or “Hitler’s burp gun” by G.I.s, Hugo Schmeisser had about as much to do with its actual design as Mary Queen of Scots. Watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV, as our editors and panel of firearm experts reflect on the history and use of the MP40 submachine gun … and run it hard at the range.
