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Danuvia 39M/43M
Danuvia 43M
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Hungary
Service history
In service	1939 to early 1950s
Used by	Hungary Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Production history
Designer	Pál Király
Designed	1930s
Produced	1939–1945
No. built	39M: 13,332 43M: ~5,000
Variants	39M (Fixed wooden stock) 39/A M (Folding wooden stock) 43M (Folding metal stock)
Specifications
Mass	39M: 3.7 kg (8 lb 3 oz) without magazine 4.4 kg (9 lb 11 oz) with magazine 43M: 3.63 kg (8 lb 0 oz) without magazine 4.2 kg (9 lb 4 oz) with magazine
Length	39M: 1,048 mm (41.3 in) 43M: 956 mm (37.6 in) butt extended 749 mm (29.5 in) butt retracted
Barrel length	39M: 499 mm (19.6 in) 43M: 424 mm (16.7 in)
Cartridge	9×25mm Mauser Export
Action	Lever-delayed blowback
Rate of fire	730–780 rpm cyclic
Muzzle velocity	39M: 450 m/s (1,500 ft/s) 43M: 442 m/s (1,450 ft/s)
Feed system	20 or 40 round detachable box magazine

The Danuvia 39M/43M was a Hungarian submachine gun designed by Pál Király in the late 1930s and used during World War II.

History

The 9×25mm Danuvia submachine gun was designed by Hungarian engineer Pál Király in the late 1930s, and was produced by the titular Danuvia company. The guns were issued to Hungarian army troops in 1939 and remained in service throughout World War II and until the early 1950s. A total of roughly 8,000 were made between 1939 and 1945. The Danuvia was a large, sturdy weapon, similar to a carbine. Inspired by the SIG MKMS, the Danuvia used the more powerful 9×25mm Mauser round, and incorporated lever-delayed blowback in order to better manage this high energy cartridge. The Danuvia's magazine can be folded forward into a recess in the stock where a plate then slides over it.

The gun was well-liked by troops it was issued to; it reportedly functioned well in the sub-zero, muddy conditions on the Eastern Front. The only difficulty was the availability of 9×25mm Mauser ammunition. It was used by the Hungarian army, military police and police forces and stayed in service until the early 1950s when it was gradually replaced by the PPSh-41 and the Kucher K1.

Design

The Danuvia featured a patented two-part lever-delayed blowback bolt. The fire selector switch is a circular cap on the rear of the receiver and is rotated to one of three settings: E (Egyes)(semiautomatic fire), S(Sorozat) (full automatic), or Z (Zárt)(the safety setting). The ejection port and cocking handle are on the right side of the receiver. It had a ramp-type rear sight above the ejection port and a post foresight at end of the barrel.

Variants

The original Danuvia was the Géppisztoly (Submachine gun) 39M with a fixed wooden stock, which was followed in limited numbers by the Géppisztoly 39/A M with a folding wooden stock. In 1943 a new version with a forward folding metal stock, wood fore stock and a pistol grip was designated the Géppisztoly 43M. The 43M was the most produced version and had a shortened barrel and a forward-angled magazine.

Gallery

• Screenshot of the patent for the Danuvia 39M
• Hungarian soldiers in 1944, one of them is armed with a Danuvia 39M
• The earlier Danuvia 39M

References

1. John Walter, Guns of the Third Reich, Greenhill Books, 2004, p. 163
2. Schmidl, Erwin; Ritter, László (10 Nov 2006). The Hungarian Revolution 1956. Elite 148. Osprey Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 9781846030796.
3. ^ Chamberlain, Peter (1976). Sub-machine guns and automatic rifles. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0668040130.
4. "39M 43M". 27 October 2010.

External links

• Kiraly 43M: Hungary's Overpowered Submachine Gun
• submachine guns (en)
• Modern Arms Entry

• 9×25mm Mauser submachine guns
• Lever-delayed blowback firearms
• Submachine guns of Hungary
• Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1939
• World War II infantry weapons
• World War II submachine guns