A submachine gun (SMG) is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire pistol cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun.
There are some inconsistencies in the classification of submachine guns. British Commonwealth sources often refer to SMGs as "machine carbines". Other sources refer to SMGs as "machine pistols" because they fire pistol-caliber ammunition, for example, the MP-40 and MP5, where "MP" stands for Maschinenpistole ("machine pistol" in German). However, the term "machine pistol" is also used to describe a handgun-style firearm capable of fully automatic or burst fire, such as the Stechkin, Beretta 93R and the H&K VP70. Personal Defence Weapons (PDW) such as the FN P90 and H&K MP7 are also commonly referred to as submachine guns. In addition, some compact assault rifles, such as the Colt XM177, HK53 and AKS-74U, are also referred to as SMGs, because they are used in the submachine gun role.
FN P-90
The FN P90 is a personal defense weapon (PDW) designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, the P90 was designed as a compact but powerful firearm for vehicle crews, operators of crew-served weapons, support personnel, special forces and counter-terrorist groups.
Designed by FN in conjunction with the FN Five-seven pistol and FN 5.7×28mm ammunition, development of the weapon began in 1986, and production commenced in 1990 (from which the "90" in its name is derived), whereupon the 5.7×28mm ammunition was redesigned and shortened. A modified version of the P90 with a magazine adapted to use the new ammunition was introduced in 1993, and the Five-seven pistol was subsequently introduced as a companion weapon using the same 5.7×28mm ammunition.Featuring a compact bullpup design with an integrated reflex sight and fully ambidextrous controls, the P90 is an unconventional weapon with a futuristic appearance. Its design incorporates several innovations such as a unique top-mounted magazine and FN's small-caliber, high-velocity 5.7×28mm ammunition.
The P90 is currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 nations, such as Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Greece, India, Malaysia, Poland, and the United States. In the United States, the P90 is in use with over 200 law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service. While developed and initially marketed as a PDW, it can also be considered a submachine gun or compact assault rifle. The standard selective fireP90 is restricted to military and law enforcement customers, but since 2005, a semi-automatic version has been offered to civilian shooters as the PS90.
The P90 and its 5.7×28mm ammunition were developed by FN Herstal in response to NATO requests for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge and associated pistols and submachine guns. NATO called for two types of weapons chambered for a new cartridge—one a shoulder-fired weapon, and the other a handheld weapon. According to NATO, these new weapons, termed personal defense weapons (PDWs), were to provide "personal protection in last-resort situations when the user is directly endangered by the enemy in 1989
H&K MP 7
The MP7 is a German Personal Defence Weapon (PDW) manufactured by Heckler & Koch (H&K) and chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm cartridge. It was designed with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989, as these requirements call for a personal defense weapon (PDW) class firearm, with a greater ability to defeat body armor than current weapons limited to conventional pistol cartridges.
The MP7 went into production in 2001. It is a direct rival to the FN P90, also developed in response to NATO's requirement.The weapon has been revised since its introduction and the current production versions are theMP7A1 and newest MP7A2. The proliferation of high-quality body armour has begun to make guns that fire pistol ammunition (such as Heckler & Koch's earlier MP5 submachine gun or USP pistol) ineffective. In response to this trend, Heckler & Koch designed the MP7 (along with the now cancelled UCP pistol, which uses the same ammunition) to penetrate body armor, but small enough to be used in place of either a pistol or a submachine gun.
The MP7 uses a short stroke piston gas system as used on H&K's G36 and HK416 assault rifles, in place of ablowback system traditionally seen on sub-machine guns including those by H&K. The 4.6x30mm ammunition is virtually exclusive to the gun (save for the now cancelled Heckler & Koch UCP and a planned variant of theBrügger & Thomet MP9) and also offers low recoil. This ammunition is unique among submachine guns in that the bullet is made almost entirely of a hardened steel penetrator instead of softer copper or lead.
The weapon allows a conventional 20-round, 30-round, or 40-round box magazine to be fitted within the pistol grip (the 20-round magazine being comparable in size to a 15-round 9×19mm magazine, while the 40-round magazine compares to a 30-round 9×19mm magazine). The weapon features an ambidextrous fire selector, bolt catch lever and magazine release. It has an extendable stock and a folding front grip; it can be fired either one-handed or two-handed. It is compact and light, due to the use of polymers in its construction.
UMP-45
The UMP (Universale Maschinenpistole, German for "Universal Machine Pistol") is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch.
As originally designed, the UMP is chambered for larger cartridges (.45 ACP and .40 S&W) than other submachine guns like the MP5, to provide more stopping power against unarmored targets (with slightly lower effectiveness at longer range) than the MP5 (largely offered in 9×19mm, albeit with short-lived production of 10mm Auto and .40 S&W variants). A larger cartridge produces more recoil, and makes control more difficult infully automatic firing. To mitigate this, the cyclic rate of fire was reduced to 650 rounds/min (600 rounds/min for the UMP45), which makes it one of the slower firing submachine guns on the market.
