Mr. Eugene Reising 1884-1967

Eugene G. Reising was born on 26 November 1884, in Port Jervis, New York. He attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During his career, Reising worked for several firearm manufacturing firms as a designer and while working under John Browning, made significant contributions to the design of the 1911 pistol. A designer of some note, Mr. Reising had more than 60 firearm related patents.

During 1938, the world watched as situations in Europe and the Far East deteriorated and it soon became apparent that war was on the horizon. Eugene Reising, anticipating a demand for military weapons, began designing his submachine gun in 1938. Reising’s approach to a submachine gun design was somewhat different than the standard open bolt configuration, common on submachine guns of the day. The open bolt design made the submachine gun a simple and easy to manufacture weapon. However, the flaw of the design was excessive weight, especially when considering their relatively low-power pistol cartridges. Eugene Reising’s idea was to use a delayed locking system like that used in semiautomatic pistol designs and would allow his submachine gun to be accurate in semiautomatic fire and weigh less than any existing submachine guns.

Reising negotiated a deal with Harrington and Richardson in 1939, where H&R would manufacture his submachine gun at their Worcester, Massachusetts facility and he was to receive a $2 royalty for each Reising gun sold. A patent for the Reising submachine gun design was filed June 28, 1940. A second patent for an improved design was filed February 7, 1941. Patent numbers 2,356,726 and 2,356,727 were granted on August 22, 1944.

Harrington and Richardson

The Reising Submachine gun was manufactured by the Harrington and Richardson Arms Company from 1941 to 1943. The first order of 4,000 Reisings, received in March of 1941, was destined for Indochina. Other Lend-Lease orders included 6,000 Model 50s for the Soviet Union and 2,000 for England. During World War II, 114,216 Reisings were produced. By 1943, the Marine Corps had procured 66,500 Model 50 and Model 55 submachine guns in four separate contracts, over half of the total production. The remaining Reisings were purchased by police departments, domestic and foreign governments. Production of the Model 50 resumed at H&R in 1950, primarily for the domestic law enforcement market. Production ended in 1957.

Problems Arise

What made the Reising submachine gun unique was its weight of only 6.75 pounds for the Model 50. This was accomplished through the weapon’s closed bolt design. However, the Reising’s closed bolt feature was also one of the principle reasons for its failure to be consistently reliable in combat. To operate, the bolt tilted up into a recess in the receiver and momentarily locked until the cartridge was fired. Problems arose when dirt or any type of foreign debris got into the receiver recess preventing the bolt from locking up completely and the weapon would not fire. The required lubricants compounded the problem by attracting dirt. The Reising also had several other problems contributing to its poor reputation. The twenty-round magazine was the unreliable double stack, single feed design. Compounding the problem were the magazine’s thin, easily distorted feed lips. After numerous complaints of magazine failures a new magazine was designed and introduced. The new magazine was the more reliable single stack, single feed design, but this reduced the magazine capacity to only twelve rounds. The Reising also had a problem with interchangeable parts. When minor repairs were attempted in the field, it was often discovered that the replacements parts would not fit; it was just another fatal flaw the Reising possessed. The biggest mistake was adopting the weapon without sufficient testing; the rush to get weapons into the field was a contributing factor.

The U.S. Marines first fielded the Reising in combat operations against the Japanese during the battle for Guadalcanal. The abundance of sandy terrain on the tropical island jammed many of the Reisings rendering them useless. As long as the Reisings were kept clean they worked, but keeping them clean in a combat environment was nearly impossible. Another common problem reported by the Marines was that the commercial blued finish on their Reisings began to rust after only a few days exposure to the humidity on the island. After numerous reports of the Reising’s failure in combat, the weapons were pulled from front line service and relegated to rear echelon troops.

During a post war interview, Eugene Reising was questioned about the poor showing of his submachine gun. He stated that there was never a formal complaint received from the Navy Department on the performance of the Reising submachine gun in combat. He explained that Harrington and Richardson Arms, Inc. had in fact not received complaints, but five production excellence awards from the Navy Department. Mr. Reising seemed to be of the impression that much of the Reising gun’s negative image was generated from a single incident on Guadalcanal when Marine Colonel Merritt Edson ordered the guns to be thrown into the sea. He did acknowledge there was a problem with interchangeable parts on the Reising guns, and that this had caused problems in the field. He said that there was such an emphasis on production, there was no time to engineer the weapon to have completely interchangeable parts. He concluded by pointing out that Reising submachine guns were evaluated several times by the military before being approved for procurement.

