German 9 mm MP40 machine pistol 1942 (c)

Manufactured by Erfurter Maschinenfabrik Berthold Geipel of Erfurt, Germany, the MP40 (along with its MP38 predecessor) was the standard German submachine gun during the Second World War. Over one million were made between 1939 and 1945. Often erroneously called the 'Schmeisser' (even though Hugo Schmeisser had no role in its development), the weapon could fire at around 500 rounds a minute. It was usually fitted with a folding stock, although some models had a solid wooden stock. This example is missing its magazine.