submachine gun

sub·ma·chine gun

S0844700 (sŭb′mə-shēn′)n. A lightweight automatic gun that shoots pistol ammunition, is usually fired from the shoulder or hip, and often has the capacity for shooting single rounds.

sub•ma•chine′ gun`

(ˌsʌb məˈʃin)
n. an automatic firearm using small-caliber ammunition and fired from the shoulder or hip. [1920]

Thesaurus

Noun

submachine gun - machine gun that is a portable automatic firearmBren, Bren gun - a submachine gun operated by gas pressure; used by the British in World War IIburp gun, machine pistol - a fully automatic pistol; a small submachine gunKalashnikov - a type of submachine gun made in Russialight machine gun - a submachine gun not greater than .30 millimetermachine gun - a rapidly firing automatic gun (often mounted)Sten gun - a lightweight British submachine gunThompson submachine gun, Tommy gun - a .45-caliber submachine gunUzi - a type of submachine gun that is designed and manufactured in Israel; "the Uzi is used throughout the world as a police and special forces firearm"

Translations

mitraillettemitra

Submachine Gun

submachine gun

[¦səb·mə′shēn ‚gən] (ordnance) A type of machine gun; a short-barreled shoulder firearm using pistol-type ammunition and capable of full automatic fire.

Submachine Gun

an individual automatic firearm. The submachine gun is designed to destroy enemy personnel in close battle, usually at distances of less than 200 m.

The first submachine guns, such as the Italian 1915 Revelli submachine gun and the German 1918 Bergmann, appeared during World War I and were more like standard machine guns. Submachine guns became widespread in World War II (1939–45) and were also called machine pistols. Submachine guns used in the Red Army were the PPD-40 designed by V. A. Degtiarev, the PPSh-41 of G. S. Shpagin, and the PPS-43 of A. I. Sudaev. The fascist German Army used 1938 and 1940 models (MR-38–40), the Americans used the M3, the British had the Sten, and the Finns had the Suomi. After the war, the old submachine-gun systems were replaced by new ones in the armed forces of the United States, Great Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, and other countries. After the war, the Soviet armed forces adopted the M. G. Kalashnikov submachine guns, which have more powerful shells and a sighting range of up to 1,000 m.

Basic parts and mechanisms of submachine guns include barrel, receiver, breechblock, trigger mechanism, recoil spring, sights, butt, safety catch, and magazine. Some submachine guns have muzzle brakes, or replenishers, to decrease recoil and stabilize the gun during firing. To reduce the length and make them easier to carry, most submachine guns have folding-type metal stocks. The design of submachine guns makes possible automatic fire and, in some models, single-shot fire. In most submachine guns the automatic feature is based on the principle of a blow-back bolt. Ammunition is fed by box or drum-type magazines. Submachine guns ordinarily fire in short bursts of three to five shots each.

G. M. SHINKAREV

submachine gun

sub·ma·chine gun

sub•ma•chine′ gun`

Submachine Gun

submachine gun

Submachine Gun

submachine gun

Words related to submachine gun

noun machine gun that is a portable automatic firearm

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