A submachine gun is a firearm that fire pistol ammunition in automatic mode like a machine gun. On the other hand, an assault rifles fires a more powerful round in either semi-automatic or fully-automatic modes. Submachine guns were developed by adding stocks and automatic firing capacity to pistols.Submachine guns were found to be useful in trench warfare during the First World War. Subsequently, these became famous with both police and criminals alike. The Thompson submachine gun introduced after the First World War is probably one of the most well known submachine guns. However, the first submachine gun was developed by the Italians. This was the Villar Perosa. It was designed to fire 9mm Glisenti rounds and was used mainly as an anti-aircraft weapon. Subsequently, the Beretta 1918 was developed which was also based on the former.During the years following the First World War, the submachine gun became increasingly popular with gangsters. Due to this, some military planners didn't like the submachine gun and were against its use by regular personnel. However, the submachine gun was very popular with law enforcement agencies. Gradually, the military adopted it and by the time of the Second World War, submachine guns became standard issue.By the end of the Second World War, USSR had the largest number of submachine guns in circulation. In some cases, whole battalions were equipped with submachine guns only. Even in the hands of inexperienced soldiers, submachine guns proved to be superior in the field because of their high firing rates. Subsequently, the submachine gun was replaced by the assault rifle as the main weapon of war.Submachine guns can be used more advantageous by fitting them with suppressors. Modern variants of submachine guns such as the British Sten gun and the MP5 come with an inbuilt suppressor. These weapons are favoured by Special Forces and counter-terrorism units.Submachine guns are effective in close-quarter combat in urban settings. In addition, they also double up as defence weapons with air force personnel, tank crew and naval units. Many law enforcement agencies also prefer submachine guns. However, the recent years have seen a decline in the use of the submachine gun due to availability of better weapons. In addition, submachine guns are also not so effective against body armour which many criminals use.Over the decades, the use of submachine guns by the military has also seen a decline. Submachine guns were deployed on a large scale during the Korean War and ever since, their use has seen a decline. In the recent years, the submachine gun is being replaced with the Personal Defence Weapon (PDW). This weapon is almost similar to a submachine gun but fires armour-piercing rounds. However, it may be some years before the submachine gun is completely replaced. As of today, the submachine gun continues to be used by many agencies across the globe.

The BXP is a South African submachine gun designed in the 1980s. The design of the weapon represents a fusion of the machine pistol with the conventional submachine gun.During the Apartheid era, South Africa was subjected to an International arms embargo. This led South Africa to produce weapons indigenously. The BXP was a result of one such indigenous design.The BXP draws heavily from the American MAC10 submachine gun. It was designed for use by security forces. Configured like the IMI Uzi with a 208 mm contained in a 387 mm body, the BXP is well balanced for firing with a single hand. It is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 22 or 32-round detachable box magazine. It can fire at rates of 1000 rounds per minute and is accurate up to 50 to 100 meters.Design wise, the BXP is well constructed from stainless steel parts. It has several innovative features which make it one of the best submachine guns. It can accept a compensator to reduce recoil during firing. In addition, it can also be used with a suppressor and can also be used to launch rifle grenades. Though this feature is bit redundant, it represents the flexibility and versatility the BXP has.

The Jatimatic is a submachine gun developed in Finland during the 1970s and 80s. It was designed by Jali Timari and manufactured in limited numbers. The weapon was designed for use primarily by police and law enforcement agencies. However, the Jatimatic was never officially adopted by the Finnish military forces and its subsequent reintroduction in 1995 proved to be a failure.The Jatimatic was a light automatic weapon designed with the security use in mind. It was manufactured from pressed steel parts and this made the construction relatively inexpensive. The gun weighed only 2 Kg even when loaded with the magazine. In addition, it also lacked the stock which made its deployment very fast.

One notable feature of the Jatimatic is its barrel which projects slightly to the top. This design makes it easier to control the weapon during fire. The gun is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and can fire 650 rounds per minute.  It is fed using a 20 or 40-round magazine.Another feature of the Jatimatic is its selective fire capability. This allows the gun to be fired in single shot mode by pressing the trigger slowly and in automatic mode by pulling the trigger with force. Despite the good design of the weapon, the Jatimatic never achieved success. Only about 400 units of the weapon were manufactured from 1983-86. Subsequent attempts to market the Jatimatic in 1995 ended in failure.

