In 2002, brothers John and Jeff Overstreet, with the assistance of their wives Gretchen and Stephanie, founded a new arms company called CMMG. Initially, the new enterprise, like other organizations in the industry, produced copies of existing weapons, as well as manufactured parts and accessories for them. However, later, a family of businessmen mastered the design of new types of small arms. A number of interesting designs were built using well-known platforms and developments. In addition, the designers offered their own ideas, which were soon implemented in a family of weapons called Banshee.
Unusual family
The Banshee family is based on the design of the AR-15 self-loading rifle, one of the most popular weapons in its class. At the same time, it was proposed to make weapons for low-power cartridges of small and medium calibers, as a result of which a serious restructuring of automation systems was required. Nevertheless, the designers from the Overstreet family managed to find optimal solutions and create a line of weapons based on them. It included five models of rifles and the same number of products called pistols.
It should be noted that the main design features of Banshee products seriously complicate their assignment to one or another class of weapons. The fact is that all pistols of the line have a "rifle" layout with a magazine shaft outside the handle. At the same time, several rifles of the family use pistol cartridges. As a result, the developers divided the family into pistols and rifles solely at their own discretion - there are simply no major differences in design.
The Banshee's design makes it difficult to use the generally accepted classification of weapons. Only a few products of the family can be clearly attributed to rifles. Others can be classified as PDW or the notorious "assault pistols". You can also recall the almost forgotten term "pistol-carbine", which has recently been given a chance for a second life.
The bolt group of the Mk57 pistol chambered for 5, 7x28 mm
Finding suitable definitions is also complicated by the fact that CMMG considers its developments as versatile systems for recreational and sports shooting, self-defense and even hunting. Also, the possibility of using Banshee in law enforcement agencies and security organizations is not excluded.
New solutions
In the early years of its activity, CMMG only copied and slightly modified the existing AR-15 platform. To some extent, this was reflected in the Banshee family. However, only two Mk4 Banshee 300BLK products can be considered a full-fledged copy of the old rifle. This is a self-loading weapon chambered for.300 BLK (7, 62x35 mm), outwardly as similar as possible to the base platform. In its design, measures have been taken to improve ergonomics and basic characteristics.
Semi-free shutter in operation. The contact of the beveled surfaces is visible
The Mk4 carbine under the.300 BLK differs from other products of the Banshee family in the type of automation. He retained a gas engine with a direct supply of powder gases to the corresponding part of the bolt carrier. The standard rotary shutter from the AR-15 is also used. The only significant change to the basic design is to lighten the bolt and fit a new return spring to match the capacity of the new cartridge.
All other samples of the family use less powerful cartridges with a different gas pressure, which excludes the use of automation with gas removal. Instead, the carbine pistols received a semi-breech-action automatic system built on the AR-15 units. The bolt carrier, in general, repeats the original design, but differs in the presence of recesses that reduce the mass. A similar shutter with a radial lugs is also used, rotating around its axis due to the guides inside the frame.
The semi-free shutter is braked using the patented Radial delayed blowback technology. The lugs, nominally located in the barrel shank, are not rectangular, but slightly chamfered. The rear part of the bolt stops is designed in the same way. The barrel is locked in the same way as in the case of the AR-15, and the unlocking process is carried out due to the gas pressure in the barrel. Under the pressure of gases, the sleeve pushes the bolt back, while the beveled lugs provide a relatively slow turn with unlocking before rolling back. The "extra" energy of the gases is spent on overcoming the friction between the beveled lugs of the barrel shank and the bolt.
Rifle Mk4 Banshee 300BLK - a member of the family with gas-operated automatic
Automation based on AR-15 units is housed in a similar receiver. All rifles and pistols of the Banshee family have a composite receiver, divided into upper and lower receivers. These devices are forged from 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. The upper receiver retains the basic features of the base rifle, while the lower receiver is being substantially refined. First of all, the dimensions and shape of the store's receiving shaft change.
The Banshee range uses a range of calibers and lengths of rifled barrels made from 4140CM steel. They are rigidly fixed to the upper receiver. Replacement of the barrel by the user, especially in the field, is not provided.
Mk4 300BLK in "pistol" configuration
All products of the family are equipped with a unified trigger mechanism developed by CMMG. Overall, it echoes the original AR-15 designs and also incorporates a modern take on ergonomics. In particular, the safety lever is displayed on both sides of the weapon.
A common feature of all "Banshees" is an octagonal fore-end with an upper and lower Picatinny rail. In this case, the upper bar is smoothly mated with a similar device on the receiver, due to which a long rail is formed for installing any compatible sight at any convenient position.
Pistol carbine Mk4 22LR
CMMG has introduced an original metal coating called Cerakote Finish, which uses ceramic components. Such a coating is very durable and can have one of 11 colors. Customers can choose from a variety of colors, from "Graphite Black" to "Snow White". However, in some cases you will have to pay extra for the choice of color.
Family members
In general, the CMMG Banshee family can be divided into five conditional groups, each of which includes a pair of unified samples, namely a rifle and a pistol-carbine. Both samples of this group use the same cartridge and are as similar to each other as possible, differing only in size and configuration.
