W+F Furrer MP 1919 submachine gun
W+F Maschinenpistole 1919
(Author's photo via Royal Armouries Collection)
This
was one of a series of 7.65mm toggle-action submachine guns designed
shortly after World War I by Colonel Adolf Furrer-Kägi, the
superintendent of the Swiss state arsenal Waffenfabrik Bern (known as
W+F Bern). The concept for this weapon was probably inspired by German
and Italian SMG projects from around the same period but functionally it
was unlike any contemporary submachine gun. Like most of Furrer's
designs, the Model 1919 submachine gun operated on a toggle-action
principle derived from the Luger pistol, which was the standard Swiss
officer's pistol at the time. Furrer decided to place the toggle lock on
its side, with the lock facing out from the left and the long, 40-round
magazine being inserted on the right. Due to the placement of the toggle
lock, the barrel was not centered with the stock and was actually
tethered off to the right side of the gun, with the sights aligned
accordingly. As with most toggle-action guns, the Model 1919 was recoil
operated with a reciprocating barrel. The action of this gun was
particularly violent compared to the blowback action used by the Villar
Perosa and Bergmann SMGs. The Furrer submachine gun was also provided
with an enormous foregrip attachment which could be fitted to a slot in
the underside of the handguard.
Production of the Furrer Model 1919 submachine gun was very limited and probably only about 100 units were ever made. Of these, 92 were delivered to the Swiss Army for evaluation and limited issue. They saw no active use and remained in storage until 1962, when they were declared obsolete and marked for destruction. 69 were shipped to Gerlafingen and destroyed; only a few examples on this early submachine gun survive today.
Production of the Furrer Model 1919 submachine gun was very limited and probably only about 100 units were ever made. Of these, 92 were delivered to the Swiss Army for evaluation and limited issue. They saw no active use and remained in storage until 1962, when they were declared obsolete and marked for destruction. 69 were shipped to Gerlafingen and destroyed; only a few examples on this early submachine gun survive today.
Gallery (click to enlarge)
