Sub machine guns usually fire pistol ammunition, as opposed to assault rifles, which fire rifle ammunition. For this reason sometimes submachine guns are called machine pistols. Rifle cartridges are longer, to contain more propellant and are capable of generating higher muzzle velocity.
Probably the largest caliber submachine gun ever manufactured was the Thompson submachine gun, which was also one of the first. It entered production just barely too late to see service in WWI. General Thompson, its designer, intended it as a "trench broom". The Thompson was a .45 caliber weapon, firing the same .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) ammunition as the Model 1911 .45 pistol, used by the US Military into the 1980s.
During WWII the US manufactured the M2 submachine gun as well. This was a much cheaper weapon to manufacture than the Thompson, a very simple design, which also fired the .45 ACP. Its often called the "grease gun".
The US also developed one of the first assault rifles for WWI, which again was in production a little too late for much service at the front. This was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), which remained in service through the end of the Korean War. It fired the same .30-06 ammunition as the standard rifles of the US military up through the M-14. This was also the same cartridge used in belt-fed US .30 caliber machine guns.
added:
While the above information would be correct about the .45 ACP being the largest calibre cartridge to see at least any noteworthy usage in a submachinegun, a lot of the information posted above is highly inaccurate.
The .45 Thompson sub-machine gun and M3 sub machine gun (grease gun) were used in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam War. A sub-machine gun is called a SUB machine gun because it uses "pistol" ammunition. The M3 sub-machinegun looked exactly like a grease gun; hence the name.
The PPSh-41 was Russian made sub-machine gun .
9mm submachine gun of German design, made by Heckler & Koch. Made in the 1960's. The MP5 is currently one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world. Its successor is the Heckler & Kock UMP.
they used the banglores , m1 Grand ,BAR , Thompson sub machine gun , PSH
the United States, Great Britain, and the British Commonwealth of Nations all used one variant or another of the M1A1 Thompson sub-machine gun, military variant. this weapon was known by the nickname of the "Tommy gun".
The .45 Thompson sub-machine gun and M3 sub machine gun (grease gun) were used in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam War. A sub-machine gun is called a SUB machine gun because it uses "pistol" ammunition. The M3 sub-machinegun looked exactly like a grease gun; hence the name.
A sub-machine gun fires pistol cartridges. A machine gun fires rifle rounds.
Yes. A sub machine gun is a machine gun that fires pistol rounds and Uzis are 9mm.
MP5
Sub machine gun
UMP.45 is defiantly the best but the MP5K works well
UMP45 w/silencer - Terminal
During World War II the United States used a couple different sub-machine guns such as the M3/A1 "Grease Gun", the infamous Thompson sub-machine gun the M50/55 Reising the M42 and the M2 "Hyde."
No
@1915
SMG
sub-machine gun