Original German WWII 1943 Dated MP 40 Display Gun by ERMA with Live Barrel, Sling & Magazine – Matching Serial 5743j Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an excellent condition MP40 Maschinenpistole 40 display gun, built from original parts and constructed on a legal non-firing BATF approved aluminum dummy receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun.

Offered with exceptional original dark brown bakelite stock and grips, with a functional extending butt stock, this is the real thing that will only appreciate in value over time. All complete, simulated fixed aluminum bolt system gives the impression of an original unit and is fitted with the original working safety bolt handle. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, and the bore has crisp lands and grooves with a bright finish. 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 43

This indicates 1943 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 5743 j, which is also marked on the barrel and trigger housing. The barrel nut, folding stock, sight base, and even the muzzle nut are all marked with shortened number 743, which makes this an “ALL MATCHING” example, which is very desirable.

The rear housing 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 and sight base, and the same inspection stamp is on the front of the magazine well.

Included is an original MP 40 magazine, in very good condition, which is correctly marked MP. 38 u. 40 on the side, with maker code ayf 41 on the back for 1941 production by ERMA. It also bears the correct Waffenamt WaA280 code for the ERMA factory. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines.

Also included is a very nice brown leather sling, which definitely looks to be original, though it may be post war. It is definitely decades old, and conforms to the standard MP40 sling design, with a leather covered buckle and keeper.

A great chance to pick up a very great MP40 matching serial number display gun, complete with a magazine and sling! We rarely seem them this nice! 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.