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Title:	GUN, SUBMACHINE -  HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON SUBMACHINE GUN M55 .45ACP SN# 30709
Maker/Manufacturer:	REISING, EUGENE G.
Date of Manufacture:	C 1943
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 1688
Measurements:	OL: 31 1/4" with stock extended; 22 1/4" with stock folded. BL: 10 3/8" 6 lbs. 12 oz. without magazine.

Object Description:

HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON SUBMACHINE GUN M55 .45ACP SN# 30709
Manufactured by Harrington & Richardson, Worcester, Ma. - Standard M55 delayed blowback-operated submachine gun. Barrel and receiver parkerized. Select-fire, fires from the closed bolt position. 6-groove rifling; right hand twist. Aperture rear sight adjustable from 50 to 300 yards; blade front sight. Muzzle velocity 920 fps. Cyclic rate of fire 450 to 550 rpm. Weapon weighs approximately 6.25 lbs. unloaded and 7.65 lbs. loaded. Essentially a Model 50 Reising submachine gun without compensator and on a wooden stock with a folding wire butt. Complete with sling (removed for exhibit). Equipped with 20-round detachable box magazine.

Markings:
Receiver: MODEL 55 - H&R REISING - CAL.45/HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON ARMS CO./WORCESTER, MASS. U.S.A. PAT. PENDING. 30709.
Barrel: P.

Notes: Most Model 55s were issued to the U.S. Marines.

"The Model 55 was designed by Eugene G. Reising and produced at the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. This model of the Reising submachine gun is identical to the Model 50 in design and function, with the following modifications: The compensator has been omitted; a wire folding stock has been added in place of the wood stock; a rear pistol grip is necessary on the Model 55." - Thomas B. Nelson

