SMALL PACKAGES, BIG BANG: Personal Defense Weapons

[thedrifter]

SMALL PACKAGES, BIG BANG: Personal Defense Weapons
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David vs. Goliath, or a soldier with a sidearm vs. assault rifles and machine guns ... the odds aren't great, but they get a lot better with the modern version of the slingshot: the Personal Defense Weapon.


Ambidextrous and at the ready: the FNH P90 Personal Defense Weapon

Part 1 of a Series
By David Crane
Editor, DefenseReview.com

The Problem: How does a person armed only with a sidearm-sized weapon -- a semi-auto pistol, for instance -- go up against an opponent armed with an assault rifle or submachine gun? Well, the first question you might ask is why would he want to? Why not fight a rifle with a rifle, so to speak?

Well, what if our pistol-armed man can't carry a rifle or subgun with him? What if he's a pilot, or he drives an APC (armored personnel carrier) or tank? What if he's working in a rear-line/support role, like a cook, for example? A pistol-sized weapon might be the only possible (or, at least, convenient) choice for him. But let's face it, a man armed with a semi-auto pistol is at a severe disadvantage against an assault rifle or submachine-gun-wielding opponent.

What if we gave our guy a machine pistol, a la the Beretta M93R or Glock 18? Great, except machine pistols are difficult to control (and thus require a high degree of training to employ effectively), they're difficult to get hits with on full-auto mode, and they utilize conventional pistol ammo, which has severe range and body armor penetration limitations. So plan A's a no-go.

But what if we could upgrade the machine pistol, and improve it on all three of those counts -- better full-auto controllability, greater range, and superior penetrative capability against enemy body armor?

In 1969, a group of Colt Firearms designers/engineers, led by Henry A. Into, set out to do just that. Into and his team literally invented an entirely new and truly revolutionary infantry small arms concept. Slightly larger and heavier than a Colt 1911A1 .45ACP pistol,the new prototype weapon was designed around a proprietary high-velocity 40-grain .22 Caliber bottle-necked cartridge. In 1971, this new prototype weapon would come to be called the SCAMP, which stands for "Small Caliber Machine Pistol". With the SCAMP, the Colt team had just created a new classification of firearm, what we now call the "Personal Defense Weapon," or PDW.

The SCAMP: The First PDW

The SCAMP was designed to provide pilots, armored vehicle personnel, and support/rear-line combat troops with a compact, lightweight, ergonomic, and controllable select-fire high-capacity weapons package that would allow them to either escape and evade enemy soldiers armed with assault rifles, or hold these enemy forces off until reinforcements or air support/air evac arrived.

The SCAMP's bottle-necked .22 Caliber cartridge was basically a "semi-rifle round" or "reduced-impulse mini-rifle cartridge" that was designed to allow the operator to engage the enemy at significantly greater distance than he could with any 9mm or .45ACP pistol. It's presumed that the round was designed to defeat the enemy's body armor or (possibly) loaded 7.62x39mm AKM/AK-47 magazines carried on the chest, and still incapacitate (or at least disable) the target. While the SCAMP projectile's flat trajectory and armor-piercing qualities were important, weapon controllability on full-auto was the key. Remember, the SCAMP was essentially a large machine pistol, yet it still had to allow the operator to hit what he was aiming at, even on the full-auto setting, at distance. If you can't hit the enemy, the projectile's capability doesn't matter.


A schematic of the SCAMP, the forerunner of today's personal defense weapons.

This is where the gun's balance, weight, cartridge, and recoil compensator came into play, enabling the SCAMP's user to hit the enemy at distance with a full-auto burst from a pistol-sized and configured weapon, while firing it as a pistol (rather than from the shoulder)." The SCAMP was select-fire (semi-auto/full-auto), and, according to testers at the time, better-balanced than the 1911A1. The SCAMP's magazine capacity was a submachine gun-like 27 rounds, and incorporated a compensated barrel for recoil attenuation, so the weapon would be more controllable on full-auto.

So, why all this ink spent on the SCAMP's history? Well, in order to understand where we're going in this life, we have to first understand where we've been.