The Reising in Law Enforcement

Quite a few law enforcement agencies purchased the Reising and many prisons used them to arm their guards. The Reising was less expensive than the Thompson and considered to be more accurate when fired in the semiautomatic mode. When properly maintained, the Reising proved to be satisfactory for its law enforcement role. The primary distributor for the Reising both during and after World War II was Federal Laboratories of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The law enforcement demand for the Reising was such, that H&R resumed production of the weapon in 1950.

The “Commercial” and “Military” Reising Myth

The early manufactured Reising submachine guns are usually classified by collectors as the “police” or “commercial” model – these being the earlier blued guns with the 28-fin barrels. The second reference to the Reisings is the “military” version, the later production Parkerized 14-fin barrel guns. Although collectors and enthusiasts commonly use these references, both of the nomenclatures are incorrect. The H&R factory did not ever acknowledge in any documents separate commercial or military models. The only reference H&R used for the .45 caliber Reising guns was the Model 50, 55 and 60. The Marines procured both the early blued guns as well as the later manufactured Parkerized ones. The police purchased both variations as well.

Transitional Guns

During the manufacture of firearms, there are usually improvements and design changes introduced during the production run. This occurred during Reising production and many submachine guns were assembled with a mix of the new and old design parts. These guns are generally referred to by collectors as transitional guns.

Reising Dates of Production

1941 Serial Numbers: 101-8500
1942 Serial Numbers: 8501-73600
1943 Serial Numbers: 73601-114317

1950 Serial Numbers: K101 to K973
1951 Serial Numbers: L101 to L3589
1952: No production
1953 Serial Numbers: N111 to N327
1954-1956: No production
1957 Serial Numbers: S4700 to S5607

Marine Contracts:

NOm 33387 – 2 February 1942: 2,000 each Model 55 Reising submachine guns.

NOm 33660 – 26 February 1942: 11,500 Model 55, and 11,500 Model 50 Reising submachine guns.

NOm 36828 – 13 July 1942: 20,000 Model 55, and 5,000 Model 50 Reising submachine guns.

NOm 37893 – 13 October 1942: 30,000 Model 50 Reising submachine guns (plus a 3,000 overrun).

Receivers

The receivers on all of the .45 caliber Reising models were machined from 1.25 inch round steel stock. The early 1st design/late 2nd design receivers are easily identified by the direction of the logo stamped on the top portion of the receiver. The receivers on the earlier guns have the logo marked on the top so that it is read from the right side of the weapon. The receivers used on the later manufacture guns are marked to be read from the left side. In virtually all cases, except for transitional guns, the early receivers read from the right side will have the 28-fin barrels and other early features. Receiver’s read from the left side will have the 14-fin barrels and late features. The early receivers will have one spring-loaded end cap locking ball to secure the bumper plug and later receivers will have two locking balls. A slight discoloration of the finish may be evident near the center of Reising receivers. This was a result heat treating to harden the bolt locking lug. This is particularly noticeable on Parkerized guns. The early 1st design receivers were heat treated manually while the process on 2nd design receivers was automated.

Barrels

All .45 caliber models of the Reising were fitted with barrels made from nickel steel. The breech end had 7/8-18 threads to screw into the receiver. The cooling fins were turned on the barrel with a form cutter. The barrels were rifled by the broaching method with a 1 turn in 16 inches, right hand twist. During the third Marine contract, the number of radial barrel cooling fins was reduced from 28 to 14 in order to increase the structural strength, and to reduce labor hours.

Disassembly Screw

There is a single screw assembly is used to secure the barreled receiver to the stock. It consists of a threaded fastener with a curved washer attached. The washer is attached to the stock by two nails and the washer is secured to the shank of the screw to retain it when loosened. The configuration of this assembly on the early models is different than on later versions. On the early guns the screw is small, requiring a tool to turn it. When tightened, the screw head fits flush with the stock. On the later production, the screw is larger in diameter and thicker. The edge of the screw head is knurled and extends slightly below the stock. This type can be tightened or loosened easily by hand, or with the rim of a cartridge.

