Original German WWII 1942 Dated MP 40 Display Gun by Steyr with Live Barrel & Magazine - Maschinenpistole 40

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent condition MP40 Maschinenpistole 40 display gun, built from original parts and constructed on a legal non-firing BATF approved aluminum dummy receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun. As the receiver is a complete inert fabricated aluminum piece, this display gun is totally legal to own without a license of any kind.

Offered with exceptional original dark brown bakelite stock and grips, this is the real thing that will only appreciate in value over time. The extending butt stock is present and fully functional. All complete, the simulated fixed aluminum bolt system gives the impression of an original unit, and is fitted with the original working safety bolt handle. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, and the bore still shows rifling, but it is definitely worn from service. Original markings have been maintained and make a keystone item for any serious WWII collection.

The rear receiver cup of this display gun is marked with the date and manufacture codes, which are clear:

MP40
bnz
42

This indicates 1942 manufacture by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Werk Steyr, the legendary Austrian arms company. The rear receiver cup base is marked with serial number 2981, but has lines struck through the numbers, which is fairly common during guns that saw service post war. Secondary serial number 9078 is stamped on the left side of the base cup. There are also other markings and Waffenamt proofs throughout the display gun, as well as mis-matched serial numbers where they are present, so this was probably made from a gun that saw long service, with parts from several guns used to repair it.

The left side of the frame next to the maker’s mark is serial number 9070. Both sides of the shoulder stock are marked with 627 next to Waffenamt Eagle / WaA623, associated with Steyr. The trigger guard is marked with serial number 1838 next to cos, for Merz-Werke Gebrüder Merz, Frankfurt am Main, Rheinland, along with a Waffenamt Eagle / WaAA44 stamp, correct for this maker.

Included is an original MP 40 magazine in very good to excellent condition, which is correctly marked MP. 38 u. 40 on the side, with maker code ayf 42 on the back for 1942 production by ERMA-Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B Geipel GmbH, Erfurt, the company that developed the MP38 and MP40. It’s also marked with Waffenamt Eagle / 280, usually associated with ERMA. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines.

A great chance to pick up a very great MP40 display gun with a live barrel, complete with an original magazine! We rarely see them this nice! Ready to display!

History of the MP40

The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36, a prototype made of machined steel. The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army. It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer's VPM 1930 and EMP. Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts.

It was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers, on the Eastern and Western Fronts. Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often erroneously called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, despite Hugo Schmeisser's non-involvement in the weapon's design and production. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.