Machine pistol

See also: PM

The machine pistol (PM) is a weapon appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, which is between the Pistolet and the military Carabine is an individual weapon, very effective with short range (5 m to 50 m) which uses ammunition of handguns, primarily in 9 mm Parabellum. The common language often employs the term machine-gun to indicate this type of weapon.

The feeding system in ammunition is done by charger. Low power of the Ammunition S.A. initially allowed to develop automatic light weapons with fine soldiers. The mechanism of the machine pistols is massively operated by the retreat and function open cylinder head for better dissipating heat. Some weapons have systems of delayed-action of the action and very recently, weapons operated by gas were born.

With the appearance of the rifles of attack at the conclusion of the Second world war, the machine pistol fell in disuse in the armies but its use was spread in the police force, the fight anti-terrorist and the brought closer protection where the weak perforation of the balls, the firepower and compactness are particularly adapted. These weapons are often equipped with a retractable stick, signs that they are located well at the border between Handgun and Arme of shoulder.

The first models, in particular the Thompson and its charger Camembert cheese made famous for films on American prohibition have dimensions of a weapon of shoulder. Doors, equipped with a stick. The military models are rustic weapons, the objective being a fast and not very expensive production. Their rate of shooting is often relatively weak: around 500 blows minutes. This configuration gives them good a Portée practical which remains generally ranging between 50 and 100 meters. It is the type of machine pistols which was massively used during the Second world war at the beginning of which one still found many rifles with action of cylinder head and of rifles semi-automatic S. It is at that time that these weapons were produced with large scales for the weakest possible price.

At the exit of the war the first rifles of attack made their appearance and the machine pistols lost their interest for the soldiers. Only the embarked crews continued to use machine pistols during a time for their obstruction more reduced than heavy the rifles of attack of the period but quickly of the compact versions of modern rifles of attack also replaced them.

The revival of the machine pistol came from Israel with famous the Uzi which in its first version remained heavy but was nevertheless compact and very robust. The machine pistols thus became, more reliable, more compact and lighter. The reference is MP5 of the German firm Heckler&Koch which, always produced in many versions, is the most widespread machine pistol in the world. At the same time light and precise, equipped with a rate of shooting higher than the preceding models. The recent tendency for this gauge of weapon is to produce lighter weapons thanks to the use of polymers which can be equipped with many accessories thanks to standard rails and to confine more powerful ammunition like the .40 S&W.

With the neighborhoods of the Years 1980 of the very compact machine pistols and presenting a rate of shooting raised, sometimes higher than 1000 blows minutes, were developed like the MAC M10, the Microphone-uzi or MP5K. These weapons difficult to control and presenting a Portée practical reduced have like main advantage being able to be easily camouflaged and to offer a considerable Firepower to very short range (up to 25 meters).

The idea of a automatic Pistolet , known as rafaleurs , although old had hitherto been deployed on weapons which were to be equipped with a stick of shoulder like the Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer or the HK VP70. It appeared has regular interval of the Pistolet S automatic equipped with a simple or double handle like the Beretta 93R or CZ75 Automatic and more recently the Glock 18 but without stick of shoulder. These Arme S of fist is particularly light for the automatic shooting and their use is reserved for the very short range for trained gunners.

One can consider that the machine pistols operate a kind of return in the military field with the emergence of the Personal Defense Weapons or PDW whose P90 and MP7 are currently the principal representatives. Intended for the personnel the such crews of vehicles, the artillerists and the officers to defend oneself effectively against attackers equipped with individual protections (increasingly widespread) without to be encumbered of heavy a Rifle of attack, they are effective up to 200 meters. It however seems that he are for the time being a more important success within the special units than to equip the conventional army corps.