Type submachine gun In service 2011–present Designed unknown | Place of origin Switzerland Designer Brügger & Thomet | |
Manufacturer Brügger & Thomet, DS Arms | ||
The Brügger & Thomet APC9 (Advanced Police Carbine 9mm) is a submachine gun produced and manufactured by Brügger & Thomet of Switzerland. Announced in 2011, the weapon uses standard 9×19mm and .45 ACP rounds. The APC9 is offered in several different variants. The standard variant with a barrel length of 175mm (≈ 7 inches) and a polymer stock very similar to an H&K UMP's which folds to the right side, the assault variant with an adjustable B & T Foldable Visor Helmet stock and the carbine variant with a 406mm (16 inch) barrel for the civilian market.
Design
APC uses straight blowback function. It fires from the closed bolt and features a bolt lock-back mechanism thus facilitating quick reloads. This overcomes one of the major issues with the H&K MP5 family of weapons, which do not have a bolt lock-back mechanism (though H&K's UMP series does).
The trigger mechanism for the semi-automatic version of the APC is adapted from the AR-15 family, which allows greater versatility for after-market accessories/changes. All controls are ambidextrous and the charging handle can be switched to either side like the Beretta ARX-160. After firing the last bullet, the bolt is held in the rear position by a latch.
The weapon comes complete with an Aimpoint TL1 Optic, single point sling, cleaning kit and quick detachable vertical handgrip. The top of the weapon has an aluminum NAR (NATO Accessory Rail) integrated into the top receiver. There are NAR rails on the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. The lower rail is machined aluminum while the lateral rails are made of the same polymer material as the trigger housing. The reason for this is that it is more likely that the rail in the 6 o’clock position will be used with a sighting device such as a laser, whereas the side rails will probably be used of illumination devices which do not require maintaining zero.