The FN P90 PDW: Upgrading the Subgun

In 1988, FN Herstal introduced its own PDW concept, the P90. Where the SCAMP was based on upgrading the military sidearm (pistol) in combat effectiveness and capability, the FN P90 PDW was seemingly designed and developed to do the same to the 9mm submachine gun (SMG). FN's initial target market was all military personnel (including operators) previously tasked with carrying and/or employing a submachine gun.

The P90 is billed as "the world's first fully-ambidextrous individual automatic weapon." All of the P90's controls are ambidextrous, including manual safety/selector switch, mag release, and charging lever. At 19.7" long, 8.3 inches high, 2.2 inches wide, and 6.6 lbs loaded (50 rounds), it's a sling weapon, designed to be worn across the operator's back, side, or chest, unlike the SCAMP. The P90 shares the SCAMP's mission profile, but can also be used in Special Operations (SPECOPS)/Special Forces operations, including Counterterrorism applications (more on this later).

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the FN P90 PDW is it's ammunition-feed system. Like the Hill submachine gun (SMG), the P90 utilizes a top-situated, horizontally-oriented magazine (with 50-round capacity). The cartridges are rotated 90 degrees before being fed into the chamber and fired. Spent casings are ejected straight down at the operator's feet. The P90 is built around the proprietary 5.7x28mm SS190AP cartridge. When fired out of the P90's 7.9" barrel, the 31 grain SS190AP projectile achieves a claimed muzzle velocity of 2,346 fps (feet-per-second), and about 374 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.


The FN P90, disassembled into major components (magazine is at upper right).

According to FN Herstal's P90 video, the SS190AP round has only 2/3rds the recoil force of 9mm NATO ammo, yet has "considerably greater" stopping power than the 9mm. The round can pierce car windshields and doors, and even kevlar vests and helmets up to 200 meters away, with the kevlar material having "virtually no effect" on the round. It will also pierce NATO CRISAT body armor (1.6mm titanium armor plate and 20mm of kevlar soft armor) and, according to the company, retain a minumum of 80 joules of energy after armor penetration. FN asserts that 80 joules is enough energy to incapacitate a human being. It would seem the SS190 round relies on bullet yaw and tumbling effect to achieve its claimed stopping power.

However, a number of ballisticians and small arms experts are skeptical of the SS190AP's purported terminal ballistics/stopping power capability, referring to it as a "pipsqueak" round. There are also conflicting reports on its performance, where the P90 has been employed by both law enforcement and military personnel around the world. I have heard conflicting reports about the SS190AP's performance against hostile targets in CQB scenarios. These reports, to date, remain unverified.

Even though it's difficult to say for certain just how terminally effective the SS190 round is, and thus how operationally effective the FN P90 PDW/SS190AP system is, the P90 does boast a relatively high 900 rpm cyclic rate and high degree of full-auto contollability, which allows the operator to pepper a target with multiple rounds extremely quickly. If you can hit the enemy with a full-auto burst of 5-10 shots at CQB (Close Quarters Battle) range, one would imagine (and hope) that that would be enough to put a hostile target down rather quickly. Ideally, you want to be able to put a man down with one shot, or a 2-3 shot (full-auto) burst, especially if you have to engage multiple hostile targets quickly. In any case, fast multiple-target engagement would seem to be the P90's strong suit, with its high cyclic rate and full-auto controllability.

I've actually been a fan of the FN P90 PDW ever since test-firing it for the first time at TREXPO East 2001 (at Heckler & Koch's range, ironically enough). It was easy to keep all rounds on target while firing on full-auto, albeit at short range. While it looks highly unconventional at first glance, the P90 is actually well-balanced, ergonomic (non-snag), and quick to shoulder/point. The ambidextrous controls are well laid-out. Fast multiple target acquisition and engagement are a piece of cake, especially with the version that does away with the factory optical sight/reticle and allows the mounting of a quality aftermarket optical gunsight attached, like the Aimpoint CompM2 Red Dot Sight or EOTech 552 Holographic Weapons Sight/Holographic Diffraction Sight. FN's factory standard integral optical sight isn't quite as good. The P90 also features an integral (visible) laser targeting sight.

