# The Rise and Fall of the Submachine Gun Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jhoYl86OWY Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/5jhoYl86OWY Generated: 2025-10-03T15:38:06.904+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Modern armies no longer use submachine guns as primary weapons because rifle technology advanced to offer intermediate cartridges with rifle power and submachine gun controllability, body armor negated pistol caliber effectiveness, and logistics favored ammunition standardization, rendering the SMG obsolete on the modern battlefield. **Key Points:** - The primary reason for the decline of the submachine gun is that rifle technology caught up, introducing intermediate cartridges like 7.62x39mm and 5.56 NATO that provided rifle range and accuracy with controllable burst fire rates, eliminating the need for pistol caliber automatics. - Body armor advancements, specifically Kevlar and later rifle-stopping armor, nullified the effectiveness of pistol rounds (like 9mm or .45 ACP) fired by SMGs, as demonstrated by the US ditching the M3 Grease Gun in the 1990s. - Logistical simplicity strongly favors standardization; adding an entirely different caliber of pistol ammunition for submachine guns complicates supply chains when armies prefer one family of weapons and ammo, as realized by the US in Vietnam favoring the 5.56 M16 over SMGs. - Modern pistols have increased capacity, blurring the capability lines; for example, a modern Sig pistol can hold 20 rounds, which is two-thirds the capacity of a British Sten gun. - The iconic MP5 saw use in counter-terrorist units because hostages often lacked body armor, but incidents like the 1997 North Hollywood shootout showed police bullets bouncing off armored bank robbers, highlighting the inadequacy of 9mm against modern protection. - The submachine gun concept morphed into the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) like the FN P90 or HK MP7, which fire small, high-velocity rounds capable of punching through armor, intended for vehicle crews, though PDWs remain niche, expensive, and haven't widely replaced carbines. - The age of the submachine gun as a primary military weapon is over because the modern battlefield demands range, armor penetration, and logistics efficiency, all better provided by the assault rifle, leading most armies to issue cheaper, standardized carbines instead. **Context:** The video analyzes the historical prevalence and subsequent obsolescence of the submachine gun (SMG) in modern armies, defining it as a short, lightweight automatic weapon firing pistol caliber rounds (9mm, .45 ACP) designed for close quarters battle like trenches or bunkers, noting their widespread use in World War II by forces utilizing weapons like the German MP40, British Sten, Soviet PPSH41, and American Thompson and M3 Grease Gun. ## Detailed Analysis The presenter explains that modern armies have largely abandoned submachine guns due to four primary factors, starting with the evolution of rifle technology; the adoption of intermediate cartridges like 7.62x39mm and 5.56 NATO gave rifles the controllability of automatic fire while retaining superior range and power, making 9mm SMGs redundant when a squad already carries lightweight rifles with 30-round magazines effective beyond 100 meters. Secondly, the proliferation of body armor, which began slowing down pistol rounds in the 1980s and stopping rifle bullets by 1993, rendered pistol-caliber weapons ineffective against protected targets, leading the US to ditch the M3 Grease Gun post-Desert Storm. Thirdly, logistics dictate standardization; armies avoid the headache of supplying an entirely separate pistol ammunition supply when they can stick to one rifle caliber like 5.56, as seen when the M16 proved sufficient in Vietnam. Fourthly, while modern pistols have improved capacity (some holding 20 rounds), they still cannot fully replace the high volume of fire of an SMG, though this capability gap has narrowed. The iconic MP5, while effective for police SWAT teams against unarmored targets, failed against heavily armored suspects in the North Hollywood shootout. Although the SMG evolved into the niche, expensive Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) designed to defeat armor, most armies opt for simpler, cheaper, standardized carbines instead, concluding that the modern battlefield requires range and armor penetration provided by assault rifles. ### Historical Context of SMGs - Practical SMGs appeared in WWI (MP8 for stormtroopers) and were ubiquitous in WWII (over 6 million PPSH41s made); they fire pistol rounds and are optimized for short-range, close quarters battle. ### Reasons for Decline - Rifle technology advanced to intermediate cartridges offering rifle power with SMG controllability - Body armor rendered pistol rounds ineffective against modern protection - Logistics favor standardization to one main ammunition type. ### The Rise of Alternatives - Assault rifles (M16, AK-47) offer better range and power with controllable automatic fire - Modern pistols have higher capacities, approaching SMG magazine sizes - SMGs evolved into niche, expensive Personal Defense Weapons (PDWs) like the MP7. ### Modern Use Cases - SMGs like the MP5 were iconic for counter-terrorist units against unarmored targets - Today, they are mostly museum pieces, police weapons, or civilian range toys (pistol caliber carbines), as the M4 carbine is preferred over the MP5 by modern soldiers.