It was often supplied to guerrilla forces that attempted to spread communism through force.[Ed.
Note: Be sure to read our articleSmall Arms of the Viet Cong.]
This provided Finland with its opportunity for autonomy.
Lieutenant Eino Penttilä with his deputy team leaders of a patrol near Rukajärvi on September 8, 1942. The men carry the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. Image: SA-kuva
Leading the efforts was master armorer Aimo Lahti, who has been described as a Finnish John Moses Browning.
Yet, he understood the promise it could bring in close-quarters combat.
This could explain why Lahtis design incorporated selective fire with both semi- and fully-automatic fire.
The Suomi submachine gun was a rude surprise for the Soviet Red Army. The Model 1931 is shown in the hands of a Finnish soldier in the Aunus Isthmus region in August 1943. Image: SA-kuva
That feature was present with the Thompson, but missing from the MP-18.
Along with assistance from Lieutenant Y. Koskinen, Lahti developed the KP/-31, which further refined the Finnish SMG.
As with the KP/-26, it had a barrel inside a perforated cooling jacket/barrel shroud.
A soldier with a Suomi submachine gun in a defensive position during the Continuation War against the Soviet Union. Image: SA-kuva
It was an uncommon feature then and even now for an SMG.
Notably, the KP/-31 was chambered for the9x19mm Parabellumround that was developed for theP08 Luger pistol.
This is the same cartridge used in the aforementioned MP-18 SMG.
A Finnish patrol engages the enemy along Stalin’s canal. Officially the White Sea-Baltic Canal, it was built by the communists with forced labor, resulting in about 25,000 deaths. Image: SA-kuva
Arguably, it provided the SMG with a bit more stopping power.
Somewhat heavier than most submachine guns, it compensated for this by being rather more accurate.
KP/-31 submachine guns were manufactured by Tikkakoski Oy.
Aimo Lahti developed a number of small arms for the Finnish military forces including the KP/-31. This image was taken in 1940.
The Finnish SMG next saw use in Spain with both the Republican and Nationalist forces.
Something entirely different is required for warfare in the Finnish woods.
Here the weapons must be located far forward and maximum fire power attained immediately.
Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Defense Forces, Major General Lauri Malmberg, with the Suomi submachine gun designed by Aimo Lahti and manufactured by Tikkakoski Oy. Image: SA-kuva
This demands an automatic weapon which is light and mobile.
This weapon must be unusually well-balanced to ensure good aim under difficulties incident to forest fighting.
The Suomi carbine is the weapon which fulfills all these requirements.
A Finnish soldier waits to ambush Soviet troops during the Continuation War. He is armed with the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. Image: SA-kuva
German paramilitary and police forces used the Suomi KP/-31 in limited numbers.
In Popular Culture
The Finnish KP/-31 hasnt exactly been among the most popular weapons in popular culture.
Its Hollywood debut only came in the 1979 film Cuba where it is seen used by guerilla forces.
Finnish 1st Jaeger Battalion (Jääkäripataljoona) troops near the Mannerheim Line armed with Suomi model 1931 submachine guns. Image: SA-kuva
[Be sure to read our articleHow to Legally Own a Machine Gun for additional information.]
It was in the mid-range of the pre-auction estimate.
Quality and rarity like this will cost you!
Poventsa fire and street fights in July 1942. Part of the Continuation War, this battle was fought inside modern-day Russia. The soldier is armed with a KP/-31. Image: SA-kuva
A Finnish soldier has a drum magazine in his Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun with stick box mags next to him in his prepared position. The photo was taken in the Ostrobothnia area. Image: SA-kuva
In March, 1942, a Finnish soldier of the 8th Jaeger Battalion watches for enemy movement in a fortified observation post. He is armed with a KP/-31 using stick-type magazines. Image: SA-kuva
A Finnish soldier waits for Red Army troops near the village of Uuksujärvi in August 1944. Image: SA-kuva
Lieutenant von Blücher, the son of the German ambassador in Finland, prepares to lead a ski patrol in the Leningrad Oblast during March of 1942. His KP/-31 submachine gun is wrapped in white. Image: SA-kuva
A battle-hardened bearded warrior, Suomi SMG at the ready, prepares for combat with Soviet Union troops during the Battle of Vuosalmi in July 1944. Image: SA-kuva
During a break in the fighting, a Finnish soldier field strips and cleans his Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. Image: SA-kuva
Shown is the captured equipment seized from Soviet paratroopers killed in Orimattila, Finland. A pair of PPD-40 submachine guns with drum magazines are visible in the photo. Image: SA-kuva
Lt. Olavi Alakulpi, Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, demonstrates how to use the KP/-31. After the war, Alakulpi emigrated to the U.S., joined the Army and fought in Korea. While a company commander in West Germany,Elvis Presley was assigned as his driver. Image: SA-kuva
A soldier of Finland’s military forces demonstrates a Suomi KP/-31 SMG near Tuusula in 1943. Image: SA-kuva
Finnish soldiers of the Field Guard ready their firearms for combat in May 1944. The soldier closest to the camera seats a stick magazine in his KP/-31 SMG. Image: SA-kuva
Finnish snipers armed with SAKO rifles were efficient in their work. Many carried an SMG for closer work. This sniper sits atop a train roof with his Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun in hand. Image: SA-kuva
A soldier looks down the sights of his KP/-31 submachine gun on the front line in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. Two additional drum magazines are at hand for fast reloading. Image: SA-kuva
