SMG

Military abbreviation · Weapon and Military Equipment

SMG
Stands forSubmachine gun
CategoriesMilitary

SMG stands for Submachine gun, a weapon and military equipment abbreviation.

Compact automatic weapon firing pistol cartridges, used for close-range fighting by special forces, police and vehicle crews. Examples include the Thompson, Uzi and Heckler & Koch MP5.

Example: The hostage rescue team carried suppressed SMGs into the building.

Usage notes

Submachine guns were widely used in World War II but have largely given way to short-barreled rifles and carbines in military service. The Thompson, nicknamed the "Tommy gun," became infamous in 1920s gangland violence.

More weapon and military equipment abbreviations

  • SA – Small arms
  • SAM – Surface-to-air missile
  • SAPI – Small Arms Protective Insert
  • SAW – Squad automatic weapon
  • SDB – Small Diameter Bomb
  • SLBM – Submarine-launched ballistic missile
  • SRBM – Short-range ballistic missile
  • TEL – Transporter erector launcher
  • THAAD – Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
  • TOW – Tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile
  • UAS – Unmanned aircraft system
  • UAV – Unmanned aerial vehicle

See all 77 weapon and military equipment abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.