Best Submachinegun of the Second World War

Hey Guys! It's been a while since I have posted anything so I'm guessing this would be a good way to start. The post will expire in 25 days, and yes you can change your vote. Oh, and please be serious about this, don't vote for a weapon just because you own with it in a game(ex. CoD). If you choose "other" please post the weapon you believe is the best in a reply, and I'll post them in a second poll against the winner of this first poll. Alright, have fun!

My vote goes to the MP40.
Nice low recoil, accurate, easy to manufacture.

But the MP738(i) isn't bad, too. 

Not to affect the voting in any way, but my favorite is the PPSh-41. Easy to produce, reasonably reliable if taken care of, and can put out lots of lead. It was the most produced SMG of WWII. The 71-round drum magazine did have a tendency to jam, but that was solved by the stick mags later. Imagine being a German soldier fighting against millions of Soviets charging at you carrying a 900rpm SMG equipped with a 71-round drum magazine! PPSh-41s were used by Vietnam, China, and many of the Eastern Block countries as well. I do agree however,the MP40 was however very innovative, as it used plastics, which would later lead to weapons like the the MP5! Your call.

The PPSh-41. was a very good SMG for Urban warfare because it had a short round magazine, making it ideal to fire when in prone position. The mp40 had a long magazine so you couldent fire it in prone position. Many german soldiers used captured soviet PPSh-41.

But my vote goes for the MP40 its imo one of the greatest icons of WW2 firearms.

PPSh all the way. Low recoil, reliable and high rate of fire makes it the best submachine gun of the war. I don't know why everyone is fascinated with the MP40 since German soldiers themselves preferred to use the PPSh.

the smithers mp 40,good caliber,good range,good capacity,all good.

ППШ-41
Weight: 3.63 kg (without magazine)
Cartridge: 7.62x25mm Tokarev
Rate of fire: 900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 488 m/s
Effective range: 200 m
Maximum range: ~400 m
Feed system: 35-round box magazine or 71-round drum magazine
Weight with magazine: 5.3 kg (drum magazine) & 4.15 kg (box magazine)

MP-40
Weight: 4 kg (without magazine)
Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum
Rate of fire: 550 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: ~380 m/s
Effective range: 100 m
Maximum range: 200 m
Feed system: 32-round detachable box magazine
Weight with magazine: 5 kg

Who is the best?

Last edited June 27, 2010 at 3:51 PM by UeArtemis

UeArtemis wrote:
ППШ-41
Weight: 3.63 kg (without magazine)
Cartridge: 7.62x25mm Tokarev
Rate of fire: 900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 488 m/s
Effective range: 200 m
Maximum range: ~400 m
Feed system: 35-round box magazine or 71-round drum magazine
Weight with magazine: 5.3 kg (drum magazine) & 4.15 kg (box magazine)

MP-40
Weight: 4 kg (without magazine)
Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum
Rate of fire: 550 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: ~380 m/s
Effective range: 100 m
Maximum range: 200 m
Feed system: 32-round detachable box magazine
Weight with magazine: 5 kg

Who is the best?

I guess you mean that the PPsH is. A gun which is very dangered to accidently go off. Btw Higher rate of fire doesn't mean better gun. Cartrigde was worse than MP40 and the ranges for effective range and maxmum range are from some soviet propaganda book.

I like the PPSh-41 and all, but I am positive the MP40 has better range and handling. I've fired 9mm Parabellum which are the golden standard for SMGs which are looking for accuracy. The PPSh-41 was a raiding weapon, not made for precision like the MP40. The MP40 is a better weapon for a small group of soldiers, but if you have numerical superiority(i.e the Soviets)the PPSh-41 will give you a massive advantage in terms of firepower. Don't forget the Thompson, which fired .45 ACP which does massive damage. All in all great weapons, honestly this is like comparing apples and oranges. Sorry guys.

EasyWay91 wrote:
I like the PPSh-41 and all, but I am positive the MP40 has better range and handling. I've fired 9mm Parabellum which are the golden standard for SMGs which are looking for accuracy. The PPSh-41 was a raiding weapon, not made for precision like the MP40. The MP40 is a better weapon for a small group of soldiers, but if you have numerical superiority(i.e the Soviets)the PPSh-41 will give you a massive advantage in terms of firepower. Don't forget the Thompson, which fired .45 ACP which does massive damage. All in all great weapons, honestly this is like comparing apples and oranges. Sorry guys.

Good statement. But the 45.ACP has the problem that it has massive stopping power but bad penetration.

Oh yeah, I heard about that in the 1911. You are right the MP738(i) was really good.

maxi1991 wrote:
Cartrigde was worse than MP40

Disk magazine - yes, was. Thompson has same problems.
Box magazine - no, wasn't.

maxi1991 wrote:
soviet propaganda

Oh, yes. All Soviet are bad. If someone says other - this is the Soviet propaganda.
Today I even read on Wiki that some one said that the Big Soviet Encyclopaedia is a propaganda.

I have numbers, but you do not. Your assertion about propaganda is groundless. So: Is this Sovietophobia or Germanophilia???

