Sola Super


Sola Lèger


Overview


Sola Super

Left side view of Sola Super with stock in extended position.
Source: www.world.guns.ru - © Copyright lies with original owner

Origin
Luxembourg
Type
Sub machine gun
Entered service
Mid to late 1950's
Status
Obsolete
Development
Early 1950's
Developer
Luxembourg - Société Luxembourgeoise d'Armes SA (SOLA)
Production
1954 - 1957
Producer
Luxembourg - SOLA
Number produced
At least several thousand (estimate)
Designations
Super Sola
Sola Lèger

Description


Introduction

The Sola Super is a sub machine gun of Luxembourgeoise origin. It was designed in the early 1950's as an ultra cheap weapon for export sales. Despite its low cost sales were rather limited due to its size, weight and limited reliability. After a few years production was discontinued.

Design

The Sola Super resembles the Belgian Vigneron both externally and internally. The Sola Super is a blowback operated weapon that consists of only 38 parts. With the exception of the pistol grip the weapon is fully made out of metal. A retractable wire shoulder stock is fitted. The magazines doubles as a forward grip.

Firepower

The Sola Super fires the 9x19mm round from 32 round box magazines of the same type as used in the MP40. The cyclic rate of fire is 550 rpm. The rather long barrel results in a good range and high muzzle velocity. The muzzle compensator helps a little to fight the rather strong recoil. The maximum effective range is 150 meters.

Users

Even though the Sola Super was very cheap it did not sell very well. Other weapons on the market were only slightly more expensive and of much better quality. Quantities have been exported to Africa and South America.

Variants


Sola Super

The Sola Super is a sub machine gun that is inspired by the Belgian Vigneron and looks rather similar. The Sola Super is the original production model. This was produced in much larger numbers than the Sola Lèger.

Sola Lèger

The original Sola Super was found rather heavy and in order to improve sales the Sola Léger was introduced in 1957, the same year production of all Sola sub machine guns stopped. As the name suggests the Sola Léger is a lightened model. The trigger system was simplified, the dust cover removed and the flash hider eliminated. The result was a lighter weapon with even worse performance than the original Sola Super.

Details


Facts Sola Super Sola Lèger
General
Origin
Luxembourg
Type
Sub machine gun
Caliber
Caliber
9x19mm Parabellum
Feed system
32 round detachable box, compatible with MP40
Barrel length
305 mm
Rifling
6 grooves, 305 mm right hand twist
Muzzle velocity
396 m/s
Operation
Action
Blowback operated
Locking
None
Fire selector
0 - 1 - F
Rate of fire
550 rpm
Dimensions
Stock type
Retractable wire strut
Length
889 mm stock extended
610 mm stock retracted
Weight
2.86 kg unloaded
3.6 kg loaded
Sights
Mechanical
Iron sights, blade front and flip aperture rear
Range adjustment
50 to 150 m gradations

Media


Related articles


Vigneron

The design of the Sola Super was heavily inspired by the Belgian Vigneron sub machine gun.