The Maschinenpistole 28/II sub-machine was in essence a 1928 development of the MP 18/I, which entered service in 1918 as the German Army’s first such weapon, by Hugo Schmeisser for production by Haenel (interestingly, his name would be internationally associated with the later MP 38 and 40, though in fact he had very little to do with these weapons - the association is largely the result of Hollywood fantasy).
The MP 28/II had a fire selector (single-shot or automatic) rather than the MP 18/I’s automatic fire only, and less evident were a number of internal modifications. The type was produced as a commercial venture aimed at the export market, and was therefore produced in a number of calibres with particular features to suit the weapon to its various buyers. The weapon sold well to countries in South America, as well as to Belgium, China and Japan. The type was also made in Spain and Belgium (Etablissements Anciens Pieper at Herstal) as the Belgian Army’s Mitraillette 34, and indeed many MP 28/II models were licence-made at Herstal for export.
The MP 28/II saw extensive service in the Spanish Civil War, and after the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 all German production went to the German armed forces, which also used captured Belgian weapons after 1940 with the official designation MP 740(b).
Specifications
- Type
- submachine gun
- Calibre
- 9mm (0.354mm) Parabellum
- Length
- 0.81m (32in)
- Length of Barrel
- 0.20m (7.9in)
- Weight
- 4kg (8.8lb)
- Muzzle Velocity
- 380m (1247ft) per second
- Feed
- 20-, 32- 50-round detachable magazine (500rpm)