Original Item: Only One Available. This is totally original German WWII manufacture, and was taken off an MP 40 in the 1980's from a Government Sale of Machine Guns. Complete and absolutely original.

Comes complete with just TWO holes to the other end of the sling with its original steel "collar button" in place. Original cross hatching is still visible in areas on the sling, and the original keeper loop is intact. The leather "scratch guard" on the back of the buckle is present but separating from the buckle.

This sling is similar to the K98 sling in many ways including the length but the biggest difference between them is the holes. The K98 sling has 3 holes and the MP40 has 2 holes. The 2 holes of this WWII sling allows for buttoning the sling together with the distance between them longer. Markings were also similar to the KP98 slings however the MP40 also included the designation “MP38 u. 40”. This example does not have any markings still visible. This is a highly desirable accessory for any original MP40 display gun or parts set, which now command quite a price on the market.

Ready to be fitted to your Mp40 and 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.