Submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun,[1] to describe its design concept as an automatic firearm with notably less firepower than a machine gun (hence the prefix "sub-"). As a machine gun must fire rifle cartridges to be classified as such, submachine guns are not considered machine guns.
The submachine gun was developed during World War I (1914–1918) as a close quarter offensive weapon, mainly for trench raiding. At its peak during World War II (1939–1945), millions of submachine guns were made for assault troops and auxiliaries whose doctrines emphasized on close-quarter suppressive fire. New submachine gun designs appeared frequently during the Cold War,[2] especially among special forces, covert operation commandos and mechanized infantrymen. Submachine gun usage for frontline combat decreased in the 1980s and 1990s,[2] and by the early 21st century, submachine guns have largely been replaced by assault rifles,[2] which have a longer effective range, have increased stopping power, and can better penetrate the helmets and body armor used by modern soldiers.[3] However, they are still used by security forces, police tactical units, paramilitary and bodyguards for close-quarters combat because they are "a pistol-caliber weapon that's easy to control, and less likely to overpenetrate the target".[3]
In the United States, submachine guns have long stereotypical association with organized crime, criminal gangs, and violence. The use of submachine guns by the Chicago Outfit, as well as numerous cases of gun violence (including school shooting), has contributed the rise of the stereotype.
Name[edit]
There are some inconsistencies in the classification of submachine guns.[4] British Commonwealth sources often refer to SMGs as "machine carbines".[4][5] Other sources refer to SMGs as "machine pistols" because they fire pistol-caliber ammunition, for example, the MP-40 and MP5, where "MP" stands for Maschinenpistole ("Submachine gun" in German, but cognate with the English term "Machine pistol").[6] However, the term "machine pistol" is also used to describe a handgun-style firearm capable of fully automatic or burst fire,[7] such as the Stechkin, Beretta 93R, Glock 18, and the H&K VP70. Also, personal defense weapons such as the FN P90 and H&K MP7 are often called submachine guns.[4] In addition, some compact assault rifles, such as the CAR-15, HK53, and Mk.18, have been historically referred to as submachine guns as they served in the latter's role.[8]
Land defence pistol[edit]
During the Apartheid era of South Africa and the Rhodesian Bush War/South African Border War, a semi-automatic only pistol calibre carbine based on submachine guns existed for civillian personal protection as Land Defence Pistols (LDP).[51] Known examples were the Bell & White 84,[52] BHS Rhogun, Cobra Mk1,[53] GM-16, Kommando LDP,[54] Northwood R-76,[55] Paramax, Sanna 77 and TS III.