Bergmann MP34
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.05 kg
- Introduced
- 1934
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Bergmann MP34 is a German blowback-operated, open-bolt submachine gun designed by Emil Bergmann in the early 1930s and chambered primarily in 9x19mm Parabellum. Its most distinctive feature is the right-side magazine housing, which feeds from the right and ejects to the left, the reverse of most contemporaries. A progressive trigger gives semi-automatic fire with a partial pull and full-automatic fire with a full pull, and the bolt handle at the rear of the receiver must be rotated up before being drawn back. Limited capacity at the Bergmann works in Suhl meant most examples were built by Carl Walther at Zella-Mehlis.
The Bergmann MP34 descends from the MP32, first manufactured under licence by the Danish firm Schultz & Larsen. Its unusual right-hand feed and bolt-action-style cocking handle made it one of the more idiosyncratic submachine guns of the interwar period.
Often abbreviated BMP34. Built in both a 200mm short-barrel and a 320mm long-barrel (bayonet-lugged) configuration. Walther produced roughly 2,000 MP34s for export and domestic sale before the design was reworked into the mass-production-oriented MP35/I.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Carl Walther GmbH
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1934 to 1940
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Overall length
- 840 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.05 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.45 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 365 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 481 J
- Effective range
- 150 m
- Rate of fire
- 650 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 operation
Right side magazine feed
Progressive trigger select fire
Bolt handle rotating lock
Wooden stock
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 | 4.05 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 840 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 200 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Bergmann MP34
How much does the Bergmann MP34 weigh?
The Bergmann MP34 weighs 4.05 kg (8.93 lb) empty and 4.45 kg (9.81 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Bergmann MP34?
The Bergmann MP34 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Bergmann MP34 hold?
The Bergmann MP34 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Bergmann MP34?
The Bergmann MP34 is 840 mm (33.1 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.
Who makes the Bergmann MP34?
The Bergmann MP34 is made by Carl Walther GmbH (Germany). It was designed by Emil Bergmann.
When was the Bergmann MP34 introduced?
The Bergmann MP34 was introduced in 1934 and discontinued in 1940.
How does the Bergmann MP34 operate?
The Bergmann MP34 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
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
- Waffen-SS
- Germany
- Royal Swedish Army
- Sweden
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
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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/mp34-bergmann' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mp34-bergmann", "name": "Bergmann MP34", "manufacturer": { "id": "walther", "name": "Carl Walther GmbH", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1886, "website": "https://www.carl-walther.de", "logoUrl": null, "description": "German manufacturer of sporting, competition, and defense firearms. Founded in 1886, Carl Walther is known for precision weapons technology.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "d65d37557d49efec8a72ef6019ef9e5cab9430c505d88b909eaad72b3bf3cfb3" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1934, "barrel_length_mm": 200, "weight_empty_g": 4050, "action_type": "blowback"}