[Valkay’s] Submachine guns of the Spanish civil war III: the Labora-Fontbernat M-1938

[Valkay]

Labora-Fontbernat M-1938

Hello bajtársak and fellow forumdwellers,
The M-1938 is a completely indigenous Republican (or Catalonian to be precise) design that was manufactured in Catalonia by Industrias de Guerra de Cataluña for the Republican forces in the mid to late stages of the civil war; with only a few thousand having been built at best.
Despite the pressing firearm shortage that plagued the Republican army all throughout the war, this Catalonian submachine gun was made with quality over quantity in mind, almost everything is finely machined on the M-1938 and for a wartime submachine gun design it is unusually well made, easily comparable to Colt made M1921 Thompson or Steyr MP34 submachine guns.

Chambered for the powerful 9x23mm Largo cartridge and fed from a 20 or 36-round box magazine, the M-1938 was a formidable weapon . With its high 750 rounds-per-minute rate of fire, it could deliver devastating close-range firepower. According to Thomas Nelson the design was influential, since a similar fire selector mechanism was later used on the British Sten gun.

The fate of the M-1938 is shrouded in the chaos of the war’s end. Production likely ceased before the conflict’s conclusion due to material shortages. The final blow came with the Erbo offensive, which crippled the Republican army, completely isolated Catalonia and shattered the morale of the Republicans. After the civil war, the only notable users of the M-1938 were guerrilla groups attempting to resist the Spanish government and the Guardia Civil they fought against.

The oddest thing about this gun is that 3 of 4 factions can form loose claims for it.
No faction has actually recorded use of it though.
Axis on the basis that they had good relations with Spain and were supplied with Spanish weapons.
The Soviet faction on the basis that the Spanish republic that made the guns was basically their puppet government and the Soviet Union also received guns from (Republican) Spain.
Finally, Allies on the basis that it is rumored that some of these guns were passed to the French resistance during the war.

front cover of the book Pistolas y subfusiles de la República. Producción de guerra depicting a M-1938 loaded with a 20 round magazine

Ammunition: 9x23 Largo (20 or 36 rounds in detachable box magazine)
Muzzle velocity: 400 m/s
Weight: 4.4 kg (empty)
Length: 794 mm
Barrel length: 260 mm
Rate of fire: 750 rounds per minute, push-button fire selector for full-auto and semi-auto firing

With these stats, the gun could both be BR3 and BR4, but in the topic “Firearms used by communist forces” 75% voted on making it BR3, so I do not see the need to repeat the vote.

sources:

Thomas B. Nelson - The world’s submachine guns (machine pistols)
Modern Firearms - Labora submachine gun
Bergmann or Bayard Long Fontbernat M 1938 (Labora)
https://guns.fandom.com/wiki/Labora_submachine_gun
Thread by @Ismael_Historia: HILO Today I would like to talk to you about a weapon designed and produced in Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War by the Comissió d’Indústries de G…

Would you like to see the L.-F. M-1938 added?

• Yes
• No

Which faction should have the L. F. M-1938?

• Allies
• Axis
• Soviet faction

if yes, how so?

• Battle Pass weapon
• Event weapon
• Event/Premium squad weapon

thank you for your time and attention, this concludes this series

[Valkay]

A few more pictures I wanted share:

[Conscript_Joe]

Those look like sci fi laser weapons from 60s space movies!

Would really be funny and compete with Star Wars Patchett smg.

[Valkay]

we need someone to make a Star Wars mod!

[Conscript_Joe]

If the moding tools weren’t so limited I’m certain it would’ve been done already!

We already have moon assets too

[Naohmcete]

as spaniard I am happy for see suggestions like this, however I would add ir for allieds and axis forces because you know, spanish republic

[GetOut0fMyWay]

100% yes!

[warfare_master]

this gun seems quite similar to the M1921/28, being a higher dmg weapon than even 9mm and high rof

[传说巨神伊迪安]

It feels like it’s got pretty good stats, but in the end it’ll probably end up like that April Fools’ French weapon, the MAS38—they’ll give it a low damage profile of 6.0 or 6.2.

[Valkay]

they did Mas-38 dirty.

@warfare_master

M1921/28, being a higher dmg weapon than even 9mm and high rof

Except 9mm parabellum guns have significantly less damage than 45.acp and more damage drop over distance, not to mention that M21/28 has artificially buffed stats.
A better comparison for the M-1938 is that its more like a hybrid of the Type 100 (late) and Beretta 38.

[warfare_master]

@Valkay

Except 9mm parabellum guns have significantly less damage than 45.acp and more damage drop over distance,

I don’t know if 9mm Largo is in the game yet, so I assumed you were implying higher damage / diffrent stats to parabellum

[Valkay]

9mm Largo will have almost the same stats as 9mm parabellum.
The only difference is 9mm Largo will share the damage with MP40 which has 0.2 more damage than most 9mm parabellum SMGs.

[传说巨神伊迪安]

That sounds pretty interesting. If that’s the case, could this end up being a major buff for Germany at BR 2?

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

In France, Labora Fontbernat M-1938 submachine guns were used from 1940 to 1944 during World War II. Their peak use occurred in 1943–1944, when the Resistance movement intensified before the Allied landings in Normandy.
World War II and the Resistance (1940–1944): During the German occupation of France, Spanish anti-fascist partisans (maquis) actively joined the French Resistance Movement. They smuggled Labora M-1938 back across the border from hiding places and seized previously confiscated Republican stockpiles from French warehouses. The weapons were used in sabotage and guerrilla warfare against German troops in southern France until the country’s liberation.

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

No, the Wehrmacht and other official structures of Nazi Germany did not use the Labora Fontbernat M-1938 submachine gun. Germany didn’t even use them.
Read up on the history of this weapon. I read about two years ago that partisans used it against Germany in France. I don’t see any point in giving Germany weapons; they don’t need them.

[Valkay]

Allied claim is noted down as well:

@Valkay

Finally, Allies on the basis that it is rumored that some of these guns were passed to the French resistance during the war.

However, despite this being a popular urban legend, I found zero proof for it. No document or picture to back up the claim.

[Valkay]

No, there is no buff or nerf for anyone here.
This submachine gun is not even supposed to be BR2 to begin with.

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

I found many photographs of Spanish guerrillas with this weapon where they fought against the Spanish dictator, photographs from 1945-1946.

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

Read all the documents about how Spanish partisans smuggled these machine guns to French partisans in 1944.

[Valkay]

@SWED_MARKSE_KZK

photographs of Spanish guerrillas with this weapon where they fought against the Spanish dictator, photographs from 1945-1946.

have you actually read my post?

@Valkay

After the civil war, the only notable users of the M-1938 were guerrilla groups attempting to resist the Spanish government and the Guardia Civil they fought against.

I know that maquis and Spanish GC used them.

@SWED_MARKSE_KZK

documents