is it an MP40 or MP38/40 ???????

ive owned this gun for many years and didnt notice when i got it but for some reason it doesnt have the 3 raised lines on the magazine holder it is just plain or the 2 lines on the magazine itself the mags just plain as well.
in the films they all have the 3 raised lines on the mag holder . would mine be an early MP40 or the earlier MP38/40???????

 

MP38s featured a distinctive 'corrugated' effect marking on the receiver as well as the ribs on the magazine housing. They also had no cocking-handle safety. Late MP38s featured the safety and these are known as MP38/40s.

MP40s dropped the receiver corrugations, and some manufacturers later deleted the ribbed mag housing as well. Magazines were made by numbers of subcontractors so didn't usually match the gun.

On top of the receiver at the back should be 'MP40' with a manufacturer code and date eg 'fxo 41' or suchlike....?

 

thanks for reply martin .
i knew it wasnt an MP38 as you have 2 pull the cocking handle out b4 you can pull the handle back to the firing position so i gather this is the safety device .
it is stamped MP40 but would the MP38/40 be stamped as such or would they still be stamped as MP38 OR MP40 ?????
below the MP40 stamp on the top rear of the gun it says 660 and below that it says 40 . i guess the 40 is 1940 then but would you know wot 660 means ?????

 

You've got a nice, very early-model MP40 there, hatch.

It was made by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG of Steyr in Austria ( '660' was Steyr's manufacturer code until late-1940, when it was changed to 'bnz' ).

 

ok . ill try and find out more on the steyr factory . many thanks .

 

No problem, hatch.

Also, I got one thing wrong on my earlier post which I should correct : -

The housing for the magazine was 'smooth' with a single hole on the MP38, and early MP40s featured a non-ribbed holder.

In field use, this was found to be unsatisfactory as the welds could split. The 'ribbed' effect was quickly introduced to stiffen the construction.

Your gun sounds quite unusual !

 

cheers martin . i thought it was a bit unusual as the MPs ive seen have the 3 ribbs on the mag housing and 2 grooves in the mag . ill have 2 find out more of its history.........