"Soon after the adoption of the Model 50, the Marine Corps requested a modified version of the gun for use by the new "Para Marine" airborne units being formed. H&R submitted a Reising submachine gun having a short wooden stock with a pistol grip and a folding wire buttstock. In order the further shorten the weapon, the compensator was eliminated. Otherwise, the modified gun was the same at the Model 50. This weapon was soon adopted by the Marine Corps as the Model 55. The Model 55 was 31.25" in length with the stock extended and just 22.25" with it in folded position. The gun's unloaded weight was 6.25 pounds. The 1942 H&R manual on the Reising contains this slightly glowing passage about the Model 55. '....the H&R Reising was the first submachine gun so designed as to permit arming of the parachute trooper during descent. Again first, the United States Marine Corps Parachute Troopers have shown the way to land their fighting men, each completely and powerfully armed, ready to fight the instant they are on the ground, daylight or dark, and independent of the vagaries of cargo chutes, all too often lost in the woods and brush or in the dark lights of an early dawn. Tank crews find the H&R Reising Model 55 ideally suited to their needs, because of its compactness which permits it to be racked up out of the way yet near at hand when needed. The Model 55 may be used through the pistol port of a combat vehicle with the facility of a pistol.'
The U.S. Army briefly considered standardizing the Reising M55 for tank crews due to its compact size. However, reliability problems and the development of the M3 submachine gun resulted in the Army dropping consideration of the M55 Reising.
Harrington & Richardson also manufactured a version of Reising's gun, the Model 60 (See, SPAR-1686) for sale in the commercial market. The gun was capable of semiautomatic fire only and had a long. barrel (18.25") to remove it from the restrictions imposed on fully automatic and/or short barrel (under 16") weapons. It used the same type of magazines as did the military issue M50 and M55 submachine guns. The M60 was intended for use by civilian guards and security personnel. However, there is some sketchy anecdotal evidence that a few M60 Reisings may have been used by some Marine Raiders during the war. If so, such combat use of the M60 would have been very limited.
The following is a Navy Department press release dated August 22, 1942, about the Marine Corps' adoption of the Reising. 'Marines Adopt New Weapon - The Reising Submachine Gun has been officially adopted as a supplementary .45 caliber weapon by the Marine Corps.
In recent months several thousand of these deadly, close-range guns have been procured and issued to MarineThe latter model, designed for use by parachute troops, was developed by the inventor and manufacturer at the suggestion of Marine Corps weapons experts. Its size enables parachutists to jump while carrying weapons of high fire power.
The Reising is effective at ranges up to 300 yards, and is suitable for use by mechanized troops, air-borne infantry, vehicle operators and others whose duties require a short and light, yet high-powered and accurate weapon.
The Reising Submachine Gun uses standard .45 calibre ammunition. With full automatic adjustment, if fires at the rate of 400-450 rounds per minute. It is also capable of semi-automatic operation - one shot at a time, with automatic reload. Leaving the muzzle at a rate of over 300 yards per second, the snub-nosed .45 bullet will penetrate six inches of white pine at 20 yards.
The gun is of simple construction, having only three major parts. Loaded magazines may be inserted swiftly and the weapon does not 'buck' as much as similar guns when long bursts are fired. It is air-cooled and reloading is accomplished by a delayed blow-back.'
The above press release certainly portrayed the Reising submachine gun in a very favorable light. Of course, that is the purpose of most press releases!
While appearing on the surface to be a simple design, the Reising was actually a fairly complex weapon. It was capable of functioning in a satisfactory manner when clean. However, the fact that the tolerances between the gun's bolt and its locking recess were so tight meant that even a small amount of dirt could cause problems. Some writers have stated that the subsequent problems encountered with the Reising were due to the fact that the gun was cheaply made. Even though much of the weapon was made by H&R on 50-year-old machines, this was not the case. The Reising was actually a relatively well made weapon, particularly compared to most submachine guns (the Thompson notwithstanding). Its receiver was machined from a solid steel bar and the barrel was made of the finest nickel chrome steel. While the design may have been flawed from a military standpoint, as far as its construction was concerned, the weapon was not the 'hunk of junk' as had been alleged.
The Reising submachine gun's magazine was also a bit unusual. It utilized a staggered column design with single cartridge feeding. This combined the worst of both worlds in magazine design. The smallest about of damage to the magazine's lips would render the gun inoperable. The standard Reising magazine had a 20-round capacity. In addition to the 20-round magazine, a 12-round magazine was also produced. The purpose of this magazine has been the subject of some speculation; it obviously was not nearly as desirable as the larger capacity 20-round type. Some writers have stated that it was intended for either training or guard use, which seems logical. However, a number of World War II Marine Corps photos clearly show the 12-round Reising magazine used in combat. The real reason(s) behind the 12-round magazine are unclear, but the magazines were made in relatively large numbers. They certainly weren't any handier than the 20-round type as they were the same length, but they had the capacity reduced by means of two deep creases on either side of the magazine. Since the 12-round magazine held the cartridges in a straight line position rather than staggered as in the 20-round variety, it is reasonable to suggest that the lower capacity magazine was developed to help alleviate reliability problems. Both type of magazines were made by Harrington & Richardson and so marked on the front edge. Since the feed lips on the Reising's magazine were the most critical area, it was not uncommon for Reising users to carefully sort tThe M50 and M55 Reising submachine guns saw action early in the Pacific war. Many came ashore on Guadalcanal in the hands of the Marines and the problems soon began. While the weapons may have functioned fine in training camps when they were carefully treated and cleaned frequently, the rigors of combat revealed the unreliability of the Reising. Since it was impossible to keep weapons absolutely free from dirt, sand and mud in combat, the Reising malfunctioned with alarming frequency. Combat soldiers may complain about the weight of a weapon or other features, but the fact that a gun was not reliable constituted an unpardonable sin. Many stories have been told regarding the Reising's faults and the distrust in which they were held by many Marines.
