The model 1940 also known as the Smith& Wesson Light Rifle – a prototype used and dismissed by the US Military during WW2. Primarily for the USMC ! Check it out!

Smith & Wesson Model 1940: Rare for a Reason

Smith &Wesson Model 1940

Hey, guys, and welcome to another walk-in Wednesday. Look at this one. This actually did walk in our door about a week ago. It reminds me a lot of the MP 40. I actually have one up on the screen. This is a Smith and Wesson model 1940, the patent date is 1939, but Smith and Wesson, of course, all the big producers are trying to get into the war. The war is just beginning in Europe. They’re trying to get contracts with the US government and European countries so they can get in on the big bonanza. I don’t mean to be flippant about it, but they have an opportunity to make a lot of money by selling guns in the military.

Smith &Wesson Model 1940 Tests that Didn’t go So Well

So, Smith and Wesson made this the MP 40 designation was because they were produced in 1940. They only made about 1,500 of these, because they were tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds by the US Army, and the US Army was not impressed. There was a couple of things they had issue with. First of all, it’s 9 millimeters, 9-millimeter Luger, which is a European round. I think if they had made it in 45 caliber and full auto probably would have done a lot better. But it’s semi-automatic. It has an open bolt system.

I’m going to demonstrate that to you. Again, this reminds me of the MP 40 machine gun. Pull the boat back. It stays in place. Safety is right here. But listen to how sturdy this gun is. That would be a single shot and would have a blow-back function. So, every time you pull the trigger, it would shoot a 9-millimeter round. When they tried it out at average Dean, they were not impressed, so they rejected it. It had a couple of features they didn’t like. First of all, being semi-automatic, but also the ejection port is through the bottom. Kind of a strange design. Here’s a magazine again. Looks like an MP 40 mag pops up in there. They have this extra space under there, which I thought was for the extra magazine. Turns out that’s the ejection port comes out the bottom. Of course, if you go into the mod, you lean on your stomach and it’s popping out the bottom. It’s not a good design. So, Aberdeen rejected it.

England Desperate for Weapons Says Yes to Smith &Wesson Model 1940

However, 1940, if you know, that’s when the blitzkrieg was happening. England was battling all by itself against the Germans and they were desperate for weapons. So, they actually signed a contract to take delivery of these. They gave him a million pounds as a deposit started to take delivery and they put 500 rounds, 5000 rounds through one and it broke the receiver. They found out that had some design flaws and they were really upset about it. It caused a big dispute, and Smith and Wesson had already spent the money on design and production. So, the way they resolved it is that Smith and Wesson gave them  Smith and Wesson revolvers in exchange for not sending them these. So, these were actually never used in the war.

Smith & Wesson Model 1940 Usable or Not?

At the end of the war, most of them were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean because they were deemed not usable. So, again, only about fifteen hundred made. Many of those were destroyed at the end of the war. This one is actually number four hundred and seventy. So, it’s really early. And I don’t know how many survived, but it makes it some very rare gun. So, this walked in from a collector in the area, not out of somebody’s attic.

Smith &Wesson Model 1940 Very Rare

I doubt that you’ve ever seen one or would come across one. We put this up on our Web site and it sold within an hour. So, they’re very rare and desirable by collectors. So just some of the fun things that we have here and legacy.

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