Armi-Capitolo II (Weapons-Chapter 2)

Red Devil

Hand Grenades:

Beyond pistols and rifles, partisans certainly made use of other forms of weaponry as mission needs dictated. When participating in Allied battlefield activity, individual fighters might be equipped with hand grenades for use against enemy formations and hard targets. Available grenades included:

• Italy: M35 Red Devil. This is a series of three different looking hand grenades made by three different manufacturers.  They are 'offensive' type having thin sheet metal construction (mostly aluminum) and no other shrapnel. Painted a vivid red and having a notorious reputation of being dangerous when found in an unexploded condition, they were nicknamed Red Devils by the British during the North African campaigns. Cast resin replicas of the Breda M35 can be found on ebay though I cannot imagine they are very useful beyond the collection shelf.
• Germany: M24, M43 potato masher stick grenades. The potato masher is perhaps the most recognizable piece of WWII ordinance. Like the Red Devil, it is an 'offensive' type of grenade, however the Germans made an optional slip on shrapnel cover to convert it to a fragmentation grenade. Several sources make replicas, though they are usually a bit pricey.
• UK: Mills Bomb. This is perhaps the first successful fragmentation grenade. It looks a lot like the American pineapple but is a bit squat. Resin reproductions exist.
• US: Mk 2 pineapple. This familiar fragmentation hand grenade has changed little over the years, though experts can distinguish between the various vintages. Inert metal replicas are cheap and widely available, but shouldn't be used at reenactments because of the danger of hitting someone - they're quite heavy! Somewhat pricey resin reproductions are available.

Submachine Guns:

MAB 38

We've already noted that Partigiani made use of whatever weapons they could get their hands on. By the time the action moved into northern Italy, they had a lot of submachine guns. Some were acquired locally (Italian and German) and others had been air-dropped by the British and Americans.

As you know, one cannot own a fully automatic firearm without the appropriate license from the BATF. Most reenactors who want to use such a firearm resort to purpose-built units that are configured to never be able to fire a projectile. Still, blank-firing replica is an expensive choice; such firearms typically sell for close to $2,000.

• Italy: Beretta MAB 38. An interesting feature of this SMG is its two triggers: one for full-auto firing and one for single shots. Like its contemporaries, the German MPs and the British Stens, it fired the 9x19 mm parabellum pistol cartridge. The next time you have a spare $2,300 on hand, you can exchange it for the blank-firing version of one of these.
• Germany: MP38, MP40. Wrongly called Schmeisser because of it's apparent descendency from the WWI-era MP18 designed by Hugo Schmeisser. This and the Thompson are likely the most common SMGs at any WWII living history event.
• UK: Sten Mk II. Dropped in their hundreds to the partisans, the Sten was quite popular, particularly among the militarized groups in the north. A blank-firing replica can be had for as little as $1,600.
• US: Thompson SMG. The Tommy Gun is one of the most recognizable guns in the world and an icon of American firearm production. I'm not sure what it might cost to own one of these.