Erma Werke
Encyclopedia
Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA) was a German weapons manufacturer founded in 1922 by Berthold Geipel. Prior to and during World War II
they manufactured many firearms, including the K98k, MP40
, and several other SMG
s.
They are also noted for having produced various forms of military training rifle, including the famous EL-24 and other models of subcaliber training device that allowed .22 long rifle
ammunition to be fired from many infantry rifles such as the K98k and Steyr-Mannlicher M1895
through use of a special action conversion kit and a thin-walled .22 caliber barrel inserted within the larger rifle's bore.
, Thuringia
, by Berthold Geipel.
, after which he worked for Vollmer GmbH as Assistant Director to Heinrich Vollmer
.
Following the end of the war, the Thuringen region found itself in the Soviet occupation zone. Marshal Shukow of the Soviet occupation forces
ordered what was left of ERMA Werke to be liquidated on 31 August 1948.
Geipel re-established Erma Werke in Bavaria in 1949 and in 1952 the company moved to Dachau, near Munich. Geipel's son Rudolf became the chief Engineer of the new company and for the first few years production was devoted to household appliances. Around 1952 ERMA was awarded a contract by the government of West Germany to service and produce parts for the various Allied forces weapons that had been supplied to the German police.
Following the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1955, the Federal government gave Erma permission to research and develop a new submachine gun, as West Germany's police and army wished to replace the weapons given to them by the Allied forces. ERMA's design was, however, outbid and out-performed by a submission by Walther. The financial resources expended in developing the submachine gun had been quite substantial, and as a consequence ERMA was taken over in 1961 by Fiberglide, a division of Lear-Siegler, who traded under the Erma Werke name.
In October 1997 Erma Werke commenced bankruptcy proceedings and in 1998 was taken over by Suhler und Sportwaffen, a division of Steyr-Mannlicher, following which the ERMA Werke name ceased to exist.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
they manufactured many firearms, including the K98k, MP40
MP40
The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
, and several other SMG
SMG
The initials SMG may refer to:* Submachine gun* Boston University School of Management* Senior Management Group* Sequential manual gearbox, BMW's name for its version of an electrohydraulic manual transmission...
s.
They are also noted for having produced various forms of military training rifle, including the famous EL-24 and other models of subcaliber training device that allowed .22 long rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
ammunition to be fired from many infantry rifles such as the K98k and Steyr-Mannlicher M1895
Steyr-Mannlicher M1895
The Steyr-Mannlicher M1895 rifle is a bolt-action rifle, designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher that used a refined version of his revolutionary straight-pull action. It was nicknamed the "Ruck-Zuck" by Landsers...
through use of a special action conversion kit and a thin-walled .22 caliber barrel inserted within the larger rifle's bore.
History
Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B. Geipel GmbH was formed in 1922 in ErfurtErfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, by Berthold Geipel.
Post war
In 1945 Geipel was arrested and imprisoned by the Allied occupation forces in Germany due to his involvement with the Nazi party. He was eventually freed and underwent denazificationDenazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
, after which he worked for Vollmer GmbH as Assistant Director to Heinrich Vollmer
Heinrich Vollmer
Heinrich Vollmer was a well-known weapon designer of Europe.The chief designer Heinrich Vollmer, working for Erma Werke in Erfurt, used Bertold Geipel's MP36 to develop one of the most famous German submachine guns of the Second World War, MP38/MP40...
.
Following the end of the war, the Thuringen region found itself in the Soviet occupation zone. Marshal Shukow of the Soviet occupation forces
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany , also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany and the Western Group of Forces were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany....
ordered what was left of ERMA Werke to be liquidated on 31 August 1948.
Geipel re-established Erma Werke in Bavaria in 1949 and in 1952 the company moved to Dachau, near Munich. Geipel's son Rudolf became the chief Engineer of the new company and for the first few years production was devoted to household appliances. Around 1952 ERMA was awarded a contract by the government of West Germany to service and produce parts for the various Allied forces weapons that had been supplied to the German police.
Following the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1955, the Federal government gave Erma permission to research and develop a new submachine gun, as West Germany's police and army wished to replace the weapons given to them by the Allied forces. ERMA's design was, however, outbid and out-performed by a submission by Walther. The financial resources expended in developing the submachine gun had been quite substantial, and as a consequence ERMA was taken over in 1961 by Fiberglide, a division of Lear-Siegler, who traded under the Erma Werke name.
In October 1997 Erma Werke commenced bankruptcy proceedings and in 1998 was taken over by Suhler und Sportwaffen, a division of Steyr-Mannlicher, following which the ERMA Werke name ceased to exist.
Weapons manufactured
- EMP 44EMP 44The EMP 44 is a firearm produced by Erma Werke in 1943. It passed all of the German ordnance tests, but was not adopted by the Wehrmacht.-Design:...
, experimental low cost SMG - MP40MP40The MP 38 and MP 40 , often called Schmeisser, were submachine guns developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by paratroopers, tank crews, platoon and squad leaders, and other troops during World War II.-Development:The MP 40 descended from its predecessor, the MP 38, which was in turn based...
- MP E
- M1 CarbineM1 CarbineThe M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
, ERMA manufactured parts for these weapons in the early 1950s and produced a .22 caliber training rifle modeled after the carbine that proved so popular it was commercially marketed as the EM-1. - Various low cost .22 caliber pistols resembling the Luger Parabellum
- ESP 85AErma ESP 85AThe ESP 85A is a target pistol produced by the German firearms company Erma.Mainly used as a sporting arm, it is also found in service with security companies. It is available in two calibers, .22LR and .32 S&W Long .The ESP 85 is long with a barrel, and features single action operation...