Description
3 Original Magazines for the Madsen M50 SMG
The Madsen M50 (also called the M/50 or Model 1950) is a Danish-designed 9×19 mm Parabellum submachine gunfirst introduced in 1950 by the Copenhagen-based manufacturer Dansk Industri Syndikat (DISA). It was developed as an evolution of an earlier post-World War II design (the Model 46) with a simplified retracting handle and improved production features, reflecting a postwar trend toward inexpensive, rugged, easily manufactured automatic weapons.
Constructed primarily from stamped sheet metal, the M50’s receiver is formed from two halves hinged together like a clamshell and secured with a barrel locking nut — a design that kept production costs low and maintenance straightforward. It fires from an open bolt in fully automatic mode at around 550 rounds per minute, feeds from a 32-round detachable box magazine, and uses a folding tubular stock to keep the overall length compact for transport and use in close-quarters combat. An unusual safety mechanism — a grip safety positioned in front of the magazine housing — helps prevent accidental discharge unless the weapon is firmly held.
Though it never achieved the widespread fame of some contemporaries like the Uzi or Sterling submachine guns, the M50 was exported to and used by military and police forces across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, and saw service in a range of early Cold War conflicts — including the First Indochina War, Korean War, and Vietnam War.
Beyond its military use, the Madsen M50 also gained a degree of cultural recognition through appearances in numerous films and television series, helping to cement its place in 20th-century firearms history.