• • SUB- COPENHAG EN HANDBOOK for the MADSEN SUB-MACHINE GUN DANSK INDUSTRI SYNDIKAT COMPAGN I E MADSEN COPENHAGEN Z45.E.E]. CO NTENTS Page Principle of design . ...... ... Short description of the main parts .. .. .... 9 Action of the gun . ........ 13 Firing . .... 17 I nstructions for loading the magazine ... ... ... 19 Instructions for stripping and assembling . ...... 19 Components of gun .... ... ......... ... .. 22 Sectional view of gun .... .. .. .. ...... .. .. 23 PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN The MADSEN sub-machine gun was developed to fill the need for a sub-machine gun which would be absolutely re­ li able, and sti ll a li ghtweight weapon, combining the fewest possible parts with simplicity of manufacture. This aim was achieved mainly by means of a special safety device to ex­ clude accidental firing , and a flat shape of the frame, this latter being divided vertically in longitudinal section per­ mitting the two halves, which are hinged at the rear and form the receiver, the magazine housing and the pistol grip, to be opened like a box. Constructed in this manner the MADSEN sub-machine gun is easy to strip for inspecting and cleaning; furthermore all the parts are easy to survey, so that the action of the gun is easily learned. The sub-machine gun has a bottom­ mounted magazine, and it is fitted with a carrying sling which, ow ing to the flat shape of the gun, permits it to be carried hanging on the gunner's back, the sling over his left shoulder, muzzle downwards and magazine inserted, thereby enablin g the gunner to open fire almost instantaneously in case of surprise encounters. It is equiped with a folding skeleton butt, and the gun can be fired with this shoulder piece extended or wi th the shoulder piece fo ld ed. Most of the sub-machine guns developed during the Se­ cond World War have the fault that it is dangerous to carry the weapon with a loaded magazine inserted and the mecha­ nism cocked, as a jar may fire it , and a shot may also be fired accidentally by a cocking motion being performed too short; in the MADSEN sub-machine gun there is, in addi- 5 ti on to an ordinary safety device acting on the trigger me­ chanis m, also a front safety, the breech bl ock retainer , whi ch prevents the gun from bein g fired without the gunner hav ing hi s hand round the magazin e housin g to support the gun and s imultaneously releas in g the breech bl ock retainer , the release of whic h does not requi re any attenti on as his thumb in the most natu ral way presses agains t the dow n­ ward lever of the breech block re tain er. T he rate of fire is 500- 550 rounds per minute , which is generally considered to be very nearl y the ideal rate fo r sub­ machine guns used in full automati c fire; the gun was de­ liberately s lowed down to this figure. Fig. 1. Norm all y it is chambered for the 9 mm Parabe llum pi stol MADSEN sub-machine gun with extended shoulder p iece. cartridge, but it can also be chambered for the standard .45 The rora l length of the gun is now 780 rnm . automati c pi s tol cartridge without increasing the weight of W eigh t 3 kg. the gun . While it is normall y intended to be used at a range The magaz ine holds 32 ro unds. under I 00 me tres, it may be used still with good accuracy up to 200 metres. Fig . 2. MADSEN sub-machine gun with cl osed shoulder piece. The total length is now 530 mm. G 7 SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN PARTS Data of the MADSEN sub-machine gun : Calibre . 9 mm We ight without magazin e and sling. 3. 15 kg We ight of empty magazin e . 200 g Weight of fill ed magazin e . 5 90 g Length .of barrel . 200 mm Length with s houlder pi ece extended 780 mm Length with s houlder pi ece fold ed . 530 mm Rate of fire 500- 550 rounds pe r min . The sub-machine gun cons ists of the foll owing main parts: The fram e, the barre l, the breech bl ock with cocking handle, the return spring, the trigger mechanism , the safety devices, th e magazin e and the shoulder pi ece. The frame consists of two alm ost id entical pieces of pressed s heet steel , s haped with pi s tol grip and magazine hous in g. The tw o parts are hinged at the rear, and at the fore end assembled and locked by the barre l-bearing nut. 9 The ie ft half, which acts as a lid on the ri ght half, carries T he trigger mechanism is pl aced at the bottom of the the s ling swi vels and also the sights cons isting of the fore­ right frame part. It consists of the trigger and the trigger sight and the backs ight ; the fo resight is blade shaped and rod with their respecti ve springs; the tri gger rod is fo rced capabl e of lateral adjus tment, the backs ight is a fixed ape r­ upwards by its spring to catch in a notch at the bottom of ture sight. The gun is s ighted for I 00 m range. the breech block when the latter is in cocked positi on. T he The outer wall s of the frame have a smoo th surface, and long arm of the trigger, projecting downwards through an when the magazin e is in position, the frame is dustp roof. opening in the bottom wall of the ri ght frame part, is pro­ T he left inner wall has at the front end a projecting rib, tected by a tri gger guard. whi ch acts as ejector. In the ri ght wall of the frame is an opening fo r ejectio n of th e spent cartridge case. The safety devises are tw o: The barrel has a smooth exteri or with no radi ating rings, The safety catch, whi ch can onl y be applied when the and the bore has 4 grooves. The breech end of the barrel breech bl ock is in cocked positi on, is pl aced at the bottom rests in the breech secti on of the frame and has an extern al of the frame and is wo rking on the tri gger rod. A finger rib whi ch fits into a corresponding groove in the two fra me pi ece at the left end of the safety catch passes through a halves and prevents the bar rel from movin g in longitudinal s hort slot in the left frame part, and pushing it backward di recti on ; on the left s id e of the barrel-chamber a groove is will lock the tri gger rod . cut away, correspond ing to the e jector rib, thus preventing the barrel from rotating . The breech block retainer is also pl aced at the bottom of the frame, but somewhat forward of the safety catch , and T he breech block moves ins id e the fra me en the bottom it works on the breech bl ock and prevents it from moving wall of the right frame part. The firin g pin is stati onary in completely forward . the breech bl ock, but removabl e. In a groove at the front end of the ri ght s id e of the breech block is pl aced the ex­ The magazine is of the box type, holding 32 cartridges. tractor whi ch is secured by means of a vertical pin. It is inserted from be low into the magazin e hous in g, and it is locked in positi on by means of the magazin e catch at the The cocldng handle has a down ward pointing plug whi ch rear wall of the magazin e housin g; the magazin e catch is re­ passes through a s lot at the top of the frame between the leased by pushing it backward. The magazin e can be in ­ two frame parts and enters the cockin g handle hole in top serted whether the breech block is in its forward or its rear of the breech bloc k and secured by means of a pin. ( cocked ) positi on. When the breech bl ock is in its forward position, a little more fo rce mus t be exerted to insert the T he return spri ng is pl aced in a pil ot hole of the breech magazin e as the top cartrid ge presses again st the undersid e bl ock. The rear end of the return sprin g works again st the of the breech bl ock. sprin g base which is loosely inserted in the frame against the rear wall of the ri ght frame part ; at its fo re end the The shoulder piece is a ske le ton butt ; the s ke leton is of spring base has a pro truding tubular spring guide. steel tubing, partl y leather-covered. 10 11 It is hinged to the rear end of the ri ght frame part, the lower hinge bei ng behind the pi stol grip . It is retained in extended and in folded position by means of a notch and a lu g in the hinge, and it can be moved from th e one position to the othe r by a s li ght je rk.