Erma Werke M1

The History of Erma Werke

ERMA Werke was a German arms company which operated from 1924 to 1997. It emerged from a former state-owned armory in Erfurt and was founded by Berthold Geipel. ERMA became quickly recognized for some of the famous firearms they presented to the market such as the MP40 and Karabiner 98k. The firm started manufacturing firearms in the early 1930s, producing submachine guns under the 'EMP' series, which were sold to Yugoslavia, China, Mexico, and Spain. By the mid-1930s, they had secured a license for Mauser Model 98 rifles, and the Erma EL 24 insert barrels began to gain traction as training tools.

The company's history also has its share of dark chapters. In 1934, they underwent a rebranding, adopting the name Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B. Geipel GmbH or "ERMA" for short. Just a year later, the political landscape shifted when Berthold Geipel was appointed Wehrwirtschaftsführer of Erfurt by the Nazi government. The wartime period saw the introduction of the MP 40 for the German Wehrmacht and the presentation of the Erma EMP 44 machine gun, though the latter was never formally adopted. Moreover, the company's operations during the war were closely linked with a forced labor camp located near the Fachhochschule Erfurt.

After the war, Geipel faced challenges because of his ties to the Nazi party. He was detained but eventually worked for Vollmer GmbH after the War. By 1949, Geipel reestablished the company as ERMA-Werke in Bavaria, later relocating to Dachau in 1952. The focus temporarily shifted to home appliances, but by the mid-1950s, contracts were secured to produce and maintain parts for M1 Carbines and other Allied weapons.

Trying to create a new submachine gun in the 1950s proved to be difficult for the corporation as their concept was surpassed by the Uzi. This setback led to Fiberglide acquiring the company in 1961, and shortly after, the Geipel family exited the business.

ERMA Werke's decline began with its bankruptcy filing in October 1997, followed by its acquisition by Suhler Jagd und Sportwaffen GmbH the subsequent year. The once-renowned trademark gradually diminished, and by 2004, its operations were integrated by H&K Jagd und Sportwaffen GmbH under the Merkel brand, ceasing its firearm production.

Among the most popular weapons manufactured by ERMA were the MPE/EMP submachine gun series, the M1 Carbine replica, EG 70, gas revolvers EGR 66 and 66X, and handguns like the KGP 68 Luger pistol Clone and ESP 85A target pistol.

Erma M1 Rifle Review

Erma M1 is a German-produced short semi-automatic blowback carbine and a direct copy of the famous M1 carbine used by the United States military forces, mostly during the Korean War and Vietnam War. Contrary to the original US-built M1 that used a .30 cartridge, ERMA chambered their M1 copy for .22 LR caliber as the training rifles in rimfire cartridges were standard in Europe at the time.

The trigger, trigger housing, receiver, and slide are made of alloy metal, whereas the bolt, barrel, and minor trigger group pieces are all made of steel. Other parts such as the front and rear sights with an adjustable sight leaf and a windage adjustment screw are identical to the original M1. Magazines were supplied in 5-round, 10-round or even 15-round configurations. The magazine's visible part looks like a .30 caliber carbine magazine, with its lower half fitting inside a sleeve secured by a pin.

All ERMA M1s were equipped with a safety positioned on the right side of the trigger guard. The safety is engaged when the lever is pointed down and disengaged by rotating it forward.

The top of the receiver is equipped with a flat 11 mm dovetail and when the rear mount is removed, the surface is suitable for installing a scope. The rear end of the rifle features a plastic recoil pad and there is a protrusion in the stock body for a sling.

Before being discontinued, ERMA manufactured and sold more than 250,000 pieces of the M1.

Figure 1: ERMA M1, chambered for .22 LR (Source: https://www.guns.com/firearms/rifles/semi-auto/erma-model-e-m1.-22-18-barrel-used?p=57699&soldout=1)

ERMA M1 Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

• .22 LR

ERMA M1 Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

• ERMA EM1

• ERMA EGM1 Deluxe

The receivers of ERMA M1 rifles come with an 11 mm flat top dovetail for scope mounting purposes.

Figure 2: The receiver of ERMA M1, chambered for .22 LR (Source: https://www.guns.com/firearms/rifles/semi-auto/erma-model-e-m1.-22-18-barrel-used?p=57699&soldout=1)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With ERMA M1

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With ERMA M1

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with ERMA M1 are the following:

• All rifles featuring a flat-top 11 mm dovetail

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With ERMA M1

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with ERMA M1 are the following:

•  All rifles featuring a flat-top 11 mm dovetail

Best Scope Mounts for ERMA M1

Fixed Scope Mounts for ERMA M1

This Hawke Match mount is a great option for this rifle, providing you with a good-quality build at a low price. It is made of aluminum and comes with a ten-year warranty.

Check Out Hawke Match mount

Lateral Slide Scope Mounts for ERMA M1

Should you want to use the Lateral Slide-on mount with your ERMA M1 rifle, the German EAW company offers one with 30 mm rings. It is made of high-grade steel and comes with a 30-year warranty.

Check Out EAW Lateral Slide-on mount

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for ERMA M1

If you plan to use multiple scopes on your rifle, we recommend the Rusan Pivot mount which can be easily detached and is zeroed when reattached. It is made of aluminum and comes with a thirty-year warranty.

Order Rusan Pivot mount

Picatinny Rail for ERMA M1

If you wish to install a Picatinny rail on top of the dovetail, Recknagel offers a good solution. It is made of aluminum and comes with a thirty-year warranty.

Click here for Recknagel Picatinny rail

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu