Steyr-Solothurn MP 34
Steyr-Solothurn Waffen AG · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1930
Also known as: Steyr-Solothurn S1-100, MP 34(o), MP 30, Solothurn S1-100, m/942
Overview
The Steyr-Solothurn MP 34 was a high-quality select-fire submachine gun designed at Rheinmetall by Louis Stange and produced by Waffenfabrik Steyr in Austria, sold internationally as the Steyr-Solothurn S1-100. Chambered most famously in the powerful 9x25mm Mauser Export cartridge, it featured a side-mounted magazine, a wooden full stock with an integrated magazine loader, and a perforated barrel jacket. Often called the 'Rolls-Royce of submachine guns' due to its precision machining and high build quality.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4400 g (155.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 808 mm (31.81") |
| Barrel Length | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 420 m/s (1378 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 754 J (556 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x25mm Mauser Export · primary — also known as 9mm Mauser Export, 9x25mm Mauser
- 9x19mm Parabellum · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO
- 9x23mm Steyr — also known as 9mm Steyr
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Safety Notch
- Features: Open Bolt, Left Side Mounted Magazine, Wooden Full Stock, Magazine Loader In Stock, Tangent Rear Sight, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- MP 34(o) Austrian — Military Designation
- Steyr-Solothurn S1-100 — Export Designation
Service history
Operators
- Austrian Federal Army · adopted 1934 · as MP 34
- Wehrmacht · adopted 1938 · as MP 34(o)
- Portuguese Army · adopted 1942 · as m/942
- Bolivian Army
- Imperial Japanese Navy
Conflicts
- Chaco War (1932-1935)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 50,000 · Production years: 1930-1945
Produced by Waffenfabrik Steyr in Austria; also assembled at Solothurn in Switzerland. Exact totals are uncertain; Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht held large stocks after the Anschluss.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Louis Stange
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Designed at Rheinmetall in Germany but produced by Steyr in Austria as a workaround to the Treaty of Versailles, which forbade German manufacture of automatic weapons. Issued in multiple chamberings to suit different export markets. Adopted by the Wehrmacht as MP 34(o) - the 'o' for 'oesterreichisch' (Austrian) - after the 1938 Anschluss.
Background
Designed in Germany but built in Austria to circumvent the Treaty of Versailles, the MP 34 was so finely machined that collectors call it the 'Rolls-Royce of submachine guns.' Its wooden stock contained a clever magazine-loader device that let soldiers refill 32-round magazines from stripper clips without removing them from the weapon.