The Danish Madsen firm (Dansk Industri Syndikat) just never quite hit the big-time. They built lots of interesting, good firearms, but never quite came up with something that became really iconic. The M/50 is a good example of this track record – it was functionally a pretty ordinary open-bolt submachine gun, but had some innovative features. The receiver – including magazine well and grip – was made from two large pressings, which were hinged together at the back and held together by the barrel nut.
Certainly makes for easy maintenance. Doesn’t leave much to salvage when they’re chopped up as parts kits for US import, though. They sold reasonably well, but never really took off.
By reader request, we have for you a copy of an English-language manual for the M/50 Madsen. You can download it here, and also find it on the Original Manuals page in the Vault (which is really due for a reorganizing).
Madsen M/50 SMG Handbook (English)
very rare info about a well made weapon, this is a madsen patent design
For me the Madsen SMG will always be “the Planet of the Apes gun.” In the original 1968 film they were disguised with wooden stocks over the whole receiver but I distinctly remember ape soldiers on horseback with plain tubular-stock Madsens, perhaps from the short-lived TV series? Cheers, Matthew
My favorite movie that used the Madson was Ice Station Zebra.
I turned one of these in to be scrapped when in the USMC at I Corp in 1972 when we were pulling out. All captured weapons were turned in to scrapped and sold to the Koreans. Someone is driving around with it made into a Kia or something. It did not have the wire stock or the Magazine. If I thought that I could have brought it back, I would have but decided that it wasn’t worth the jail time.
Saw it on Startrek