Madsen M-50

Madsen Model 1950
Madsen Model 1950
	Madsen M-50
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Denmark
Service history
In service	1950–1980s
Used by	See Users
Wars	First Indochina War; Indonesian National Revolution; Korean War; Malayan Emergency; Vietnam War; Salvadoran Civil War; The Troubles; Colombian Civil War; Araguaia Guerrilla War
Production history
Designer	Dansk Industri Syndikat
Designed	1950
Manufacturer	Dansk Industri Syndikat
Variants	M/46, M/53
Specifications
Mass	3.15 kilograms (6.9 lb)
Length	795 millimetres (31.3 in) with stock open
Caliber	9×19mm Parabellum
Action	Blowback
Rate of fire	550 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	380 m/s (1,200 ft/s)
Feed system	Magazine 32 rounds
Sights	Single aperature set for 100 m (110 yd)
References

The Madsen M-50 or M/50 is a submachine gun introduced in 1950. It was produced by the Danish company Dansk Industri Syndikat of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

Close

This firearm was a modified variation of the M/46. The only major improvement was the simplified retracting handle. Introduction of the M/50 occurred at Mosede Fort, from 7 November 1950, until 1953.^[1]

The M/50 is made of stamped sheet metal. It is an open bolt design which means it fires when the bolt is in the locked back open position with a fixed firing pin. The M/46 and M/50 share a unique design: the firearm is stamped from two pieces of sheet metal which are shaped with an integral rear pistol grip and magazine housing. The two pieces fit together like a clam shell with the hinge at the rear of the pistol grip. The firearm is held together with a barrel locking nut which is threaded onto the fore section of the two receiver halves. The pistol grip is hollow, providing storage space for a magazine loading tool.^[1]

The folding stock is made of tubular steel covered with leather and folds onto the right side of the firearm. The M/50 fires in full-auto only. It also features a safety lever (also known as grip safety), unusually placed in front of the forward magazine housing. To fire the M/50 the operator must grip the magazine housing and hold down the safety lever.^[2]

Argentina^[3]
Bolivia^[4]
Brazil (produced under license as the INA Model 953 in .45 ACP)
Chile^[5]
Colombia^[6]
Denmark^[1]^[4]
El Salvador^[3]^[4]
Guatemala^[3]
Indonesia^[7]
North Vietnam^[8]
Nicaragua^[6]
Paraguay^[6]^[4]
South Vietnam^[9]
Thailand^[5]
Taiwan^[10]
United Kingdom: the M-50 underwent intensive trials in 1951–1952 against the BSA model 1949 and the Sterling submachine gun. The latter was eventually selected.^[11]
United States In use with Green Berets serving alongside Montagnards in MIKE Force units ^[12]
Venezuela^[5]^[4]

Non State Users

Malayan Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party^[13]^[14]
Ação Libertadora Nacional^[15]
Ulster Defence Association
Red Hand Commando^[16]
Loyalist Volunteer Force
Vanguarda Armada Revolucionaria Palmares^[17]
Italian Mafia-Large quantities of Madsen M-50s sold to various Italian Mafia crime families through the black market.
Yakuza-Large quantities of Madsen M-50s sold to various Japanese Yakuza clans through the black market.

[1]
Peterson, Phillip (18 October 2013). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. Krause Publications. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-1-4402-3692-1.
[2]
Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S. (2010). Jane's Infantry Weapons. pp. 81–82, 87.
[3]
Schwing, Ned (5 November 2005). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 74–75. ISBN 0-87349-902-6.
[4]
"Dánský samopal Madsen M 1950" [Danish submachine gun Madsen M 1950]. vhu.cz (in Czech). Vojenský historický ústav Praha [cs]. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020.
[5]
Hogg, Ian V. (2001). Submachine Guns. Greenhill Books. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-1-85367-448-8.
[6]
Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V. Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996. Jane's Information Group; 21 edition (May 1995). ISBN 978-0-7106-1241-0.
[7]
Fitzsimons, Bernard (1978). The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare. New York: Columbia House. p. 1817.
[8]
"WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War". 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. A fairly remarkable spread of guns, illustrating the weapons used by, and captured by, US Navy special warfare operators in 1964. The red arrow points to a Mauser C96 which – unusually for Vietnam – still has the boxy wood stock. Next is a LAW shoulder-fired rocket, then a WWII-German MP-40. then two Cold War-era submachine guns; the Madsen M50 and Carl Gustav, then two unknown revolvers. At top is a M16 and some mortar rounds. Finally, the assault rifle far right is a Colt Model 605B, an assault rifle issued in tiny quantities only to specops units. It's issue was so small that it never even received a M__ number.
[9]
McNab, Chris (19 March 2013). America's Elite: US Special Forces from the American Revolution to the Present Day. Osprey Publishing. pp. 276–277. ISBN 978-1-78200-316-8.
[10]
"This Is Quemoy". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
[11]
Moss, Matthew (29 Nov 2018). The Sterling Submachine Gun. Weapon 65. Osprey Publishing. pp. 15–18. ISBN 9781472828088.
[12]
Rottman, Gordon L. (25 Jul 2002). Green Beret in Vietnam 1957–73. Warrior 28. Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9781855325685.
[13]
"Relatório Sobre a Luta no Araguaia". www.marxists.org. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
[14]
"Glênio Fernandes de Sá Mililtante Político PCdoB Partido Comunista do Brasil RN Rio Grande do Norte Potiguar Natal Caraúbas Araguaia Guerrilha Guerrilheiro Livro Textos Vídeos Osvaldão DVD Multimídia DHnet - Direitos Humanos na Internet". www.dhnet.org.br. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
[15]
"Por trás de uma pistola 45: Gênero e guerrilha no Brasil. 1968-1973" (PDF).
[16]
"Red Hand Commando - Ulster's elite".
[17]
"1970: Oban afirma ter desbaratado a VAR-Palmares". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

