Submachine Guns - Forgotten Weapons

ZB47: A Truly Weird Czech SMG

December 23, 2024 Ian McCollum 35

The ZB47 was developed at Brno as a contender for Czech military submachine gun adoption in the late 1940s. The Czech Army had technically adopted a submachine gun prior to World War Two (the vz.38; […]

Sten MkII vs Ingram M10/9 (w/ John Keene)

December 11, 2024 Ian McCollum 20

If you had to pick one, would you take a Sten MkII or an Ingram M10/9? This applies specifically to the guns in their original factory configurations; no Lage products allowed! It’s hard to come […]

Berettas With Bayonets: The Very Early Model 38A SMG

November 29, 2024 Ian McCollum 1

The initial model of the Beretta 38A had a number of features that were dropped rather quickly once wartime production became a priority. Specifically, they included a lockout safety switch for just the rear full-auto […]

Beretta M38A vs Suomi kp/31 (w/ John Keene)

November 4, 2024 Ian McCollum 64

If you had to pick one, would you take an early Beretta 38A (with bayonet), or a Finnish kp/31 Suomi? Both have semiauto selectors, although the Beretta’s its easier to use. The Suomi has a […]

B&T APC-9: The Swiss Answer to the MP5

October 28, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

B&T owner Karl Brügger is a big fan of 9mm PCCs and SMGs, and decided that his company ought to offer an alternative to the MP5 and this was the Advanced Police Carbine (APC). In […]

MP9 and TP9: A Complete History From Steyr to B&T

October 21, 2024 Ian McCollum 9

Steyr introduced their TMP (Tactical Machine Pistol) and its semiauto SPP counterpart in 1989, but it was never a very popular item. After the company was purchased, the new ownership decided to scrap the TMP […]

Estonia’s Domestic Arms Production: Arsenal Tallinn SMG

October 11, 2024 Ian McCollum 10

At the end of Estonia’s war of independence in 1920, the new nation’s government began working on military infrastructure. One thing it would need was a repair depot to maintain military equipment, everything from barracks […]

Mini-Ero: The Croatian Hybrid Small Uzi

October 5, 2024 Ian McCollum 16

After producing the Ero, a nearly exact copy of the Israeli Uzi, the Croatia firm Arma started making some design changes. With the Mini-Ero, they picked a size in between that of the Mini-Uzi and […]

PAM-2: Argentina’s Improved 9mm Grease Gun

June 24, 2024 Ian McCollum 8

The Argentine factory FMAP-DGFM was first set up to produce a copy of the Colt 1911, and in 1954 they began production of the PAM-1 (after demonstration of the first prototype in 1950). The PAM-1 […]

Sten Mk5: The Cadillac of the Sten Family

June 17, 2024 Ian McCollum 24

The Sten Mk5 (sometimes written Sten MkV) was really the Cadillac of the Sten series. It was designed in 1943, and featured a full wooden buttstock patterned after the No4 Enfield rifle, as well as […]