So, the already mentioned "group" Mk4 Banshee 300BLK includes a rifle and a pistol with minimal differences. So, both samples are equipped with a barrel length of 8 inches (203 mm) with the same protection in the form of a long forearm and standardized flame arresters. Ammunition is supplied from PMAG magazines for 30 rounds. With the stock pushed forward, the total length of the pistol-carbine and rifle reaches 25 inches (635 mm). Unloaded weight - 5.2 lbs (2.36 kg).
9mm pistol carbine MkGs
The differences between the two Mk4 300BLKs lie exclusively in the configuration. The rifle is equipped with an L-shaped telescopic buttstock from RipStork, and also has a front vertical grip. The pistol does not have a front handle, and instead of a stock, a pistol brace product of the Tailhook MOD 2 model is installed.
Also under the designation Mk4 is a pair of samples chambered for.22LR (5, 56x15 mm R). A rifle and a pistol of this kind have a 4.5-inch (114 mm) barrel with a flash suppressor and a semi-breech-based automatic system. The spring and bolt group have been modified taking into account the low power of the cartridge. Both samples can use 25-round box magazines, reminiscent of the standard AR-15 products. Length with stock folded - 20.25 inches (514 mm), weight - 4.4 pounds (2 kg). The Mk4.22LR differ from each other in the same way as the Mk4 under the.300 BLK - the type of stock and the presence or absence of a front grip.
"Rifle" MkG 45ACP
The "group" of weapons with the designation MkGs Banshee 9 mm is a weapon chambered for 9x19 mm "Para". Its characteristic feature is the special bottom receiver with a narrow magazine passage. For compatibility with Glock pistol magazines and similar devices with a capacity of up to 33 rounds, the shaft is angled. The rifle and pistol MkGs have a 5-inch (127 mm) threaded barrel. In this case, a simple protective sleeve is used instead of a flame arrester. The minimum pistol length is 20 inches (508 mm), the rifle with the stock extended is exactly two inches longer. Weight - no more than 4.8 pounds (2.17 kg). The set of two samples is similar to other weapons of the Banshee.
A pair of MkG Banshee 45ACP samples was also created for a pistol cartridge, the designation of which is made in the name of the weapon. They are as similar as possible to MkGs for Parabellum ammunition and have minimal differences. In particular, the dimensions, weight and equipment remain the same. The only significant external difference between the two pairs of weapons is the use of different magazines. The MkG 45ACP comes with a Glock 13-round magazine.
Newest Mk57 pistol in bronze paint
Perhaps the most interesting in the Banshee family is a pair of samples under the general designation Mk57, first presented just a few weeks ago. The numbers in their names indicate the use of a pistol cartridge 5, 7x28 mm developed by the Belgian company FN. Such ammunition was used with several pistols and other models of compact self-defense weapons of the PDW class. With minimal dimensions and weight, such a cartridge has relatively high characteristics and is suitable for solving all basic tasks.
Outwardly, in size and weight, the Mk57 are similar to other weapons from CMMG for pistol cartridges. In particular, the same narrow inclined magazine receiving shaft is used. A 5-inch barrel is used and a semi-free breech automatic system adapted to the energy of the cartridge. At the same time, two return springs with different characteristics are proposed for use with the Mk57. The first is more rigid and is designed for firing a 40-grain bullet. Bullets weighing 27 and 28 grain can only be used with a weaker spring. To supply ammunition, a magazine from ProMag with a capacity of 20 rounds is used.
The CMMG Banshee line includes 10 small arms designs based on shared ideas and solutions. At the same time, the development company offers customers not only ready-made rifles and pistols-carbines, but also their individual elements. So, the catalog contains units in the form of an upper or lower receiver with all the necessary additional devices. In particular, this allows you to combine elements of the "Banshee" with other products, and also makes repairs easier.
Mk57 rifle chambered for FN
Products from the Banshee family are priced differently. Individual weapon components range from $ 600 to $ 800. For a full-fledged sample, you will have to pay from 1100 to 1600 dollars. At the same time, the development company offers a whole line of unified samples with similar capabilities and different features.
Family versus competitors
The American market for civilian and service weapons is literally crammed with offers from various manufacturing companies, and a potential buyer can easily choose the products that are most interesting to him. Naturally, manufacturers are faced with fierce competition and therefore are forced to look for certain ways to attract customers. The Overstreet family, which owns CMMG, has found several ways to get customers interested.
Suggested weapon color options
In an effort to expand the list of manufactured products, CMMG has implemented an interesting concept of a compact weapon for low-power cartridges, which has a "rifle" layout. Such weapons, showing fairly high characteristics, can be used in the civilian and official spheres - for entertainment, participation in competitions, self-defense, etc. The successful combination of small dimensions and sufficient firepower contributes to the solution of such tasks.
The choice of cartridges that did not differ in special power imposed certain restrictions, which led to the use of new design solutions. Due to the impossibility of using gas automation, most samples use a semi-free shutter with braking of its own design. This shows that CMMG is able not only to copy other people's developments, but also to create their own. Otherwise, the Banshee line of weapons seriously resembles many other modern developments, which use the "fashionable" principle of modularity.
The state of the American civilian weapons market forces numerous manufacturers to constantly update catalogs and present more and more interesting weapons. Often, to solve such problems, gunsmiths have to seriously modify existing designs or even create completely new ones. CMMG has long understood these industry principles and takes them into account in its work. Thanks to them, a curious family of Banshee rifles and pistols has already appeared, and it should not be excluded that a new similar line will be developed in the future.
