United Defense M42
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| United Defense M42 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | United States of America |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942-1945 |
| Used by | United States of America |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | United Defense Supply Corp. |
| Produced | 1942-1943 |
| Number built | 15,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 10 lbs., (4.1 kg) |
| Length | 32.3 in. (820 mm) |
| Barrel length | 11 in. (279 mm) |
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|
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| Caliber | 9 mm Luger |
| Rate of fire | 700 rpm |
| Sights | fixed front post, rear adjustable for windage |
The United Defense M42 was an American submachine gun in World War II. It was produced from 1942 to 1943 by United Defense Supply Corp. (a government formed company specifically tasked with weapons development) for possible issue as a replacement for the Thompson submachine gun and was used by agents of the OSS.
Made in both 9 mm Luger Parabellum and .45 ACP prototypes, the 9mm version was the only one to ever see widespread production. Manufactured by High Standard Firearms and Marlin Inc., about 15,000 were produced in the last three years of WWII. Only six .45 ACP prototype test guns were made.
The weapon holds 20 9 mm Luger Parabellum rounds in its magazine, and can fire them at 700 rounds per minute. The weapon itself weighs 4.13 kg (empty), with a length of 920 mm. The barrel length is 279mm, and it has 6-groove right-hand rifling.
An extremely simple design, it was a straight blowback, select fire weapon. It was built under "hurry-up" war conditions and some of its design flaws stem from this approach. Intended for use by US troops at the time of its design, it found more favor being air-dropped to partisan forces in occupied Europe. The use of the 9mm caliber allowed resistance forces to use captured ammunition in their weapons, eliminating the need for repeated re-supply drops.
Problems with the weapon were varied. Under combat conditions it was found that the sheet metal magazines had a tendency to warp out of shape causing feeding problems. They had little tolerance for exposure to large amounts of mud and sand and tended to jam if not cleaned regularly. The gun was also labor intensive to produce. It used all machined parts, no stampings, and under wartime conditions machine work is at a premium.
Overall the weapon failed in its intended role (to replace the Thompson) but proved effective in the hands of resistance forces.
The M42 submachine gun was classified as a substitute standard when the M3 submachine gun was introduced.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Nelson, Thomas B. (1963). The World's Submachine Guns, Volume I. International Small Arms Publishers.
- Iannamico, Frank. (2004). United States Submachine Guns. Moose Lake Publishing.
[edit] External links
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| United States infantry weapons of World War II and Korea |
|---|
| Side arms |
| Colt M1911/A1 | M1917 revolver | Smith & Wesson "Victory" revolver |
| Rifles & carbines |
| Springfield M1903 | M1 Garand | M1 Carbine | M1941 Johnson | Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) |
| Submachine guns |
| Thompson ("Tommy Gun") M1928/M1/A1 | M3 "Grease Gun" | Reising M50/M55 | United Defense M42 |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| Browning M1917 | Browning M1919 | Johnson LMG | Browning M2 HMG | Bazooka | M2 flamethrower |
| Cartridges used during World War II and the Korean War |
| .45 ACP | .38 Special | .30-06 Springfield | .30 Carbine | 9 mm Luger | .50 BMG |
