SIG Bergmann 1920
Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1920
Also known as: SIG M1920, Brevet Bergmann, Bergmann 1920
Overview
The SIG Bergmann 1920 is a Swiss-built submachine gun, a licensed copy of the German Bergmann MP18/I produced by Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) after the First World War, when the Treaty of Versailles barred German manufacture. It is an open-bolt, blowback-operated weapon feeding from a straight detachable box magazine rather than the MP18's snail drum, and was offered in 7.65x21mm Parabellum and 7.63x25mm Mauser for export. SIG sold roughly 5,000 examples to buyers including Finland, Japan and China.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 810 mm (31.89") |
| Barrel Length | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 40 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 370 m/s (1214 fps) |
| Effective Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.65x21mm Parabellum · primary — also known as .30 Luger, 7.65mm Luger, 7.65mm Parabellum
- 7.63x25mm Mauser — also known as .30 Mauser, 7.63mm Mauser, 7.65mm Mauser
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Bolt Handle Notch Safety
- Features: Wooden Rifle Stock, Side Mounted Box Magazine, Tangent Rear Sight, Perforated Barrel Jacket
Service history
Operators
- Finnish Defence Forces · adopted 1922
- Imperial Japanese Navy · adopted 1922
- National Revolutionary Army
Conflicts
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,000 · Production years: 1920-1930
Approximately 5,000 built by SIG, excluding unlicensed Chinese copies; Finland alone bought about 1,500.
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Hugo Schmeisser
Notes
Also marketed as the SIG M1920 or 'Brevet Bergmann'. Fed from left-side box magazines of 40 or 50 rounds; the Mauser-caliber guns were supplied mainly to Asian customers while Finland's purchases were in 7.65mm Parabellum. Chinese arsenals later produced unlicensed copies.
Background
When the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from building submachine guns, the neutral Swiss firm SIG bought the Bergmann patents and kept the MP18 in production abroad, quietly selling the design to Finland, Japan and China through the 1920s.