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If smokeless powder was already invented then and machines to help make rimfire cartridges, could a sub/light machine gun be invented?

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Of course it could. One could argue if someone didn't had such idea at that point. The main drawbacks were, probably:

  • repetition in creation (so what industrialization bring)
  • precision
  • real need to kill many people at once.

First submachine appeared during first World War. With almost 10 millions army men dead. For example Russian-Japanese war had "just" around 1,2 millions participants on each side. Italo-Turkish war had 40 thousands participants on each side.
There was just no need for such kind of weapon to be supplied with money for R&D, materials or building whole infrastructure around it.

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    $\begingroup$ no. definitely not. you need machinery, and, most of all, suitable metals, none of which was available. $\endgroup$ – Burki Mar 22 at 9:46
  • $\begingroup$ @Burki please read my answer once more. Especially last sentence. $\endgroup$ – SZCZERZO KŁY Mar 22 at 10:07
  • $\begingroup$ Reading it again, i still fail to see how you take metallurgy into account. Or precise machinery. $\endgroup$ – Burki Mar 22 at 11:00
  • $\begingroup$ Leonardo da Vinci already had concepts of tanks and multiple firing guns, I really think the need for such kind of weapons was already there. $\endgroup$ – L.Dutch - Reinstate Monica♦ Mar 22 at 11:05
  • $\begingroup$ @Burki " The main drawbacks were [...] •repetition in creation (so what industrialization bring) •precision **, There was just no need [...] **materials or building whole infrastructure around it. $\endgroup$ – SZCZERZO KŁY Mar 22 at 11:21

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