With 50 rounds of 5.7x28mm AP (armor-piercing) ammo available at one's immediate disposal in an eminently controllable 900rpm select-fire/full-auto weapon, the FN P90 PDW makes for a formidable little weapons package. During the T&E session, I put several hundred rounds through the P90, and witnessed several hundred more rounds being put through the gun by other testers. There were no stoppages or jams of any kind, either experienced or witnessed. I did not get a chance to fire the P90 with the factory-supplied sound suppressor/silencer attached, but one does exist. During the test, I discovered that the P90 can be speed-reloaded with a fresh magazine surprisingly quickly. There is just one potential concern regarding the P90's reliability: a rumor is floating around that if a P90 is dropped with a partially-loaded magazine, the rounds can and sometimes do become jumbled inside, which renders the weapon useless. The same thing can apparently happen if a partially-loaded magazine is dropped by itself, but this situation would obviously be much more rare. This rumor remains unsubstantiated, to my knowledge. Even if the rumor were true, one would hope that FN Herstal would have already corrected the problem.

The New Breed


5.56mm power: the SIG 552 Commando subcarbine.

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Perhaps the greatest competition for the FN P90 PDW are the new breed of 5.56x45mm subcarbines, which have recently risen to prominence in Special Operations (SPECOPS)/Special Warfare (SPECWAR), LE SWAT, and executive protection/military PSD (Personal Security Detachment) circles. These subcarbines provide an operator with a true 5.56x45mm weapons package very close to the size and weight parameters of the 5.7x28mm P90; examples include the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (Crane NSWC)-developed SOPMOD M4/M4A1 CQBR subcarbine, the SIG 552 Commando subcarbine, the HK G36C subcarbine, the 10.5" Lewis Machine & Tool Monolothic Rail Platform subcarbine (reviewed elsewhere in SoldierTech), the Arms Tech Compak-16 subcarbine, Military Manufacturing Corporation/MM2 Corp. M16SP and M16C subcarbines, and Troy Industries' CQB-SPC Commando and A4 "Advisor". These subcarbines all enjoy 30 rounds of true and immediate 5.56x45mm firepower.

Note: Since 9/11, the AR-15/M16-based subcarbine appears to be the single most popular primary weapon carried by active U.S. military Special Operations PSD and private military PSD operators protecting government VIP's and heads-of-state (like Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and Afghani President Hamid Karzai) OCONUS. It's the author's understanding that the 10.5" LMT MRP (CQBR format) has become particularly popular with these operators (although this is unconfirmed, as yet).


True, due to its short barrel, the 5.56 subcarbine doesn't enjoy the terminal ballistics/effectiveness of the longer-barrelled 5.56mm carbine or rifle (since 5.56 subcarbines often fail to achieve the magic 2500 fps muzzle velocity threshold), but it still packs more punch, energy-wise, than a PDW. An operator can also clamp or tape two 5.56 magazines together so that reloads are very fast. Several of the above-listed subcarbine examples also allow the use of a true modular 1913 Picatinny rail system (for mounting optics, lasers, and tactical white lights). With the 5.56mm weapons, in addition to the standard green tip 62 grain NATO M855/SS109 FMJ ball round (with compound steel penetrator/lead core), an operator has the option of transitioning to the black-tip M995 62gr FMJBT AP (Armor-Piercing) round, which employs a tungsten carbide penetrator core. The M995 round is capable of penetrating 12mm armor plate at 100 meters, out of an M16A2/A4.

Next Issue: Part 2 of this series focuses on the HK MP7A1 PDW and the Saab Bofors CBJ-MS PDW.

About the Author: David Crane is a military defense industry analyst and consultant, and the owner/editor-in-chief of DefenseReview.com. He can be contacted by phone at 305-389-1721, or via email at david@defensereview.com.



Author David Crane test-fires the FNH P90 Personal Defense Weapon (photo from Defense Review Wesbite).


5.56mm power: the SIG 552 Commando subcarbine.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

SMALL PACKAGES, BIG BANG: Personal Defense Weapons (Part 2)

The question: What's coming down the pike in terms of future Personal Defense Weapons design and development? The HK MP7A1 PDW for starters.



Heckler & Koch's MP7A1 PDW.

