Smith & Wesson M1940 Light RifleIn 1940 with the start of the war the Allies needed a boundless

Smith & Wesson M1940 Light RifleIn 1940 with the start of the war the Allies needed a boundless supply of arms to fight the German Reich.  As a result Smith and Wesson expediently designed and produced the M1940 Light Rifle for export to the British military.  When I say expediently, I mean that they threw out all design standards and cobbled together something fast.  As a result, the M1940 turned out to be an aberration of firearms technology, worthy even of the legendary Chauchat machine gun of World War I.Chambered for 9mm para, the M1940 fired from an open bolt and fed from a 25 round magazine.  It was semi-automatic only.  The biggest problem was that the receiver could not handle the high pressure 9mm cartridges that the British were using.  As a result soldiers often reported that the receiver would snap apart after 1,000 rounds.  Smith and Wesson strengthened the receiver, labeling it the Mark II, but problems did not end there.  They jammed often, and because of its design jams were exceptionally difficult to clear.  Parts breakage was common and maintenance was overcomplicated. Finally there were some complaints that the safety would inexplicably engage while firing.About 1,100 were produced, most of them being scrapped by the British military.  Only 200 are known to survive today. -- source link

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