The following report on the MP 34 9-mm Bergmann Submachine Gun was published in Foreign Military Weapons and Equipment, Vol. III, Infantry Weapons, Pamphlet No. 30-7-4, Department of the Army, 1954.
9-mm Submachine Gun MP 34/I (Bergmann)
(MASCHINENPISTOLE MP 34)
This weapon is a development of the original German Bergmann machine pistol Model 1918. It was in wide use in the German Army and was also used extensively by U.S.S.R. It is the original of all blowback-type submachine guns and is the forerunner of practically every submachine gun manufactured today. It was adopted as the official submachine gun of the Swedish Army in 1937 and was widely distributed throughout Europe during the years immediately before World War II.
This weapon can be recognized by: (1) The cocking handle at the rear of the receiver; (2) the protruding magazine well on the right side of the receiver (on the Soviet Bergmann the magazine well on the left side of the receiver); (3) the automatic safety device placed behind the trigger to prevent firing of the weapon unless the cocking handle is locked down; (4) the cylindrical body tube which is threaded at the front end to receive the barrel and barrel jacket; and (5) the method of selective fire, i.e., slight trigger depression results in single fire, greater trigger depression results in full automatic fire.
RECOGNITION FEATURES
CHARACTERISTICS
System of operation Blowback, selective automatic and semiautomatic Caliber 9-mm (cal. .354) Weight: Unloaded, w/o magazine 4.3 kg (9.4 lb) Loaded, w/32 rd. magazine 4.9 kg (10.9 lb) Length over-all 955-mm (37.6 in) Length of barrel 200-mm (7.8 in) Feeding device Box type 32-round Sights: Front Blade Rear Leaf w/ open notch, graduated 50-500m (aprx 55 to 550 yd) Muzzle velocity 360 m/s (1,180 fps) Effective rate of fire 90-100 rpm Effective range 200 m (aprx 220 yd) Ammunition 9-mm Parabellum (Luger) ball
