MP 14

MP 14
Name	MP 14
Origin	Imperial Germany
Type	Submachine gun
Service	1914–1920s
Designer	Hugo Schmeisser
Manufacturer	Bergmann, Deutsche Waffenfabrik
Production date	1914–1918
Number	~10,000
Weight	4.1 kg
Length	89 cm
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum
Action	Blowback, open bolt
Rate	600–800 rounds/min
Feed	20–32 round box magazine
Sights	Iron sights

MP 14 is a World War I–era German submachine gun developed to provide increased firepower for stormtrooper units during trench warfare. It combined features from earlier German automatic pistols and experimental submachine concepts to create a compact, select-fire weapon intended for close-quarters combat. The weapon influenced later interwar and World War II designs through its action, magazine arrangements, and ergonomic choices.

Design and Development

The MP 14 project emerged from Imperial Germany's attempts to adapt automatic small arms after experiences at the Battle of Ypres, Battle of Verdun, and Battle of the Somme. Early inspiration drew on designs by Rudolf Knopfelmacher, Theodor Bergmann, and the semi-automatic systems used in the Luger P08, Mauser C96, and experimental MP 18 concepts. Development teams at Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken and Bergmann workshops worked alongside engineers from the Krupp and Rheinmetall conglomerates to refine a blowback, open-bolt mechanism.

Designers prioritized portability for stormtrooper doctrines shaped by leaders such as Oskar von Hutier and doctrinal publications issued after the Spring Offensive (1918). The MP 14 incorporated a detachable box magazine and a folding stock influenced by trials run by the Prussian Army and the German General Staff. Work on selective-fire control and reversible safety mechanisms involved patent exchanges with firms including Hugo Schmeisser's workshops and the Dreyse toolmakers. Prototypes were evaluated by officers from the 7th Army and testers from the Kaiserliche Marine boarding parties.

Technical Specifications

The MP 14 used the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, already in service with the Luger P08 and some patrol units connected to the Reichsheer. The open-bolt, straight blowback action produced a cyclic rate between 600 and 800 rounds per minute, comparable to contemporary automatic pistols fielded by units under the command of figures like Erich Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg. Magazine capacities ranged from 20- to 32-round box magazines similar to those issued with the MP 18 and later seen on interwar models used by the Freikorps.

Construction employed stamped sheet components and machined steel parts produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig and subcontractors tied to the German war industry networks centered in Essen, Solingen, and Zella-Mehlis. Sights were simple iron posts and notched rear leaves, mirroring practice from the Gewehr 98 and sidearm philosophies of the Imperial German Army. Weight and balance considerations referenced ergonomic research by commissions including officers formerly of the Prussian Guards.

Operational History

Operational trials began in late 1916 and expanded during 1917–1918 as stormtrooper tactics spread from units under Oskar von Hutier and Georg Bruchmüller to front-line assaults across the Western Front. Squads equipped with the MP 14 participated in raids conducted near Cambrai and in localized actions during the Spring Offensive (1918), often paired with light machine guns like the Maxim gun and grenadiers from companies formerly of the Infanterie-Regiment 9.

Logistical strains and production bottlenecks limited widespread issuance; most recorded deployments were with specialist assault detachments attached to corps-level formations commanded by staff officers from the German General Staff. After the Armistice, surplus MP 14 units appeared in the arsenals of Freikorps factions and were documented in street actions in the Spartacist uprising and during border skirmishes in Upper Silesia and the Baltic interventions involving veterans serving with anti-Bolshevik contingents.

Variants and Modifications

Experimental variants included shortened-barrel models issued to Stosstrupp scout units and extended-stock versions tested for paratroop and boarding use with Kaiserliche Marine detachments. Some examples were retrofitted with alternative sights from spare parts used on the Mauser C96 and conversion kits enabling semi-automatic fire only, requested by procurement officials from the Reichswehr during postwar demobilization.

Manufacturers produced limited runs with different magazine wells and feed lips; these changes echoed feedback collected from units such as the 27th Division and officers who had served in the 27th Infantry Regiment. Other field modifications included suppressor fittings attempted by naval experimenters and heat-shielding adaptations inspired by experiences with the Bergmann MG15nA.

Users and Deployment

Primary documented users were Imperial German stormtrooper assault companies and specialized boarding parties of the Kaiserliche Marine. After 1918, captured or surplus MP 14s were employed by Freikorps units, paramilitary groups involved in the Spartacist uprising, and various nationalist militias active during the early Weimar period. Small numbers were noted in inventories of the nascent Reichswehr and in private collections belonging to veterans' associations such as the Veteranenbund.

Internationally, a handful of MP 14s surfaced in the arsenals of anti-Bolshevik White forces and in clandestine shipments observed near Estonia and Latvia during the postwar Baltic conflicts. Collectors and historians reference surviving examples in museums in Berlin, Munich, and Koblenz.

Category:Submachine guns