FBP SMG (Fabrica de Braco de Prata)

History of FBP SMG (Fabrica de Braco de Prata)

With the development after 1940, this Portuguese submachine gun evolved into "FBP" (Fabrica de Braco de Prata) after the war. War introduced a variety of capable designs, functions and components, some of which were simply incorporated into the original Portuguese design.

The design of the gun, attributed to Portuguese Army Major Goncalves Cardoso, enjoys a healthy frontline life of nearly 30 years.

The FBP used the telescopic bolt, barrel and general construction (steel stampings) of the German wartime MP40 submachine gun as well as the pistol grip, trigger mechanism and wire stock of the famous American M3 "Grease Gun". The resulting FBP was loaded into the ubiquitous German 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge and fired by recoil action - fully automatic only.

Bullets are fed from a detachable 21 or 32 round magazine. The weapon's layout is traditional, with a separate pistol grip/trigger mechanism, receiver??, magazine and barrel located in front of the pistol grip. The barrel section is unique in that it is designed to increase support for the bayonet. Aiming is carried out through front and rear iron assemblies. Performance specifications include a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 1,280 feet per second.

Like the M3 Grease Gun, the FBP's wire stock folds down to keep it compact. The pull handle is placed in the long channel along the left side of the receiver.

In practice, the FBP has proven to be a reliable weapon and has been carefully designed for harsh military service. The steel press manufacturing method makes the weapon suitable for mass production. If there's a downside, it's range accuracy - something to be expected from a "dumb" weapon design like the FBP. The original fully automatic m/948 was followed by the improved m/963, which introduced select fire capabilities by incorporating semi-automatic action.

The m/963 was followed by the modernized m/973, which introduced a perforated barrel jacket to aid cooling. These are not mass produced. Internally, however, all models in the FBP range remain largely unchanged.

The Portuguese army eventually abandoned their FBP submachine guns in favor of the Israeli UZI. As a result, FBP services extended from 1948 to the 1980s. The weapon was also used by civilians in battles in several former Portuguese colonies.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes