FBP m/948
Fábrica de Braço de Prata · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1948
Also known as: Pistola-Metralhadora FBP m/948, FBP M/1948
Overview
The FBP m/948 is a Portuguese 9x19mm submachine gun developed from a 1940 design by artillery officer Gonçalves Cardoso and put into production in 1948 by the state arsenal Fábrica de Braço de Prata in Lisbon. A simple blowback, open-bolt, full-automatic-only weapon, it combined the telescoping bolt and operating spring of the German MP40 with the stamped receiver layout and collapsible wire stock of the American M3 'Grease Gun'. Unusually for a submachine gun, it could mount the standard Portuguese Mauser bayonet, and it served as the primary Portuguese submachine gun through the early Colonial Wars in Angola and Mozambique.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3750 g (132.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 813 mm (32.01") |
| Folded Length | 635 mm (25.00") |
| Barrel Length | 249 mm (9.80") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 390 m/s (1280 fps) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 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
- Safety mechanisms: Bolt Locking Notch
- Features: Telescoping Bolt, Collapsible Wire Stock, Stamped Steel Receiver, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- FBP m/963 — Select Fire
Service history
Operators
- Portuguese Armed Forces · adopted 1948 · as m/948
- Mozambique
- Angola
Conflicts
- Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974)
Production
Production years: 1948-1980
Produced by Fábrica de Braço de Prata; the FBP family remained in Portuguese service until replaced by the H&K MP5.
Origin
Country of origin: Portugal
Designer: Gonçalves Cardoso
Discontinued: 1980
Notes
Full-automatic fire only; the later m/963 variant added a selector for semi-automatic fire. Magazines were available in 21- and 32-round capacities.
Background
The design was first conceived in 1940 by Major Gonçalves Cardoso of the Portuguese Army artillery, but its development was interrupted by the Second World War before it was finally completed and adopted in 1948.