Interdynamic MP-9 SMG: Origin of the TEC-9

[CountryGent]

Ever so early—80s:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_6EtJVG-PY

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[1911Fanatic]

Were these any better than the Tech 9. I had a friend who got one back in the 80's. It always jammed. Looked badass though.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Were these any better than the Tech 9. I had a friend who got one back in the 80's. It always jammed. Looked badass though.

I have always heard that they were better, but the bar was pretty low so even being better they weren't all that great

 

[1911Fanatic]

I have always heard that they were better, but the bar was pretty low so even being better they weren't all that great

What's funny is there is a Tech 9 in the classifieds now. I would buy one for laughs at a cookout, but I definitely wouldn't spend what the guy is asking. I'd be like $150 and I'll take it off your hands. But still, a piece of crap is a piece of crap at any price.

I see ther are two of them now.one for $550 and one for $750. Good lord.

 

[1911Fanatic]

Holy crap! One just sold!

 

[1911Fanatic]

Ghetto fabulous!

 

[Alexx1401]

Holy crap! One just sold!

As so often happens when something is no longer made there is going to be people who just have to have it. Back when this thing with the open bolt was going on I had a couple of the Mac clones they made like this. Stamped sheet metal and CHEAP. They could be made to work if one had problems as there was so little to the design. Problem was that bolt. It was impossible to hit anything with them. After the ATF said no more price started to climb. When I finally sold mine it was for many times what I paid and I almost felt guilty taking the money. People still go nuts over them to this day just because they are no longer made.

 

[CountryGent]

I too have been surprised by the amount the Tec-9 commands now. Cheap, crude, not particularly accurate, reliability not great, and many eventually have cracked plastic frames. All of those should equal largely forgotten and inexpensive on the used market. I've read / been told the model has featured prominently in the Rap musical genre and on a contemporary animated program called Archer. I very rarely listen to the former and never seen the latter, so no idea if that is so, and how much that is impacting prices. But popular culture would explain the interest in an otherwise lackluster firearm.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Ever so early—80s:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_6EtJVG-PY

Didn't watch the video yet but didn't b&t make a version of the tec 9. Maybe the tp9?

I think Ian has a video on it. Can't remember for sure but there was tec 9, then some company made a different version of it and went out of business, b and t bought remaining stock and then starting producing their own version (I may be mixing up the sphinx to mark ii story with tp9). Anyway Ian has a video on the b&t tp9 that explains it. B&t is really good at making upgraded versions of cool but unreliable guns. But the rack up the price by about 3-4 times on doing it usually.

Re tec 9 if you look up "what's the worst gun you've had?" threads, tec-9 is well represented there. For me any plastic unreliable pistol designed by the keltec guy is pretty much the last thing I want.

I do think popularity partly unknowingly stems from the early dics guns. Tec 9's do look cool but the disc gun is more reliable .

 

[ilikegunspdx]

In contrast, a fully legal machine pistol (frt trigger). NASA has a documented mp5 with over 550,000 rounds on original barrel etc. Reliability is a pass/fail test for me.

View: https://youtu.be/75Mc9o9lkp8?si=gY1l54upwh-TWsqZ

———
NASA Security weapon at Kennedy Space Center. MP5A3 that ate 571,600 rounds.

The MP5A3 SN 316019 went in service August of 1984 and came out October of 1992.

Parts that were replaced because of wear.

five roller holders
five firing pins springs
four extractors
four extractor springs
three firing pins
two set of oversized locking rollers
one roller holder pin
one recoil spring assembly
one mag release spring
———

 

[Stomper]

Were these any better than the Tech 9. I had a friend who got one back in the 80's. It always jammed. Looked badass though.

You were shooting it wrong..... you gotta rotate your wrist 90* counter-clockwise (if you're right-handed) before you shoot 'em.







Oh yeah, and wearing a big gold chain around your neck and baggy pants around your arse helps, too!

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Reminds me of S&w m76 from 1967.

 

[CountryGent]

Didn't watch the video yet but didn't b&t make a version of the tec 9. Maybe the tp9?