The Spectre is a submachine gun designed by Roberto Teppa and Claudio Gritti in the 1980s in Italy. It was manufactured by SITES in Turin and production continued till the year 1997. In addition, it was also manufactured by Greco Sport S.A., a firearms company in Switzerland. The Spectre is an excellent security weapon. Despite being designed over twenty years ago, the Spectre has a futuristic design even by today’s standards. The weapon is very compact and lightweight. It measures just 580 mm and because of its foregrip and stockless design, it can be rapidly deployed for close-quarter combat.

The Spectre is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 30 or 50-round magazine. Because the magazine uses quad-packing, the dimensions are very small and thus the Spectre is capable of offering impressive amount of firepower. The Spectre is capable of firing 850 rounds per minute and at this rate the entire magazine gets emptied in just less than three seconds.   The Spectre has found service with several security agencies and may continue to be in service for a long time to come. Its popularity is not without reason—it is a double action gun which means it can be put to action just by pulling the trigger. This feature will be very helpful in close-quarter combat. In addition, the Spectre doesn’t accidentally discharge even when hit on something solid.

The AKSU is a cut down version of the AK-47 developed to be used as a submachine gun in close-quarter combat. The AKSU retains the AK-47’s internal functioning and assault rifle chambering. The AKSU draws a thin line between traditional assault rifles and submachine guns.The AKSU is essentially a shortened version of the AK-47. It has a foldable metal stock and is built with the same receiver and chambering as the AK-47. It was designed to be used by vehicle crews and airborne forces.

Overall the AKSU measures only 420 mm which is typical for submachine guns. These short dimensions were achieved by shortening the barrel. The shortened barrel has its own disadvantages. Firstly, it reduces the weapon’s range. Secondly, it also reduces the accuracy and causes the bullets to get sprayed in a random manner. However, these are not prominent in close-quarter combat and so the AKS is very reliable.

The AKSU uses the same 5.56mm round as its parent rifle and feeds from the 30-round magazine. It is accurate up to 200 meters and can also double up as a rifle. In close-quarter combat, the AKSU serves its purpose as an SMG with its small form factor and also packs the additional punch of its rifle cartridge.

The F1 SMG is an Australian submachine gun designed in 1962. It was manufactured by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory. It was adopted by the Australian Military as a replacement to the Owen submachine gun and continued in service till 1990s when it was replaced with the Steyr AUG carbine. The F1 SMG had a simple and robust design and was deployed during the Vietnam War.The F1 SMG was chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and fed from a top-loaded 34-round magazine. It was capable of firing 600 to 650 rounds per minute. It was effective up to a range of 150 meters.The F1’s design was based on the earlier Owen submachine gun which was designed during the Second World War. Design wise, it has many similarities with the British Sterling submachine gun. However, it came with a wooden stock and fed from the top. Despite its strange appearance, the F1 is a well balanced weapon and effective weapon in the field.Though the F1’s design was very good, there were problems with its feed system. Due to its double stack magazine, the bullets would spin as they entered the chamber causing the chamber to jam and leading to malfunctioning of the weapon. Despite this the F1 was very reliable in the field.

The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a German submachine gun developed by Tilo Moller, Manfred Guring, Georg Seidl and Helmuit Baureuter during the 1960s. It is manufactured by Heckler & Koch and is service as of date with armed forces and law enforcement agencies in over 40 different countries.

The H & K MP5 represents the zenith of submachine gun design. It shares most of its functional characteristics with other assault rifles manufactured by H & K. It is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 15 or 30-round curved magazine. It is accurate up to 150 meters.The MP5A3 is a variant of the MP5 and has a foldable metal stock. The MP5’s design is quite modern looking even though the weapon was designed in 1965. Subsequently, other variants of the MP5 have also been designed incorporating several changes. Modern MP5s can fire about 800 rounds per minute and fire in bursts or fully automatic mode.

The Heckler & Koch MP5 is very popular with Special Forces and counter-terrorist squads because of its effectiveness in close ranges. The MP5 was famously deployed during the Iranian Embassy Siege in London in 1980.

When compared to other weapons of its class, the H & K MP5 is very expensive and because of this reason, it has not entered mainstream service with armed forces. However, it remains the favourite weapon of choice for Special Forces and counter-terrorism units.

The Walther MPL is submachine developed in West Germany by Carl Walther GmbH. It was produced from 1963 to 1987 and saw service during the Vietnam War. In addition, it also saw service with the West German police forces, the Mexican Navy and the Portuguese Naval forces.