The HK MP7A1 PDW: Back to the Future

If the FN P90 PDW is an attempt to replace the submachine gun, the HK MP7A1 PDW, introduced by Heckler & Koch in 2001, would appear to be an attempt to get back to the original PDW's purpose, to replace the military pistol. So, the MP7A1 is perhaps closer to the SCAMP, than it is to the P90. At 14.96 inches long, 6.7 inches high, the MP7A1 is about midway between the SCAMP and P90 in size, about the size of a mini-submachine gun. Dry weapon weight is 3.53 lbs, and approx. 3.8 lbs with a loaded 20-round magazine inserted. It can be carried on the hip in a specially-made holster, somewhat like a pistol. It's magazine is inserted through the vertical pistol grip, just like on a regular pistol, the SCAMP, or a mini-UZI SMG. Like the P90, all of the MP7A1's operational controls are fully-ambidextrous, including the manual safety/selector switch, bolt carrier release lever, mag release, charging lever, and telescoping/retractable butt stock release lever. The HK MP7A1 fires its proprietary 4.6x30mm hardened-steel-core FMJ (full metal jacket) round out of its 7.09" barrel and down range at roughly 2400 feet-per-second (fps), at a cyclic rate of 950 rpm. According to Fred Yates of Heckler & Koch (HK) Training Division, this 4.6x30mm projectile can penetrate 22 layers of Kevlar or a Kevlar helmet at 50 yards. It will also reportedly penetrate NATO CRISAT body armor with no trouble, at this distance. Muzzle energy is approximately 332 ft. lbs (447 joules). Magazine capacity is 20 rounds with the standard magazine, or 40 rounds with the extended/battle mag.

Basically, the HK MP7A1 Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is a slick little package. It's just very well-executed. The author first had the opportunity to fire the MP7A1 PDW prototype at SWAT Round-Up 2002, and came away extremely impressed with it. First, the ambidextrous controls are well laid-out. Everything's right where it should be for instinctive and fast operation under stress. Like the FN P90 PDW, the HK MP7A1 prototype was highly controllable on full-auto, and hits were easy against a man-size target at, if the author remembers correctly, about 40-50 yards out. There were no failures to feed or eject (no stoppages or jams of any kind) during the testing session, either experienced or witnessed by the author. Because of the MP7A1's relatively small size, low weight, and excellent balance, you can fire it one or two-handed like a pistol (with the stock retracted), using either the standard pistol sights and/or the reflex/red dot optical sight. Or, you can extend the 3-position telescoping/retractable stock, quickly bring it to the shoulder, deploy and employ the flip up BUIS (Back-Up Iron Sights) and use them in conjunction with the reflex/red dot sight (since they're co-witnessed), and fire it as a rifle.

The HK MP7A1 PDW features a full-length 1913 picatinny rail, and will accept the Hensoldt Z-Point reflex/red dot sight, EOTech 550 Series Holographic Weapons Sight/Holographic Diffraction Sight (the author prefers the EOTech 552, which takes AA batteries), and/or the Aimpoint CompM2 Red Dot Sight for ultra-fast targeting/multiple target engagement. The MP7A1 also sports a 1913 Picatinny fore end for mounting lasers and tactical white lights. It's flip-down vertical fore grip is another neat and utilitarian feature, since it aids in controlling the weapon while moving and while firing it on full-auto. It should also aid weapon retention during CQB engagements. That said, the MP7A1's 4.6x30mm projectile is really small, even smaller and lighter (and thus even more "pipsqueak") than the P90's 5.7mm round, so CQB employment would seem (by the author) to be somewhat risky with this weapon, especially for executive protection and military PSD teams tasked with protecting extremely important principles. Remember, you have to be able to stop an assassin extremely quickly at extremely close range. That said, the MP7A1's 950 rpm cyclic rate will probably compensate somewhat for any lack of stopping power that the individual 4.6x30mm projectiles might suffer. Still, the author wouldn't want to be the first guy to test it operationally. Like the FN P90 PDW, the HK MP7A1 PDW can be had with a factory-supplied silencer/sound suppressor.

Even so, there are reports (as yet unconfirmed by the author) about the MP7A1 being employed/deployed by German Bundeswehr infantry and KSK (Kommando Spezialkraefte) operators. Again, the author must question the use of personal defense weapons like the FN P90 and HK MP7A1 for Special Operations (SPECOPS)/Special Warfare (SPECWAR) and counterterrorism applications, when compact 5.56mm subcarbines are so plentiful, readily available, more powerful, and ammunition-compatible or even family-compatible with standard 5.56x45mm assault rifles, carbines, and LMG/SAW's (light machine gun/squad automatic weapons)--and thus more versatile. The same goes for executive protection or military PSD (Personal Security Detachment) use.

