Surname 1
Name
Date
Course/ Section Number
Family Artifact Assignment
German Machine Gun
Provenance
My father inherited this German machine gun from his grandfather. My grandfather
acquired it from in the warfront while the Second World War was ongoing. This machine gun
was initially stored in my grandfather’s safe before he issued it to my father. My grandfather
kept this object in his safe given that he wanted his grandchild to recognize one of the objects he
acquired during the Second World War. My father has owned this machine gun for about ten
years.
Physical Description
This German machine gun is a twenty-eight centimeter long and 62centimeter wide. Its
color is dark green. The chamber of the gun and barrel is composed of high-strength heat-treated
forged steel alloy. It is made in such a way given that the gun was intended to contain pressures
produced by the cartridge's propellant gases. In the riffle, a bolt is used in a bid for containing the
firing extractor as well as the pin and they are made up of similar kinds of alloys. Other parts of
this gun are composed of steel alloys. However, they are not strong given that they do not have
to contain pressure. Other parts are composed of stamped metal components or casts rather than
forgings in a bid for saving material and efficiency. Its frame is made of steel alloys to reduce its
weight. As a result of the entire pressure being contained by bolt, barrel, and chamber, its
receiver appears not to be of the same strength. The barrel does not have any form of insulation.
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This means that it led to burns if it was not positioned correctly. A hand guard, composed of
sympathetic material acquired from bake -lite is positioned between the pistol grip and its
magazine.
Personal History and Memories
Some parts of the gun appear corroded given that it was kept in an environment where
atmosphere is saturated especially during winter. Its handle seems dirty given that the safes are
usually exposed to dust. After the outbreak of the Second World War, many Germans carried
this type of gun and it was perceived to be a standard weapon of choice for many soldiers. In
fact, the Allied troops feared it at the onset given that it was not prone to misfiring’s as M38
(National Museum of American History par.1). After the Second World War, most German
machine guns were acquired by the Allied troops and then redistributed to irregular troops and
paramilitary forces positioned in developing nations.
Date or Era
This object was acquired on 7th December 1941. That is, it was obtained one year later
after the United States decided to participate in the Second World War. During this Era, the
Allied forces were battling the Nazi troops given that they wanted to dominate different parts of
the world.
Importance to American History from 1865-today
From 1941, the Americans who owned this weapon back in the United States recalled
how the Second World War faired. In specific, they remembered that both the Allied troops and
the Nazi soldiers struggled to come up with better weapons (Madalnet par.1). Nonetheless, after
Allied forces confronted the Nazi troops in war-front such as the Battle of Stalingrad, German
soldiers noticed that they had to change their tactics. They had to transform given that they
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noticed they were being overpowered in short-range combat by Allied troops. As a consequence,
they came up with this gun to replace MP 38 and many others (National Museum of American
History, par.1)
Secondly, this object reveals that Americans who acquired it as the war was ongoing
faced many challenges. For instance, they had to endure its problems such as overheating before
it was modified. Besides, they experienced maintenance challenges given that they lacked
enough maintenance experts as compared to Germany. Furthermore, it reminded people who
owned it that the invention of aluminum and steel alloy influenced the military. In specific, it led
to the development of light guns. After the end of this war, this object reminded Americans how
their military was equipped by German machine guns they had obtained from the battlefield.
They also remember how the United States decided to distribute some German machine guns to
nations that were still developing (Wadham 56). Apart from recalling how they were distributed,
they also recall how this object was acquired by people in the criminal world. They specifically
remember that it was used by organized gangs in regions dominated by African American
communities. They were specifically informed that these organized gangs got involved in crimes
such as assassination, money laundering, and many others.
I think that this object is vital to the United States history due to profound reasons. First
of all, it can be used to identify the weapons which made United States change their war tactic
during the Second World War. Secondly, this object can enable the administrators to determine
the weapons which have exacerbated crimes in its territories. Thirdly, military experts can use its
model to come up with better guns. In this way, the United States will enhance security in its
territory and protect its allies. Finally, it can remind Americans of the problem they encountered
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on the battlefield. They can particularly recall that they had to face the hostile Nazi troops and
endure the harsh climatic conditions.
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Picture
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Bibliography
Madalnet. The MP40 History. http://www.medalnet.net/mpforty/mpforty_history.htm. Accessed
on 20th April 2020.
National Museum of American History. German MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" Submachine
Gun. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_415106. Accessed on
20th April 2020.
Wadham, R. (2015). Tommy: The Gun That Changed America. Children's Book and Media
Review, 36(5), 56.
