Colt 9mm SMG
Encyclopedia
The Colt 9mm SMG is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun
manufactured by Colt
, based on the M16 rifle
platform.
operated SMG, rather than the conventional direct impingement
gas operation
of the standard 5.56x45mm M16 type rifle.
The overall aesthetics are identical to most M16 type rifles. Changes include a large plastic brass deflector mounted toward the rear of the dust cover. Factory Colt 9mm SMGs are equipped with a 10.5 inch length barrel and have an M16
style upper receiver, which means they feature a fixed carry handle, no forward assist and A1 sights (with 50 and 100 meter settings). The magazine well of the receiver is modified using a special adaptor to allow the usage of smaller 9mm magazines. The magazines themselves are a copy of the Israeli UZI SMG magazine, modified to fit the Colt and lock the bolt back after the last shot.
trigger group and the RO639 which features a Safe/Semi/3 round Burst selective fire trigger group. Both are equipped with a 10.5 inch length barrel. The 633 was a modified compact version with a 7 inches (177.8 mm) barrel and simplified front sight post used by the DEA.
The most common model is the 635, the latest version of which are simply marked SMG 9mm NATO.
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
manufactured by Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
, based on the M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
platform.
Design details
The Colt 9mm SMG is a closed bolt, blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
operated SMG, rather than the conventional direct impingement
Direct impingement
Direct impingement is a type of gas operation for a firearm that directs gas from a fired cartridge directly to the bolt carrier or slide assembly to cycle the action.- Evaluation :...
gas operation
Gas-operated reloading
Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is harnessed...
of the standard 5.56x45mm M16 type rifle.
The overall aesthetics are identical to most M16 type rifles. Changes include a large plastic brass deflector mounted toward the rear of the dust cover. Factory Colt 9mm SMGs are equipped with a 10.5 inch length barrel and have an M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
style upper receiver, which means they feature a fixed carry handle, no forward assist and A1 sights (with 50 and 100 meter settings). The magazine well of the receiver is modified using a special adaptor to allow the usage of smaller 9mm magazines. The magazines themselves are a copy of the Israeli UZI SMG magazine, modified to fit the Colt and lock the bolt back after the last shot.
Variants
Current Colt production models are the RO635 which features a Safe/Semi/Full Auto selective fireSelective fire
A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...
trigger group and the RO639 which features a Safe/Semi/3 round Burst selective fire trigger group. Both are equipped with a 10.5 inch length barrel. The 633 was a modified compact version with a 7 inches (177.8 mm) barrel and simplified front sight post used by the DEA.
The most common model is the 635, the latest version of which are simply marked SMG 9mm NATO.
Users
- Extensively used by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)Dhaka Metropolitan PoliceThe Dhaka Metropolitan Police is the division of Bangladesh Police responsible for law enforcement in the metropolis of Dhaka, the national capital and most populous city in Bangladesh. The DMP is the largest police force in Bangladesh...
.: Used by the Policia Motorizada "Linces" Unit of Panama National Police.: Used by the U.S. Marine Corps. Also used by the Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement AdministrationThe Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
(DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, and a number of other federal agencies.