When it comes to Beretta, people will think of several classic light weapons of the company, including Beretta M92, Beretta M12/Mx4 “Storm” submachine gun, ARX-160 assault rifle, AS70/90 light machine gun and so on. As an established small arms manufacturer, Beretta will give military enthusiasts some surprises and breakthroughs yearly.
The original plan was to improve on the basis of the Mx4 “Storm” submachine gun (pictured below), but the picky military rejected the plan. After all, no matter how improved a civilian firearm is, it is far from a pure military standard firearm.
After multiple tests and designs, the PMX submachine gun developed by Beretta was officially unveiled at the Paris International Military and Police Equipment Exhibition (MILIPOL) in November 2017. The country’s gendarmerie became the first purchase target to replace the old PM12-S and PM12-S2 submachine guns. The gun has been comprehensively improved in terms of overall performance, ergonomics, and portability.
In terms of design, the PMX submachine gun uses modern materials and manufacturing processes, so there are great improvements in all aspects of the firearm. Suitable for law enforcement agencies and special forces to carry out patrols, VIP protection and tactical raids. The gun can choose a variety of firing modes, the gun body components are made of special high-strength steel, and double recoil springs are used to improve reliability.
In terms of ergonomics, PMX adopts a simpler and more portable design, enabling soldiers to shoot at the fastest speed. The gun body is equipped with quick-action safety, which can quickly switch between different shooting modes, and the left and right sides are also equipped with magazine latches. In addition, the charging handle of the gun can be replaced left and right, which is convenient for left-handed and right-handed soldiers to shoot.
The butt of the gun is foldable, which is convenient for military and police personnel to carry. The length of the unfolded gun is 640mm, and the length is shortened to 418mm when folded. In addition, according to actual combat needs, it can also be replaced with a built-in tactical telescopic buttstock. The barrel is 175mm in length and is made of special steel with a twist ratio of 1:9. The muzzle structure is consistent with the well-known MP5 submachine gun, and both adopt a three-tenon structure.
The upper receiver is made of aluminum alloy, and the lower receiver is made of polymer material. In order to ensure stable use in harsh environments, the metal surface of the gun body of the PMX submachine gun is coated with anti-corrosion and wear-resistant coatings.
Like most submachine guns, the Beretta PMX submachine gun uses the 9×19mm caliber Parabellum ammunition, which was first manufactured by Austrian weapon designer Georg Ruger and has become the standard ammunition for the NATO army since 1982. , so it is also called a 9×19mm NATO bomb. The gun magazine can be installed with 30 rounds of ammunition, and the shape is made of translucent polymer, which is convenient for the shooter to check the remaining ammunition quickly.
In the fully automatic mode, the theoretical rate of fire of PMX can reach 800-900 rounds per minute, which ensures that the military and police personnel can suppress the enemy’s firepower at the first time when they meet the enemy. In addition, compared with the Beretta PM12-S submachine gun, the PMX can ensure the safety of carrying bullets in the chamber, which is conducive to shooting at any time. The PMX weighs about 2.5kg after installing the 30-round solid magazine, which is obviously much lighter.
The PMX submachine gun comes with an Italian self-developed LPA folding iron sight fixed on the top of the gun body for easy disassembly and assembly. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage, the front sight can be adjusted for height, and there is a complete MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver, which is convenient for installing various types of optical sights. Rails are also installed on both sides and the bottom of the handguard, which can be used to install different kinds of gun accessories.
The reliability and accuracy of this submachine gun meet the tactical needs of military police in Europe and the United States. After using MP5 for many years, replacing it with the latest submachine gun is the best choice. Coupled with its tactical and excellent structure, it must be favored by the military and police departments of many countries after its launch. Of course, this new weapon also has great improvements. The most important point is that the magazine is specially designed and cannot be used with other 9mm magazines. If Beretta can improve it, it can use Glock Magazines for popular firearms such as pistols will be more widely sold in the market.
The birth of the PMX submachine gun has great practical significance for Beretta. Most of the time, the military and police departments of various countries mainly use assault rifles and small-caliber ammunition for indoor combat. The arrival of the new submachine gun makes 9mm ammunition weapons become the mainstream again, which will greatly help the future market demand.
