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The '''Bergmann MP18''' is a German submachine gun, one of the first mass-produced submachine guns to ever see combat. The weapon was designed by Hugo Schmeisser between 1915 and 1917 at the Bergmann Waffenfabrik factory. It was designed to fulfill the requirements established by the German Rifle Testing Commission. The original MP18 was fed by box magazines, however the Commission wanted the weapon to utilize the existing high-capacity 32-round "snail" drum magazine used in the [[Luger P08|P08 Artillery Luger]]. Very little is known about the early development period of the MP18, probably due to the fact that work was kept secret due to the war. Most sources agree that the design was completed by the end of 1917, and accepted by the beginning of 1918. When the weapon was completed, it was designated the ''Maschinenpistole'' 18/I or MP18/I. The weapons were finished and the parts all fitted by hand, at near commercial-grade quality. The MP18/I went into production in early 1918 using the 32-round drum magazine. | The '''Bergmann MP18''' is a German submachine gun, one of the first mass-produced submachine guns to ever see combat. The weapon was designed by Hugo Schmeisser between 1915 and 1917 at the Bergmann Waffenfabrik factory. It was designed to fulfill the requirements established by the German Rifle Testing Commission. The original MP18 was fed by box magazines, however the Commission wanted the weapon to utilize the existing high-capacity 32-round "snail" drum magazine used in the [[Luger P08|P08 Artillery Luger]]. Very little is known about the early development period of the MP18, probably due to the fact that work was kept secret due to the war. Most sources agree that the design was completed by the end of 1917, and accepted by the beginning of 1918. When the weapon was completed, it was designated the ''Maschinenpistole'' 18/I or MP18/I. The weapons were finished and the parts all fitted by hand, at near commercial-grade quality. The MP18/I went into production in early 1918 using the 32-round drum magazine. About 17,677 were produced before the end of the war, but only about 3,000 MP18/Is were issued in the final months of World War I (since in total about 35,000 of MP18/I were made, the half of them were obviously produced after the end of the war, before the Treaty of Versailles put an end to this). The weapon was outlawed for use by the German military by the Treaty of Versailles, but small quantities were issued to the Weimar Republic for police use. The Weimar-era weapons were converted in 1920 with straight mag-wells to use 20-round box magazines, instead of the 32-round drum magazine, which had also been banned (not for police, but obviously it was decided to move use to the much more convenient and reliable box magazines). It should be noted that not all samples were converted, as it is known about the existence of exemplares with marks "1920", which retained the original design. The original factory production of the MP18 was accordingly discontinued after about a year, because, due to new restrictions, Germany simply could not mass produce weapons of the "assault" type, and the design was sold to Swiss [[SIG]], which started producing it with a number of changes as their [[SIG M1920|Model 1920]]. The design was improved upon and manufactured in Belgium for export as the [[Haenel-Schmeisser MP28/II|Schmeisser MP28/II]]. | ||
'''N.B.''' The MP18's deployment as the first submachine gun used in combat led to Allied forces during World War II nicknaming the Wehrmacht's [[MP40]] submachine gun "the Schmeisser", an appellation that has endured in several novels, films, and television series. In fact, Hugo Schmeisser had no involvement in the MP40's design or manufacture. | '''N.B.''' The MP18's deployment as the first submachine gun used in combat led to Allied forces during World War II nicknaming the Wehrmacht's [[MP40]] submachine gun "the Schmeisser", an appellation that has endured in several novels, films, and television series. In fact, Hugo Schmeisser had no involvement in the MP40's design or manufacture. | ||
Revision as of 15:02, 10 May 2021
The Bergmann MP18 is a German submachine gun, one of the first mass-produced submachine guns to ever see combat. The weapon was designed by Hugo Schmeisser between 1915 and 1917 at the Bergmann Waffenfabrik factory. It was designed to fulfill the requirements established by the German Rifle Testing Commission. The original MP18 was fed by box magazines, however the Commission wanted the weapon to utilize the existing high-capacity 32-round "snail" drum magazine used in the P08 Artillery Luger. Very little is known about the early development period of the MP18, probably due to the fact that work was kept secret due to the war. Most sources agree that the design was completed by the end of 1917, and accepted by the beginning of 1918. When the weapon was completed, it was designated the Maschinenpistole 18/I or MP18/I. The weapons were finished and the parts all fitted by hand, at near commercial-grade quality. The MP18/I went into production in early 1918 using the 32-round drum magazine. About 17,677 were produced before the end of the war, but only about 3,000 MP18/Is were issued in the final months of World War I (since in total about 35,000 of MP18/I were made, the half of them were obviously produced after the end of the war, before the Treaty of Versailles put an end to this). The weapon was outlawed for use by the German military by the Treaty of Versailles, but small quantities were issued to the Weimar Republic for police use. The Weimar-era weapons were converted in 1920 with straight mag-wells to use 20-round box magazines, instead of the 32-round drum magazine, which had also been banned (not for police, but obviously it was decided to move use to the much more convenient and reliable box magazines). It should be noted that not all samples were converted, as it is known about the existence of exemplares with marks "1920", which retained the original design. The original factory production of the MP18 was accordingly discontinued after about a year, because, due to new restrictions, Germany simply could not mass produce weapons of the "assault" type, and the design was sold to Swiss SIG, which started producing it with a number of changes as their Model 1920. The design was improved upon and manufactured in Belgium for export as the Schmeisser MP28/II.
N.B. The MP18's deployment as the first submachine gun used in combat led to Allied forces during World War II nicknaming the Wehrmacht's MP40 submachine gun "the Schmeisser", an appellation that has endured in several novels, films, and television series. In fact, Hugo Schmeisser had no involvement in the MP40's design or manufacture.
Specifications
(1918 - 1919)
- Type: Submachine Gun
- Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
- Weight: 9.2 lbs (4.2 kg)
- Length: 32.8 in (83.3 cm)
- Barrel length: 7.9 in (20.1 cm)
- Capacity: 32 cartridges (TM 08 drum magazine), 20 or 32 cartridges (post-WWI box magazine)
- Fire Modes: Fully Automatic (450 RPM)
The Bergmann MP18 appears in the following movies, TV shows, and video games:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Land That Time Forgot | Declan Mulholland | Olson | 1975 | |
| Richard III | Richard's soldiers | 1995 | ||
| Michael Collins | An IRA assassin | 1996 | ||
| The Water Diviner | Greek soldier | 2014 |
Anime
| Film Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade | A member of the "Sect" | . | 1998 |
| Sakura Taisen: École de Paris | Erica | Double barrel, double magazine | 2003 |
| Sakura Taisen: Le Nouveau Paris | Erica | Double barrel, double magazine | 2004-05 |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa | German soldier | 2005 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Mods | Notations | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NecroVisioN | 2009 | ||
| NecroVisioN: Lost Company | 2010 | ||
| The Great War 1918 | 2013 | ||
| Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 | "MP18" | 2014 | |
| Verdun | "Maschinenpistole 18/I" | 2015 | |
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | 2016 | ||
| Battlefield 1 | MP18 | 2016 | |
| Screaming Steel: 1914-1918 | MP18/I | 2018 |