Bumper Plug (Receiver End Cap)

The Reising had four different designs of bumper plugs. “Bumper plug” was the nomenclature the H&R Company used for the threaded end cap that screws into the rear of the receiver. In the early designs, the recoil spring guide rod was manufactured as an integral part of the end cap and was a hollow steel pin. This style cap was used in many of the early model Reisings. There were a few problems encountered with this design as the steel guide pin would often break off the cap and bind the recoil spring causing the weapon to jam. The second design of end cap was similar to the first except that a solid steel pin replaced the hollow guide pin used in the earlier design. The pin was still an integral part of the cap. This style proved to be no more reliable than the original design.

The third design of end cap also had a solid integral spring guide pin, but the end of the pin was slightly tapered. This was done to try and eliminate the pin breakage problem of the earlier designs. This style cap was used in most of the early production Reisings fitted with the 28-fin barrel and some of the early production of the 14-fin barrel guns. Unfortunately, the problem of the guide pin breaking still existed. The breakage problem was eventually traced to the receiver threads for the bumper plug not being machined concentric to the receiver.

The fourth design cap was designed to alleviate all the problems of the original one-piece caps. The new cap was designed as two pieces, making the guide rod separate from the end cap. This solved the problem of the bending or breaking of the recoil spring guide rod. The new design spring guide rod was hollow rather than solid. This new design guide rod was used on all but the earliest second design Reising production. The end caps are completely interchangeable between models.

Magazine Housings

The magazine housing on a Reising serves two purposes. One is to hold the magazine in position, the other is to support and guide the action bar. Several different style magazine housings were used on the Reising during their production run. The magazine housing retaining pins also differed slightly between the early and later models.

Stepped Housing (First Design)

The first production Reisings were fitted with a magazine housing that was narrower in width at the rear. This was necessary to house the magazine release and at the same time keep the opening small enough to have a secure fit around the magazine. This housing was made from two separate pieces, the top plate and the housing body. The top plate was attached to the housing by welding.

Magazine Housing (Second Design)

This housing was stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, rectangular in shape, and there was no rear step on this design. A pin was inserted in the rear part of the housing acting as a spacer to keep the magazine in alignment. This eliminated the need for the “step” used in the earlier housing design. This is the most common type of housing and was used in both early and late production Reisings.

Magazine Housing (Third Design)

This magazine housing was also pressed from a single piece of sheet metal and it was designed to only permit the insertion of the twelve-round magazine. The housing was designed with an indented rib at the center that limited the inside dimension of the housing, preventing the use of twenty-round magazines. These housings were used in the late production Reisings.

Magazine Release Lever

One of the components that were changed several times during production was the magazine release lever. The first design was a simple spring steel lever with a hardened steel pin spot-welded to it. The lever was attached to the magazine well housing with a small screw. The rounded end of the lever had small lines depressed into it to make it more slip resistant. These style levers were used on the early blued guns. On later Reisings, this lever was slightly redesigned to have a smaller pin for holding the magazine in place and the lever itself was widened.

The magazine lever evolved into the next design that primarily appeared on transitional mid-production Reisings. These were often fitted along with the milled three-screw trigger guard. This type lever was manufactured in two pieces and was designed to release the magazine by pushing on the lever rather than pulling it. The release tab at the end of the lever was U shaped for added strength. On late production Reisings, the magazine release lever was redesigned to be more durable and easier to operate. These levers were also made in two pieces; the lever and the end piece. The end piece was made so it would pivot and use leverage to release the magazine.

Sights

The rear sight was fitted into a dovetail slot milled into the receiver. The sight on the Reising submachine guns was an aperture style and adjustable from 50 to 300 yards. This could be accomplished by lifting up the sight and sliding a notched elevator forward or rearward. The later manufacture Reisings had a screw installed to secure the sight onto the receiver.

The front sights were an unprotected blade design. On early guns, the front sight was fixed, staked into place and non-adjustable. The very last production 28-fin barrels had front sights that were adjustable for windage by loosening a small setscrew, and drifting the sight right or left. The 14-fin barrels had the same feature.

Part II will cover Reising Accessories.

