Original German WWII 1941 dated MP 40 Display Gun by ERMA with Live Barrel & Magazine – Serial 376 g Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent condition MP40 Maschinenpistole 40 display gun, built built from all original parts on an original BATF approved display receiver. The front 5 inches is a replica, with an original bolt inside welded into the forward position. It has properly had a portion of the rear receiver replaced entirely with solid steel bar stock, making this totally legal to own without a license of any kind. We have very rarely had examples constructed using parts of an original receiver.

Offered with exceptional original dark brown bakelite stock and grips, this is the real thing that will only appreciate in value over time. The extending butt stock is present and fully functional, and the safety handle on the bolt still moves. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, and the bore is in good condition, with bright finish showing clear lands and grooves, but also significant wear to the lands. Original markings have been maintained and make a keystone item for any serious WWII collection.

The rear receiver cup of this display gun is marked with the model and manufacture codes:

MP40
ayf 41

This indicates 1941 manufacture by ERMA-Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B Geipel GmbH, Erfurt, the company that developed the MP38 and MP40. The rear receiver cup is marked with serial number 376 g, which is also marked on the trigger housing. The folding stock, and rear sight base are marked with shortened number 376. The barrel is marked with serial 8232 d, with the front sight base and barrel nut marked 232, so it looks like the barrel on gun was replaced at some point before it was deactivated.

The rear receiver cup is Waffenamt WaA444 marked, and bears contractor marking cos for Gebrüder Merz, Merz-Werke, Frankfurt, Main, a known maker of small arms components throughout the war. This marking is also seen both sides of the magazine catch. The rear of the trigger group by the sling slot is Waffenamt WaA254 marked, and bears faint contractor marking cnd for Krupp-National-Registrierkassen (Cash Registers), Berlin, Germany. Towards the end of the war, any company that was able to make parts was contracted. There are also multiple Waffenamt proofs on various parts of the display gun.

Included is an original MP 40 magazine, in very good condition, which looks to be a late war unmarked example. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines. There is a very nice MP40 style leather sling installed, but it looks to be post war. The buckle is however the correct WWII style, with internal knurling, so it is possibly an original buckle with new leather fitted at some point.

A great chance to pick up a very great MP40 display gun with a live barrel, complete with an original magazine! We rarely seem them this nice an complete! 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.