Intratec TEC-DC9

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TEC-9

Type	Handgun
Place of origin	Sweden; USA
Production history
Produced	Circa 1985 to 1994
Specifications
Weight	From 1.23 kg to 1.4 kg depending on model
Length	From 241 mm to 317 mm depending on model
Barrel length	From 76 mm to 127 mm depending on model

Cartridge	9x19 mm Luger/Parabellum
Caliber	9 mm
Action	Blowback-operated, semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity	1100 ft/s
Effective range	55 m
Feed system	10, 20, 32, 36 and 50 rounds

The Intratec TEC-9 is a blowback-operated, semi-automatic 9mm Parabellum caliber firearm, classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as a handgun. It is made of inexpensive molded polymer and stamped steel parts. 10-, 20-, 32-, and 50-round magazines are available. There are three different models, all of which are commonly referred to as the TEC-9, although only one model was sold under that name.

1 History
2 See also
3 External links
4 Manual

[edit] History

The TEC-9 was originally designed by Swedish company Interdynamic AB of Stockholm as the MP-9, a cheap submachine gun for military applications. Interdynamic was unable to drum up any interest among governments, and the MP-9 never entered production. Unwilling to give up on the design, Interdynamic set up a U.S. subsidiary to market a semiautomatic version to civilians. The MP-9 was redesigned by George Kelgren, and became the model KG-9. This model featured an open bolt design that made it relatively simple to convert illegally to a fully automatic submachine gun.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) responded in 1982 by compelling Interdynamic -- now called Intratec -- to convert it to a closed-bolt design that is more difficult to convert. The closed-bolt model was designated KG-99. Intratec later marketed the pistol as the TEC-9 and later the TEC-DC9. Gun control advocates pushed for the TEC-DC9 to be outlawed and succeeded in several localities and states, most notably California. The Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 banned manufacture of the TEC-DC9 and forced Intratec to introduce a new model called the AB-10 (for "After Ban") that lacked a barrel shroud and threaded muzzle. In 2001, Intratec went out of business and AB-10 production ceased. An illegally-purchased TEC-DC9 was among the weapons used by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the Columbine High School Massacre.[1].