EMP 44
Erma Werke (Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B. Geipel GmbH) · Submachine Gun · Prototype · 1943
Also known as: Erma EMP 44
Overview
The EMP 44 was a prototype German submachine gun developed by Erma Werke in 1942 and built in February 1943. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and firing from an open bolt via a simple straight-blowback action, it was designed for cheap mass production, with a crude receiver and a shoulder stock fabricated from welded steel tubing in the manner of the British Sten. It fed from a twin 32-round detachable box magazine arrangement and cycled at roughly 500 rounds per minute. German ordnance testing rejected the weapon, partly for its rough appearance but chiefly because the new MP 43/StG 44 assault rifle programme had made a further submachine gun unnecessary.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 892 mm (35.12") |
| Barrel Length | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Welded Steel Pipe Stock, Dual Magazine Housing, Crude Wartime Construction
Production
Production years: 1943
Prototype only; rejected by German military acceptance testing and never mass-produced
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
Never entered production; only prototype examples were built. Barrel length is variously reported as 250 mm or 308 mm, and overall length between 892 and 950 mm depending on the example and stock configuration.
Background
The EMP 44's stock was little more than a frame of steel pipes welded together, a deliberately austere design meant to rival the throwaway simplicity of the British Sten gun — but Wehrmacht evaluators disliked its makeshift look, and the arrival of the StG 44 killed any need for it.