WesWorld

In early 1945 the Cuartel General of the Ejército directed the Fabrica de Armas y Municiones del Ejército to commence development of a new machine carbine for the armed forces. The FAME had considerable experience with the license manufacture of the Italian-designed Beretta Modelo 1938; an excellent weapon but one requiring extensive machining and high-quality materials, resulting in an expensive product. The design effort took as its starting point the German-designed MP-36, a weapon obtained in small numbers by the Infantería de Marina. Extensive use was made in the design of the Modelo 1948 of stamped-steel parts and the projected cost of the new weapon was estimated to be less than half of the Beretta.

A prototype appeared in mid-1946 and offered for trials; while generally considered acceptable some design changes were requested. A second series of trials was held in February 1947 and the design fulfilled all the Ejército’s requirements. The first production weapons emerged from the factory late that year.

Details

Caliber: 9 mm x 19 Parabellum
Length: 830 mm (butt opened) / 615 mm (butt folded)
Barrel length: 250 mm
Weight: 3.0 kg
Action: Blowback, open bolt
Rate of fire: 650 rounds per minute (cyclic)
Magazine: 36 rounds
Sights: Flip rear sight, fixed blade front sight

Well, half the costs, maybe, but also half as good a gun, too.

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Well, half the costs, maybe, but also half as good a gun, too.

<Sarcasm on>

Peru is a poor nation, oppressed by its more wealthy neighbors, who persistently have made war upon us. We must make do with what we can obtain as Peru does not have patrons who readily make available their most advanced weaponry and conspire to deny us the same from any quarter. <Sarcasm off>

Yes, it is not a fine machined weapon, but it will do the job; and that is what is required. :D

Quoted

We must make do with what we can obtain as Peru does not have patrons who readily make available their most advanced weaponry and conspire to deny us the same from any quarter.

That's probably because Peru is looking for patrons in the wrong places and thus ends up with only duds.

... maybe I should have sent that pm regarding the need for Peru to have a few more modern submarines to irritate the neighbours a bit more...

<Lampoon on.>

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Peru is a poor nation largely through their own doing, jealous of its more wealthy neighbors, who we persistently make war upon and lose.

Fixed for you. :)
<Lampoon off.>

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

Yes, it is not a fine machined weapon, but it will do the job; and that is what is required. :D

Peru must have low requirements for what they need, then. If the requirements are "needs to be more dangerous than a machete on 33% of occasions", then yes, it will do that job...

But if you want a weapon that works reliably in Andean and Amazonian basin conditions, this almost certainly isn't going to do that job as well as the Beretta. The Beretta may be more expensive, but that's because it's a far superior design. With the Modelo 48, there is a significant opening behind the charging handle that leads into the space where the bolt recoils. Very easy for foreign objects (mud or sand) to get inside, and at that point, everything's going to stop working in short order - and difficult to *force* to work, since it fires from the open bolt. The Beretta, by contrast, has fewer gaps, a dust cover, and a non-reciprocating charging handle. When the weapon is ready to fire, the only open part of the action is the ejection port (due to the open bolt).

Sometimes needs must seek improvised kit. The Sten was a pig, the M-3 less so, but improvised rough and ready methods can pay dividends.
At the requirements are not "needs to be more dangerous than a machete on 55% of occasions".