After the Marines initially tested the Reising Model 50 submachine guns in 1941, they requested a folding stock version of the weapon. The Marines were looking for a lightweight, compact weapon in which to arm their newly formed airborne troops, the Paramarines. Such a weapon was desired so that upon landing the Marine Paratroopers would have immediate access to a weapon with substantial firepower. Most weapons available to the Marines were too heavy or bulky to carry during a parachute jump. The Reising M55 submachine gun was well suited for the task. The U.S. Army and the Marine Corps also recognized the compact Model 55 as a useful weapon for tank crews, though few were ever issued for that particular purpose. Eugene Reising designed the folding stock of the Model 55, and a patent for the stock was applied for on August 3, 1942. On April 24th, 1945, patent number 2,374,621 was awarded to Mr. Reising for his folding stock design. Harrington & Richardson Arms Inc. requested permission from the Marines in August of 1942 to stamp the word “PARASHOOT” on the receivers of 10 guns in order to copyright that name for the M55 Model. Permission was granted by the Marines to do so.

There was only one other weapon during WWII that was designed especially for use by paratroopers. That weapon was the folding stock version of the M1 carbine, the M1A1.The M1A1 carbine was simply a standard .30 caliber semiautomatic carbine, with a folding wire stock. The paratrooper carbine was similar to the Model 55 Reising in that it was extremely light in weight and compact with the stock folded. The carbine also had a wooden pistol grip that was similar to that of the Reising M55. The M1A1 was first issued in the fall of 1942, a few months after the folding stock M55, but was produced in much larger numbers than the Reising. The carbine used a small .30 caliber round with a 110-grain projectile that was often criticized as having limited stopping power.

The Reising Model 55 was advertised by Harrington & Richardson Arms for use as a police as well as a military weapon. H&R’s advertisements of the 1940s depicted a police officer firing a Model 55 with the stock folded. “For use in close quarters its advantages are obvious. It can be easily racked under the dashboard of an automobile or it can be carried conveniently by cyclists or mounted personnel”. (Quote from H&R’s 1943 catalog). Few folding stock M55s were ever purchased by the police, most departments sought the more conventional stocked Model 50.

The compact Model 55 was manufactured in both the early “commercial” and later “military” configurations. Many Model 55s were manufactured during the transitional period and have a mixture of both the early and late features. Quite a few of the milled style three screw trigger guards are mounted on M55 stocks. The earliest M55 documented was in the 12,000 serial number range. This was near the end of the early 1st design, two screw trigger guard, 28/29 fin Reising production. Most of the M55s recorded in my research were in the 12,000 to the 95,000 range. Please note that many of the guns that fall within this serial number range were not all Model 55s, many were Model 50’s. Most of the Model 55s documented were marked on top of the receiver Model 55. There were a few early serial numbered guns with M55 stocks marked Model 50 on the receiver. It is impossible to tell if these particular guns were manufactured as M55s or if they were rebarreled and restocked Model 50s. Early Marine documents refer to the paratrooper model as the M50P.

One of the Reising Model 55 examples that were marked Model 50 on the receiver was examined at the Quantico Marine Base located in Virginia. This weapon was serial number 15296, it had a 2nd design receiver and a 1st design M55 28/29-fin 10.5-inch barrel without a compensator, but with an adjustable front sight. This was also the earliest Reising documented with the 2nd design receiver. This weapon had a very worn blue finish, and the finish wear on the receiver matched the wear on the barrel. It is the opinion of the author after examining this weapon that this Reising was originally manufactured as an early M55 using an M50 marked receiver. It is doubtful that this weapon was ever refurbished, if it had been refinished it would most likely have been Parkerized as were most military arsenal rebuilt weapons.

There were 33,500 M55 folding stock Reisings procured by the Marine Corps during WWII. This was from about 120,000 total Reising submachine guns made by Harrington & Richardson Inc. 114,000 were manufactured during WWII, and another 5,483 manufactured in the 1950s. All post WWII Reisings produced were full-stocked Model 50s, in the later “military” configuration.

