Husqvarna Kulsprutepistol m/37
Husqvarna Vapenfabrik · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1937
Also known as: Kpist m/37, m/37, Swedish Suomi
Overview
The Husqvarna Kulsprutepistol m/37 is a Swedish blowback-operated, open-bolt submachine gun adopted in 1937 as Sweden's first standard submachine gun. It is a licensed version of the Finnish Suomi KP/-31 designed by Aimo Lahti, uniquely chambered for the domestic 9x20mm Browning Long service cartridge (9mm patron m/07) rather than the Finnish 9x19mm Parabellum. The m/37 fed from a rearward-tilted 'coffin' quad-column box magazine to prevent rimlock of the semi-rimmed cartridge, retained the Suomi's high cyclic rate of around 900 rounds per minute, and was superseded two years later by the 9mm Parabellum m/37-39.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4900 g (172.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 770 mm (30.31") |
| Barrel Length | 213 mm (8.39") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 56 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 300 m (328 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
- 9x20mm Browning Long · primary — also known as 9mm Browning Long, 9x20mmSR, 9x20mm SR Browning Long, 9mm patron m/07
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Wooden Stock, Quick Change Barrel, Coffin Box Magazine, Backward Tilted Magazine Well
Variants
- Husqvarna m/37-39 - Caliber Conversion
Service history
Operators
- Swedish Army · adopted 1937 · as Kulsprutepistol m/37
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1937-1939
Produced only briefly before the switch to the 9mm Parabellum m/37-39; exact m/37 numbers are small and not precisely documented. Total m/37-39 production by Husqvarna reached roughly 35,000 units.
Origin
Country of origin: Sweden
Designer: Aimo Lahti
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Initial m/37 guns were manufactured in Finland by Tikkakoski Oy before Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB took over domestic Swedish production. Sources differ on magazine capacity: the classic quad-column coffin magazine is usually cited at 56 rounds, though some accounts give 50. The m/37 was distinguished from the later m/37-39 by its backward-tilted magazine well and its 9x20mm Browning Long chambering; the m/37-39 reverted to 9x19mm Parabellum with a vertical magazine well. The Finnish 71-round drum was never adopted by Swedish forces.
Background
Because Sweden's standard sidearm cartridge was the underpowered 9mm Browning Long, its first Suomi-pattern submachine gun had to be rechambered for it and fed from an awkward rearward-tilted 'coffin' magazine to keep the semi-rimmed rounds from jamming. Within two years the army gave up and re-standardized on 9mm Parabellum, making the m/37 one of the shortest-lived service submachine guns of its era.