Maker:	Fabryka Karabinów, Warsaw, Poland
Caliber:	9 mm Parabellum
Action type:	Blowback
Capacity:	25
Length:	979 mm (38.2")
Barrel length:	300 mm (11.8")
Weight (w/o magazine):	4.25 kg (9.37 lb)
Muzzle velocity:	400 m/s (1312 ft/s)
Rate of fire:	500-550 rpm (estimate)

 
During the 1930'es the Polish armed forces tested several different foreign submachine guns: the American Thompson, Finnish Suomi, Belgian Erma and Swiss Neuhausen. The test showed that a submachine gun would be a valuable weapon in certain situations.

Even before any official decision concerning a purchase of a SMG, the designers Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypinski (the duo responsible for the creation of the Vis 35 pistol) presented their own preliminary project. After consultations with other designers led to construction of a prototype. Called Mors (Death in Latin) the prototype was made by Fabryka Karabinów in the beginning of 1938. In April of the same year comparison test began testing the Mors versus the Belgian Erma. Tests showed good functionality of the weapon but the Mors' accuracy was far beyond that of the Erma. To correct these problems, the next prototype (called Mors 2) fired at a lower cyclic rate of fire, had a longer barrel and was equipped with modified sights. The design of the stock has also been changed and a telescoping monopod was added. The accuracy improved but was still not comparable with that of the Erma. In the next prototype, Mors 3, a pneumatic cyclic rate reducer was introduced. The tests of the third prototype showed satisfactory results and 36 guns were ordered in the Fabryka Karabinów in Warsaw. The order was completed on the 3rd of June 1939. The guns were delivered to different units for additional field-testing. The test were planned to end no later than in October after which a serial production was planned in the Fabryka Karabinów or in a new arms factory in Jawidz. The gun's official name was "Pistolet maszynowy wz. 1939 Mors" (Submachine Gun type 1939 Mors).

The three dozen guns made before the outbreak of W.W.II were surrounded by a near total secrecy. The soldiers were ordered not to let any of the weapons fall into the hands of the Germans and none of them did. The soldiers carried out their orders so well that none of Morses were recovered in Poland after the end of hostilities. It was first in 1983 that two specimens were found in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow. One of these, no. 38 was traded in and is now displayed in Polish Army Museum in Warsaw (the gun lacks magazine, sights and accessories). The fate of the 34 remaining Morses is unknown.

 
Wz. 1939 Mors was a fully automatic submachine gun. It fired from open bolt utilizing the blowback method of operations. The Mors was fed from a 25 shot magazine weighting approximately 0,50 kg. The trigger mechanism was equipped with two triggers: the forward trigger gave full-auto fire and the rear was used for semi-automatic fire. Mors had an interesting bolt hold-open/magazine release device: When all rounds from a magazine were fired the magazine follower raised a bar that held the bolt in its rearmost position and released the magazine. The magazine could then fall out of its well (or could be removed with just a light pull). All the operator had to do to make the Mors ready to fire again was to insert a fresh clip into the magazine well. This device, while complicating the weapon (the mechanism contained 16 parts) significantly increased the practical rate of fire. Another interesting characteristic of the weapon was the ability to quickly change the barrel. It was easily achieved by rotating a barrel release lever located on the right side of the weapon, just in front of the ejection port. Same lever could be used to disassembly the gun into 7 major parts. The stock was made of wood and had a forward pistol grip located in the center of gravity. A telescoping monopod was located inside the grip. The sights could be set at 50 to 600 meters (100 and 200 meters according to other sources). Standard equipment consisted of 8 magazines carried in two canvas pouches.

 
The few Morses produced were undergoing field testing by several different units of the Polish army and were used in the beginning of W.W.II by these units.

 
If you have seen, heard of or have information about a Mors SMG other than the two known (the one in Moscow and the one in Warsaw) please send me an e-mail.