Viper (submachine gun)
| Viper, submachine gun | |
|---|---|
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Derek Alfred Hutton-Williams |
| Designed | 1942–1945 |
| Manufacturer | RSAF Enfield |
| Produced | 1943–1945 |
| No. built | prototypes only |
| Variants | Viper Mk I Viper Mk II Viper Mk III |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Mk I: 4.75 lb (2.15 kg) Mk II: 4.8 lb (2.2 kg) Mk III: 5.0 lb (2.3 kg) (with 7.5 in barrel) |
| Length | Mk I: 21.25 in (540 mm) Mk II: 18.0 in (460 mm) (with collapsed buttstock, 22.25 in (565 mm) extended) Mk III: 24.0 in (610 mm) (with 7.5 in barrel) |
| Barrel length | Mk I: 4.7 in (120 mm) Mk II: 5.0 in (130 mm) / 6.0 in (150 mm) Mk III: 4.7 in (120 mm) / 6.0 in (150 mm) / 7.5 in (190 mm) |
| Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum |
| Action | Blowback-operated, open bolt |
| Rate of fire | ~500-600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | ~1,200 ft/s (370 m/s) with 7.5 in barrel |
| Effective firing range | ~330 ft (100 m) with 7.5 in barrel |
| Feed system | Mk I & Mk II: 32-round detachable box magazine from Sten gun Mk III: 32-round detachable box magazine from MP-40 |
| Sights | Mk I & Mk II: none Mk III: fixed iron sights |
| References | [1] |
The Viper (Viper Mk I, Viper Mk II and Viper Mk III) is a family of specialised prototype-only British submachine guns designed from 1942 to 1945. Its design started on a simplified Sten gun submachine gun.[1]
Viper Mk I[edit]
The basic concept behind the Viper Mk I was to design a simple submachine gun for 9×19mm Parabellum that could be handled and fired single-handedly.[1] That would allow the user to use his other hand e.g. for steering a motorcycle. The design of the Viper started with the cheap and reliable Sten gun Mk III that was then modified.[1] The selective fire trigger group of the blowback-operated open bolt firing Sten was reduced to a full-auto-only trigger, that was then moved so much forward that the viper resembled a bullpup design.[1] The iron sights and trigger guard were removed. The trigger was only protected by small forward protrusions of the grip, which allowed the trigger to be operated even with gloves. The orientation of the charging handle was rotated 90° up, so that the it was on the top of the gun. The rather unreliable safety notch mechanism of the Sten was kept and just rotated with the charging handle. Similar to the Sten the 32-round detachable box magazine was fed from the left side of the gun and spent casings were ejected to the right through a permanently open ejector window. The magazine was in fact the same as was used in the Sten. The barrel was permanently attached onto the receiver. The metal buttstock and pistol grip of the Sten were merged into a two piece wooden overall casing, that was held together by two slotted screws and two sheet metal caps at the butt and front. The buttstock of the viper was specifically designed to allow it to be hold under the armpit and the gun to be fired from the hip.[1] The Viper Mk I prototype was designed in 1942 and manufactured in 1943 by Derek Alfred Hutton-Williams.[1] The Viper Mk I was not adopted into service; a surviving prototype can nowadays be found at the Royal Armouries Museum.
Viper Mk II[edit]
After the Mk I Hutton-Williams kept on working on the design and in 1943 came up with the Viper Mk II.[1] The Mk II was based on the Mk I and therefore still on the Sten gun. It still had no sights for aiming at all, no trigger guard and could fire full-auto only and had the unreliable safety mechanism. The magazine was the same as in the Mk I but now it fed from below through the handgrip of the Mk II. The overall body of the gun was still to be made of wood or plastic. Some alterations were done that made the Mk II more compact than the Mk I. A shorter barrel of 5 or 6 inches was proposed, the butt stock was collapsible and the magazine could be clipped alongside the bottom of the gun for transport. It is unclear if the Viper Mk II was actually ever made or if it was an on paper design only.
Viper Mk III[edit]
Hutton-Williams kept on his design work and shortly after the end of World War II in 1945 and the occupation of Germany he proposed his design of the Viper Mk III.[1] The Mk III was more complex than the Mk II. The Viper Mk III now had a combined safety and selective fire switch in form of a push-button, bare iron sights and a wide trigger guard, that still allowed the trigger to be operated with gloves. The body of the gun was made of stamped metal and the barrel could be removed and different barrel lengths were available. The grip was made smaller and angled back. The magazine still fed from below through the grip, but the magazine was now a MP-40 magazine instead of the Sten magazine of the MK I and Mk II, due to the occupation of Germany that made MP-40 parts cheaply available in large numbers. In mid-1945 the Viper was finally rejected by the British government and not further developed.[1] After the Viper submachine gun Hutton-Williams kept on working in the field of firearms and in 1964 became Superintendent of the RSAF Enfield.[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Hobart, Frank William Arthur (1975). Pictorial History of the Sub-machine Gun. Scribner. pp. 97–100, 214. ISBN 978-0-684-14186-2. Search this book on
External links[edit]
- The Viper machine carbine, Firearms Curiosa, article with some pictures
- Viper machine pistol, Historical Firearms
- Viper MkI: A Simplified Steampunk Sten, video of the Viper Mk I with views of the interior
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