The subsonic .45 ACP with an "in-line" barrel (and other recoil reduction)
The subsonic .45 ACP is making a comeback as a military round. You don't get the crack of sound like something supersonic.
http://www.hk-usa.com/rifles_usc_general.html
"Derived from the HK UMP, the USC is a civilian utility carbine that uses the classic hard-hitting .45 ACP cartridge. Matched with the simple and ultra-reliable blowback operating system, the HK USC is a radical departure from traditional firearms designs."
I was speaking in more general terms of the design rather than period specific models. That whole debate usually boils down to .45 Vs. 9MM anyway.
Putting the automatic cartridge limitations v. revolver ammo length aside in a pistol, there is a lot of promise in an "in-line" SMG.
I mean, at some point, the recoil is such a bitch that some people smack the hell out of themselves on their first shot.
And for soldiers, it's difficult to keep aim.
The TDI Vector "Kriss" uses an "in-line" barrel with the hand to put recoil virtually perpendicular to the shoulder rest (using stock) or arm (if outstretched).
While it was featured on
Future Weapons, Mac didn't talk about the "in-line" barrel as much as the recoil spreading blow back system.
It's really the in-line barrel approach that makes it a precise SMG for up to 300m, especially since the barrel isn't much longer than a pistol.
http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg96-e.htm
It uses the .45 ACP in the first implementation.
Given that the barrel length is too short for civilian ownership, the .45 ACP is designed with special ops in mind, as it's easy to near silence the sub-sonic .45 ACP.
Frankly I'd like to see something like this design matched with a helical magazine for greater capacity.
Sticking in a limited capacity double stack pistol magazine doesn't go very far at 900-1100 rounds/minute.
Developing a proprietary one for just 25-32 rounds doesn't make much sense either.
The Russians came up with a good, 64 round one for the PP-19 Bizon that hung under the barrel, while Calico came up with 50 and 100 round units for their M900 series.
http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg08-e.htm
http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg57-e.htm
While I don't own any guns, as an engineer with defense experience, I take a general interest in the engineering and design.