The Reising Model 50 Sub-Machine Gun
The Reising Model 50
The Reising was an American submachine gun patented in 1940 and manufactured by Harrington & Richardson. It was designed by Eugene Reising in 1940. The two versions of the weapon produced during World War II were the M50 and the simplified folding-stock M55. Over 100,000 guns were ordered, and were initially used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps, though some went to Canadian, Soviet, and other armies. The model I have is a very early four digit serial number…made in 1941. After the war, an after market magazine that holds 30 rounds was manufactured making the gun more usable as a combat weapon…but too late to be used in WW II. Today it is also possible to get a 50 round drum magazine, but they are very pricey and in extremely short supply.
Design-Though described as a submachine gun, the Reising was actually designed as a compact lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was also capable of fully-automatic fire. There were three versions of the Reising, the M50, M55, and the semi-automatic-only M60.
The M50 was a selective fire weapon, capable of a full auto fire rating at 450–600 rounds per minute or semi auto fire. It was reported that the true full auto rate was nearer to 750–850 rounds per minute. Unlike most submachine guns, the Reising fires from a closed bolt.
There were several differences between the M50 and the M55. The most obvious one was the use of a rather flimsy, folding wire buttstock in the M55. The latter also eliminated the compensator and was simplified internally, making it lighter and shorter, with a reduced rate of fire. The M55 was originally issued to Marine parachute troops and armored vehicle crews. The M60 was designed primarily for police use as a semi-automatic carbine.
History-The Reising entered military service primarily because of uncertainty of supply of sufficient quantities of the Thompson submachine gun. In the testing stage, it won out over some other candidates. It was very light and quite accurate in aimed fire, attributed to its better stock fit and intricate closed bolt design, though its firepower was more limited due to the 20-round capacity of its largest magazine.
During WWII, quantities of the M50 Reising gun were issued to U.S. Marine Corps personnel deploying to the Pacific theatre, and were used in the Solomons campaign, including the battle for Guadalcanal. Most Reisings were originally issued to Marine officers and NCOs in lieu of a compact and light carbine, since the M1 Carbine was not yet being issued to the Marines. Although the Thompson submachine gun was available, this weapon frequently proved too heavy and bulky for jungle patrols, and initially it too was in short supply.
The Paramarines were known to have been issued quantities of the folding-stock M55, but the weapon's poorly-designed wire-framed stock (which tended to collapse upon firing) soon earned the M55 a poor reputation.
Unfortunately, the Reising was not suited to the stresses of harsh battle conditions encountered in the Solomon Islands — namely, the difficulty in keeping the weapon clean enough to function properly. While more accurate than the Thompson, particularly in semi-auto fire, the Reising had a tendency to jam. This was in part due to its overly complex locked-breech design. This design used a system of levers within the breech block, to release the firing pin, that rusted easily in jungle climate. This problem was exacerbated by a recess in the receiver that could accumulate dirt, preventing the bolt from seating properly. In addition, the magazines created other problems; the magazine was a staggered-column, single-cartridge feed design, and slight damage to the feed lips would ruin the magazine. The Reising soon earned a dismal reputation for reliability under combat conditions. Reportedly, many Marines would throw the weapon away upon finding just about anything else, and one NCO reportedly 'decommissioned' his Reising by breaking the stock over the head of a particularly insolent 'brig rat'. Lt. Col. Merritt Edson, commanding officer of a Marine Raider battalion, ordered all Reising submachine guns issued to his unit to be dumped unceremoniously into a river, so that his men might draw better weapons.
After the Marines proved reluctant to accept more Reisings, and with the increased issue of the .30 M1 Carbine, the U.S. government passed some Reising submachine guns to the OSS and to various foreign governments (as Lend-Lease aid). Others were given to various anti-Axis resistance forces operating around the world. Many Reising guns (particularly the M60 variant) were also released to U.S. law enforcement and the National Guard for guarding war plants, bridges, and other strategic resources, and in this role the weapon proved more successful. Now, post WW II, this is one of the least pricey machine guns available to today’s market. They make fun range guns, even if they were not particularly successful as combat guns.
Quick Summary of Machine Gun Law in Minnesota
Minnesota, like many States, does allow private possession and ownership of machine guns. Contrary to popular belief, machine guns have always been legal in the United States. A few States do not allow them, but most do. Minnesota has an odd quirk in that to be legal the gun must be a “Curio or Relic” gun. In simple terms that means “old”…fifty years or older. I believe that one of the newest legal machine guns in Minnesota is the 1977 50th Anniversary Thompson “Tommy Gun”; it would be a “curio”. The Reising Model 50 is considered a “relic”.
Due to the relative limited supply (machine guns made post-May 1986 are not civilian legal in the United States), such guns can be very expensive. The Reising, in the $4000-$6000 price range is one of the least expensive to obtain. (Contrast with a Thompson that may well exceed $20,000!)
To legally purchase a C&R machine gun in Minnesota you need to (a) find a seller that has a desirable C&R gun for sale; (b) make an application to the BATFE to transfer the gun to you (it requires approval of local law enforcement and a $200 tax stamp); and (c) await the conclusion of an extensive FBI background check. Once approved, the transfer can be made. From the day you decide to purchase the gun, it can take several months for the approval to come from the BATFE. (In my case it took about 8 weeks).
So..yes….fully legal….and fun!