Saab Bofors CBJ-MS PDW

Introduced in August of 2000, the Saab Bofors CBJ-MS Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is actually a very interesting piece--although perhaps not at first glance (It appears to resemble the Ruger MP9 submachine gun, aesthetically). The CBJ-MS is essentially an orthodox-looking, mini-UZI-style 9mm parabellum mini-submachine gun (SMG) that, by simply changing-out the barrel and ammo, can be rather easily converted from a 9x19mm subgun to a 6.5x25mm PDW. Pretty cool. The proprietary 6.5x25mm CBJ cartridge is aluminum-cased, saboted, and light armor-penetrating. Designed, developed, and manufactured in Sweden, the CBJ-MS PDW has some interesting things going for it. First, it's modular/convertible, in terms of caliber. Second, its 6.5x25mm round enjoys both more surface area and a higher velocity than either the 5.7x28mm or 4.6x30mm projectiles, although the author doesn't know the projectile grain weight. According to Swedish tests, muzzle velocity for the 6.5x25mm CBJ AP round is 2,689.5 fps. At 400 meters, the projectile is still travelling at 1,544.4 fps. Hmh. Third, a spare mag can be stored inside the rear-angled vertical foregrip. This, combined with the fact that the primary magazine is loaded through the pistol grip (just like on the mini-UZI and MP7A1), means that the CBJ-MS can be reloaded with a fresh mag very fast under stress, during CQB engagements. The CBJ-MS PDW's large black plunger-type charging handle, located at the rear of the receiver, looks fast to access and engage, in case this procedure is necessary. And, fourth--and this is also interesting--, the Saab Bofors CBJ-MS PDW is offered in both open-bolt (simple open breech blowback) with fixed firing pin and closed-bolt (closed-breech blowback) with floating firing pin formats. The author doesn't yet know whether or not the CBJ-MS can be converted back and forth between the two formats. In order for this to be possible, one would think that the fixed firing pin version would have to utilize a removable breech face.

And, here's another interesting tidbit: The aforementioned Swedish tests apparently also demonstrated that a soldier using a CBJ-MS PDW to fire 5-shot bursts (presumably off-hand) at a soldier-sized (standing) target 400 meters away could out hit another soldier firing (presumably off-hand) at the same target with single shots from an assault rifle. Five rounds per enemy soldier shouldn't pose a problem for a CBJ-MS PDW-equipped operator, since the weapon plus 1200 rounds of 6.5x25mm CBJ ammo weighs only 18 lbs, altogether. That's a rather high degree of volumetric firepower to have on hand, at that weight.

While the CBJ-MS employs a manual thumb safety and grip safety, it doesn't utilize a manual fire-mode selector switch, opting for a Steyr AUG-like trigger. To fire on semi-auto, the operator pulls lightly. To fire on full-auto, the operator pulls the trigger all the way to the rear. Cyclic rate on the Saab Bofors CBJ-MS PDW is a relatively slow 575 rpm. The weapon weighs 5.9 lbs unloaded, and 6.3 lbs loaded with 30 rounds of 6.5mm CBJ ammo. 20-round box mags and 100 round drum mags are also available. Overall length with stock retracted on the CBJ-MS is 14.52 inches. The stock itself is classic SMG wire-type. The standard sights are adjustable and tritium-illuminated, but the author recommends the use of either an EOTech 552 Holographic Weapons Sight or Aimpoint CompM2 Red Dot Sight.

The Saab Bofors CBJ-MS just might prove to be the most viable and versatile existing PDW out there right now, due to its proprietary 6.5x25mm cartridge, caliber interchangeability, open-bolt/close-bolt operation options, optional 100-round drum mag, and the spare-mag-holding vertical foregrip (for ultra-fast speed reloads). In addition, the 6.5x25mm CBJ round might just make the CBJ-MS PDW a more effective close quarters battle (CQB) weapon AND perimeter security weapon than either the FN P90 or HK MP7A1 PDW's. Who knows? The CBJ-MS/6.5x25mm weapons/ammo package might just prove to be useful for certain military Special Operations (SPECOPS)/Special Warfare (SPECWAR), law enforcement (LE) SWAT, and executive protection (or even military PSD) applications. Then again, it might not. Only time will tell. Jury's still out. It's important to note that the author doesn't yet have any bullet grain weight information or muzzle energy data on the 6.5x25mm CBJ projectile.

