And I pay retribution in the name of the moon!
Usagi Tsukino / Sailormoon
Weapons and firms. That's how it happens … There was an article about a promising rifle of the Japanese army and the only photo in it, which does not even have a direct relation to it, aroused genuine interest among many readers of "VO". We are talking about a submachine gun, which is in service with the Japanese paratrooper troops - Minebea PM-9. Moreover, Minebea is the name of the company that produces it. The article said that “the Japanese are not going to replace this 9-mm submachine gun based on the Israeli“mini-Uzi”. He suits them anyway! " And this is really so, but it’s interesting to learn more about him and, if such an opportunity exists, then why not find out? By the way, the example with this submachine gun is very revealing. The Japanese believe, and not without reason, that frequent replacement of time-tested small arms is, in general, completely useless. The weapon must be reliable, convenient and well meet the specifics of its application, and besides, it must also be cheap!
Well, the history of this Japanese submachine gun began with the fact that the Israeli "Uzi" was declared one of the most effective submachine guns of its time almost immediately after it appeared in the mid-1950s. Its popularity has ensured a good market for it, and several countries have taken up its (both licensed and unlicensed) production. Well, over time, other, even more compact samples, such as "Mini-Uzi" and "Micro-Uzi", appeared in his family. Borrowing "Uzi" or copying it immediately began in many countries of the world. Somewhere it turned out worse, somewhere at the level of the basic model …
When the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) had to select compact automatic weapons for their various services and special forces in the 1980s, their choice fell on the proven Uzi. The production of the licensed sample was carried out by Minebea (formerly Nambu Arms Manufacturing Company), and the sample itself received the designation "PM-9". It should be noted that this company by this time was already producing the SIG-Sauer P220 Swiss semi-automatic service pistol, and the Japanese especially liked the fact that this new sample could be produced on the same equipment. At the same time, the PM-9 was not a priority, since it was primarily intended for arming military personnel of the second and third lines, such as gunners, vehicle drivers, crews of military vehicles and security personnel. Some of them were also supposed to enter service with the Japanese special forces, fighters who quickly appreciated its melee firepower and compactness. The latter was of great importance precisely in Japan, since the Japanese themselves were never distinguished by their heroic growth and physique.
Actually, it cannot be said that the Japanese were already in such a hurry with the development of a submachine gun. The only notable Japanese design was the post-WWII Nambu M66 (or SCK Model 65/66), which was clearly far from ideal. It was developed in the early 1960s by the Japanese company Shin Chuo Kogyo (SCK) and subsequently adopted by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Due to strict Japanese laws, this submachine gun was never exported from Japan. The SCK-66 submachine gun, which appeared a little later, was outwardly similar to the Model 65, but had a lower rate of fire.
In general, it was a simple weapon, firing from an open bolt and only in fully automatic mode. The bore hole had a dust cover that must be manually opened before firing, as it had a small protrusion that would block the bolt if the cover was closed. This safety enhancement function was complemented by an automatic safety lever in the form of a sufficiently long lever located at the rear of the magazine receiver. To turn it off, the shooter must grab it with his left hand and press it tightly against the magazine body. The magazine cocking handle was on the right side of the receiver and remained stationary when fired. The barrel had a tubular casing, which, for some reason, did not have holes or slots for cooling. The folding stock was made from thin steel tubes. Looking at this submachine gun, it can be said that its design was influenced by such foreign models as the Carl Gustav SMG and the American M3 "Grease Gun". However, the large weight, 4 kg without cartridges, as well as the size did not leave him any chance after the appearance of the Uzi.
And it is not surprising that, comparing their previous model and the Israeli "Uzi", Japanese engineers transferred many of its characteristic features (in particular, the "mini-Uzi" shape) to their new submachine gun. And that's how PM-9 was born. It also used the ubiquitous 9x19 mm pistol cartridge, but they made a magazine for 25 rounds, not 30. The magazine was inserted into the pistol grip in the same way, but, unlike the Israeli model, the Japanese put a second one on their submachine gun. the handle, which was carried out almost under the barrel, which made it easier to control the weapon, especially when firing in automatic mode. The sights were located on the top of the rectangular receiver and had the most common design.
The total weight of the new submachine gun has been halved and is now 2.8 kg with a total length of 399 mm. Barrel length 120 mm. The rate of fire was high - 1100 rounds per minute, but the effective firing range fell to 100 meters. Bullet speed - 247 m / sec.
Moreover, here, too, the Japanese turned out to be true to themselves and for the sake of maximum reduction in the cost of production they trimmed both handles with wood and only later they were modernized and received plastic handles.
The submachine gun entered service in 1990 and since then and until now continues to carry out limited service in various units of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. In the JSDF, it is referred to as the 9mm submachine gun (9mm 銃 拳 銃, Kyumiri Kikan Kenjū), or M9, and is a Japanese-made product. By analogy with the Israeli "mini-Uzi" PM-9 has a telescopic shutter, but differs from it both in its appearance and operational combat characteristics. Except for Japan, in accordance with Japanese law, it is not shipped anywhere else. This is the national weapon!
Although this submachine gun has served in the Japanese military for many years, JSDF officials have been considering replacing it since 2009. One of the possible examples is the very famous Heckler & Koch MP5. However, 11 years have passed, and the M5 has not yet appeared in Japan!