During research for my Reising book I was contacted by a couple of fellow collectors from New Zealand, Trevor Joyce and Dave McCann. During our conversation they told me that there were a fairly large number of Reisings in the hands of New Zealand collectors, and virtually all of them were the Model 55s. They were quite surprised when I told them that in the U.S. the M55 is quite rare, and the Model 50 rather common. They gave me the serial numbers and features of their guns for inclusion in my book. They had a few 4 digit serial number Reisings that were marked Model 50 on the receiver, but had M55 barrels and early M55 stocks with two screw trigger guards and no lateral tie screws. They also have a very rare 15 round Reising .45 caliber magazine in their possession.

The prototype 15 round capacity magazine was quickly developed for Reising submachine guns that were undergoing Ordnance Department testing at Fort Benning, Georgia. The early manufacture 20 round magazines that were supplied with the weapons were causing too many problems, delaying the testing. The improved design functioned well and the prototype 15 round magazine was increased back to 20 rounds for the production models. Even the “improved” design 20 round magazine began causing problems once they were in the field. In October of 1942, the magazine was redesigned again into a straight-line design that limited the capacity to only 12 rounds and production of the 20 round design was stopped. Plans were made to return all of the existing 20 round magazines to H&R to be converted into the more reliable 12 round straight-line, single-stack configuration.

Approximately 10,000 of the early Model 55s were manufactured with compensators, but in July of 1942, during the third contract (NOm 36828), the Marines requested that the compensators be omitted from future production. Barrels for the Model 55 Reising can be the 28, 29 or 14-fin configuration depending on when the gun was manufactured. Most of the Model 55 barrels are not threaded for a compensator, and the actual overall length is slightly shorter due to the omission of the .5 inch portion of the barrel that is threaded. Otherwise the barrels are manufactured in the same way and of the same materials. The Model 55 barrels were 10.5 inches in length.

The folding stock is one of the major items that make the M55 unique from the more common M50 Reisings. The Model 55 folding stocks came on both the early and late style guns. The folding stocks have been equipped with either the older 2-screw trigger guard and small take-down screw, or the stamped or milled 3 screw trigger guard with the large knurled take-down screw. All M55 folding stocks were equipped with sling swivels mounted on the bottom of the forearm and pistol grip. The early M55 stocks lacked the reinforcing lateral tie screws and were slightly thinner. The metal parts are blued on the earlier versions and parkerized on the later models. The wire portion of the stock is made from stiff wire that is .25 inch in diameter. The stock also has a fairly ergonomic pistol grip made of wood. Many Model 55 Reisings have been noted in vintage wartime photographs with the full Model 50 stocks on them. The M55 folding stocks were fragile and it was frequently reported that the stock would inadvertently fold up during firing. The Reising was certainly easier to fire accurately when equipped with the full carbine style stock. Firing a wire stock Model 55 Reising on full auto from the shoulder for an extended period is quite an uncomfortable experience.

The contents of this article were excerpted from the new book “The Reising Submachine Gun Story” available from Chipotle Publishing 702-565-0746.

The “Military” model

The so-called “military” version has several features that differentiate it from an early “commercial” model. One of the most obvious is the finish that is a military gray/green Parkerizing rather than being blue. (Though some transitional military guns were blue.)

The second most obvious feature is the stock. The early “military” stocks were the same as the “commercial” models, but had the lateral reinforcing screws added. The later stocks were redesigned to be more durable. The later “military” stock was beefier and also had lateral tie screws to keep the wood from cracking. There were at least two different diameters of tie screws used. Finger grooves in the forearm area are found on some stocks. The overall length of a Reising is .75 of an inch shorter when equipped with a late style military style stock. The cavity in the forearm area was enlarged for easier access to cock the action bar with a gloved hand. All of the military stocks were equipped with sling swivels mounted at the bottom. A large knurled disassembly fastener that could be loosened or tightened without tools was also fitted. Early military Reising stocks had the hardware blued, while on later production the fittings were Parkerized.

As mentioned earlier the number of radial cooling fins on the barrels were reduced from the 28/29 fins found on the early models to just 14. This was done to give the barrel more lateral strength and to expedite barrel manufacture. The engineers were reluctant to eliminate the barrel cooling fins altogether as was done on the late manufacture Thompson, because of the Reising’s closed bolt operation (although H&R introduced an “improved” prototype model in 1943 that had no barrel fins). All .45 caliber Reising barrels were manufactured from premium nickel steel, and rifled by the time saving broaching method.

