The Madsen M-50 or M/50 is a submachine gun

Submachine gun

A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...

 introduced in 1950. It was produced by the Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 company Dansk Industri Syndikat

Dansk Industri Syndikat

Dansk Industri Syndikat is a defence manufacturer based in Copenhagen, Denmark most notable for producing the Madsen M-50.-Products:* Lettet submachine gun* Madsen-Saetter machine gun* Madsen K50* Madsen LAR...

 of Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, Denmark. The company was otherwise known as Madsen after its founder Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen

Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen

Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen , was a Danish politician, minister, army officer, businessman and inventor.He began his military career in 1859 and served in the Second War of Schleswig as a lieutenant. In 1896, at the rank of captain, Madsen was responsible for the adoption of the Madsen machine gun...

Overview

This firearm was a modified variation of the M/46. The only major improvement was the simplified retracting handle. Introduction of the M/50 occurred on November 7, 1950 at Mosede, Denmark.

The M/50 is made of stamped sheet metal. Its an open-bolt design which means it fires when the bolt is in the locked back open position with a fixed firing pin

Firing pin

A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...

. The M/46-M/50 share a unique design: the firearm is stamped from 2 pieces of sheet metal which are shaped with an integral rear pistol grip and magazine housing. The two pieces fit together like a clam shell with the hinge at the rear of the pistol grip. The firearm is held together with a barrel locking nut which is threaded onto the fore section of the two receiver halves. The pistol grip is hollow, providing storage space for a magazine loading tool.

The folding stock is made of tubular steel covered with leather and folds onto the right side of the firearm. The M/50 fires in full-auto only features a safety lever unusually placed in front of the forward magazine housing. To fire the M/50 the operator must grip the magazine housing and hold down the safety lever.

Users

(produced under license as the INA Model 953

INA Model 953

The INA Model 953 is Brazilian submachine gun - a modified Madsen M/50.It was manufactured by the Industria National de Armas S.A. in São Paulo Brazil under license for Madsen. Production began in 1950. The first Model was marked M.B.-50 and was manufactured till 1953 and was marked with a large...

 in .45 ACP

.45 ACP

The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...

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