One typical reaction is related in the book 'Semper Fi Mac.' 'While we were at it, I figured it was a good time to toss my ridiculous Reising submachine gun. What a lemon - a real .45 caliber hunk of junk. I think before long every officer who had one had dumped it. I wonder who hung that beauty on Uncle Sam. Later on I got hold of a Thompson, a real submachine gun.'
Along the same lines, Marine Major Frank Hough wrote the following in his book 'The Island War.' 'Only one weapon had proved to be a definite failure: the Reising submachine gun. The Marine Corps had adopted this in the beginning largely as a measure of desperation, because of their inability to obtain the Thompson, or 'Tommy Gun,' in sufficient quantities. It could be produced quickly and cheaply, and it worked well enough on the proving grounds. But it simply wound not stand up under combat conditions. On Guadalcanal, where men's lives depended on their weapons, Marines began throwing their Reisings into the Lunga River and falling back on their rifles.'
The abandonment of Reisings on Guadalcanal was not an isolated occurrence. It has been recorded that Lt. Col. Merritt A. Edson actually ordered a large number of Reisings to be dumped into the Lunga River in order to prevent them from being issued to his troops. Clearly, when a commanding officer order his troops to throw away a particular type of weapon, there was a serious problem.
Not all combat-wise soldiers felt that the Reising was totally useless. Lt. Col. John George, in his book, 'Shots Fired in Anger', say that 'They (Reisings) did possess a tremendous advantage in their very light weight and this would have caused me to carry one as a personal weapon had I been forced to choose between a Reising and a Tommy, although I had more confidence in the latter.'
It should also not be inferred that the Reising never worked in combat. Obviously there were problems encountered with the weapon, but it still provided valuable service on some occasions. In his book 'A Special Valor,' a Marine Raider Lieutenant relates the following incident. 'The Japs...broke from the jungle almost on top of us, charging in solid waves. I screamed the alarm as I began firing my Reising submachine gun....the rest of the men were falling back as I emptied two magazines.'
Apparently, this one Marine who benefited by having a Reising submachine gun rather than an '03 rifle.
The Model 55 had an even worse reputation that the Model 50. Its flimsy metal stock was totally inadequate and the lack of a compensator did not help either. A Marine Corps document stated that '...sufficient additional Reising submachine guns, Model 50 only (straight stock), be procured to meet the requirements of posts and stations in the United States and that no more Model 55's (folding stock) be procured.'
The precise number of Reisings produced during World War II is not known, although several sources give a figure of approximately 100,000. This is probably fairly close but undoubtedly includes guns made for the commercial market as well as guns supplied to allied nations (especially the Soviet Union) under Lend-Lease. A Marine Corps document dated January 26, 1943, stated that: 'Approximately 52,000 Reising submachine guns hAs can be seen, it is doubtful if any more that the original contract number of 65,000 guns were procured by the Marine Corps. It is entirely possible that the contract was cancelled prior to its completion if enough Thompsons or carbines became available. Therefore, it can be determined that somewhere between 52,000 and 65,000 Reisings were delivered to the U.S. Marines Corps during World War II. This figure likely includes both the M50 and M55 variants. Except for the Lend-Lease guns, the remaining 100,000 Reisings were utilized for such commercial duties as prison and plant guarding and police work. Even though more of the military guns were made, smaller numbers have survived due to their use in combat (including being dumped into the Lunga River)....
The last of the Reisings were delivered to the Marine Corps in early 1943. As Thompsons and carbines became available, the Reisings were withdrawn from front line combat service. The Marine Corps Tables of Organization & Equipment authorized 4,206 Reising submachine guns for each division in 1942, but by the end of 1943, the weapon was no longer listed. By late 1943, practically all of the Reisings were out of the hands of front line combat troops. Although no Reisings were acquired by the Marines after 1943, the weapon remained in production by Harrington & Richardson until 1945. These later production Reisings were made for the commercial market but civilian sales were limited. After serving stateside as guard and security weapons, the government-owned Reisings were declared surplus and many were either destroyed or given to police departments during and after World War II. H&R made some attempts to market the Reising submachine gun for post-war police use. The firm noted that the folding stock M55 would be an ideal weapon for use in a patrol car. However, most law enforcement agencies had access to surplus submachine guns at little or no cost, so H&R did not sell many Reisings after the war. The company dropped the gun from its line shortly after the end of World War II.
Few American military weapons of World War II have such a negative image as the Reising. While a fine gun for civilian police of security use, its reliability problems forever damned it in the eyes of the Marines who used it in World War II. Despite its failures, the Reising is still an interesting and historical weapon due to its use in the early stages of the Pacific War." - Bruce Canfield

DISPOSITION OF ONE OTHER M55 SUBMACHINE GUN FROM THE COLLECTION:
6319 - SN# 62818 - Transferred to Watervliet 5/18/1972.

References:
Canfield, Bruce. U.S. INFANTRY WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II. Andrew Mowbray Publishers. Lincoln, R.I. 1994
Nelson, Thomas P. THE WORLD'S SUBMACHINE GUNS. T.B.N. Enterprises. Alexandria, Va. 1977.
U.S. Army Ordnance. SUBMACHINE GUNS. VOL. III. Aberdeen Proving Ground. Aberdeen, Md. 1959.