Reising M55
Harrington & Richardson · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1942
Also known as: Reising Model 55, M55 Reising, Reising Paratrooper
Overview
The Reising M55 is an American .45 ACP submachine gun, a compact paratrooper variant of the Reising M50 designed by Eugene Reising and manufactured by the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. Developed at the request of the United States Marine Corps for parachute infantry and armored-vehicle crews who needed a handier weapon, the M55 replaced the M50's full wooden stock with a short wooden fore-end, a separate pistol grip, and a side-folding steel wire buttstock, while deleting the Cutts compensator and cooling fins. Like the M50 it fired from a closed bolt using a delayed-blowback action, fed from 12- or 20-round detachable box magazines. The folding stock made the gun far more compact, but it was crudely made and prone to collapsing while firing, and the weapon inherited the M50's reputation for stoppages caused by tight tolerances and unreliable magazines, leading the Marines to withdraw it from front-line service by 1943.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2810 g (99.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 781 mm (30.75") |
| Folded Length | 556 mm (21.89") |
| Barrel Length | 263 mm (10.35") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 280 m/s (919 fps) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 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
- .45 ACP · primary — also known as .45 Auto, 11.43x23mm, .45 ACP, 11.43mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Closed Bolt System
- Features: Closed Bolt Operation, Delayed Blowback Action, Folding Wire Stock, Pistol Grip, Select Fire, Top Cocking Action, Compact Paratrooper Configuration
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Marine Corps · adopted 1942 · as M55 Reising
- United States Marine Corps Parachute Battalions · adopted 1942 · as M55 Reising
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-1943)
Production
Production years: 1942-1945
The M55 was produced alongside the M50 by Harrington & Richardson; separate M55 production totals are not recorded. Total Reising output across the M50, M55, M60, and M65 models is estimated at roughly 100,000.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Eugene Reising
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The M55's wire stock folds to the side, reducing overall length to roughly 556 mm folded versus 781 mm extended. Like the M50, the bolt is cocked by a finger lever in a slot under the fore-end rather than a reciprocating charging handle. The deletion of the compensator and the lighter, shorter configuration reduced the cyclic rate to about 500 rpm. The M55 was issued primarily to USMC parachute (Paramarine) battalions and tank crews. Production figures for the M55 specifically are not separately recorded; total Reising output across all models is estimated at roughly 100,000 units.
Background
Built for the Paramarines who jumped into the Pacific, the M55 traded the Reising's wooden stock for a flimsy folding wire frame that had an unwelcome habit of snapping shut under recoil. Compact and handy on paper, it shared the M50's jungle gremlins, and the Marines who carried it on Guadalcanal were as quick to abandon it as their comrades with the full-stock gun.