ERMA: Erfurter Maschinenfabrik, 19242003, Vol. 3

The must-have reference on the submachine guns produced at the Erfurter Maschinenfabrik. Volume 3 of a monumental three-part illustrated history of ERMA, the Erfurter Maschinenfabrik. ERMA is best known for production of German small arms during the Second World War, including the MP 40 submachine gun, the Mauser K98 rifle, and the ERMA EMP. Volume 3 provides detailed profiles of all ERMA's flare and submachine gun models. These include the interwar EMP, which ERMA had foreign customers for in Europe and the Americas. A significant number of EMPs were also sold to the SS in the buildup to WWII. During the war, production shifted away from the EMP to the MP38 and MP40, of which ERMA produced hundreds of thousands of examples for the Wehrmacht. Before, during, and after the war, the "Werke" designed a significant variety of prototype or very small production submachine guns, all of which are described in unprecedented detail in this book. Aside from the submachine guns, this volume includes descriptions of flare guns and some miscellaneous accessories and summarizes ERMA's substantial wartime production of the Sturmgewehr assault rifle. This final volume also includes a treasure trove of notes and appendixes. Collectively, the three-volume work totals nearly 1,400 pages with more than 2,200 photos. This is the definitive guide to ERMA and a crucial reference for any collector of German firearms.