The UMP9 (the 9×19mm version of the UMP) is almost 0.2 kilograms (0.44 lb) lighter than its MP5 counterpart. Its predominantly polymerconstruction reduces both its weight and the number of parts susceptible to corrosion.
The UMP is available in four trigger group configurations, featuring different combinations of semi-automatic, 2-round burst, fully automatic, and safe settings.
It features a side-folding buttstock to reduce its length during transport.
When the last round of the UMP is fired, the bolt locks open, and can be released via a catch on the left side. The standard viewing sights are composed of anaperture rear sight and a front ring with a vertical post. It can mount four Picatinny rails (one on top of thereceiver, and one on the right, left, and the bottom of the handguard) for the attachment of accessories such as optical sights, flashlights, or laser sights. Vertical fore-grips can be attached to the bottom rail for increased control during burst and automatic fire.
The UMP has been adopted by various agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Heckler & Koch developed the UMP as a lighter and cheaper successor to the MP5, though both remain in production.
The UMP is a blowback operated, magazine-fed submachine gun firing from a closed bolt.
MAC-10
The MAC-10 (Military Armament Corporation Model 10, officially the M-10) is a compact, blowback operatedmachine pistol developed by Gordon B. Ingram in 1964. It is chambered in either .45 ACP or 9mm. A two-stage suppressor by Sionics, was designed for the MAC-10, which not only abated the noise created, but made it easier to control on full automatic.
The M-10 was built predominantly from steel stampings. A notched cocking handle protrudes from the top of thereceiver, and by turning the handle 90° would lock the bolt, and act as an indicator that the weapon is unable to fire. The M-10 has a telescoping bolt, which wraps around the barrel. This allows a more compact weapon, and balances the weight of the weapon over the pistol grip where the magazine is located. The M-10 fires from anopen bolt, and the light weight of the bolt results in a rapid rate of fire.
In addition, this design incorporates a built in feed ramp as part of the trigger guard (a new concept at the time) and to save on cost the magazine was recycled from the M3 Grease Gun. The barrel is threaded to accept a suppressor, which worked by reducing the discharge's sound, without attempting to reduce the velocity of the bullet. At the suggestion of the United States Army, it also acted as a foregrip to inhibit muzzle rise when fired. Ingram added a small bracket with a small strap beneath the muzzle to aid in controlling recoil during fully automatic fire. The original rate of fire for the M-10 in .45 is approximately 1090 rounds per minute. That of the M11/nine 9mm is approximately 1250 rounds per minute, and that of the M11 .380 is 1380 rounds per minute.
The primary reason for the original M-10 finding recognition was its revolutionary sound suppressor designed byMitchell Werbell III of Sionics. This suppressor had a two-stage design, with the first stage being larger than the second. This uniquely shaped suppressor gave the MAC-10 a very distinctive look.It was also very quiet, to the point that the bolt could be heard cycling, along with the suppressed report of the weapon's discharge; however, only if subsonic rounds were used.
PP-bizon
The Bizon ("Bison") is a 9mm submachine gun developed in the early 1990s at Izhmash by a team of engineers headed by Victor Kalashnikov (son of the famous engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov, creator of the AK-47 & AK-74).Alexei Dragunov, youngest son of Evgeny Dragunov (the creator of the SVD sniper rifle), was also a member of the design team.
The Bizon was developed at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and is primarily intended forcounter-terrorist and law enforcement units that usually need fast and accurate fire at close ranges. Prototypes were trialed by the Special Equipment Research Institute in 1995 where they outperformed several competitors, and the weapon was accepted into service on December 28, 1996. The Bizon is issued to armed response units of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Ministry of Justice. It was used in combat operations against separatists in the volatile North Caucasus region, namely Chechnya and Dagestan.
The Bizon is a lightweight selective fire weapon that fires from a closed bolt, a feature that enhances the gun's accuracy. It is based on the AKS-74 and features a 60% parts commonality with the assault rifle.Chambered for the standard Russian 9×18mm Makarov pistol cartridge, the gun will also fire a new high-impulse armor-piercing 57-N-181SM round.The Bizon uses a simple straight blowback method of operation, an unlocked breech system reduces cost and build complexity. The Bizon's operating cycle is characterized by a very short recoil stroke, standard 9×18mmammunition will only drive the bolt partially to the rear of the receiver and produces a cyclic rate of 700 rounds/min.
High-impulse ammunition forces the bolt to travel all the way to the end of the receiver, barely striking the receiver wall. A rate of fire of 650–680 rounds/min is the result. This has the effect of reducing perceived recoil and increasing controllability and hit probability.
The Bizon has no gas system and the internal components have been modified accordingly. The bolt carrier with integral charging handle was recycled from the AK, however the piston rod and rotary bolt were removed and the piston extension was plugged with a steel insert. The return spring and guide rod are identical to those of the AK.
