MAB 38

MAB 38
Name	MAB 38
Origin	Kingdom of Italy
Type	Submachine gun
Service	1938–1950s
Used by	See "Users and Service Record"
Designer	Beretta
Designed	1938
Manufacturer	Società Metallurgica Bresciana (SMB), Fratelli Tanfoglio, Beretta
Production date	1938–1944
Number	~12800
Weight	4.1 kg (loaded)
Length	850 mm
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum
Action	Blowback, closed bolt
Rate	500–550 rpm
Feed	20-32 round detachable box magazine
Sights	Fixed iron sights

MAB 38 is an Italian submachine gun introduced in 1938 and adopted by the Regio Esercito and Regia Aeronautica prior to and during World War II. Renowned for its solid construction, ergonomic wooden stock, and closed-bolt operation, it served alongside contemporaries such as the Thompson submachine gun and MP40 in various theaters. The weapon influenced later Italian small arms and saw use with several European and colonial forces.

Design and Development

The MAB 38 was developed by engineers at Società Metallurgica Bresciana in collaboration with design teams associated with Beretta and Tanfoglio to fulfill requirements set by the Ministero della Guerra for an indigenous 9mm submachine gun. Influences on the design included lessons from the First World War submachine gun experiments and observation of the Bergmann MP18, Sten gun, and Thompson submachine gun performance, while incorporating Italian small-arms practices evident in designs from Terni and Ansaldo. The closed-bolt blowback mechanism and fine machining echoed practices used by Beretta Model 1935 pistol production, and the wooden furniture drew parallels with earlier Carcano rifle ergonomics produced at Olivetti-era factories. Development priorities set by the Regio Esercito emphasized durability for campaigns in North Africa, the Balkans, and the Eastern Front contingencies, leading to heavier construction than many contemporaries.

Technical Specifications

The MAB 38 fired the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge from 20- or 32-round detachable box magazines, using a closed-bolt, blowback action tuned to a cyclic rate around 500–550 rounds per minute. Its barrel and receiver were machined to tolerances akin to Beretta pistol components, with stamped and milled parts echoing techniques used at SMB and Tanfoglio plants. Sights were fixed iron type like those on the Carcano M1891, and the wooden stock shared styling cues with stocks produced for Breda and Beretta long arms. Ergonomic features were compared favorably in period tests conducted by officers from the Regio Esercito and technical committees from the Regia Aeronautica. The weapon’s weight and balance made it controllable in full-auto bursts, and its closed-bolt firing distinguished it from open-bolt designs like the MP40 in terms of first-shot accuracy under training evaluations by units mobilized for the Greco-Italian War.

Operational History

Adopted shortly before World War II, the MAB 38 equipped infantry units, paratroopers, and security detachments within the Regio Esercito and Regia Marina shore parties, while some examples were issued to air force ground crews. It saw action in the Italian invasion of Albania (1939), Greco-Italian War, and campaigns across North Africa against British Army formations and Commonwealth forces. After the Armistice of Cassibile and subsequent German occupation, captured examples were evaluated by personnel from the Wehrmacht and used in secondary roles. Postwar, surviving stocks entered service with the nascent Esercito Italiano and were seen in colonial policing duties in territories administered by Italian East Africa and other Mediterranean garrisons. Engagement reports from patrols in Libya and the Balkans praised its reliability compared to contemporaneous submachine guns issued by other belligerents.

Variants and Modifications

Several factory and field variants emerged, including short-barreled and paratrooper adaptations developed by technicians at SMB and at small workshops in Brescia. Experimental trials produced models with different magazine capacities and simplified stamped receivers to speed production under wartime pressures similar to those faced by Beretta and Franchi. Post-1943 clandestine workshops produced crude conversions and local repairs influenced by parts interchange practices used at captured Wehrmacht recovery depots. After the war, gunsmiths in Rome and Milan performed refurbishments creating mixed-specification examples used by police units and private security firms under contracts with Italian ministries.

Users and Service Record

Principal users included the Regio Esercito, Regia Aeronautica, and Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale during the pre-armistice period. Captured or leftover examples were employed by Wehrmacht units, Italian Social Republic forces, and various resistance groups during the Italian Campaign involving Allied forces from United States Army and British Army commands. After 1945, stocks saw limited adoption by the Esercito Italiano and security services alongside foreign transfers to smaller European and North African formations that purchased surplus arms in the postwar market, echoing patterns seen with postwar dispersal of Sten gun and MAS-38 stocks.

Legacy and Influence

The MAB 38 influenced later Italian submachine gun development, informing design philosophies at Beretta and workshops in Brescia that led to postwar models including the Beretta Model 38 family and contributions to infantry small-arms studies conducted by the Centro Studi Militari. Its craftsmanship and closed-bolt approach were cited in technical histories comparing European submachine guns such as the Thompson submachine gun, MP40, and Suomi KP/-31, and it remains a subject of interest among collectors, historians, and restorers who study wartime production at SMB and similar firms. Surviving examples are displayed in museums dedicated to the Italian Campaign and in collections that document interwar and World War II small arms evolution.

Category:Submachine guns Category:Firearms of Italy