What Happened to the MP38/40s?

azlaw · 11-25-2008, 11:03 PM

A friend of mine and I were discussing some news photos from Africa in which an angry mob displays weapons from every place and time over the past century. Soviet, German, American, Belgian, British, etc. We have also seen photos from Iraq featuring an amazing variety of weapons. But, I don't recall seeing any MP38/40s - why not? Or is it just my imagination?

The Germans made zillions of these things, so they were surely captured in large quantities. All other German WWII small arms found their way into various hands after the war - I think that Lebenon was armed with the Stg-44, Israel had a bunch of K-98s, MG-42s were everywhere - but I can't recall seeing the MP-38/40. Even if the Western Allies dumped them in the sea, the Soviets never threw anything away, so they had to go somewhere. Anybody?

H

policeluger · 11-25-2008, 11:15 PM

A friend of mine had one in Viet Nam and we "played" with it a few time....I think total production of MP-40's was about 1 million.....

Ron Wood · 11-26-2008, 01:52 AM

I recall a couple of years ago someone posted a link to photos taken at a depot in Eastern Europe that showed large piles of them and other weapons in an open lot just rusting away.

rolandtg · 11-26-2008, 02:02 AM

Doesn't Hollywood have them all?

John Sabato · 11-26-2008, 09:12 AM

They were used by many nations after WW2. Especially nations who had been occupied by the German Army. Stockpiles of them have made their way all over the globe. I think that they are considered by non-collectors to be beyond their reliable service life...

RON, I think the photo you were thinking of was of M3 and M3A1 Grease guns... I have seen that photo many times... I don't recall ever seeing one of MP38/40's stacked like that...

I know of one MP-40 that got welded up prior to the first machinegun amnesty in the 60's... it was not registered and was owned by a very racist guy who worked in a factory as a welder in North Philadelphia... he had purchased it from a WW2 vet ...after some friends and I overheard him brag that he planned on using it to terminate a bunch of the minority people in his neighborhood, someone made a discreet call (that's before there was such a thing as caller-id to the BATF and told them what he had, and what he planned to do with it...They paid him a visit that very week.

He avoided prosecution for violation of the NFA by agreeing to weld it up in front of a BATF agent. They made him cut into it multiple times with an acetylene torch and weld the receiver to the bolt and cut through the chamber/receiver, the trigger housing... and also the inserted magazine.

It was a wall-hanger after that, and as much as we hated to see a nice souvenier like that destroyed, the only alternative was to take the chance that this alcoholic bigot would use it... a real no-brainer.

alanint · 11-26-2008, 10:54 AM

As mentioned by all, MP40s were distributed around the world after WW2. The reason you don't see many in use is that the AK47 became ubicutous and were either sold cheap or given away free by the Soviets. The AK was much more desirable than the MP40 for most uses. The MP40 is considered a second generation subgun trying to compete against UZIs and other third generation subguns which were a glut on the post-war market.
The Norwegians had them as standard equipment in all their armor up until the 1980s
The US issued them to Ruf Puf and irregular units in Vietnam.
I have it from a good source that the US still has thousands in a warehouse here in the US, ready to be issued when plausible deniability is required.
Thousands were cut up and imported as kits into the US prior to 19 May, 1986. These were remanufactured as "tube guns" and now form the majority of transferrable MP40s on the US market.
God only knows how many are languishing in Russian warehouses

MikeP · 11-26-2008, 06:43 PM

Snagged this off the net

I scrounged a chrome MP 40 in RVN.

They were issued to early CIDG troops.

Friend of mine in an early A Camp told about a couple of crates of Lugers showing up in a bunch of odds and ends.
They distributed them to company cadres.
He got Navy model and lost it in a stream.
A Camps were under control of the VNs and supplies got wierd and interesting at times

Steinar · 11-28-2008, 11:17 AM

As alanint mention, we used the in our military after ww2. And in some low priority or 'non fighting' divisions as late as into the 90s. (Not in lack of MP5's at the time, but rather just forgotten 'upgrades'. I know of a home guard medical guy who had one in his closet when I spoke to him in -95!)
I can't believe these MP40's has been sold somehow.. so that only leaves us with two alternatives for the majority of them; -stored away by the thousands or -melted down by the thousands.
I believe there is a 50% chance for both. The same probably goes for all other occupied countries that used them.

George Anderson · 11-28-2008, 11:22 AM

A hell of alot of them are stashed away in the backs of closets of widows around the US. I hear of or see at least three a year.

Ron Smith · 11-28-2008, 12:08 PM

We found a crate of contraband weapons on a river junk. There were at least 3 or 4 in the crate with a bunch of Eastern Block weapons. We had to turn them over to the "Spooks". Never saw what all was in the crate. The Russians filtered a bunch of stuff into VN, including P-38s, MG-34s and 42s.

