MP 3008
Mauser-Werke (and decentralized German workshops) · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1945
Also known as: Volks-Maschinenpistole, Volks-MP, Volksmaschinenpistole, Neumünster MP, Gerät Neumünster
Overview
The MP 3008, also called the Volks-Maschinenpistole or 'Volks-MP', was a desperate German last-ditch submachine gun produced in early 1945 to arm the Volkssturm militia. Mauser-Werke, having lost the Erma submachine-gun plant to the advancing Soviets, decided to copy the British Sten Mk II almost wholesale, retaining the simple stamped-steel construction but reorienting the magazine to feed vertically from below. Production was decentralized to small workshops, resulting in highly variable quality and finish.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 760 mm (29.92") |
| Barrel Length | 196 mm (7.72") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 365 m/s (1198 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 496 J (366 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
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 Safety Notch
- Features: Open Bolt, Vertical Magazine, Skeleton Steel Stock, Fixed Aperture Sight, Simplified Construction, Stamped Steel Receiver
Variants
- Gerät Potsdam — Experimental Predecessor
Service history
Operators
- Volkssturm · adopted 1945 · as Volks-Maschinenpistole
- Wehrmacht (last-ditch units) · adopted 1945
Conflicts
- World War II (1944-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 10,000 · Production years: 1945
Approximately 10,000 produced before Germany's surrender in May 1945; production was decentralized across many small workshops with no standardized variant. Surviving examples show wide variation in finish and quality.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Originally evolved from the experimental 'Gerät Potsdam', which was a near-perfect Sten copy intended for German commando use. The MP 3008 simplified the design further with the vertical magazine. Roughly 10,000 were produced before the war ended. Surviving examples vary widely because production was decentralized to small workshops with no standardized parts.
Background
When the Soviets overran the Erma plant in Erfurt in late 1944, Mauser was tasked with replacing the lost MP 40 production. Their answer was to copy the enemy: the MP 3008 is essentially a captured British Sten Mk II turned 90 degrees so the magazine points downward. It was the last submachine gun designed by the Third Reich.