Weapons and firms. In our material about the “family” AR-15 rifles, it was said that many companies have sprung up around the world that produce this rifle in the version of a sporting weapon. It would seem that it is no longer possible to find something completely new here, well, unless someone would create a 12, 7-mm carbine on its basis. Nevertheless, enterprising people in many countries of the world are not ceasing to think about what else to turn this rifle into. And again, everything is there for this. There are firms that will custom-make you barrels of any length, of any caliber and with any rifling pitch. There are programs that allow you to make a receiver for this rifle of any configuration on a CNC machine, with any tolerances and any additions generated by your imagination. There are firms that will provide you with the appropriate coverage … Or lease equipment for this.
In addition, the design of the AR-15 itself is so simple that it is very easy to alter it for different cartridges. What different companies are also doing, reworking it even for a caliber of 9, 5 mm! But you can, after all, carry out the modernization of the rifle in the opposite direction, that is, reducing the power of the cartridge. Instead of a rifle cartridge, use a pistol cartridge and thus also get a submachine gun!
The American company Angstadt Arms, named after its creator Rich Angstadt, took up such design, which tried its hand at developing PDW weapons - "personal personal protection weapons", a simple and effective submachine gun. The company appeared relatively recently, but has already developed a model of a compact UDP-9 rifle chambered for a pistol cartridge. It was created in collaboration with Keystone Armory.
The barrel is 152 mm long and is equipped with an integral silencer. According to Rich Angstadt, this silencer can quite successfully muffle the sound of a shot with 9 mm subsonic ammunition. The rifle, and in fact, a carbine, or rather a submachine gun, since the weapon uses pistol cartridges, is compatible with all accessories from the AR-15, as well as magazines for Glock pistols, including double ones. The use of the latter, as well as the elongated ones, is especially important, since the standard magazine of this pistol holds only 17 rounds.
“We realized that people needed a more compact AR-15 rifle, and we made it. Moreover, it is compatible with Glock pistols - the most popular pistols on earth."
- said Rich Angstadt.
Further more. Work on the creation of a portable model of the "arch" was continued, and the result was an ultra-compact sample of personal defense weapons AR-9 (MDP-9), also having a caliber of 9 mm and also compatible with magazines from the Glock pistol, but with a patented roller shutter delayed action. It turned out that this is a quite worthy competitor even to the well-known German MP-5 submachine gun from Heckler & Koch, which also uses a roller shutter. Actually, even when this pistol made its debut on the market, its locking system with a semi-free roller shutter just became its main "highlight", which made it a cashier! But time passed, and it turned out that you can do something similar and not worse, but better and more compact!
The reason why the German company decided to use a semi-free shutter is understandable. According to the terms of reference, it was required to create a submachine gun for a Luger 9-mm cartridge with high firing accuracy, and it was not possible to achieve this when using a free shutter. Typically, submachine guns fire from an open bolt, causing the weapon to jolt before firing. This does not happen with a semi-free shutter. The barrel is locked at the time of the shot and opens slower than in free-action systems. Hence the lower rate of fire and better control of the weapon by the shooter.
So in this design, the applied semi-free breechblock with roller deceleration provided, according to the company, both reduced weight and lower recoil, which, in turn, turned their PP into "one of the softest shooting submachine guns of this caliber on the market." Well, you can declare anything for advertising purposes, words like air, here they were and now they are not, but in this case this statement is confirmed: MDP-9 was bought in 30 countries. Moreover, it is emphasized that the submachine gun is made on the AR-15 platform and is fully compatible in a number of parts with the AR-15 / M4. In addition, a number of its devices, such as collimator sights and Picatinny rails, can also be installed on the AR-15 / UDP-9. It is noted that such compatibility makes this model an ideal weapon system for both professionals and trained citizens who want to have such a weapon for self-defense in an emergency. It is noted that the civilian model has not yet been produced, but in accordance with American law, it will not be able to conduct automatic fire and will receive a longer barrel. Today it is one of the shortest submachine guns, easily fits into a small leather bag!
Since the buffer tube characteristic of all "arches" is absent on the MDP-9, it turned out to be very short and this is its great advantage. The stock is attached to the back of the Picatinny rail, and there are two options: one folds to the side, the other is retractable. This solution is rather unusual, but it allowed to significantly shorten this "product". That is why they made a case for him. In it, it is conveniently carried, without annoying anyone with its appearance, but you need to open it, take it out and shoot!
The barrel of the submachine gun is 148 mm long, with a chamber fitted with Revelli grooves. The reloading handle is located on the left, but can be rearranged to the right side as well. Which, again, is convenient for any shooting audience. When firing, it is also motionless. Solid Picatinny rail. With a total length of 355 mm, an unloaded submachine gun weighs only 1633 g. Its cost in the USA is 2599 dollars. With a side-folding stock, $ 200 more. Well, why so, it is clear: the device turned out to be more complicated.
The weapon uses the principle of multi-caliber, which is very popular today. It is enough to replace only two parts - the barrel and the bolt, and from this SM it will be possible to shoot cartridges.40 S&W (10 × 22 mm Smith and Wesson),.357 SIG (9x22), as well as.45ACP (11, 43x23 mm).
