Intratec TEC-DC9
From The D Archives
The Intratec TEC-9 is a blowback-operated, semi-automatic 9mm Parabellum caliber firearm, classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as a handgun. It is made of inexpensive molded polymer and stamped steel parts. 10-, 20-, 32-, and 50-round magazines are available. There are three different models, all of which are commonly referred to as the TEC-9, although only one model was sold under that name.
The TEC-9 was originally designed by Swedish company Interdynamic AB of Stockholm as the MP-9, a cheap submachine gun for military applications. Interdynamic was unable to drum up any interest among governments, and the MP-9 never entered production. Unwilling to give up on the design, Interdynamic set up a U.S. subsidiary to market a semiautomatic version to civilians. The MP-9 was redesigned by George Kelgren, and became the model KG-9. This model featured an open bolt design that made it relatively simple to convert illegally to a fully automatic submachine gun.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) responded in 1982 by compelling Interdynamic -- now called Intratec -- to convert it to a closed-bolt design that is more difficult to convert. The closed-bolt model was designated KG-99. Intratec later marketed the pistol as the TEC-9 and later the TEC-DC9. Gun control advocates pushed for the TEC-DC9 to be outlawed and succeeded in several localities and states, most notably California. The Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 banned manufacture of the TEC-DC9 and forced Intratec to introduce a new model called the AB-10 (for "After Ban") that lacked a barrel shroud and threaded muzzle. In 2001, Intratec went out of business and AB-10 production ceased.
Specifications
Weight: From 1.23 kg to 1.4 kg depending on model
Length: From 241 mm to 317 mm depending on model
Barrel length: From 76 mm to 127 mm depending on mode
Cartridge: 9x19 mm Luger/Parabellum
Caliber: 9 mm
Action: Blowback-operated, semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity: 1100 ft/s
Effective range: 55 m
Feed system: 10, 20, 32, 36 and 50 rounds
Produced: Circa 1985 to 1994
