Vigneron M2
Société Anonyme Précision Liégeoise · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1954
Also known as: Mitraillette Vigneron, VIG M2, ABL Vigneron
Overview
The Vigneron M2 is a Belgian blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. Designed in 1953 by Lieutenant-Colonel Georges Vigneron and adopted by the Belgian military in 1954, it features a long ribbed barrel with a slotted compensator, a plastic pistol grip, a telescoping single-strut wire stock, and a 32-round magazine. The grip safety locks the bolt in both cocked and uncocked positions - a notable feature for a 1950s SMG.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 872 mm (34.33") |
| Folded Length | 695 mm (27.36") |
| Barrel Length | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 596 J (440 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 620 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
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: Grip Safety, Selector Safety
- Features: Telescoping Wire Stock, Compensator, Cooling Fins, Stamped Steel Construction, Open Bolt Firing
Variants
- Vigneron M1 — Early
- Vigneron M2 — Improved
Service history
Operators
- Belgian Armed Forces · adopted 1954
- Force Publique / Congolese Armed Forces
- Portuguese Armed Forces
- Angolan Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Congo Crisis (1960-1965)
- Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974)
- Angolan War of Independence (1961-1975)
- Angolan Civil War (1975-2002)
Production
Estimated total produced: 100,000 · Production years: 1953-late 1960s
Belgian-produced; widely distributed across Africa via Belgian colonial connections
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Georges Vigneron
Notes
Over 100,000 Vignerons were manufactured. They saw extensive service with the Force Publique in the Belgian Congo and continued in the Congolese army's hands during the post-independence Congo Crisis. Belgian forces retained them into the 1990s.
Background
The Vigneron's distinctive long, finned barrel was inspired by the bitter lesson of WWII - Belgian troops armed with Sten guns had complained that short-barreled SMGs were nearly useless beyond 50 meters in the open terrain of the Congo, where Vigneron expected the next colonial conflict.