The PDW, personal defense weapon, is a niche that has taken the gun industry by storm. With the ATF declaring that one can incidentally touch a pistol brace to the shoulder in the act of shooting without becoming a immediate felon, any version of a shortened rifle equipped with a pistol brace can be classified as a personal defense weapon. Originally developed for troops which are behind the lines, but may still encounter hostile forces, the PDW is designed to fire intermediate rounds commonly found in submachine guns or short barreled rifles. Because these troops’ primary responsibility is not engaging the enemy at long distances, a full length rifle barrel is not necessary.
In addition to not have the extra bulk of a battle or full size service rifle, the PDW also offers the capacity and knock down power at close range. As such, PDWs are often carried by special operations units of the military as well as SWAT teams of police departments. As well, professional and private body guards have employed this platform for its ease of concealment. As the PDW has developed over the years, it has increasingly become more and more compact. Sig Sauer is introducing a 9mm variant of its MPX series.
introducing the Copperhead MPX at SHOT 2019. It has a 3.5 inch barrel with an integrated compensator/muzzle break. While a select fire version would be effective in the PDW role, I personally don’t see the point in such a short barreled semi auto pistol. The brace may give it better stability, but the short barrel limits its effective range. A Glock 9mm with a 33 round stick magazine would fill the same purpose at about a third of the $1835 MSRP. Link to full article.
Nevertheless, it is a unique offering and maybe of interest to Sig Sauer fans. Any gun which challenges the conventions of the NFA is a winner to me. The more offerings in the market the better, as it contributes to the status of “in common use”. A status which will be useful in the constitutional challenge of any attempt to ban “assault” weapons. Enjoy ??????.
