12-7-2025
Where to Find Original MP40 Spare Parts
Finding original spare parts for the MP40 is becoming increasingly difficult. Many parts are now rare, and prices continue to rise as availability decreases. Still, there are a few trustworthy online sources that occasionally offer original components.
Shops worth checking are:
You can use my MP40 parts list for reference when identifying or verifying components
Please note: Before purchasing any parts, make sure to check whether it is legal to import or own them in your country or state. Laws vary widely, and it's your responsibility to comply with all applicable regulations.
July 2nd 2025
Original MP38 & MP40 Accessories for Sale
I’m offering a selection of original MP38 and MP40 accessories for collectors and enthusiasts, including some rare pieces:
MP40 Magazine Loader— authentic wartime tool with original markings.
a super rare MP40 Magazine Cleaning Brush
MP40 Tropical Sling— a rare canvas sling made for hot climates, used during WWII.
An original MP38/MP40 manual by Heinz Denckler
All items are 100% original you can find them under the "For sale (or trade) tab.
If you’re interested or want more photos, feel free to contact me at info@mp40.nl
June 25th 2025
A Forgotten MP40 from the Siege of Sarajevo
Earlier this month, I received an message from Bosnia. Attached were several photos of an MP40—split in two, incomplete, and tucked away under a wardrobe for years. The sender had recently stumbled across one of my website’s pages after watching a restoration video on YouTube. He wrote:
“I don’t know much about this rifle, so I’m sending you some pictures. I’m from Bosnia, and during the war here, my father saw one part of this rifle, and as he continued walking—about 500 meters further—he found the other part. He went back, took the first piece as well, and we assembled it. It doesn’t have a magazine or the spring that pushes the firing pin, so it's not usable. This rifle has been sitting in my house under a wardrobe for years, collecting dust.”
But this wasn’t from World War II, as I first assumed. It was found during the Siege of Sarajevo—a brutal chapter of the 1992–1996 Bosnian War, in which the capital city was surrounded and shelled for nearly four years. Cut off from the outside world, residents relied on whatever they could find to defend themselves. That included not only police weapons and private firearms, but also pieces from museums, shooting clubs, and other institutions.
The MP40 in the photos was found on the front line in Sarajevo, near a river that marked the dividing line between the defenders and enemy positions. In this area, the opposing forces were sometimes less than 150 meters apart. According to the sender, his father found the two main parts of the gun separately and reassembled them. It was in surprisingly clean condition—almost as if it had never been used.
Although originally developed in the 1930s, the MP40 wasn’t just a relic at the time. In fact, it remained in limited use well into the postwar period; for example, Norwegian tank crews and home guard units were still issued refurbished MP40s as late as the early 1990s. So it’s not impossible that an MP40 ended up on the front lines of Sarajevo—not as a collector’s item, but as a potential weapon.
How this particular example got there, who discarded it, and why, will likely remain a mystery. Perhaps someone realized it couldn’t function without its firing-pin spring and magazine, and simply left it behind.
Still, this broken and non-matching MP40 tells a story. It's not just a historical artifact, but part of a much more recent chapter of European history—one where old weapons briefly returned to new wars.
My thanks to the contributor from Bosnia for sharing both the story and the images. They not only help document an MP40, but also offer a human glimpse into a conflict still within living memory.
June 22-6-2025
A reproduction of the extremely rare hinged muzzle cap (Mündungsschoner) is currently being offered on egun.de. Please be cautious! This is once again a reproduction produced by a well-known French militaria dealer. The stampings are incorrect, the pin is not made to original specifications, and the overall shape is clearly off when compared to genuine examples.
Although this item does not appear often, reproductions like this occasionally show up and are sometimes misrepresented as originals. If you're interested in learning more about this rare accessory and how to recognize authentic ones, please visit my dedicated page on the hinged muzzle cap for detailed information and comparison photos.
June 19th 2025
"Backyard Ballistics" just wrapped up another project — the restoration of a ground-dug MP40 that’s in surprisingly decent shape. [Spoiler:] He’s even managed to get it firing again! Fantastic job. I wish I had the serial number for the database… though I’m pretty sure it’s a matching one — hard to get more original than straight out of the ground!
June 8th 2025
Nice and rare MP40 Magazine loader made by
Eisenwerke G.Meurer GmbH
(agp) in 1940. Offered for sale by Spandau Militaria.
Eisenwerke G.Meurer GmbH manufactured MP40 magazine loaders from 1940 until 1943. If you want to learn more about all the different manufacturing codes go to the magazine loader page.
June 4th 2025
Frankenstein’s First SMG: The Collector’s Nightmare
Well, sure—everyone’s free to ask whatever they want for a collectible. Whether anyone actually pays that amount is another story... But this so-called "MP38" really takes things to the next level.
Frankenstein looks like a factory-original compared to this thing:
Early wooden grips (of course!)
MP40 pistol grip
MP40 Bakelite foregrip
Repro Diettrich BD38 housing
Repro Diettrich BD38 tube
Repro Diettrich BD38 magazine receiver
What on earth is going on with the muzzle nut???
Late MP40 sheet metal barrel bar
Comically fake stampings on the end cap
Sling loop on the wrong side
And all of this can be yours for the bargain price of just €10,100! (I assume the €100 is the generous "negotiation discount.")