The Walther MPL uses the 9x19mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 32 or 20-round detachable box magazine. Some versions of the Walther MP were also chambered for the .380 ACP round. The MPL is accurate up to a range of 200 meters.The Walther MPL has a close variant designated as the MPK. The only difference between both these versions lies in the length of the barrel. The MPL has a longer barrel when compared with the MPK.

The MAT-49 is a French submachine gun designed in 1949. It was developed at the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Tulle for use the French Military forces. As of today, the MAT-49 is longer in use by the French Army. However, armed forces in some countries still continue to use it.The MAT-49 was manufacturing using a machine stamping process which made the production comparatively less expensive. The submachine gun resembles and draws from the Thompson SMG.

The MAT-49 is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 20 or 32-round magazine. It is capable of firing 400 rounds per minute and is accurate up to a range of 100 meters.The French Military used the MAT-49 extensively in their colonial wars in Indo-China and during the Algerian War. The MAT-49 also saw service during the Suez Crisis.

After the French evacuated Indo-China, the Viet Minh converted a large number of the captured MAT-49s to use the Soviet 7.62mm Tokarev ammunition. The versions of the MAT-49 can be easily identified by the longer barrel and curved magazine.The MAT-49 saw service until the year 1979. Subsequently, it was replaced with the FAMAS 5.56 mm assault rifle. In addition to France, the MAT-49 also saw service with Cambodia, Laos, Mali, Niger and Vietnam.

The Madsen M50 is a submachine gun designed and manufactured by Dansk Industri Syndicat in Denmark. The company is commonly known as “Madsen” after its founder, thus the designation for the M50. The M50 was adopted in the year 1950.The Madsen M50 was based on an earlier submachine gun called M/46 and featured a simplified retracting handle. The submachine gun also drew heavily from other designs of that time such as the PPS, Sten and M3.The M50 was manufactured from stamped steel parts. The weapon consisted of two stamped steel sections having the pistol grip and the magazine housing. The two sections fit in place by means of a rear hinge and were closed shut by a locking nut at the barrel. The M50 was designed to fire the 9mm Parabellum round and fed from a 32-round magazine. The magazine was inserted through the pistol grip. The submachine gun was accurate up to 150 meters and could fire at a rate of 550 rounds per minute.Designed with ease of production in mind, the Madsen M50 probably represents the ultimate development of the World War II era submachine gun. Many countries have adopted the weapon. These include El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Indonesia and Brazil.

The Sterling L2A1 is a British submachine gun that was designed during the Second World War. Though the submachine gun was wartime expedient, its design was excellent and thus the weapon saw service for many decades to come. Though removed from service by the British Military forces, the Sterling L2A1 continues to be manufactured by the Indian Ordnance Factory for use by the Indian Army.

The Sterling L2A1 looks very much similar to the Sten gun in external appearance. However, the main difference lies in the way of manufacturing. While the Sten gun used pressed steel parts, the Sterling L2A1 used machine steel parts. It is reliable in a diverse range of field conditions. The L2A1 is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum round and uses a 34-round curved magazine that is fed from the side. It is accurate up to 150 meters. When compared with the IMI Uzi, the L2A1 has comparatively lower range. This can be attributed to its shorter barrel though both the weapons have a similar total length.

The Sterling L2A1 has become outdated with the introduction of better designs. However, it still remains an excellent weapon. Though it has been replaced from service by the SA80 assault rifle in Britain, it is still in use by the armed forces in India. In fact, a copy of the L2A1 is still being produced in India. Other versions of the L2A1 such as the silenced L34A1 are also in use with Special Forces.

The Steyr MPi 69 is a submachine gun designed and manufactured by the Austrian arms company, Steyr. The MPi69 has some rather unusual features, though the later designs are more conventional. The Steyr MPi 69 has similar design characteristics like most other submachine guns designed around the telescoping bolt. The magazine feeds through the vertical handgrip. In addition to the handgrip, there is also a horizontal foregrip. It also has a foldable stock which provides stability during firing. The foregrip and the vertical grip are constructed out a single moulded polymer block and the metal receiver partly nests in the block. The MPi69 is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum round and feeds from a 25 or 32-round detachable box magazine. It is capable of firing 550 rounds per minute.The MPi 69 was in the subsequent years discontinued and replaced by the TMP select-fire machine pistol. The design details of the MPi69 were acquired by another firearms company, B & T.

