Minebea PM-9

Minebea PM-9
JGSDF MP soldier armed with PM-9.
Type	Machine pistol
Place of origin	Japan
Service history
In service	1990 – Present
Used by	Japan
Production history
Designer	Uziel Gal[1]
Designed	1948
Manufacturer	Minebea Co.
Unit cost	¥400,000[2]
Produced	1990 – Present
Specifications
Weight	2.8 kg / 6.2 lbs[3]
Length	399 mm / 15.7"[4]
Barrel length	120 mm / 4.7"[4]
Cartridge	9x19mm Parabellum
Action	Blowback
Rate of fire	1100 RPM[3]
Effective range	100 m
Feed system	25-Round Magazine[3]
Sights	Iron sights

The Minebea PM-9 Submachine Gun, known officially in the Japan Self-Defense Forces as the 9mm Machine Pistol (9mm機関拳銃, Kyumiri Kikan Kenjū^?)^[3] or as the M9,^[5] is a Japanese-made machine pistol. Based on Israeli's IMI Mini-Uzi, the PM-9 has the same telescoping bolt in use from the Mini-Uzis, but it has a difference in terms of its appearance, operational use and handling.

It is being exclusively used in J.S.D.F service as its main submachine gun, with the exception of some of its special forces units. The 1st Airborne Brigade and the Western Army Infantry Regiment are the only special forces units in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force known to be armed with the PM-9 as the brigade's main submachine gun.^[6][7] The J.A.S.D.F uses the weapon for its soldiers when conducting base security.^[8]

History

The PM-9^[4] is produced by Nippon Miniature Bearing Company otherwise known as Minebea. It utilizes the Mini-Uzi submachine gun as the main basis for the PM-9.^[9] It was adopted in 1999 for non-frontline forces such as vehicle drivers, artillery personnel, some of its special forces units,^[10] and some commissioned officers who were prioritized in having them equipped with the said submachine gun in order to arm them with better equipment.^[11]

Though it had been used for more than a decade as the official submachine gun, J.S.D.F officials are looking at a possible replacement for the weapon as they are now being planned to be phased out in the near future, one of them being the Heckler & Koch MP5.^[10] J.S.D.F troops assigned to do guard duty on garrison bases of both the J.M.S.D.F and J.A.S.D.F had their PM-9s replaced with other high-performing submachine guns^[12] with the J.G.S.D.F following suit in having the PM-9 to be eventually replaced.^[13]

Features

The PM-9, unlike its Israeli counterpart, has a few differences in terms of appearance with a foregrip mounted underneath the PM-9's barrel to aid in firing the weapon fully automatic with a flash suppressor placed.^[10] The weapon can also be modified to have a foldable stock, detachable suppressor and a mounted reflex sight though these modifications are most likely not used in any peacekeeping operations abroad since such activities does not involve Japanese soldiers in combat situations.^[14] The initial batches of PM-9s were first made in production with wooden pistol and foregrips before they eventually switched to use plastic grips on the current production PM-9s in J.S.D.F service.^[15]

Adoption

There were some questions as to why the weapon was only adopted for J.S.D.F use a decade ago, though the following were said to be reasons why it was done so:^[2]

1. Ability of Minebea Co. to create a quality weapon as it also made the SIG Sauer P220 (Minebea P-9) under license.
2. Only design able to created with Minebea Co.'s equipment.
3. At time of selection and adoption, the Uzi was highly regarded as an adequate weapon.

Although the reasons said above are quite valid, it was said that the reason why the PM-9 was adopted as the J.S.D.F's main submachine gun is because of the high and costly expenses that would transpire if they were to select the Heckler & Koch MP5 instead.^[16]

References

1. ^ As developer based on the IMI Mini-Uzi submachine gun
2. ^ ^{a b} "9mm機関けん銃　- 考え直して下さい-" (in Japanese). http://www.vesta.dti.ne.jp/~pickles/unchiku/m9.html. Retrieved 2008-09-01. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "9mm機関拳銃" (in Japanese). http://www15.tok2.com/home/lttom/military-powers_jgsdf/shokaki/military-powers_pisotl.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-29. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "9mm機関けん銃" (in Japanese). http://rightwing.sakura.ne.jp/equipment/jgsdf/firearms/9mmmpjgsdf/9mmmpjgsdf.html. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
5. ^ "9mm機関拳銃" (in Japanese). http://tag.vis.ne.jp/jsdf/soubi/jgsdf/9mmkikanjyu.html. Retrieved 2009-01-26. 
6. ^ "ミネベア　９ミリ機関けん銃" (in Japanese). http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~gunblazesix/moe_9mmsmg.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-01. 
7. ^ "９㎜機関拳銃" (in Japanese). http://militaryroom.chips.jp/newpage65.html. Retrieved 2009-01-13. 
8. ^ "９ｍｍ機関拳銃" (in Japanese). http://www.avis.ne.jp/~hide-y/guntrue/guntruemain.html. Retrieved 2009-11-04. 
9. ^ "演習場で大活躍！自衛隊の火器（本物）" (in Japanese). http://www.avis.ne.jp/~hide-y/guntrue/guntruemain.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02. 
10. ^ ^{a b c} "Minebea M-9" (in Japanese). http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg102-e.htm.  Retrieved on August 29, 2008.
11. ^ "自衛隊装備品倉庫" (in Japanese). http://www.clio.ne.jp/home/karaaki/hp/JSDF1.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02. 
12. ^ "ミネベア 9mm機関けん銃" (in Japanese). http://mgdb.himitsukichi.com/pukiwiki/?%A5%DF%A5%CD%A5%D9%A5%A2%209mm%B5%A1%B4%D8%A4%B1%A4%F3%BD%C6. Retrieved 2008-09-01. 
13. ^ "ミネベア工業9mm機関け銃" (in Japanese). http://homepage.mac.com/digigun/gallary/9mm_MP.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02. 
14. ^ "Translated page on modified Minebea PM-9 submachine gun". http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fvostok.myftp.org%2Fmemo%2F2007%2F06%2Fpost_42.html&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=ja&tl=en. Retrieved 2008-09-01. 
15. ^ "9mm機関けん銃と参考文献の紹介". Archived from the original on 2007-03-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20070319221641/www3.ocn.ne.jp/~tokkaken/japanSMG9.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-04. 
16. ^ "９mm機関けん銃について思うこと". Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20070824023756/http://www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~gun357/9mmnituite.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-04. 

External links

• Official J.G.S.D.F Page
• Modern Firearms Page