39M Danuvia
Danuvia Fegyvergyar · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1939
Also known as: 39.M Kiraly, Danuvia 39M, 39M Kiraly-Danuvia
Overview
The 39M Danuvia is a Hungarian submachine gun designed by Pal Kiraly and manufactured by Danuvia, chambered for the powerful 9x25mm Mauser Export cartridge. Adopted in 1939, it uses Kiraly's two-stage lever-delayed blowback action with a two-part bolt and pivoting lever. The 39M is built like a rifle, with a full-length wooden stock and a long 500 mm barrel; its detachable 40-round magazine pivots forward to fold flush into the stock for carry. The folding-stock 43M was its compact derivative.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3700 g (130.5 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4150 g (146.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1048 mm (41.26") |
| Barrel Length | 500 mm (19.69") |
| Action Type | Lever Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 40 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 450 m/s (1476 fps) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 750 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x25mm Mauser · primary — also known as 9mm Mauser Export
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Fire Selector
- Features: Two Stage Lever Delay, Fixed Wood Stock, Forward Folding Magazine, Magazine Stows In Stock, Adjustable Rear Sight
Variants
- 43M Kiraly — Compact
Service history
Operators
- Royal Hungarian Army · adopted 1939 · as 39M
Conflicts
- World War II (1941-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 8,000 · Production years: 1939-1945
Roughly 8,000 produced for the Royal Hungarian Army
Origin
Country of origin: Hungary
Designer: Pal Kiraly
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Empty weight consensus is ~3.7 kg (one source conflates the 3.7 kg figure with the 4.15 kg loaded weight). Soviet capture testing measured a real muzzle velocity nearer 414 m/s versus the ~450 m/s nominal figure.
Background
Pal Kiraly had worked as an engineer at SIG in Switzerland in the 1920s-30s, which is why the 39M strongly resembles Swiss SMG designs. Hungarian troops found it reliable in the cold and mud of the Russian front; their main complaint was the scarcity of the unusual 9x25mm Mauser ammunition rather than the gun itself.