Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a great condition MP40 Maschinenpistole 40 parts set, consisting of many of the original components of the gun. Per BATF regulations, the receiver was mostly destroyed, however there is still the last 4 inches that fits into the trigger group rear cup present. The bolt and recoil assembly included with the kit are of post war manufacture from Portugal, and the barrel bushing is as well. There are also a few smaller components missing, such as the sling swivel and barrel washer.
Offered with exceptional original dark brown bakelite stock and grips, with a functional extending butt stock, this is the real thing that will only appreciate in value over time. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, though the bore is definitely quite worn. Many MP 40s saw service long after WWII in various other countries, which is probably where this example came from, and explains the mixed serial numbers and makers.
The rear receiver cup of this display gun is marked with the model and manufacture codes:
MP40
ayf 43
This indicates 1943 manufacture by ERMA-Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B Geipel GmbH, Erfurt, the company that developed the MP38 and MP40. The rear receiver cup is marked with serial number 9008 u, while the trigger guard is marked 9006 / p, with 006 on the folding stock. The rear housing is Waffenamt WaA444 marked, and bears contractor marking cos for Gebrüder Merz, Merz-Werke, Frankfurt, Main, a known maker of small arms components throughout the war.
The magazine well marked bnz, for manufacture by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Werk Steyr, the legendary Austrian arms company. There are various markings and proof marks on many components of the set.
Included is an original MP 40 magazine, in very good condition, which is correctly marked MP. 38 u. 40 on the side, with maker code kur 43 on the back for 1943 production by Steyr-Daimler Puch AG, Werk Graz in Poland. It also bears the correct Waffenamt WaA815 code for this factory. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines.
A great chance to pick up a very nice MP40 parts set, complete with a magazine and live barrel! We rarely see these anymore! Ready to display!
History of the MP40
The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36, a prototype made of machined steel. The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army. It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer's VPM 1930 and EMP. Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts.
It was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers, on the Eastern and Western Fronts. Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often erroneously called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, despite Hugo Schmeisser's non-involvement in the weapon's design and production. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.
