The Star Model Z-45 is a Spanish submachine gun manufactured by

Star Bonifacio Echeverria Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. was a manufacturer of small arms (principally pistol caliber firearms such as handguns and submachine guns) in the Basque region of Spain from about 1905 until 1997. Company history Bonifacio Echeverria and the an ...

, derived from the German

MP 40 The MP 40 () is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. Developed in Nazi Germany, it saw extensive service in the Axis powers , Axis forces during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration ...

Design

The internal mechanisms are similar to the MP 40. Unlike the German version, the Z-45 is a

selective fire Selective may refer to: * Selective school, a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria ** Selective school (New South Wales) See also * Selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial select ...

weapon (full-auto or single shot). The gun was made in both folding stock and wood stock versions. The Z-45 had a fluted chamber to ease extraction with the powerful

9×23mm Largo The 9×23mm Largo (9mm Largo, 9mm Bergmann–Bayard, 9mm Bayard Long) centerfire pistol cartridge was developed in 1903 for the Bergmann–Bayard pistol. It was adopted by the Spanish and Danish militaries, with the former using it until the 1 ...

cartridge. Most Z-45s were issued with a 30-round box magazine, but a short 10-round magazine was available for law enforcement, or for prison forces guarding prisoners.Hogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, 6th ed. DBI Books, Inc. (1991)

Variants

Versions chambered in

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO or simply 9mm) is a Rim (firearms)#Rimless, rimless, Centerfire ammunition, centerfire, tapered cartridge (firearms), firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer ...

, .38 Super and

.45 ACP The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as .45 Auto, .45 Automatic, or 11.43×23mm is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After su ...

were also produced, since the barrel can be easily removed.

Service

It was designed between 1942 and 1945. The Star Z-45 was adopted by the

Guardia Civil The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...

in 1945, by the

Spanish Police Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine ** Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

the next year, by the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

in 1947 and eventually by the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in 1948. It was used in combat during the

Ifni War The Ifni War, sometimes called the Forgotten War (''la Guerra Olvidada'') in Spain, was a series of armed incursions into Spanish West Africa by Morocco, Moroccan insurgents that began in November 1957 and culminated with the abortive siege ...

against the

Moroccan Army of Liberation The Army of Liberation (; ) was an organization of various loosely united militias fighting for the independence of Morocco from the French- Spanish protectorate. It was founded in 1955 as an attempt to organise the various factions of rural ...

Users

* * * * * * * * * * *

References

{{reflist .38 Super submachine guns 9mm Largo submachine guns 9mm Parabellum submachine guns .45 ACP submachine guns MP 38 derivatives Star firearms Submachine guns of Spain