Last edited June 27, 2010 at 7:44 PM by UeArtemis

Wow please UeArtemis dont start a flame war about this  :-[. If there is sovietophobia/russianophobia or germanophilia, let them be! I'm certain you will not change their way to think about it...

I've voted for MAS38 SMG. It was a good SMG (perhaps not the best, but good), and this is the first time I see a frenchlike weapon in a thread about WW2!  :D :D thank you EasyWay91 lol!

Suomi KP/-31. The gun that took the idea of PPD and perfected it, the gun that made the russians so envious they had to come up with their PPSH. Suomi, the gun that is regarded the best submachinegun throughout the world by military historians, not by its quantity, but by its quality.

UeArtemis wrote:
Disk magazine - yes, was. Thompson has same problems.
Box magazine - no, wasn't.

How many PPsH41 were produced with stick mags?

Last edited June 28, 2010 at 1:21 PM by maxi1991

Thompson.
1st is the best.
It wasnt a 1st smg but it was a first good and reliable smg.

2nd is Suomi. A very early and good design. It should be on the list. In a 9 man Finnish squad the bravest had Suomi.

3rd is STEN. It was so easy to build that the Polish move of resistance made them in bicycle shops! 9mm Parabellum ammo is a advantage too becouse you could use British, German and Italian ammo. Even PPSH cant beat that.

Last edited June 27, 2010 at 9:31 PM by Paciat

As I read, army used the box magazine for ППШ-41, the same way as for Thompson. Although there are more disk magazines on photographs. That's probably for the style, just like capes (cloaks).

Should I add the Suomi. I actually knew about it. I thought the PPSh-41 is basically just a continuation of it. The Suomi was more accurate and reliable than the PPSh-41, but is was very time consuming to produce as only around 70-80 thousand were built. Hmmm if you guys want it included, tell me.

UeArtemis wrote:
As I read, army used the box magazine for ППШ-41, the same way as for Thompson. Although there are more disk magazines on photographs. That's probably for the style, just like capes (cloaks).

That's a good point Artemis. In fact, I recently read about this: Soviet war time photographers preferred to take pictures of Soviet soldiers with the drum magazine instead of the box magazine because that's how ordinary folk recognized the weapon.

EasyWay91 wrote:
Should I add the Suomi. I actually knew about it. I thought the PPSh-41 is basically just a continuation of it. The Suomi was more accurate and reliable than the PPSh-41, but is was very time consuming to produce as only around 70-80 thousand were built. Hmmm if you guys want it included, tell me.

+1 you should include it!

Suomi M/31
Weight: 4.6 kg
Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum
Rate of fire: 750–900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 396 m/s
Maximum range: ~500 m
Feed system: 20, 36, 40, 50 box or 71-round drum. Also modified German MP 38 u. 40 32 round box magazine

Well, good.

Last edited June 28, 2010 at 6:57 PM by UeArtemis

I only picked Pshh Because thats the only ww2 weapon I Held and Fired.

I expected more recoil, I was impressed. Hard to aim though,

EasyWay91 wrote:
Should I add the Suomi. I actually knew about it. I thought the PPSh-41 is basically just a continuation of it. The Suomi was more accurate and reliable than the PPSh-41, but is was very time consuming to produce as only around 70-80 thousand were built. Hmmm if you guys want it included, tell me.

Were talking about a small Finnish army. Suomi werent produced for export much becouse every country had pride tomake itsown smg.

for me
1st MP40 , the only flaw was its hard to fire prone,
2nd Sten , because its similiar to the Mp40 but solves the prone firing problem

ppsh41

less recoil then Mp40, higher rate of fire, easy to fire prone, and more accurate at ranges.

hmm can some one confirm that the PPsh41 was more accurate than the MP40 ?

Akalonor wrote:
hmm can some one confirm that the PPsh41 was more accurate than the MP40 ?

Not looking at anecdotal evidence we can see that the PPSh has a longer barrel (269 mm vs. 251 mm) than the MP40 and also has less recoil. Given this, it makes it more accurate.

I've heard that, in close-combat, MP40 was much more efficient because of its handiness and reliability, than PPSH41.

Also, the PPS42 should be added, it was a good SMG too!

Red_Stinger wrote:
Also, the PPS42 should be added, it was a good SMG too!

Yes, I agree. The PPS-42/43 was a reliable and tough personal-defense weapon (PDW). I still have some of my great-grandfather's old possessions (good thing he managed to hide away a lot of them before he was captured!), including the PPS-43 that he brought back from Narwa and used until Berlin '45...I was told that he accidentally dropped it in mud and deep puddles a lot of times, but it still fired. That's how tough it is.  ;) It remains in serviceable condition up until this very day, since my family regards it as a valuable heirloom.  :)

The Italian Mochetto M-38.

There weren't many made until after Italy fell, but many Americans and Germans used it from picking it off of dead Italians. And the fact the gun looks neat to me.
I've always liked it since I've played Medal of Honor Allied Assault's Breakthrough expansion. Probalbly were never see a game based on tha front again.