Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent condition MP40 Maschinenpistole 40 display gun, built from an original parts set and constructed on a legal non-firing BATF compliant fabricated steel dummy receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun. It has had over 75% of the total length replaced with an inert steel pipe, with only the barrel bushing portion being original. As over 3/4 receiver is a complete inert fabricated piece, this display gun is totally legal to own without a license of any kind. It has had a replicated custom cocking handle added on the left side, though there is no slot for the handle on the left side, nor is there a magazine well, as required by the BATF.

Offered with exceptional original red / brown bakelite stock and grips, this is the real thing that will only appreciate in value over time. The extending butt stock is present and fully functional. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, and the bore is in very good shape, with a bright finish and clear lands and grooves. Original markings have been maintained and make a keystone item for any serious WWII collection. It also comes with some great parts and accessories, making this a great offering.

The rear receiver cup of this display gun is marked with the date, manufacture code, and serial number, which are clear:

This indicates 1943 manufacture by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Werk Steyr, the legendary Austrian arms company. The left side of the receiver cup is marked with Waffenamt Eagle / WaA623, and next to the sling slot is a smaller Eagle / 623, which are the correct stamps for Steyr. The left side of the butt stock is serial matching, with a 250 stamped clearly, and there is also k / 1250 in front of the trigger guard, so the lower frame does not look to have had parts swapped out. There are also other markings and Waffenamt proofs throughout the display gun, as well as mis-matched serial numbers where they are present, so this was probably made from a gun that saw long service, with parts from several guns used to repair it.

The left side of the barrel bushing, the only remaining part of the receiver, is marked with serial number 8439, and also has Waffenamt Eagle / WaA623, indicating Steyr manufacture. The left side of the barrel is marked with serial number 39294, which is possibly remarked, and there is a faint Waffenamt on it, though we cannot read the inspector number. The sight base is marked with Waffenamt Eagle / 280, usually associated with ERMA, the designer of the MP40, and has shortened serial number 094 as well.

Included is an original MP 40 magazine, in very good condition, which is correctly marked MP. 38 u. 40 on the side, with maker code kur 44 on the back for 1944 production by Steyr-Daimler Puch AG, Werk Graz in Poland. It also bears the correct Waffenamt WaA815 code for this factory. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines.

The included live MP 40 bolt is in great shape, with a functional safety on the cocking handle, and some great markings. It has original crossed out serial number 1233 l along with remarked serial 2996, and there is an Eagle / 280 inspection stamp for ERMA manufacture. Also included is the cartridge ejector. The telescoping recoil assembly works great, and the firing pin is solid. The leather sling is also lovely, with the leather still supple and showing the original cross hatched texture very well. There is no tearing, and it retains the original stud and keeper loop, with a fully functional buckle that still has the leather cover. Really a great example!

A great chance to pick up a very great MP40 display gun with a live barrel and some fantastic parts and accessories. We rarely seem them this nice! Ready to display!

History of the MP40

The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36, a prototype made of machined steel. The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army. It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer's VPM 1930 and EMP. Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts.

It was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers, on the Eastern and Western Fronts. Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often erroneously called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, despite Hugo Schmeisser's non-involvement in the weapon's design and production. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.