The Ingram MAC10 is machine pistol designed in the United States by Gordon B. Ingram. It has been in service since the 1970s. Its popularity and effectiveness can be attributed to its low cost design and use of few moving parts in its construction. The MAC10 saw action in the Vietnam War.The Ingram MAC10 is chambered for the 9mm Parabellum. However versions chambered for .45 ACP and .380 ACP ammunition are also available. The MAC10 feeds from a 20 or 32-round box magazine that is inserted through the pistol grip. The gun is accurate up to 70 meters and is capable of delivering 1000 rounds per minute.

Due to the compact nature of the weapon, it is easily concealable. For this reason, the MAC10 has found popularity with criminals worldwide. In the initial years, the MAC10 was also adopted by law enforcement agencies. However subsequently, the Heckler & Koch MP5 was found to be more effective and thus the MAC10 had to be replaced.A few variants of the MAC10 have also been designed. For instance, there is a version chambered for the .380 ACP ammunition and with a suppressor. This version is designated as “MAC11”.As of today, the MAC is still under production. Currently it is being manufactured under the designation Cobray M11. Several other countries have also adopted the MAC10. These include Brazil, Cuba, Philipines and the United Kingdom.

The Samopal VZ61 Skorpion is a submachine gun designed in Czechoslovakia in 1959. It was primarily developed for use by security forces. However, it was also adopted by the Czechoslovak Army and continues to be in service. In addition, it is also used by armed forces of Angola, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and a few other countries. The VZ61 is chambered for the 7.65x17mm Browning ammunition. Versions capable of firing 9x19mm Parabellum, 9x18mm Makarov and .380 ACP ammunition have also been developed. The submachine gun feeds from a 10 or 20-round curved magazine and is capable of firing 850 rounds per minute.The Samopal Skorpion could be carried just like a traditional pistol in a holster. The spare magazines are carried in a separate pouch. As a standard issue, a cleaning kit, a front sight adjustment tool and an oil bottle come with the gun. The gun can also be fitted with a sound suppressor.The VZ61 was the basis of several variants. These include the VZ64 (variant chambered for the 9x18mm Makarov round), VZ65 (designed for the .380 ACP round), and VZ68 (chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum round). However, none of these variants were manufactured on a large scale. A semi-automatic variant of the VZ61—designated as the ‘CZ-91S’—was also developed for civilian use. In the later years, production rights for the Samopal Skorpion were acquired by the Yugoslavian Zastava Arms Company. The version manufactured by Zastava Arms was designated as M84 and featured design changes such as a synthetic pistol grip.

The IMI Uzi is a famous post-war submachine gun designed by Major Uziel Gal and manufactured by Israel Military Industries and FN Herstal. The Uzi was one of the first designs to incorporate the telescoping bolt which allowed the magazine to be loaded through the grip thus making the weapon very small in size.

The IMI Uzi was designed in 1948 after the Arab-Israeli conflict and submitted for testing to the Israeli Army. The Israeli army found it to be a good weapon and thus adopted it in the year 1951. The designer of the weapon—Uziel Gal didn’t like the weapon to be designated after him. However, his requests in this regard were neglected. The Uzi is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum ammunition and feeds from a 10, 16, 40 or 50-round box magazine. It is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute and is accurate up to 200 meters.

The Uzi is made of stamped steel parts which makes the manufacturing process relatively uncomplicated and inexpensive. In addition, the Uzi has very few moving parts and this makes its maintenance very easy. The receiver also has special slots to accept dirt accumulation. However, it still needs to be regularly cleaned or will jam and malfunction with heavy accumulations of dirt.

The Uzi has seen action in many conflicts. Most notable of these include the Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War, South African Border War and many anti-guerrilla operations in the Philippines. In addition, it is also popular with gangsters. In popular culture, the Uzi enjoys a significant role and is commonly depicted in movies.

The Samopal CZ25 is one of the first butt-fed machine pistols. Earlier it was known as M48A, but was later designated as the CZ25. The other versions in the series include the CZ23, 24 and 25 which differ slightly from the CZ25.

The CZ25 has an innovative wraparound bolt design. In this a tubular bolt encloses the end of the barrel when the gun is ready to fire. This allows the weapon to be very small in size. The size is further reduced by feeding the magazine through the pistol grip.The CZ25 was chambered for the 9mm Parabellum round. Versions for 7.62x25mm ammunition have also been designed. The Samopal CZ25 was in service for more than a decade and turns up occasionally in unofficial hands.

