Deactivated Suomi KP/-31 (Suomi- konepistooli)

**Aleksander P** · 08-11-2013, 07:17 PM

I just wanted to share this one. It is an submachine gun, that Finland started to produce from '31 to '53. It is the first model (KP 31 I), that doesn't have an muzzle break, that was added later. The first model was produced from 1932 to 1939 in Tikkakoski, an town about 20km from my home city. Soviets copied the magazine style, from this gun and adopted it into PPD-40 and Ppsh-41. I'm really glad to own this example, as it is one of the best submachine guns of the war. I'm sorry about the photos, I don't have my SLR right now

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Deactivated Suomi KP/-31 (Suomi- konepistooli)

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-11-2013 07:17 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Gunny Hartmann** · 08-11-2013, 07:31 PM

Very nice, an iconic weapon of the Russo/Finnish war!....

**dastier** · 08-18-2013, 02:25 AM

Really nice. I had a line on one here in Canada once but the deal soured.

Mind if I ask what they sell for in Finland? Are deactivated KP/-31s hard to find?

**SteveR** · 08-18-2013, 05:56 AM

Very nice weapon.

**Alan M** · 08-18-2013, 02:31 PM

I agree , a super looking weapon and you can see the likeness with the Russian SMG's with the drum mag . What was it's performance like in the cold weather ? Thanks for showing it Aleksander .

**Frundsberg** · 08-18-2013, 02:45 PM

It was also very well made and very accurate weapon. It was not hard to get a deactivated one 5-7 years ago and prices were around 300 euros. But now I have not seen them any more in EU market. Maybe it is still possible to get fome from Finland.

**Aleksander P** · 08-18-2013, 03:59 PM

Thank you for all of the kind compliments.

I haven't read on the weapons functioning during cold weather, but I'm sure it was durable. As you know, the weather could reach -40 to -50c here during the Winter War.

The first model, without the muzzle break goes usually around 750 euros here. They have gotten increasingly more rare and pricy, during the last few years.

**Frundsberg** · 08-18-2013, 08:15 PM

Yes, prices are rising and deactivation rules are changing. Suomi KP is one of the best machineguns in WWII.

**lithgow** · 08-18-2013, 08:34 PM

As mentioned, they functioned well under extremely cold conditions like all the Lahti designed weapons but had a couple of serious disadvantages as they were heavy and even more so with the drum mag (they used box mags of various capacities as well) and difficult to make quickly. The reliability was purchased by using much precision machining with solid parts unsuited to mass production in a hurry. In that, they were similar to most other prewar SMGs.