Not that I'm aware of. Brügger & Thomet did make the MP9:


Which, IIRC, was a derivative of the Steyr TMP:


As you mentioned, B&T also made a civilian variant called the TP9, which is basically the aforementioned sans full-auto capability, stock, or fore-grip, in order to comply with our BS laws:


In the Totally Rad 80s, and early 90s, there were some knock-offs or similar guns to the Tec-9, like the Kimel AP-9:





A little farther afield, and AFAIK not an actual copy but in the same genre, there was the Claridge Hi-Tec pistols and carbines:

 

[CountryGent]

Parenthetically, Ian mentioned the specific gun he was covering was owned by William Fleming. He was behind a lot of full auto (and NFA) items back in the day. I remember reading/hearing he got into legal trouble and that is why the output stopped. According to a Google search, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to Federal PMITA prison for attempting to avoid paying for six tax stamps back in 1994: United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. William Hugh Fleming, Defendant-appellant, 19 F.3d 1325 (10th Cir. 1994).

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Not that I'm aware of. Brügger & Thomet did make the MP9:

View attachment 2145294
Which, IIRC, was a derivative of the Steyr TMP:

View attachment 2145295
As you mentioned, B&T also made a civilian variant called the TP9, which is basically the aforementioned sans full-auto capability, stock, or fore-grip, in order to comply with our BS laws:

View attachment 2145296
In the Totally Rad 80s, and early 90s, there were some knock-offs or similar guns to the Tec-9, like the Kimel AP-9:
View attachment 2145300

View attachment 2145301
View attachment 2145302

A little farther afield, and AFAIK not an actual copy but in the same genre, there was the Claridge Hi-Tec pistols and carbines:

View attachment 2145303

View attachment 2145304

View attachment 2145305

Thx. Looks like tec-9 lineage is totally unrelated to the steyr. I had the histories mixed up.

 

[Bolt_308]

What's funny is there is a Tech 9 in the classifieds now. I would buy one for laughs at a cookout, but I definitely wouldn't spend what the guy is asking. I'd be like $150 and I'll take it off your hands. But still, a piece of crap is a piece of crap at any price.

I see ther are two of them now.one for $550 and one for $750. Good lord.

Holy crap! One just sold!

As so often happens when something is no longer made there is going to be people who just have to have it. Back when this thing with the open bolt was going on I had a couple of the Mac clones they made like this. Stamped sheet metal and CHEAP. They could be made to work if one had problems as there was so little to the design. Problem was that bolt. It was impossible to hit anything with them. After the ATF said no more price started to climb. When I finally sold mine it was for many times what I paid and I almost felt guilty taking the money. People still go nuts over them to this day just because they are no longer made.

It was ME- I bought it! LOL! Absolutely correct- total piece of crap, cheaply made, jam-o-matic.

Also- Iconic, in tons of movies and video games, and piece of history with it being listed by name in the 'assault weapons ban'. This one appears to be almost unfired, been in storage for over 20 years. Came with 4 mags, which the mags alone go for a lot of money right now. Guy said he had a bunch of people reach out after me, so I am not alone in that I simply had to have it! It sits proudly next to my Cobray m11, Mp5, UZI, and TP9 -lol!

 

[rjmt]

acquired an AB-10, the last of the Tec 9 revisions many years ago
didn't work when i got it, so it was free
did come with a factory 30 rnd mag
rebuilt it with on-line references and new parts from a place in Arizona
so far, it's reliable, never had a jam in hundreds of rounds
but just a conversation piece
give me a Glock G17 with 31 rn mag any day

 

[Alexx1401]

Parenthetically, Ian mentioned the specific gun he was covering was owned by William Fleming. He was behind a lot of full auto (and NFA) items back in the day. I remember reading/hearing he got into legal trouble and that is why the output stopped. According to a Google search, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to Federal PMITA prison for attempting to avoid paying for six tax stamps back in 1994: United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. William Hugh Fleming, Defendant-appellant, 19 F.3d 1325 (10th Cir. 1994).

The feds have LONG taken a very dim view to people playing with NFA stuff they did not paper. Watched as a guy I knew well ended up this way. He kept poking that bear until it bit. Then he went off the deep end with the silver and gold guys and became his own lawyer. Which went as normal so he ran. Even while on the run he would taunt them for years till they finally caught him. NOT worth it but I am sure a LOT of people still play the game.

 

[Mark W.]

I'll make this short. Its my opinion that aside from a non working French .25 auto and a Brass frame .36cal FIE Colt replica cap and ball revolver. The Tech 9 has to be the biggest POS out of over 100 firearms I have owned. All the while being in good physical condition and fully functional.