B&T APC-9: The Swiss Answer to the MP5
Forgotten Weapons
•
19m
B&T owner Karl Brügger is a big fan of 9mm PCCs and SMGs, and decided that his company ought to offer an alternative to the MP5 and this was the Advanced Police Carbine (APC). In order to compete effectively, it needed to be simple to manufacture, since manufacturing costs in Switzerland are exorbitant compared to virtually everywhere else. So the design is based on an aluminum extrusion for the receiver, with a polymer grip and fire control housing. The APC-9 is hammer-fired from a closed bolt (like the MP5) and to keep the rate of fire down to something reasonable, a hydraulic buffer is fitted to the stock.
The APC-9 is available in a huge number of variations in barrel length, color, and magazine compatibility, as B&T prides itself on accommodating customized requests from clients (unlike the MP5...). It has been adopted by a large swath of police agencies in Switzerland, Europe at large, and also in the United States. It is not the cheapest option out there by any means but it is reliable, simple, and backed by excellent customer service.
Up Next in Forgotten Weapons
-
SR-88A: Singapore's Final Evolution o...
Chartered Industries of Singapore was founded in 1967, and started making M16 rifles under license in 1970. These were sold to the Singaporean military as well as Thailand. To get out of their licensing agreement with Colt, the company purchased the rights to Frank Waters' the SAR-80 rifle, and t...
-
Estonia's Much Better Sniper: the M14...
The first Estonian sniper rifle built on the M14 was the "TP" - a very poorly done model with a lousy scope, worse mount, and unhelpful stock. These were made in 2000, and in 2008 a new iteration came out. This was the TP2, which now used a B&T mount, standard stock (with cheek riser), and excell...
-
MP9 and TP9: A Complete History From ...
Steyr introduced their TMP (Tactical Machine Pistol) and its semiauto SPP counterpart in 1989, but it was never a very popular item. After the company was purchased, the new ownership decided to scrap the TMP (along with other low-performing product lines). At that point, Swiss firm B&T purchased...