Small Submachine Guns - The fact that the Army is looking for an SMG or machine gun was big news a couple of years ago. They haven't adopted a "grand army" machine gun platform since the WWII M3 Grease gun.

28 Oct 1953 - Pvt Robert Meyers fires a grease gun during the Armored Stakes course held at Heavy Tank Co, 7th Inf Regt, 2nd Inf Div Div.

Small Submachine Guns

Small Submachine Guns

Then, seemingly out of the blue, the army made a request for samples of modern machine guns with a rather strict requirement. The Army wanted a very small SMG, and its newest field effort was called the Sub Compact Weapons System. As we now know, the winner will be B&T's APC9K.

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While B&T won, the US saw entries from HK, SIG Sauer, CZ, PTR and many others; all of which were considered but ultimately rejected. The strict requirements of the military made it difficult to configure the weapon to meet the specific needs of the industry, bringing a completely reliable and modular platform. The Army initially purchased only 350 APC9K SMGs with an option to purchase 1,000 more if deemed necessary. Those numbers, along with the fact that we have about half a million soldiers on active duty, must mean that the new SMG was not intended as a general purpose weapon.

In 2020, the US Air Force followed suit and purchased a small number of APC9K machine guns to replace their aging MP5s.

So what's so great about the APC9K? Well, Bruger and Thormet make fantastic premium quality firearms with a solid reputation. Army requirements for the machine gun called for a short 5.5-inch barrel and a folding telescopic stock. It had to weigh less than 7 pounds, fire 9mm cartridges, and be 15 inches long or shorter with the stock broken. The Army also had requirements for dual-action, as well as an external safety mechanism, 20- and 30-round magazines, and semi- and full-auto modes.

The APC9K has a 4.3-inch barrel with a suppressor adapter, a folding stock, weighs 6.7 pounds, and measures about 14 inches with the stock folded. The APC9K meets or exceeds all the required specifications in addition to being a well made firearm. K is a German designation that stands for Kurz, which translates to short.

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The APC9K uses a very simple recoil system. There's nothing fancy about it, and it's the same system used in early SMGs like the M3 Grease Gun. However, this closed breech firing system produces more recoil than is necessary for the 9mm cartridge and requires a combination of heavy bolts or springs to function properly. Modern SMG variants from SIG and HK offer more advanced roller-delayed gas pistons and short-stroke gas pistons that can make the weapon lighter and less effective. As a result, if offered a choice of submachine guns, I would rather go with the SIG MPX because of its lighter recoil and profile.

The APC9K magazines are true staggered column fed SMG magazines. They tend to be easier to load, slightly more compact, and more reliable for automatic fire. B&T magazines are famously translucent and made of polymer material.

The main advantage of the APC9K package is its modularity. Similar to the M4 platform, the APC9K can be equipped with a wide variety of accessories, stocks, muzzle devices, and even a variety of lower receivers. Lower differentials allow Glock or SIG P320 magazines to be used in the pistol.

Small Submachine Guns

The US Army adopted the P320 series as its new service pistol in 2017, and the lower P320 provides commonality between the pistols and the APC9K. However, this is an option you want to avoid. This changes the ergonomics of the rifle, and the SMG magazines provide a higher capacity and shorter magazine profile.

Small Black Sub Machine Gun With A Brown Grip. Vector Illustration On A White Background. Royalty Free Svg, Cliparts, Vectors, And Stock Illustration. Image 129229305

Shooters can attach a variety of optics, suppressors, lights, lasers and vertical grips to their APC9K rifles. It's a very modern choice for today's soldiers, and modularity matters on today's battlefield.

Adoption of a machine gun is generally a strange thing for a kind of troops. Submachine guns have become niche weapons, as have rifles, in which their role is very limited to the military force. They fire a pistol-caliber projectile that lacks the range and penetration of a rifle. On the other hand, carbines (short rifles) such as the Mk18 and LVAW provide shooters with compact platforms that provide much greater penetration and range.

But this is why the APC9K is not a common weapon. The Army's goal is to arm personal security units, or PSD teams, with APC9K machine guns. Situationally it makes sense. If you're in an urban environment and defending a general officer, the machine gun is a good option for those closer to the start. The APC9K provides a lightweight and practical weapon system for those who need to escort the director through doorways, into cars and through very tight spaces.

The APC9K offers the user a very compact weapon that is more powerful than a pistol but not as powerful as a rifle. Soldiers assigned to PSD details do not have the primary objective of winning the engagement like infantry units do in most cases. Her goal is to protect the director and get away from danger. A machine gun can be operated with one hand better than a rifle, can be easily used in a vehicle, and can deliver suppressive fire with ease.

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Navy SEALs made famous use of the MP7, and some operators carried it during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, leading many to wonder why a similar weapon could not be adopted by PSD teams. The MP7 fits the bill almost perfectly. The barrel is 7.1 inches, but the overall length is only 16.3 inches. It also weighs just 4.2 pounds. It's a hair bigger than it needs to be, but it shoots Kevlar that jams 4.6x30mm rounds.

These 4.6×30 rounds outperform the 9mm in effective penetration and range while delivering less recoil. However, the Army wanted the magazine forward of the pistol grip, and they wanted a 9mm. While JSOC and SOCOM may have MP7s, their tools and ammunition, Big Army does not.

Big Army has 9mm, specifically their new 9mm M1153 load. These 147 grain cartridges are much better than the old school 124 grain NATO loads we have been using since the 1980s.

Small Submachine Guns

I could imagine that it would be difficult to introduce a new caliber into the arsenal and that it would require a whole new level of testing, logistics and associated headaches. The 9mm is an effective round that is already in use in Army logistics plans and the supply chain.

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The APC9K offers the Army a very compact, high-quality, modular platform that outperforms a pistol and is more compact than a rifle. In the niche that the Army is trying to fill, the APC9K will do a very good job.

Travis Pike is a former Marine machine gunner who served in the 2nd Marine Regiment for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU (SOC) for a record 11 months at sea. He trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirates Marines and the Afghan National Army. He is an NRA certified handgun instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.

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Small Submachine Guns

Model 61 SKORPION machine gun of CZUB weapons in its glory in Ugerski Brod. Small arms production at Ceska zbrojovka a.s., Firearms Factory Uhersky Brod (CZUB) in Uhersky Brod, Czech Republic. CZUB, founded in 1936, is one of the traditional Czech arms manufacturers. Ceska zbrojovka manufactures military small arms, such as machine guns and pistols, as well as sports shooting and hunting weapons. Today, the company is one of the

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