MAC10
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The
Military Armament Corporation Military Armament Corporation (MAC) was an American manufacturer of small arms, co-founded by Gordon Ingram, an engineer and gun designer, and Mitchell WerBell, owner of SIONICS, which manufactured gun sound suppressors. It is known for manufac ...
Model 10, officially abbreviated as "M10" or "M-10", and more commonly known as the MAC-10, is a compact, blowback operated
machine pistol A machine pistol is a handgun that is capable of automatic firearm, fully automatic fire, including shoulder stock, stockless handgun-style submachine guns. The Austrians introduced the world's first machine pistol, the Steyr M1912 pistol#Masch ...
/
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
that was developed by
Gordon Ingram Gordon Bailey Ingram (December 30, 1924 – November 4, 2004) was an American inventor and entrepreneur. Along with Mitchell WerBell III, he founded Military Armament Corporation. Ingram was the creator of the MAC-10 and MAC-11 machine pistols, ...
in 1964. It is chambered in either .45 ACP or 9mm. A two-stage suppressor by Sionics was designed for the MAC-10, which not only abates the noise created but makes it easier to control on full automatic (although it also makes the gun far less compact and concealable). Military Armament Corporation never used the "MAC-10" nomenclature in its catalogues or sales literature, but "MAC-10" is frequently used by Title II dealers, gun writers, and collectors. For a decade, the semi-automatic pistol version of the weapon was forbidden in the U.S. under the assault weapons ban enacted by Congress in 1994.


Design

The MAC-10 is built predominantly from steel stampings. A notched cocking handle protrudes from the top of the receiver, and turning the handle 90°, locks the bolt, and acts as an indicator the weapon is unable to fire. The MAC-10 has a
telescoping bolt A telescoping bolt (also known as an overhung bolt) is a firearm bolt which telescopes over, that is, wraps around and past, the breech end of the barrel. This feature reduces the required length of a weapon such as a submachine gun significan ...
, which wraps around the rear face of the barrel. This allows a more compact weapon and balances the weight of the weapon over the pistol grip, where the magazine is located. The MAC-10 fires from an
open bolt A firearm is said to fire from an open bolt or open breech if, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear of the receiver, with no round in the chamber. When the trigger is actuated, the bolt travels forward, feeds a car ...
, and the light weight of the bolt results in a rapid rate of fire. In addition, this design incorporates a built-in feed ramp as part of the trigger guard (a new concept at the time) and, to save on cost, the magazine design was recycled from the M3 Grease Gun. The barrel is threaded to accept a
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
, which works by reducing the discharge's sound without attempting to reduce the speed of the
bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constru ...
. The .45 ACP models are well-suited for this, as most .45 loads are naturally subsonic, as opposed to the specialized subsonic loads usually required for suppressed 9mm weapons. At the suggestion of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
, the suppressor also acts as a foregrip to inhibit
muzzle rise Muzzle rise, muzzle flip or muzzle climb refers to the tendency of a firearm's or airgun's Muzzle (firearms), muzzle (front end of the Gun barrel, barrel) to rise up after firing. It more specifically refers to the seemingly unpredictable "jump" ...
when fired. Ingram added a small bracket with a small strap beneath the muzzle to aid in controlling recoil during fully automatic fire. The original rate of fire for the MAC-10 in .45 ACP is approximately 1090 rounds per minute. That of the 9mm is approximately 1250, and that of the smaller MAC-11 in .380 ACP is 1500 rounds per minute. Noting the weapon's poor accuracy, in the 1970s, International Association of Police Chiefs weapons researcher David Steele described the MAC series as "fit only for combat in a phone booth".


Suppressor

The primary reason for the original M10 finding recognition was its revolutionary sound suppressor designed by Mitchell WerBell III of
Sionics SIONICS (an acronym for Studies in the Operational Negation of Insurgents and Counter-Subversion) was an American company producing firearm suppressors. It was founded in the 1960s by Mitchell WerBell III, a former OSS officer. History The co ...
. This suppressor has a two-stage design, with the first stage being larger than the second. This uniquely shaped suppressor gives the MAC-10 a very distinctive look. It is also very quiet, to the point that the bolt can be heard cycling, along with the suppressed report of the weapon's discharge, though only if subsonic rounds are used (standard .45 ACP rounds are subsonic). The suppressor, when used with a Nomex cover, creates a place to hold the firearm with the secondary hand, making it easier to control. During the 1970s, the United States placed restrictions on the export of suppressors, and a number of countries canceled their orders as the effectiveness of the MAC-10's suppressor was one of its main selling points. This was one factor that led to the bankruptcy of Military Armament Corporation, another being the company's failure to recognize the private market. The original Sionics suppressor is 11.44inches in length, 2.13inches in overall diameter, and weighs 1.20 pounds.