The fire control selector lever was redesigned by enlarging it slightly, and turning the outer edges upward. The changes were incorporated to allow the selector to be manipulated easier in harsh combat environments. All fire selector levers were case hardened for increased durability.

There were a few subtle changes during production to the military model as well. A screw was added to retain the rear sight, and two reinforcing ribs were stamped into the area where the sight leaf turns 90 degrees vertically. This gave more strength to the fragile rear sight. Early military versions used the receiver end cap (bumper plug) with the integral, solid guide rod pin. This design was unreliable, causing jams or stoppages when it bent or broke loose from the end cap. Eventually the recoil spring guide rod was made as a separate piece from the end cap. The two piece end cap/ hollow guide rod design proved to be very reliable. The two piece design appeared on mid production “military” models. The breakage of the one piece spring guide rod/end cap was eventually traced to the receiver threads for the cap not being cut concentric to the receiver.

Early “military” production transitional Reisings had a three screw milled trigger guard installed. The milled guard is identified by a pointed projection between the two forward attaching screws. The milled guard was soon replaced by the more cost effective stamped three-screw guard. Another feature that appeared on transitional guns was a two piece magazine release lever that was designed to be pushed, rather than pulled to release the magazine. This design soon gave way to the common two-piece “push or pull’ type release lever. There were several internal changes introduced midway in production of the military model. The action bar and auto connector lever were redesigned to require less machine work and be more durable under extreme use.

In 1943 as the M1 carbine and Thompsons became available, Reising production ceased. Early in 1950 the Reising was placed back into limited production for police and foreign sales. Production continued sporadically until 1957. All Reisings manufactured in the 1950s were Model 50 submachine guns in the late “military” configuration. The folding stock Model 55 was no longer offered. Reisings manufactured in the 1950s are identified by a letter prefix in the serial number. The letter designated the actual year of manufacture. Reisings were advertised for law enforcement use well into the 1960s.

The content of this article was excerpted from the new book “The Reising Submachine Gun Story” available from Moose Lake Publishing 207-683-2959

By Frank Iannamico

Eugene G. Reising began designing his submachine gun in the late 1930s as the threat of war loomed in Europe. Reising’s design was unlike most submachine guns of the day, which utilized the simple, but efficient open bolt method of operation. Reising’s weapon used a delayed blow back principle much like that of semi-automatic pistols. The design allowed his weapon to be lighter in weight, and more accurate in the single shot mode than any existing submachine gun of the period.

After his design was refined, Eugene Reising entered into an agreement with Harrington & Richardson Arms Inc. in 1939. It was agreed that H&R Inc. would manufacture and market Reising’s submachine gun. Reising was to receive a $2.00 royalty fee for each of his submachine guns that were sold. The market targeted was military and police sales. Early H&R literature describing the Reising often compared it to a heavier and much more expensive submachine gun that was available. Although the Reising brochures never mention the “other” submachine gun by name, they were referring to the Thompson Submachine Gun. The low price of the Reising attracted the attention of many police departments. After WWII began the Auto Ordnance Company committed all of their Thompson production to the military, and the Reising became the only option for any police department that wished to add a submachine gun to their arsenal. Federal Laboratories of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the main distributor of the Reising submachine gun, and its accessories for police sales.

One of the first attempts to sell the Reising submachine gun for use in a military application was to the British in August of 1940. The British were already at war with Germany and were desperate for small arms, fearing that a land invasion by the Germans was imminent The first British tests of the .45 caliber Reising M50 resulted in the rejection of the weapon. There were a few quality control problems at the factory that resulted in the weapon not performing well. The British testing team also described the weapon’s construction as being “quite crude.”

In 1941 the British grew increasingly desperate for small arms. They decided to retest the Reising, which by this time had undergone further development resulting in a substantially improved, more reliable weapon. The second British trial was moderately successful. Although a few of the Reising weapons were purchased, the British had just finished development of their own submachine gun design, the 9mm Sten. Reising and Harrington & Richardson Inc. also unsuccessfully tried to interest the British in the .30 carbine caliber version of the Reising in 1943. The .30 caliber version of the Reising had competed in the U.S. Ordnance Department’s light rifle trials of 1941.