11-25-2008, 11:03 PM	#1
azlaw User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 204 Thanks: 1 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	What Happened to the MP38/40s? A friend of mine and I were discussing some news photos from Africa in which an angry mob displays weapons from every place and time over the past century. Soviet, German, American, Belgian, British, etc. We have also seen photos from Iraq featuring an amazing variety of weapons. But, I don't recall seeing any MP38/40s - why not? Or is it just my imagination? The Germans made zillions of these things, so they were surely captured in large quantities. All other German WWII small arms found their way into various hands after the war - I think that Lebenon was armed with the Stg-44, Israel had a bunch of K-98s, MG-42s were everywhere - but I can't recall seeing the MP-38/40. Even if the Western Allies dumped them in the sea, the Soviets never threw anything away, so they had to go somewhere. Anybody? H

11-26-2008, 01:52 AM	#3
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,022 Thanks: 1,090 Thanked 5,178 Times in 1,703 Posts	I recall a couple of years ago someone posted a link to photos taken at a depot in Eastern Europe that showed large piles of them and other weapons in an open lot just rusting away. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

11-26-2008, 09:12 AM	#5
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,154 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,306 Times in 1,097 Posts	They were used by many nations after WW2. Especially nations who had been occupied by the German Army. Stockpiles of them have made their way all over the globe. I think that they are considered by non-collectors to be beyond their reliable service life... RON, I think the photo you were thinking of was of M3 and M3A1 Grease guns... I have seen that photo many times... I don't recall ever seeing one of MP38/40's stacked like that... I know of one MP-40 that got welded up prior to the first machinegun amnesty in the 60's... it was not registered and was owned by a very racist guy who worked in a factory as a welder in North Philadelphia... he had purchased it from a WW2 vet ...after some friends and I overheard him brag that he planned on using it to terminate a bunch of the minority people in his neighborhood, someone made a discreet call (that's before there was such a thing as caller-id to the BATF and told them what he had, and what he planned to do with it...They paid him a visit that very week. He avoided prosecution for violation of the NFA by agreeing to weld it up in front of a BATF agent. They made him cut into it multiple times with an acetylene torch and weld the receiver to the bolt and cut through the chamber/receiver, the trigger housing... and also the inserted magazine. It was a wall-hanger after that, and as much as we hated to see a nice souvenier like that destroyed, the only alternative was to take the chance that this alcoholic bigot would use it... a real no-brainer. __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

11-26-2008, 06:43 PM	#7
MikeP User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ILL Posts: 686 Thanks: 36 Thanked 452 Times in 198 Posts	Snagged this off the net I scrounged a chrome MP 40 in RVN. They were issued to early CIDG troops. Friend of mine in an early A Camp told about a couple of crates of Lugers showing up in a bunch of odds and ends. They distributed them to company cadres. He got Navy model and lost it in a stream. A Camps were under control of the VNs and supplies got wierd and interesting at times Last edited by MikeP; 01-31-2010 at 08:36 PM.

11-28-2008, 11:17 AM	#8
Steinar User Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,538 Thanks: 18 Thanked 36 Times in 21 Posts	As alanint mention, we used the in our military after ww2. And in some low priority or 'non fighting' divisions as late as into the 90s. (Not in lack of MP5's at the time, but rather just forgotten 'upgrades'. I know of a home guard medical guy who had one in his closet when I spoke to him in -95!) I can't believe these MP40's has been sold somehow.. so that only leaves us with two alternatives for the majority of them; -stored away by the thousands or -melted down by the thousands. I believe there is a 50% chance for both. The same probably goes for all other occupied countries that used them. __________________ Previously known as Morgan Kane

11-25-2008, 11:15 PM	#2
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	A friend of mine had one in Viet Nam and we "played" with it a few time....I think total production of MP-40's was about 1 million.....

11-26-2008, 02:02 AM	#4
rolandtg User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 477 Thanks: 379 Thanked 258 Times in 113 Posts	Doesn't Hollywood have them all?

11-26-2008, 10:54 AM	#6
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,916 Times in 1,192 Posts	As mentioned by all, MP40s were distributed around the world after WW2. The reason you don't see many in use is that the AK47 became ubicutous and were either sold cheap or given away free by the Soviets. The AK was much more desirable than the MP40 for most uses. The MP40 is considered a second generation subgun trying to compete against UZIs and other third generation subguns which were a glut on the post-war market. The Norwegians had them as standard equipment in all their armor up until the 1980s The US issued them to Ruf Puf and irregular units in Vietnam. I have it from a good source that the US still has thousands in a warehouse here in the US, ready to be issued when plausible deniability is required. Thousands were cut up and imported as kits into the US prior to 19 May, 1986. These were remanufactured as "tube guns" and now form the majority of transferrable MP40s on the US market. God only knows how many are languishing in Russian warehouses

11-28-2008, 11:22 AM	#9
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,529 Times in 787 Posts	A hell of alot of them are stashed away in the backs of closets of widows around the US. I hear of or see at least three a year.

11-28-2008, 12:08 PM	#10
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	We found a crate of contraband weapons on a river junk. There were at least 3 or 4 in the crate with a bunch of Eastern Block weapons. We had to turn them over to the "Spooks". Never saw what all was in the crate. The Russians filtered a bunch of stuff into VN, including P-38s, MG-34s and 42s. __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...