Original Excellent German WWII MP 38/40 SMG Magazine Loader by Carl Ullrich & Co. (ghn) – Dated 1940 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent nearly unissued example of a rather uncommon piece of German kit to come across, the MP 38/40 magazine loader. Complete with spring loader catch; every MP 40 was issued with at least one magazine loader for which a separate compartment is found on most MP 40 Magazine Pouch Sets.

On October 21,1938 it was announced in the “Allgemeine Heeresmitteilungen” that the tests of a newly developed magazine loading tool was completed and that the new magazine loader for the MP38 was going to be introduced. The new magazine loader also appeared in the very first MP38 manual the “Beschreibung der Maschinenpistole 38 (MP38)” (Description of the Machinepistol 38, MP38). 

The main body of the loader is marked with ghn 40 for 1940 manufacture by Carl Ullrich & Co. Metallwarenfabrik of Oberschönau, Thüringen. These 3 letter codes was all done to obscure the location of the makers. Next to this is the correct Waffenamt WaAC10 inspection stamp for this maker, and beneath the code is the listed weapon system in which the loading tool was used for: MP.38u.40. 

In lovely, functional condition that shows little to no wear that comes more than ready to 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.