Gevarm D4
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 233 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
- Introduced
- 1956
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Gévarm D4 is a French blowback submachine gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, developed in 1956 by Gévarm, the firearms subsidiary of the Gévelot ammunition company. Firing from an open bolt with selective single and full-automatic fire, it was conceived as an economical alternative to the standard-issue MAT-49. Its receiver, trigger unit and short barrel jacket were formed from stamped sheet steel to keep manufacturing cheap, and it featured an automatic grip safety, a retractable steel-wire buttstock and a flip-up rear sight graduated for 50 and 100 metres.
Designed by Gévarm, a subsidiary of the cartridge maker Gévelot, the D4 was an inexpensive stamped-steel rival to the MAT-49. Although it never won a French military contract, its economical construction and open-bolt design made it a notable budget submachine gun of the post-war era.
Only about 3,000 to 4,000 units were built. The French Army tested D3 (wooden stock) and D4 (retractable wire stock) variants in February 1957 but never adopted them, retaining the MAT-49 in service. The D4 saw limited use with French police forces and some export customers.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Gévarm (Gévelot)
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- France
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1956
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 233 mm
- Overall length
- 782 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 380 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Open bolt firing
Retractable stock
Flip up rear sight
Stamped sheet steel construction
Left side charging handle
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.30 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 782 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 233 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Gevarm D4
How much does the Gevarm D4 weigh?
The Gevarm D4 weighs 3.30 kg (7.28 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Gevarm D4?
The Gevarm D4 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Gevarm D4 hold?
The Gevarm D4 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Gevarm D4?
The Gevarm D4 is 782 mm (30.8 in) long overall, with a 233 mm (9.17 in) barrel.
Who makes the Gevarm D4?
The Gevarm D4 is made by Gévarm (Gévelot) (France).
When was the Gevarm D4 introduced?
The Gevarm D4 was introduced in 1956.
How does the Gevarm D4 operate?
The Gevarm D4 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- French Police (CRS)
- France
- Paris Police Prefecture
- France
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/gevarm-d4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "gevarm-d4", "name": "Gevarm D4", "manufacturer": { "id": "gevarm", "name": "Gévarm (Gévelot)", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "6ab78d6dd9f917a7eaf3a56960f70e77728f14c6c1a4da37ade1abdcc221a4c9" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 1956, "barrel_length_mm": 233, "weight_empty_g": 3300, "action_type": "blowback"}