Nelson, Thomas B. The World's Submachine Guns. International small arms publishers: Cologne, Germany, 1963.

Madsen M1946 / M1950 / M1953 at Modern Firearms

[Peterson2013-1] [1]
Peterson, Phillip (18 October 2013). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. Krause Publications. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-1-4402-3692-1.

[2] [2]
Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S. (2010). Jane's Infantry Weapons. pp. 81–82, 87.

[Schwing2005-3] [3]
Schwing, Ned (5 November 2005). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 74–75. ISBN 0-87349-902-6.

[Czech-4] [4]
"Dánský samopal Madsen M 1950" [Danish submachine gun Madsen M 1950]. vhu.cz (in Czech). Vojenský historický ústav Praha [cs]. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020.

[Hogg2001-5] [5]
Hogg, Ian V. (2001). Submachine Guns. Greenhill Books. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-1-85367-448-8.

[gander1995-6] [6]
Gander, Terry J.; Hogg, Ian V. Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996. Jane's Information Group; 21 edition (May 1995). ISBN 978-0-7106-1241-0.

[Fitzsimons1978-7] [7]
Fitzsimons, Bernard (1978). The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare. New York: Columbia House. p. 1817.

[8] [8]
"WWII German weapons during the Vietnam War". 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. A fairly remarkable spread of guns, illustrating the weapons used by, and captured by, US Navy special warfare operators in 1964. The red arrow points to a Mauser C96 which – unusually for Vietnam – still has the boxy wood stock. Next is a LAW shoulder-fired rocket, then a WWII-German MP-40. then two Cold War-era submachine guns; the Madsen M50 and Carl Gustav, then two unknown revolvers. At top is a M16 and some mortar rounds. Finally, the assault rifle far right is a Colt Model 605B, an assault rifle issued in tiny quantities only to specops units. It's issue was so small that it never even received a M__ number.

[McNab2013-9] [9]
McNab, Chris (19 March 2013). America's Elite: US Special Forces from the American Revolution to the Present Day. Osprey Publishing. pp. 276–277. ISBN 978-1-78200-316-8.

[10] [10]
"This Is Quemoy". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved 2022-02-11.

[11] [11]
Moss, Matthew (29 Nov 2018). The Sterling Submachine Gun. Weapon 65. Osprey Publishing. pp. 15–18. ISBN 9781472828088.

[Rottman2002-12] [12]
Rottman, Gordon L. (25 Jul 2002). Green Beret in Vietnam 1957–73. Warrior 28. Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 9781855325685.

[13] [13]
"Relatório Sobre a Luta no Araguaia". www.marxists.org. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[14] [14]
"Glênio Fernandes de Sá Mililtante Político PCdoB Partido Comunista do Brasil RN Rio Grande do Norte Potiguar Natal Caraúbas Araguaia Guerrilha Guerrilheiro Livro Textos Vídeos Osvaldão DVD Multimídia DHnet - Direitos Humanos na Internet". www.dhnet.org.br. Retrieved 2023-07-02.

[15] [15]
"Por trás de uma pistola 45: Gênero e guerrilha no Brasil. 1968-1973" (PDF).

[16] [16]
"Red Hand Commando - Ulster's elite".

[17] [17]
"1970: Oban afirma ter desbaratado a VAR-Palmares". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

Madsen M-50

Wikiwand in your browser!

Wikiwand in your browser!

Overview

Users

References

External links