While the Thompson was the submachine gun of choice for the U.S. Ordnance Department, there were problems. The first problem was the Thompson was expensive to manufacture. The second and more serious problem was that they could not be manufactured in the numbers required for the United States and her allies. During WWII the U.S. Marines were often low on the priority list for new weapons, and often relied on obsolete WWI small arms to get the job done. The Marines had discovered in prior minor actions, the value of the rapid-fire submachine gun, and desperately wanted to procure them for their troops. As a result the Marines adopted the Reising Model 50 as a supplementary submachine gun early in 1942. The weapon proved to be unreliable in the harsh jungle environments that the Marines fought in, and incidents of jamming and severe rusting of the arms were reported from the field. Shortly thereafter the Reising was relegated to rear echelon and guard duty, but did continue in service. Eugene Reising, when asked in a post war interview regarding the reported failure of his weapon, stated that no formal complaints were ever filed by the Marines or the Navy Department, though he knew of some problems. Mr. Reising felt that the troops issued the Reising were not given adequate training with the weapon, although he did confess that parts interchangeability between weapons was a problem contributing to their poor performance. He also stated that there was great emphasis placed on getting the weapons into the field, and there was no time to re-engineer the design or production process to allow for complete interchangeability of parts between the weapons.

The Reising was also sold to police departments in large numbers both during and after WWII. In the police role the Reising was a very capable weapon. Unfortunately the Reising’s long successful police career is often overshadowed by its marginal performance during its brief military service. The Reising submachine gun was manufactured in several configurations and models by Harrington and Richardson Arms Inc. of Worcester, Mass. This segment focuses on the Model 50.

The Model 50 is fairly well known to collectors and shooters of today, and is often referred to as being either a “military” or a “commercial” model. (The “commercial” model is also known as the “police” model) These nomenclatures of the Reising are often used and accepted today, but are incorrect for several reasons. Harrington and Richardson never advertised or acknowledged any specific “military” or “commercial” model. The Reisings were simply referred to as the “Model 50” regardless of their features. The so-called early “commercial” model eventually evolved into the later “military” configuration. Another reason the “military” and or “commercial” model designation is incorrect is that the military and the police used both configurations. The early models accepted by the Marines were the blue so-called “commercial” models, as were many of the early guns being purchased by the police. After the “commercial” model had fully evolved into the “military” configuration in the fall of 1942, Reisings were pulled from the military production line at random for any police orders that H&R Inc. received.

The early production Reising Model 50s had a polished blue finish and a 28 or 29 fin barrel. Many of the early stocks had no provisions in which to attach a sling. Sling swivels first appeared mounted on the left side of the stock. When the British tested Reisings equipped with the sling attached to the left side of the weapon they complained that it interfered with the shooters weak hand that grasped the forearm of the stock. The designers then moved the sling swivels over to the right side. Installing swivels on the bottom of the stock was not considered at first, because it was felt that the sling would interfere with access to the cocking handle (action bar) which is accessed through the underside of the stock. Most “commercial” model Reisings issued by the Marine Corps had the bottom mounted sling swivels installed. All later production “military” Reisings also had their sling swivels located on the bottom of the stock. Sling swivels were an option on the Reisings sold for police use.

Other features unique to the early “commercial” Reising Model 50 are a stamped 2 screw trigger guard, and a small take down screw that required a tool to loosen. The receiver end cap had a hollow recoil spring guide that was an integral part of the cap. This design proved to be unreliable and the hollow pin was replaced by a solid one. The first major change in the evolution of the Reising was the receiver. The bolt-locking step in early receivers was hardened manually with an acetylene torch. This was automated in the new receiver to make the hardening of this critical area more consistent. Another improvement in the new receiver was the addition of a second locking ball to keep the receiver end cap or “bumper plug” from loosening during firing. The second design receivers are easily recognized by the direction of the logo stamped on the top. Early receivers have the H&R logo stamped so that is readable from the right or ejection port side of the weapon, while later receivers are readable from the left. The new style receiver first appeared in the early 15,000 serial number range.

The contents of this article were excerpted from the new book “The Reising Submachine Gun Story” available from Moose Lake Publishing 207-683-2959 Next: the evolution of the “military” Reising.