The MP60 was a West German grenade-launching submachine gun designed by Mauser.
History[]
The MP60 was produced by Mauser in 1960, clearly designed around the same principles as the Erma SMART. Ludwig Vorgrimmler worked on the weapon in collaboration with another Mauser engineer. It may have been one of the submissions into the Bundeswehr's submachine gun trials, but in any case it did not see adoption within West Germany and failed to sell abroad.
Design[]
The MP60 was a closed-bolt submachine gun that was designed to also fill the role of a light anti-armor weapon. The firing pin was operated by a retracting spring and hammer and proved to be a very reliable system that produced low recoil. The grenades were propelled by compressed gas energy.
The MP60 also employed a unique muzzle brake that doubled as both a means of reducing the weapon's recoil and as a slotted guide in which to insert the grenade. In order to fire the grenade, a bolt-locking feature was available from the fire selector.
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