(Author's note: Bob Pilgrim's February 2001 "Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement" (GWLE) article on the CBJ-MS PDW was used as source material for the information above.)

The PDW of the Future

So, what does the future hold for the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)? It's hard to tell. Politics (including military politics), military and law enforcement (LE) small arms doctrinal movement, and a veritable gaggle of unpredictable environmental factors will determine that. Perhaps the better question is what's coming down the pike, in terms of future PDW design and development? Oh, boy. To give the reader an example: Right now, as this is being written, a company called Arm West, LLC is working on a revolutionary and, some might say, transformational family of lightweight small arms (machine guns) that will significantly outperform all currently existing infantry assault rifles and machine guns. This Arm West family of lightweight weapons will include a PDW that, itself, is so revolutionary and transformational, it has the potential to quite literally change the entire game (i.e. create an actual paradigm shift) in terms of what PDW's are thought to be capable of accomplishing, both tactically and operationally.

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Anyway, here's how Mr. Sullivan sees the personal defense weapon's role, and the form it should take: "The guy with an automatic pistol is just hopelessly outmatched by an opponent with a 30-shot assault rifle. In the end, the guy that needs a PDW the most can only carry a holstered sidearm, or no gun at all. You can't tell somebody who's got his hands full with a bunch of other stuff, like driving a truck or something, that he's gotta be carrying a rifle on a sling. Even riflemen can't carry [a rifle], full time. Everybody should be able to carry a personal defense weapon, even riflemen. They should be able to reach out [effectively] to at least 50 yards [with it]."

The Arm West PDW will first be developed in pistol form. This pistol version PDW will essentially be a highly (mechanically) advanced select-fire machine pistol that employs a truly revolutionary and unique recoil mitigation system. The Arm West PDW (pistol version) will rely on it's unique operating mechanism, rather than weapon weight, to attenuate felt-recoil and thus increase controllability and hit potential against moving targets. Once this initial pistol version of the Arm West PDW is fully developed, it will then be adapted into a shoulder-weapon version that will utilize the same recoil attenuation/mitigation system and, like the HK MP7A1 PDW, will also feature a telescoping/retractable stock. According to Sullivan, the Arm West PDW shoulder weapon will (believe it or not) be an even more "aggressive" weapon within it's effective range/operational envelope than any currently-existing assault rifle . This is due to the nature of its proprietary ammunition, which will be more terminally destructive than 5.56x45mm, 5.45x39mm, or 7.62x39mm ammo. Because the Arm West PDW (shoulder-weapon version) will be adapted from the pistol version, it will be just as fast (extremely fast) to reload, since magazines will be inserted into the grip (hand-meets-hand).

Sullivan's proprietary high-velocity 10mm PDW round will be just as revolutionary and transformational as the weapon itself, in its combat capabilities. It will deliver 100 ft lbs (about 140 joules?) of energy into a human target after first penetrating/defeating the subject's NATO CRISAT body armor at a distance of 80 meters. At CQB (Close Quarters Battle) distances, that same high-velocity 10mm round will deliver about 600 ft. lbs of energy into a human target with no body armor protection to shield him. Body armor, no body armor-- it simply doesn't matter. The Sullivan/Arm West PDW 10mm projectile is simply going to cut right through NATO CRISAT body armor or loaded AK magazines worn across the chest (Third-World body armor) like a hot knife through butter, and create a truly devastating wound/wound channel on the other side. According to Sullivan, if a man with a PDW and his assault rifle-armed opponent both "open up" on each other at the same instant, the former should have at least an equal chance of survival as the latter, within the PDW's effective range/operational envelope. That's the goal, anyway (Sullivan's goal). It's Sullivan's contention that the PDW has to be as simple to operate as possible, so even soldiers with the absolute minimum amount of small arms training can deploy and employ it quickly and instinctively.

