The Wheeler Palosha M1915 submachine gun
The Wheeler Palosha M1915 submachine gun is the world's first continuous-fire standard weapon using pistol bullets (the British previous Maxim The submachine gun was just a test product) and is recognized as the originator of the submachine gun.
The gun was designed by Italian designer Abil Levili (who was also the designer of the Levili heavy machine gun), so it is also called the Levili submachine gun.
The Wheeler Palosha M1915 submachine gun was used as an aviation machine gun in the early days. However, in actual combat, it was discovered that the 9mm reduced-charge Parabellum pistol bullet fired by the gun (also known as Grisenti bomb), even against early thin-skinned aircraft.
As a result, the Italians repurposed the Ville Palossa and used it as a ground submachine gun.
Overall situation
The Wheeler Palossa M1915 submachine gun was patented by the United States in 1915. During World War I, the Italian army equipped the gun and named it Model 1915. And improved several variants such as 1916 and 1917.
Contrary to people’s opinions, the earliest manufacturer of the Wheeler-Palosa M1915 submachine gun was Fiat, so it is also called the Fiat submachine gun. Later, the Wheeler-Palosa Company also joined the production .
The reason for the development of the Wheeler Palossa M1915 submachine gun was the shortage of machine guns in the Italian army. The gun also looks like a machine gun, so the Italians call it a "machine gun", but the gun fires pistol bullets. Therefore it should be classified as a submachine gun.
In the early days, the gun was equipped with the Italian Air Force, and later it was changed to be equipped with mountain troops. After World War I, the Willer Palosha M1915 submachine gun was still equipped for a period of time. The gun has a total length of 533mm, a barrel length of 319mm, a total gun mass of 7.4kg, and a weight of 6.9kg without a magazine. The gun is mounted with two 25-round magazines and fires 9mm Parabellum pistol ammunition. The theoretical rate of fire is 3000 rounds/minute (double gun).
Structural Principle
The Wheeler Palosha M1915 submachine gun adopts a free-bolt automatic mode and can only fire continuously.
When the shooter pulls the trigger, the bolt moves forward, and the delay protrusion of the bolt is embedded in the straight groove on the inner surface of the receiver. The locking slope of the locking groove is in contact with the front end of the delay protrusion. The action of the bevel forces the bolt to rotate 15° clockwise before firing. At this time, the bolt is still moving forward. The firing pin hits the primer of the bullet to fire the bullet. When the gunpowder gas reaches the maximum pressure, the delayed protrusion is forced to rotate counterclockwise. And escape from the locking groove backward, allowing the bolt to rotate.
The protruding shoot behind the firing pin prevents the firing pin from rotating with the bolt under the action of the straight groove.
The remaining gunpowder gas pressure pushes the cartridge case and the bolt to recoil together and compresses the recoil spring, and then the ejection lever throws the cartridge case downward out of the receiver. If the trigger is still depressed, the bolt moves forward again, pushing the next round into the chamber, and repeats the above action.
Derivatives
The Wheeler Palosha M1915 submachine gun was improved and derived into the OVP submachine gun and the Beretta M1918 submachine gun, which were used during World War II.