Mors wz.39
Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów (State Rifle Factory, Warsaw) · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1939
Also known as: pm wz.39 Mors, Pistolet maszynowy wz.1939 Mors
Overview
The Mors wz.39 was Poland's first indigenous submachine gun, an open-bolt blowback design in 9x19mm Parabellum developed by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypiński in the late 1930s. It was sophisticated for its time, featuring a pneumatic rate-of-fire reducer, a quick-change barrel, and an unusual dual-trigger system that selected between semi- and full-automatic fire. It was adopted in 1939 and ordered into production at the State Rifle Factory in Warsaw.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 970 mm (38.19") |
| Barrel Length | 300 mm (11.81") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 570 J (420 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 550 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
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: Bolt Locking Safety Notch
- Features: Dual Trigger Select Fire, Pneumatic Rate Reducer, Quick Change Barrel, Perforated Cooling Jacket, Integrated Telescoping Monopod Grip, Tangent Rear Sight, Wooden Stock
Service history
Operators
- Polish Army · adopted 1939 · as pistolet maszynowy wz.39 Mors
Conflicts
- Invasion of Poland (1939)
- World War II (1939)
Production
Estimated total produced: 39 · Production years: 1938-1939
About 39 total (3 prototypes plus a 36-unit trial batch). Almost all were lost or deliberately destroyed by Polish soldiers in September 1939 to avoid capture; only 3 are known to survive.
Origin
Country of origin: Poland
Designer: Piotr Wilniewczyc
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Select-fire via two triggers (rear = semi, front = full-auto) rather than a selector switch. Sources vary: barrel length 270-300 mm (300 most cited; the lower ~190-200 mm sometimes claimed is not supported), weight 3.95-4.5 kg, magazine 24-25 rounds, rate of fire 450-550 rpm.
Background
'Mors' means 'death' in Latin, a fitting name for a weapon that barely saw the light of day. Fewer than 40 were ever built before Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, and nearly all were destroyed or lost, with only three known survivors rediscovered in a Moscow museum, making the wz.39 one of the rarest production submachine guns in the world.