Calibers and variants

While the original M10 was available chambered for either .45 ACP or 9mm, the M10 is part of a series of machine pistols, the others being the MAC-11/M-11A1, which is a scaled-down version of the M10 chambered in .380 ACP (9×17mm); and the M-11/9, which is a modified version of the M-11 with a longer receiver chambered in 9×19mm, later made by SWD (Sylvia and Wayne Daniel), Leinad and Vulcan Armament. Law enforcement bureaucracies such as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) consider MAC-11 variants such as the Leinad PM-11 to be part of the "MAC-10 class pistol". In the United States, machine guns are
National Firearms Act The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as . The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufact ...
items. As the Military Armament Corporation was in bankruptcy, a large number of incomplete sheet metal frame flats were given serial numbers and then bought by a new company, RPB Industries. Some of the previously completed guns, which were already stamped with MAC, were then stamped with RPB on the reverse side, making it a "double stamp" gun. RPB Industries made many open-bolt semi-automatic and sub-machine guns before the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...
(BATFE) seized roughly 200 open-bolt semi-autos during the drug wars of 1981. The BATFE insisted that all future semi-automatic firearms were to be manufactured with a closed-bolt design as the open-bolt semi-automatics were considered too easy to illegally convert to full automatic operation. A semi-automatic variant, the MkIII/IV/V was marketed to South American countries where "military" calibers were forbidden for civilian sales were chambered in .30/.41/.50 Ingram and available as semi-automatic pistols/carbines. Wayne Daniel, a former RPB machine operator, purchased much of their remaining inventory and formed SWD, designing a new weapon which was more balanced, available either fully or semi-automatic with his new BATFE-approved closed bolt design. There are several carbine versions of the M-11/9 and Cobray and SWD manufactured a smaller version chambered in .380 ACP as a semiautomatic pistol called the M-12. Today, while the civilian manufacture, sale and possession of post-1986 select-fire MAC-10 and variants is prohibited, it is still legal to sell templates, tooling and manuals to complete such conversions. These items are typically marketed as being "post-sample" materials for use by Federal Firearm Licensees for manufacturing/distributing select-fire variants of the MAC-10 to law enforcement, military and overseas customers.


1994 assault weapons ban in the U.S.

The semi-automatic civilian pistol version of the MAC-10, which operates differently from its military counterpart, fell under the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. The ban – which expired in 2004 – enacted various requirements that defined an
assault weapon In the United States, ''assault weapon'' is a controversial term applied to different kinds of firearms. There is no clear, consistent definition. It can include semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometime ...
. The MAC-10 was named directly in the ban, and it failed three of the requirements: #A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm, #A manufactured weight of 50 ounces (1.4kg) or more when the pistol is unloaded. The MAC-10 weighs 100.16 oz (2.84kg), and #A threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor Additionally, the magazine capacity is 32 rounds. In response, Wayne Daniel redesigned the M-11 by eliminating the threaded barrel and creating a new magazine release that would only allow the firearm to accept a new 10-round magazine, as the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban mandated. The new firearm was called the PM11/9.


Foreign copies and derivatives


BXP

The BXP is a 9mm submachine gun developed in the mid-1980s by the South African company Mechem (currently a division of Denel, formerly under ARMSCOR) and brought into production in 1984. Due to international arms embargoes of Apartheid South Africa, the country was forced to design and manufacture their own weapons. The weapon was intended for use by security forces. The manufacturing rights have changed hands several times, passing from Mechem to Milkor Marketing and later to Truvelo Armoury, the current manufacturer ().


