 Machine pistols were developed during World War I and originally issued to German artillery crews who needed a self-defense weapon that is lighter than a rifle but more powerful than a standard semi-automatic pistol.Today, they are considered a special purpose weapon with limited utility, and difficult to control for all but the best shooters.The Austrians introduced the world's first machine pistol, the "Steyr Repetierpistole" M1912/P16, during World War I.