Romania's AK-Based SMG: the LP7
Forgotten Weapons
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In the mid 1990s, UMC Cugir began looking at ways to adapt its AKM production tooling to make a 9mm submachine gun. What would become the LP7 was first prototyped in 1998, and went into limited production in 2003, with an order of 200 made for the Romanian Interior Ministry. Romanian Gendarmes deployed with LP7s to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
Mechanically, the gun is based on a standard AKM receiver and fire control system, with a short barrel, no gas system, and a heavy simple blowback bolt telescoped over the rear end of the barrel. They use a slight modification of the old Romanian Orita SMG magazine. The stock folds to the left side, and extends to a remarkably long length. In use, the gun is quite controllable and pleasant to shoot!
Thanks to Uzina Mecanica Cugir S.A. for giving me access to these pistols for filming, and to A.N.C.A., the Romanian national firearms collectors' association, for organizing the trip that made this video possible!
https://www.anca.com.ro
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