Danuvia 43M submachine gun

Danuvia 39M
Danuvia 39M displayed by a Hungarian soldier in 1944
Type Submachine gun
Place of origin Hungary
Service history
In service 1939 to early 1950s
Used by Hungary
Nazi Germany[1]
Wars World War II
Hungarian Revolution of 1956[2]
Production history
Designed 1930s
Produced 1939–1945
No. built ~8,000 to 10,000 all versions
Variants 39M (Fixed wooden stock)
39M/A (Folding wooden stock)
43M (Folding metal stock)[3]
Specifications
Weight 3.7 kg (8 lb 3 oz) without magazine
4.4 kg (9 lb 11 oz) with magazine
Length 1,048 mm (3 ft 5 in)
Barrel length 499 mm (1 ft 8 in)
Cartridge 9×25mm Mauser Export
Action Lever-delayed blowback
Rate of fire 750 rpm cyclic
Muzzle velocity 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)
Feed system 20 or 40 round detachable box magazine
Danuvia 43M
Specifications
Weight 3.6 kg (7 lb 15 oz) without magazine
4.2 kg (9 lb 4 oz) with magazine
Length 956 mm (3 ft 2 in) butt extended
749 mm (2 ft 5 in) butt retracted
Barrel length 424 mm (1 ft 5 in)[3]
Rate of fire 750 rpm cyclic
Muzzle velocity 442 m/s (1,450 ft/s)
Feed system 40 round detachable box magazine

The Danuvia 39M/43M was a Hungarian submachine gun designed by Pál Király in the late 1930s.

History

The 9×25mm Danuvia submachine gun was designed by Hungarian engineer Pál Király in the late 1930s. They were issued to Hungarian army troops in 1939 and remained in service throughout World War II until the early 1950s. A total of roughly 8,000 were made between 1939 and 1945. The Danuvia was a large, sturdy weapon, similar to a carbine. Although inspired by the 9×19mm Parabellum Beretta Model 38/42, the Danuvia used the more powerful 9×25mm Mauser round. The Danuvia's magazine can be folded forward into a recess in the stock where a plate then slides over it.[3]

The gun was well-liked by troops it was issued to; it reportedly functioned well in the sub-zero, muddy conditions on the Eastern Front. The only difficulty was the availability of 9×25mm Mauser ammunition. It was used by the Hungarian army, military police and police forces and stayed in service until the early 1950s when it was gradually replaced by the PPSh-41 and the Kucher K1.

Design

The Danuvia featured a patented two-part lever-delayed blowback bolt.[3] The fire selector switch is a circular cap on the rear of the receiver and is rotated to one of three settings: E (Egyes)(semiautomatic fire), S(Sorozat) (full automatic), or Z (Zárt)(the safety setting). The ejection port and cocking handle are on the right side of the receiver. It had a ramp-type rear sight above the ejection port and a post foresight at end of the barrel.

Variants

The earlier 39M variant

The original Danuvia was the Gepisztoly 39M with a fixed wooden stock, which was followed in limited numbers by the Gepisztoly 39M/A with a folding wooden stock. In 1943 a new version with a forward folding metal stock, wood fore stock and a pistol grip was designated the Gepisztoly 43M. The 43M was most produced version and had a shortened barrel and a forward-angled magazine.[3]

References

  1. ↑ John Walter, Guns of the Third Reich, Greenhill Books, 2004, p. 163
  2. ↑ Schmidl, Erwin; Ritter, László (10 Nov 2006). The Hungarian Revolution 1956. Elite 148. Osprey Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 9781846030796.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Chamberlain, Peter (1976). Sub-machine guns and automatic rifles. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0668040130.
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