Cobra carbine

The Cobra carbine is a semi-automatic firearm of Rhodesian origin manufactured during the
Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Rhodesian Civil War, Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Independence, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country U.D.I. ...
Era as a self-defense weapon for farmers and is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum round. The layout of this weapon is somewhat based on the Uzi submachine gun.


Patria submachine gun

The ''Pistola Ametralladora Patria'' is a close copy of the MAC-10 and features a cooling jacket/barrel extension much like the South African BXP. It was developed by Major Luis Ricardo Dávila, of the
Argentine Air Force The Argentine Air Force (, or simply ''FAA'') is the air force of Argentina and one of three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. In 2018, it had 13,837 military and 6,900 civilian personnel. FAA commander in chief is Brigadie ...
, and protected by national Patent n° 220494/5/6/7 on 20/08/1980. It uses 9mm rounds for easy transportation and can be operated in either hand.ARMAS Y GEOESTRATEGIA, Vol.2, N° 6, Mayo 1983 A similar earlier Argentine weapon based on the MAC-10 was also designed in 1977 by manufacturer Domingo Matheu, the ''Pistola Ametralladora MPA''.


Enarm MSM

The Enarm MSM (Mini Sub Metralhadora or Mini Submachine Gun) was a submachine gun of Brazilian origin based on the Uzi and MAC-10 weapons, made by ENARM. It was chambered in the 9×19mm Parabellum round and also came with a foregrip. Although the weapon performed well in trials, it was discontinued due to the company disbanding due to "internal disruptions".


Section Five MAC-10

Section Five Firearms Ltd of Tunbridge Wells, Kent in the UK manufactured a MAC-10 variation in 9×19 Parabellum in the 1970s. They only accept 9×19mm Uzi magazines and are equipped with a classic folding or a special fixed polymer stock.


Users

* 160 9mm MAC-10s manufactured by RPB Industries for use by Bolivian Customs. *: Used by GRUMEC * * * * * * *: Used in small numbers by SAVAK agents * *: Formerly used by police forces *: Formerly used by police forces *: Formerly used by the Special Actions Unit, Royal Malaysian Police, now on display at the Police Museum *: Used by police *: Used by GISGR, DGST and DGED * * * *: Issued to special forces in the 1970s, later replaced by the Daewoo K1 *: Used by various
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
forcesDiez, Octavio (2000). ''Handguns: Armament and Technology''. Lema Publications, S.L. . *: Formerly used by police forces *: Used by the SAS and 14 Intelligence Company on operations in Northern Ireland *: Was used by special forces, including LRRPs and
Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
, in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the
Invasion of Grenada The United States and a Caribbean Peace Force, coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in m ...
; MAC-10s are located in the inventories of
Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), also known as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as Task Force Green, is a Special operation forces, special operat ...
and the 492nd Special Operations Wing *: Formerly used by general officer's bodyguards, later replaced by Mini-Uzi * *: One of the first buyers (along with
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
)


Non-state users

*
Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ') is a Lebanon, Lebanese Christianity in Lebanon, Christian-based political party and Lebanese Forces (militia), former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's Parliamen ...
*
Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from North ...
: semi-auto weapons bought in US and illegally converted to full-auto, then smuggled from Canada


See also

* ''
McQ ''McQ'' is a 1974 American Panavision neo-noir crime action film directed by John Sturges and starring John Wayne. It costars Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, and Al Lettieri, and features Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager, David Huddleston, Julian Chri ...
'' * MGP-15 submachine gun *
Minebea PM-9 The Minebea PM-9 Submachine Gun, known officially in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) as the or as the M9, is a Japanese-made submachine gun and machine pistol. Analogous to the Israeli Uzi#Military variants, IMI Mini-Uzi, it has the same ...
* Saab Bofors Dynamics CBJ-MS * Type 77 submachine gun * vz.61 Skorpion, Czechoslovak equivalent


References


External links


Operating Manual


({{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013093415/http://www.enemyforces.com/firearms/ingram.htm , date=2007-10-13 ) on EnemyForces.com

on Modern Firearms


Nazarian's Guns Recognition Guide Mac 10 Silenced (MPEG video)
.45 ACP submachine guns 9mm Parabellum submachine guns Machine pistols Military equipment of the Vietnam War Simple blowback firearms Submachine guns of the United States Telescoping bolt submachine guns Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1970