The Samopal CZ25 is just 450mm in length and comes with a foldable stock. Other versions in the series i.e. CZ23 and CZ24 have a fixed wooden stock. The CZ25 is relatively unknown in most countries. However, its role in influencing other gun designs in unquestionable. It was used as the basis for creating a good number of effective submachine guns.

The Type 100 is a Japanese submachine gun used extensively during the Second World War. It was the only submachine that Imperial Japan produced in any quantity. The Type 100 was designed and manufactured by the Nambu Arms Manufacturing Company and approximately 30,000 units of the gun were manufactured in between 1942 and 45. Japan was very late in adopting the submachine gun.

The Type 100 didn’t have any remarkable or innovative design. However, it was very robust. On the minus side, it was underpowered as it was chambered for the 8x22mm Nambu round. The stopping power of this round is roughly equivalent to the .380 ACP. Atypical for a submachine gun, the Type 100 had a fixture for mounting a bayonet.Despite the remarkable design, the Type 100 did have a chrome lined barrel to resist corrosion and a muzzle brake to control the recoil. There was also a version with a foldable stock for use by paratroopers.

The Type 100 fed from a curved magazine capable of holding 30 rounds. The magazine fed from the side. The submachine gun was accurate up to 70 meters. Though its range was very low, it proved itself to be effective in close-quarter combat and jungle warfare.

The PPSh-41 was a submachine gun of Soviet design that was mass-manufactured during the Second World War. In fact, it was one the most mass produced submachine guns of the Second World War with more than 6 million units produced during the war.

The PPSh-41 was designed by Georgi Shpagin as an alternative to the earlier PPD-40 which was expensive to manufacture. The weapon was constructed from stamped-steel parts and was designed from the offset for inexpensive and speed of manufacture. A large number of weapons were needed to arm the Red Army during the Nazi invasion and the PPSh-41 proved to be adequate in its intended purpose.

Though the PPSh-41 was a wartime expedient, it did have some good features like the chrome lined barrel to reduce wear and tear. However, the weapon had few other polished features. When the shortage was very acute, two PPSh-41 barrels could be made by cutting a Mosin-Nagant rifle into two. The PPSh-41 was chambered for the 7.62x25mm Tokarev round and was accurate up to 200 meters or so. It fed from a 35-round box magazine. A 71-round drum magazine could also be used. The submachine gun worked effectively even in the harshest of the conditions in the field—a legacy that most weapons of Soviet design retain.

Large numbers of the PPSh-41 were used by Russian partisans in Eastern Europe. After the Second World War, the submachine also saw action in the hands of North Koreans in the Korean War and in Vietnam.

The M3A1 was a submachine gun designed in the United States by George Hyde in 1942. The submachine gun was designed as a cheaper alternative to other weapons in service such as the Thompson. The M3A1 was popularly known as the “grease gun” because of its appearance.

The M3A1 was constructed from pressed steel parts and poses very few engineering problems to its manufacturer—General Motors. Approximately 680,000 units of the grease gun were manufactured from 1943 to 45. The weapon continues to be in service as of today.The M3A1 was chambered for .45 ACP ammunition. However subsequently, a version chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum was also developed. The submachine gun fed from a 30-round detachable box magazine and had a rate of fire of 350-450 rounds per minute. The rate of fire of the M2A1 was very low for a submachine gun.

Overall, the quality of the M3A1 was not very excellent. However, large numbers of the weapon were manufactured and thus it served its purpose of providing fire power to a large number of troops in the field.

The Beretta Model 1938/42 was an Italian submachine gun that was widely used by the Italian Army during the Second World War. It was a carbine style submachine gun with wooden furniture and was manufactured on a large scale during the war.The Model 1938/42 was based on the earlier 1938/A submachine gun which was designed by Tullio Marengoni in 1935. The 1938/A was itself based on the Beretta Modello 18 and the Vilar Perosa of the First World War.

The Model 38/42 was fed by a 34-round magazine that fed from below. It was chambered for Cartuccia Modello 38 or 9x19mm Parabellum ammunition and was capable of firing 600 rounds per minute. The SMG had a muzzle velocity of 429 meters per second.During the war the Model 1938/42 was mass manufactured in large numbers. Its popularity was mainly because of its excellent performance. During the war, some modified versions were also introduced. One such modified version was designed with a dust shroud around the bolt for use in the dusty conditions of North Africa.The Beretta Model 38/42 is an example of good submachine gun design. It struck a balance between quality and quantity and thus was a formidable weapon in the field.