Furrer MP 41/44
Waffenfabrik Bern (W+F Bern) · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1941
Also known as: Lmg-Pist 41/44, Leichte Maschinen-Pistole 41/44, MP 41 W+F, Furrer Maschinenpistole
Overview
The Furrer MP 41/44 (officially Leichte Maschinen-Pistole 41/44, or Lmg-Pist 41/44) is a Swiss submachine gun designed by Colonel Adolf Furrer and produced at Waffenfabrik Bern. It was the first submachine gun ever issued to the Swiss Army. Like Furrer's other designs, it employs a complicated short-recoil toggle-lock action borrowed from the Luger pistol - exotic for an SMG, where simple blowback is the norm - and feeds from a horizontal 40-round box magazine inserted from the right side.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5200 g (183.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 760 mm (29.92") |
| Barrel Length | 270 mm (10.63") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 40 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 538 J (397 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 900 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Toggle Lock Action, Side Mounted Magazine, Wooden Stock, Folding Vertical Foregrip, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- Lmg-Pist 41 — Early
- Lmg-Pist 41/44 — Improved
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Armed Forces · adopted 1941 · as Lmg-Pist 41/44
Conflicts
- World War II (Swiss neutrality) (1941-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 9,800 · Production years: 1941-1946
Production ended early due to high cost; supplemented by the cheaper Hispano-Suiza MP 43/44
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Adolf Furrer
Discontinued: 1946
Notes
Approximately 9,800 units produced. Manufacturing complexity made it one of the most expensive SMGs of WWII; Switzerland had to reverse course and adopt the simpler MP 43/44 (a Suomi-derived design from Hispano-Suiza) to actually equip the army.
Background
The Furrer MP 41/44 is widely cited as the most over-engineered submachine gun in history - Adolf Furrer used a precision-machined toggle-lock action on a 9mm Parabellum SMG, where the Sten Gun used a stamped tube and a coiled spring to do the same job at one-fiftieth the price.