Book Review: ERMA Erfurter Maschinenfabrik 1924–2003 (Three Volumes)
Germany
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5m 14s
Available from Schiffer Publishing as three separate volumes:
Hot off the presses from Schiffer Publishing, we are looking at Holger Schlemeier's expanded English version of "ERMA: Erfurter Maschinenfabrik, 1924–2003". This is a three volume and thousand-page series covering (as you might have guessed) the Erma company. From its initial origins as a Prussian state arms factory to its birth as a private firm in 1924, close after WWII, recreation in West Germany, scandal and reorganization in the 60s, and up to its ultimate bankruptcy and closure in 2003. Erma is best known for a couple high-profile WWII small arms (including the K98k and MP40) as well as a huge number of commercial offerings, many of them low-cost .22 rimfire. There has not previously been any good reference on these commercial arms, and they make up the bulk of this series. They (as well as the more commonly known guns) are covered in excellent detail. Schlemeier also covers the generally-unknown prototypes developed by Erma, including guns like the wartime EMP-44 and the postwar experimental submachine guns.
This is a must-have resource for anyone seriously interested in small arms history!
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