Military Wiki
Oriṭa
Type Submachine gun
Place of origin Flag of Romania Romania
Service history
In service 1943[1]–1970s[2]
Used by Flag of Romania Romania
Production history
Designed 1941
Manufacturer Uzinele Metalurgice Copșa Mică și Cugir
Variants Oriţa M1941, Oriţa M1948
Specifications
Mass

3.45 kg (7.6 lb) without magazine

4 kg (8.8 lb) with magazine
Length 894 mm (35.2 in)
Barrel length 278 mm (10.9 in)

Cartridge 9x19mm Parabellum[3]
Rate of fire 600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 400m/s
Effective firing range 200 m (656.2 ft)
Feed system 32-round detachable box magazine
Sights graded from 100 m (328.1 ft) to 500 m (1,640.4 ft)

Orita (correct orthography: Orița) was a 9mm submachine gun manufactured in Romania during World War II and for several years afterwards. It was named for Captain Marin Orița (Military Technical Corps, Romanian Army), who is credited in Romania with its design.[4] (Other sources describe the Orița as a joint Czech-Romanian project;[1] the Czech Leopold Jašek and the Romanian Nicolae Sterca are also considered to have contributed to its design.[2][5]) The manufacturer was CMC (Uzinele Metallurgice Copșa Mică și Cugir), and the first version, Model 1941, entered operational service with the Romanian Army in 1943.[1] An improved version (Model 1948, with either fixed wooden stock or folding metal stock)[6] remained in service with the Romanian Army until it was replaced by the Romanian version of the AK-47 assault rifle. The Orița was also in service with the Romanian paramilitaries ("Gărzile Patriotice") until the 1970s.[2]

Other specifications[]

  • Rifling: 6 right-hand grooves

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Axworthy & al (1995), p. 75
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Plăvcan, L. & Plăvcan, D., Romanian Firepower…
  3. Specifications for Orița, Model 1941, are from Plăvcan, L. & Plăvcan, D., Romanian Firepower…
  4. König (1977), p. 229
  5. Anonymous, Román kézifegyverek…
  6. König (1977), p. 231

Sources[]

External links[]

Photograph from the Romanian Ministry of Defence.
Technical drawing.
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