Hispano-Suiza MP 43/44
Hispano-Suiza SA (Geneva) · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1944
Also known as: MP 43/44, Maschinenpistole 43/44, Suomi MP 43/44
Overview
The Hispano-Suiza MP 43/44 was a Swiss submachine gun produced under license by Hispano-Suiza of Geneva. It is a near-direct copy of the Finnish Suomi KP/-31 designed by Aimo Lahti, which Switzerland first imported from Tikkakoski as the MP 43 and then manufactured domestically as the MP 43/44 after concluding that its home-grown Furrer MP41 was too complex and expensive. A blowback, open-bolt design firing from a heavy mass bolt, it retained the Suomi's mechanism essentially unchanged, feeding from box magazines up to 50 rounds as well as drum magazines, with Swiss-specific additions including a two-position rear sight, an aluminum buttplate and a bayonet lug for the K31 bayonet.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5080 g (179.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 860 mm (33.86") |
| Barrel Length | 315 mm (12.40") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 50 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 396 m/s (1299 fps) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 800 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| 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, Drum Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Selector Safety
- Features: Machined Steel Receiver, Full Length Wooden Stock, Drum Magazine Compatible, Bayonet Lug, Two Position Rear Sight
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Army · adopted 1944 · as MP 43/44
Production
Estimated total produced: 22,468 · Production years: 1944-1951
22,468 MP 43/44 built under license by Hispano-Suiza (serial range 100,001-124,470); an additional 5,200 MP 43 were imported from Finland's Tikkakoski Oy circa 1942-1945, for a Swiss total of roughly 27,668
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Aimo Lahti
Discontinued: 1951
Notes
Despite the shared SIG Neuhausen heritage of other Swiss submachine guns, the MP 43/44 is NOT derived from the SIG MKMS/MKMO and does not have that gun's forward-folding magazine housing. It is a licensed Suomi KP/-31 with a conventional fixed magazine well. Sources are consistent on production figures: 5,200 MP 43 imported from Finland and 22,468 MP 43/44 built under license by Hispano-Suiza (serials 100,001-124,470), production ending 1951.
Background
Switzerland adopted the Finnish Suomi as the MP 43 through what Forgotten Weapons calls the fastest set of trials in Swiss military history, then had Hispano-Suiza of Geneva, a firm better known for aircraft autocannon and luxury car engines, build the Finnish design domestically as the MP 43/44.