Original German WWII 1943 dated MP 40 Display Gun by Steyr with Live Barrel & Magazine – Serial 1955 c 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 solid aluminum dummy receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun.

Offered with exceptional original dark brown / black 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. The receiver is a BATF approved new made aluminum example, shaped to resemble an original MP40 receiver and fitted with a generic cocking handle. The barrel is original and has not been deactivated in any way, and the bore is in very good shape, with a bright finish and clear lands and grooves. The barrel is held in place in the receiver by a 1/8″ Allen grub screw on the bottom of the receiver, which must be removed before unscrewing the barrel nut. 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 date and manufacture codes, which are clear:

MP40
bnz. 43
1995 (o)
c

This indicates 1943 manufacture by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, Werk Steyr, the legendary Austrian arms company. The rear receiver cup base and trigger guard are both marked with serial number 1955 / c, so this is at least a “partially matching” display gun. What looks to be an “o” or backwards “c” is marked to the right of the cup serial number, but this was definitely added later. The left side of the cup is marked with the Waffenamt WaA623 code seen on Steyr manufactured arms. The folding stock is marked on the button with shortened serial number 495, with a Waffenamt that we unfortunately cannot read.

The barrel is marked with serial number 8937 l, while the sight and barrel nut are marked with shortened number 937, making a matched set from a different gun. The flat sided magazine well is marked with number 360, and has Waffenamt WaA44 on the push button, associated with Autounion. The other components of the display gun are not serial number marked, or have mismatched serial numbers. This definitely appears to have been arsenal repaired, and parts from several guns were used. There are Waffenamt proofs on various parts of the display gun.

Included is an original MP 40 magazine, in very good service used condition, which is correctly marked MP. 38 u. 40 on the side, with maker code kur 43 on the back for 1943 production by Steyr-Daimler Puch AG, Werk Graz in Poland. It also bears the correct Waffenamt WaA815 code for this factory. Magazine will have the spring and follower removed if shipped to a state that prohibits high capacity magazines. Please note that the magazine is a bit tight in the magazine well.

A great chance to pick up a very great MP40 display gun with a live barrel, complete with an original magazine and reproduction 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.