During World War Two, Madsen (DISA) manufactured a licensed copy of the Finnish Suomi (see: https://youtu.be/hjs1uiAIpNQ). When the war ended, they wanted to replace this with a more modern, inexpensive design of their own. The result was the Model 1946 Madsen, a creative clamshell design of stamped parts. It is a very simple blowback, open-bolt 9x19mm SMG that perfectly fit the post-war era. The M46 version was sold to a few countries, and after some continued development and refinement the M50 version was demonstrated to a public audience in November 1950. This pattern was even simpler than before, and proved a popular gun for many unaligned countries in Central and South America and Southeast Asia – so much so that it remained in production until the 1980s. A bunch were imported into the US in the 1950s and 1960s, and they found a home in the movie industry, where they were often used in fantasy/sci-fi films to avoid having guns that would be recognized by American movie audiences.
Semiauto Rifles
Snipers Before Infantry: the Danish m/66 Sniper
The Danes adopted the M1 Garand after World War Two, and continued using it as their standard service rifle all the way until 1975 – and alongside it they used the M1D as a sniper […]
Submachine Guns
Danish M1941 Suomi SMG
When the Tikkakoski company bought the rights to produce the kp/31 “Suomi” submachine gun in the 1930s, they attempted to make a bunch of export sales, although none were very successful. By the late 30s […]
Semiauto Rifles
Madsen M1896 Flaadens Rekylgevær: The First Military Semiauto
After losing out in the 1888 trials, Madsen and Rasmussen continued to refine their rifle. They reduced the overall length and weight, and replaced the feeding clip with a more modern enclosed magazine (although it […]
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