Magazines: When the Arm West PDW (pistol version) is carried in the holster, the 15-round magazine, which fits flush with the grip, would be utilized. However, during offensive or defensive close quarters battle (CQB)/tactical engagements, the operator would go with the 50-shot battle mag, which can be carried as a spare in the same holster. The operator can, of course, also carry additional/multiple 50-shot battle mags in his web gear for Special Operations deployment, or if the threat level is high.

So, how does one (Sullivan, for instance) accomplish this?

1) You have to reduce the projectile weight from that of a conventional pistol bullet. Even though the Arm West high-velocity "special" PDW projectile will be 10mm, it will only weigh (approx.) 88 grains.

2) You have to have a mathematically-correct means of recoil attenuation/mitigation (Just like Sullivan's Ultimax 100 LMG, which utilized "Constant-Recoil" to prove that a lightweight machine gun could be more controllable than a heavier machine gun, and thus out hit it. Before the Ultimax 100 LMG, by the way, no one thought this was actually possible).

3) You have to increase the operating/recoil spring length.

4) You have to increase the stroke of the slide.

Now, that's something to look forward to! While the author is privy to a lot more info/data on the Arm West PDW, he can't disclose any of it--at least not yet.

And, last but not least..."Marshal Arms Pistol" PDW

Another small arms designer developer, Walter Balsavage Jr. (of Marshal Arms, Inc.), has his own PDW concept in the works. The "Marshal Arms Pistol" mates the P90/Hill submachine gun top-situated, horizontal-oriented magazine and rotating disc ammo feed system with the size envelope of the SCAMP and Arm West PDW. As his PDW concept's name implies, Balsavage shares Jim Sullivan's belief that a PDW should be sized like a pistol, so it's holsterable and thus can be carried by all. Balsavage already has a functional prototype of his Marshal Arms Pistol PDW, and this prototype weapon has already received some positive (written) feedback from the U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC's Close Combat Armament Center. The author will expound more on the Marshal Arms Pistol in a subsequent article, which will include a host of interesting Marshal Arms materials (made available for viewing). In the meantime, you might want to read Mr. Balsavage's paper on PDW's, which he submitted to the NDIA at their 2000 Joint Services Small Arms Symposium. The paper is titled "Personal Defense Weapon: Only for Defense?".

Video Clips:

Very Important Instructions for Downloading and Playing Video Clips (below): If you'd like to see the HK MP7A1 PDW and HK G36C 5.56 subcarbine video clips (below), please follow the following steps, to the letter : 1) Right-click on the link to the video you'd like to watch. 2) Left-click on "Save Target As..." inside the box that pops open to save the video to your "Desktop" or area of choice. 3) Once download is complete and the video file is sitting on your desktop, right-click on the file icon, and then left-click on "Play" inside the box that's opened up. This should automatically launch your Microsoft Windows Media player so you can watch the video you've downloaded(at this time, we're not sure that Apple users will be able to view it). Currently, you cannot view these videos using Quicktime or RealVideo. Remember, you must right-click on one of the links below to download the video you've chosen properly and then you must right-click again on the file icon once you've saved it to your "Desktop" or chosen area, in order to view it using your Microsoft Windows Media Player. This process is different from using the standard clicking method, where you click using the left side of your mouse.

Right-click here to download/save video clip of the author loading and firing the Heckler & Koch MP7A1 PDW prototype at SWAT Round-Up 2002. (MPEG format)

Right-click here to download/save video clip of HK instructor, Fred Yates, explaining and demonstrating the HK MP7A1 PDW prototype at SWAT Round-Up 2002. (MPEG format)

Right-click here to download/save video clip of the author firing the Heckler & Koch G36C subcarbine (MPEG format). This video clip, along with the MP7A1 PDW video clips, will enable the reader to get a better perspective on the size difference between the HK MP7A1 PDW and a 5.56mm subcarbine.

About the Author: David Crane is a military defense industry analyst and consultant, and the owner/editor-in-chief of DefenseReview.com. He can be contacted by phone at 305-389-1721, or via email at david@defensereview.com.



Heckler & Koch's MP7A1 PDW. (Photo from HK USA Website)

Ellie