Submachine gun competition
Encyclopedia
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...
and belt
Belt (firearm)
A belt or ammunition belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm. Belts and the associated feed systems are typically employed to feed machine guns or other automatic weapons...
-fed machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
shooting competitions take place across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
every month in many states where firearms which fall under the National Firearms Act
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
are legal. Although submachine gun competitions have been happening in the United States of America since the early 1980s, it is one of the least-known shooting disciplines due to the restricted nature of the firearms involved.
To the novice submachine gun competitor, the average match would have many of the same elements as an IDPA
International Defensive Pistol Association
The International Defensive Pistol Association , founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that promotes defensive pistol shooting as a sport, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios...
or IPSC
International Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
event with the only difference being the firearm used and the amounts of ammunition carried. Usually competitors move through a stage while being timed as he or she navigates the course of fire (COF) and shoots the various target types.
A competitor in a typical subgun match may use anywhere from 300 to 800 rounds
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
of ammunition depending on the number of targets, the shooter's skill, and the stage design. Some sub gun events incorporate other firearms into the matches such as pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
and shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
.
Some of the firearms used are the Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, Uzi and Mini Uzi
Uzi submachine gun
The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi...
, Colt 9mm SMG
Colt 9mm SMG
The Colt 9mm SMG is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun manufactured by Colt, based on the M16 rifle platform.-Design details:The Colt 9mm SMG is a closed bolt, blowback operated SMG, rather than the conventional direct impingement gas operation of the standard 5.56x45mm M16 type rifle.The overall...
, Sterling
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
, Mac-10
MAC-10
The MAC-10 is a highly compact, blowback operated machine pistol developed by Gordon B. Ingram in 1964.-Design:The M-10 was built predominantly from steel stampings...
, Sten
Sten
The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...
, Thompson
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
, Carl Gustav M/45 / Swedish K
Carl Gustav M/45
Kulsprutepistol m/45 , also known as the Carl Gustav M/45 and the Swedish K SMG, is a 9 mm Swedish submachine gun designed by Gunnar Johnsson, adopted in 1945 , and manufactured at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The m/45 was the standard submachine gun of the...
and the 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...
, as well as many others.
States which have Subgun competitions as of April 2011
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wisconsin
See also
- Knob Creek Gun RangeKnob Creek Gun RangeKnob Creek Gun Range is an outdoor shooting range located in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States, near the community of West Point, Kentucky. The range is a former military-munitions test range...
- Host of bi-annual submachine gun competitions. - List of submachine guns
- Shooting rangeShooting rangeA shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
- Shooting sportsShooting sportsA shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
External links
- Machine Gun Competition Calendar - Listing of submachine gun competitions in the United States of America
- Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot and competition - One of the largest submachine gun competitions in the USA. Considered the subgun national competitions.
- Indiana State Sub-Machinegun Championship - Another large match which also has a reenactor competitor class.
- Bullet Hose - Submachine gun competition discussion
- SMGBuddy - SMG competition results
- Arizona Full Auto - Arizona Subgun Shooters (Phoenix)