May 22nd 2025
A mint pair of matching 1943
gmn (Phillipp Riebel & Söhne, Sattlerwaren- u.Sportartikelfabrik, WaA136) pouches. For sale at virtualgrenadier.com. If you are looking for a "text book" set of MP40 pouches this is it!
May 13th 2025
Recently this fxo-41 MP40 was offered for auction. An early 1941 Haenel in very good condition. The advertisement also gave information about the history of the MP40. Here is a small summary of this story. You can find the full story in the advertisement.
A War Souvenir with a Lasting Impact:
On April 2, 1945, while advancing through Germany, Tec 5 Pflueger and his unit encountered German resistance in a wooded area. Ordered to assist in an assault, Pflueger—originally a truck driver—joined the attack. During the advance, a camouflaged German soldier shot him in the arm, ending his combat role.
After the skirmish, Pflueger found a discarded MP40 (serial #44526)and a German helmet near a trench. He sent both home as souvenirs, with the MP40 disassembled and hidden in a cardboard shell box—common practice among GIs.
Years later, Pflueger’s local police officer friend, aware of the MP40, reminded him to register it. When the 1968 gun amnesty deadline neared, the officer even paid the small fee to make the gun legal.
Though the MP40 survived the war, so did Pflueger’s trauma. He often relived the moment he was shot, haunted by the memory of the camouflaged soldier and the bullet that struck him.
May 6th 2025
A reproduction of the MP40 winter trigger is currently being offered on eGun. This fake is relatively easy to spot for the more experienced collector. (Spoiler; look at the stampings) These winter triggers have been circulating over the past decade, introduced by a well-known French scammer.
He is also known for selling reproductions of the hinged muzzle cap, falsely presented as original.
Please beware!!
April 27th 2025
Armariawaa.it is offering a nice deactivated Steyr produced bnz- 42 MP40 for a fair price in my opinion. It is a bit rough but it seems to be, looking at the photos, the MP40 is number matching.
Important: Regulations concerning the acquisition, possession, and ownership of (deactivated) firearms differ between countries. Always consult your local laws and authorities before making any purchase. MP40.nl provides links for informational purposes only and does not guarantee the legality or accuracy of the linked content. If a link is found to lead to unlawful material, it will be removed immediately
April 19th 2025
LUX Militaria has released an update to their website this week, featuring some of the finest MP40 pouches currently available. Among the newly listed items is this stone mint eue 43 pouch. The distinctive use of two different shades of leather is a characteristic unique to the pouches produced by Otto Reichel, Inh. Rudolf Fischer, Lederwarenfabrik (manufacturer code: eue).
April 10th 2025
Very nice collection of MP40 magazine loaders for sale at fjm44.com. These loading tools are getting more and more rare. So it is remarkable to see this variety of different codes offered at one time.
More in depth information about the MP38, MP40 and MP41 loaders here:
April 6th 2025
Ian McCollum from forgottenweapons.com recently visited the Army Museum Žižkov in Prague, which is part of the Czech Military History Institute (VHU). One of the museum's most remarkable exhibits is the Erma EMP-36 prototype.
From the outside, it's easy to recognize this weapon as the direct predecessor of the MP38 and MP40. Internally, however, the MP38 and MP40 show much stronger similarities to Schmeisser’s MKB-36.
You can find more information about these prototypes on my Prototypes webpage.
April 3rd, 2025:
Another EU-deactivated MP40 is for sale at mv40-45.com. It’s an ayf 41-coded MP40, and the seller claims it is matching. However, the red Bakelite foregrip is incorrect—this color Bakelite was only used on ayf 43, bnz 43, and bnz 44 MP40s. Additionally, the sling loop is on the wrong side, but since the entire piece is welded together, this can no longer be corrected.
Important: Regulations concerning the acquisition, possession, and ownership of (deactivated) firearms differ between countries. Always consult your local laws and authorities before making any purchase. MP40.nl provides links for informational purposes only and does not guarantee the legality or accuracy of the linked content. If a link is found to lead to unlawful material, it will be removed immediately.
March 16th 2025:
Tarnmilitaria.nl is offering an EU-deactivated fxo-41 MP40. It's unclear whether the MP40 has matching numbers. I noticed some small details, such as the barrel protector and muzzle nut, but these are easily replaceable. In my opinion, it's a nice piece.
Important: Regulations concerning the acquisition, possession, and ownership of (deactivated) firearms differ between countries. Always consult your local laws and authorities before making any purchase. MP40.nl provides links for informational purposes only and does not guarantee the legality or accuracy of the linked content. If a link is found to lead to unlawful material, it will be removed immediately.
March 14th 2025:
About time the old www.MP40.nl website got an update! I've completely rewritten most of the pages, expanded the content significantly, and focused on providing purely factual information—(practically) no more assumptions! Some pages are not ready yet but I decided to put the new website "live" anyway. Please let me know what you think.
If you appreciate this website, please note that it takes a lot of time, research, and resources to maintain. If you’d like to support continued research and content on the MP38, MP40, and MP41, I’d be grateful for any donation via PayPal
If you have items related to the MP38, MP40, or MP41 for sale or trade, please get in touch.
I make an effort to properly credit all images and documents. If you believe I’ve used material without permission, please let me know, and I’ll address it. Finally, if you have additional information about the MP38, MP40, or MP41, I’d really appreciate your feedback: info@mp40.nl
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