Orița M1941

Oriṭa
Type Submachine gun
Place of origin Romania Romania
Service history
In service 1943[1]–1970s[2]
Used by Romania
Production history
Designed 1941
Manufacturer Uzinele Metalurgice Copșa Mică și Cugir
Number built ~4000
Variants Oriţa M1941, Oriţa M1948
Specifications
Weight

3.45 kg (7.6 lb) without magazine

4 kg (8.8 lb) with magazine
Length 894 mm (35.2 in)
Barrel length 278 mm (10.9 in)

Cartridge 9×19mm Parabellum[3]
Rate of fire 600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 400m/s
Effective firing range 200 m (656.2 ft)
Feed system 32-round detachable box magazine
Sights graded from 100 m (328.1 ft) to 500 m (1,640.4 ft)

The Orița is a 9×19mm Parabellum submachine gun that was manufactured in Romania during World War II and for several years afterwards. It was named for Captain Marin Orița (Military Technical Corps, Romanian Army), who is credited in Romania with its design.[4] (Other sources describe the Orița as a joint Czech-Romanian project;[1] the Czech Leopold Jašek and the Romanian Nicolae Sterca are also considered to have contributed to its design.[2][5]) The mass production was made by CMC Uzinele Metallurgice Copșa Mică together with Cugir arms factory. The first version, Model 1941, entered operational service with the Romanian Army in 1943.[1] Two later improved models were the Model 1948, with a fixed wooden stock, and the rare paratrooper Model 1949, with a folding metal stock.[6] The firearm gained a reputation for reliability during World War II, and remained in service with the Romanian Army until it was replaced in the 1960s by the more powerful Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965, a Romanian version of the AK-47 assault rifle. The Orița remained in service with the Romanian paramilitaries ("Gărzile Patriotice") until the 1970s.[2]

Other specifications

Orita Carbine

A carbine version of the Orita was designed, chambered in 9×23mm Steyr. Only one prototype was built; it is preserved in the National Military Museum in Bucharest.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Axworthy & al (1995), p. 75
  2. 1 2 3 Plăvcan, L. & Plăvcan, D., Romanian Firepower…
  3. Specifications for Orița, Model 1941, are from Plăvcan, L. & Plăvcan, D., Romanian Firepower…
  4. König (1977), p. 229
  5. Anonymous, Román kézifegyverek…
  6. König (1977), p. 231

Sources

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 23, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.