The Reising Submachine,Invented by Eugene Reising, the M50 Reising submachine gun was manufactured f

The Reising Submachine,Invented by Eugene Reising, the M50 Reising submachine gun was manufactured for World War II and became famous for use by the Marine Corps during the opening year of the war with Japan.  It utilized a delayed blowback closed bolt system, and was fed from a 12 or 20 round magazine.  Different models came in .45ACP, .30 Carbine, and a .22lr training version.  A shortened model (M55) with a folding wire stock was also produced for use by paratroopers, Marine Corps Raiders, and tank crews.The Reising SMG would mostly see action by US Marines at the Battle of Guadalcanal.  There the Reising would gain a reputation as a first rate piece of crap.  Despite its small compact size, the guns were heavier than most SMG’s.  The wire stock on the M55 was so flimsy that it tended to bend when a soldier fired.  The most terrible aspect was the gun’s complicated closed bolt system, which tended to malfunction when exposed to rain, sand, or mud, a phenomen very common in the Pacific.  Many Marines, when finding a better weapon such as an M1 Carbine or Thompson, would ditch their Reisings in the jungle.  In one instance, Lt. Col Merritt Edson, commander of the Marine Raiders Battalion, ordered crates full of Reisings issued to his unit to be dumped into a river.  He then demanded that his unit be issued something better.In 1943 all Reising SMG’s were recalled from combat.  Most of the leftovers would be used to arm homeguard units, police, or security guards.  Others would be dropped into Nazi occupied Europe for use by resistance fighters. Today they are highly sought after by collectors.  Around 100,000 were produced. -- source link

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