MP 3008 Submachinegun (Gerät Neumünster or German Sten)

Описание: The Gerät Neumünster or MP 3008 was a last ditch simplified German copy of the British Sten gun produced at the end of World War 2 just before the collapse of Nazi Germany. As early as 1942, the German SS, including Henrich Himmler, expressed interest in producing simple and easy to manufacture submachineguns similar to the British Sten gun. Adolf Hitler reportedly despised such crude weapons like the Sten essentially shelving such an idea until German desperation for armaments in 1944 forced the Wehrmacht to address severe chronic shortage of submachineguns. Initial manufacture of the Gerät Potsdam were identical German copies of the Sten submachinegun and 10,000 units were manufactured by Mauser in November and December 1944. Meanwhile, the German High Command, in hopes of rapidly arming the remaining German military forces and Volkssturm with much needed submachineguns, instructed Mauser to simplify the Sten design even further. Mauser's Ludwig Vorgrimmler was put to task and successfully designed a simpler gun with a fixed barrel, eliminated the barrel nut and barrel shroud, moved the magazine well from the side to under the receiver and simplified trigger parts and several other components thereby resulting in an overall production time of just 1 man hour. Designated the Gerät Neumünster (Gerät Nummer 1-3-3008 Maschinen Pistole), manufacture was spread out over perhaps 30 subcontractors and 14 assembly points, ranging from well established firearms producers to much smaller firms with no firearms manufacturing experience at all. Not surprisingly, construction, methods of design and manufacture and quality were highly variable and crude looking but functional guns were often the result. Initial production targets were wildly optimistic at 100,000 units per month but due to the deteriorating late war situation in Germany, only an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 units in total were produced by war's end in 1945. Frontline use and service was reported by both German Army troops and the Volkssturm, however given limited production numbers, the Gerät Potsdam and Gerät Neumünster likely had minimal impact. Because of the relatively small number manufactured, both guns remain extremely rare today.

Editor/Shooter's notes: Despite being produced in the waning days of World War 2 Germany, this particular gun appears to be very well made (better than any British/Commonwealth Sten gun I've come across) and feels reasonably good in hand. Function was flawless and the gun also shoots better than any British/Commonwealth Sten I've encountered.

Specifications:
Designer: Ludwig Vorgrimmler
Manufacturers: Many - perhaps 30 (or more) including: Gustav Appel, Blohm & Voss, Carl Eickhorn, Erma, Frebel, Gerhardt & Schubert, Glos, C.G. Haenel. W.J. Hölzen, Gottfried Lindner AG, Mitteldeutsche-Schweiz-Industrie, J.P. Sauer & Sohn, Mauser, Walther Steiner Eisenkonstruktionen
Country of Origin: Nazi Germany
Weight/Mass: 3.2 kg
Overall length: 760 mm
Barrel length: 196 mm
Sights: Non-adjustable iron sites for 100 m
Action: Select-fire, simple blow-back open bolt
Cartridge: 9 x 19 mm Parabellum
Feed system: 32 round detachable box magazine
Rate of fire: 450 to 500 RPM
Muzzle velocity: 365 m/s
Effective range: 100 m
Maximum range: ~ 300 to 400 m
Produced in 1945
Number produced: Unknown - estimated ~ 3,000 to 5,000
Unit cost: Unknown
In service: 1945
Users: Nazi Germany