MP-28: Hugo Schmeisser Improves the MP18

The Schmeisser MP41 is a unique hybrid submachine gun, merging the MP40's upper receiver with the MP28's lower receiver and wooden stock. Unlike the full-auto-only MP40, the MP41 features a semi-automatic capability due to a specific disconnector track on its bolt. This design allows for more controlled fire, differentiating it from its predecessors.

The Schmeisser MP-28,II is Hugo Schmeisser's refined version of the MP-18, featuring a more efficient milled receiver and a crucial selector lever for semi-auto and full-auto fire. Its box magazine design influenced later iconic submachine guns like the MP-38/40 and Sten. Despite a front-heavy characteristic typical of early SMGs, the MP-28,II offers smooth handling and control during automatic fire, with a lower rate of fire than its predecessor.

The Schmeisser MP41 is a unique hybrid submachine gun, merging the MP40's upper receiver with the MP28's lower receiver and wooden stock. Designed by Hugo Schmeisser, it offered selective fire, unlike the MP40, and was primarily exported to Romania. Despite its hybrid nature, it shared many components with the MP40 and was produced in limited numbers.

The Erma EMP36 is a rare precursor to the MP38/MP40, showcasing early design elements like an underfolding stock and muzzle hook. Its complex bolt assembly and telescopic mainspring highlight its prototype nature, with many features later simplified for mass production. Only two examples are known to exist, making it a critical piece of firearms history.

This video delves into the Schmeisser MK-36,II, a prototype submachine gun that predated the MP38. It highlights the design's open-bolt blowback operation, unique magazine safety, and Hugo Schmeisser's inter-war design evolution. The review also contrasts a German trial variant with a Hungarian trial version, noting differences in caliber and charging handle.

This episode of American Rifleman Television's "I Have This Old Gun" features a deep dive into two classic German submachine guns: the MP18 and the MP28. The video likely explores their historical significance, design features, and potentially their performance, offering a detailed look at these iconic firearms from the early 20th century.

This video details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.