SERVICE – Austrian EKO Cobra Counterterrorism unit, US Military Personal Security Details
The B&T Company was established in Switzerland in 1991 by Karl Brügger and Heinrich Thomet. Originally, they were a manufacturer of firearms parts and accessories but have expanded into manufacturing complete firearms in the last decade. The B&T Company is known for their precision and craftsmanship when it comes to any of their products. That reputation extends into their firearms and has resulted in one of their weapons having been adopted by the US Army as a new compact submachinegun for personal security details.
Designed to meet a request from the Austrian EKO Counterterrorism unit, the APC9K (Automatic Police Carbine, 9mm, Kurtz [short]) is a straight blowback design hammer fired from a closed bolt for maximum first-round accuracy. All aspects of the weapon are of maximum precision combined with ultra-modern manufacturing techniques. The receiver is an aluminum extrusion for strength with minimum weight. A number of the other components are made of specialized plastic materials for both weight and strength as well as minimizing corrosion. The finish of the machining of internal and external components are of a very high quality, feeling and appearing much like a fine commercial firearm rather than a military weapon. The bolt is manufactured through traditional machining methods but has been laser-hardened. This system gives the surface of the bolt maximum precise hardness for wear and strength.
To increase the controllability when firing the APC9K, particularly on full automatic, the weapon has a hydraulic buffer and the rear of the receiver to minimize the impact of the bolt and hold down the felt recoil. This hydraulic buffer also allows for a lighter recoil spring, holding down the force needed to operate the action. To cock the weapon, there is a fully ambidextrous set of folding cocking handles, one on each side of the weapon. The cocking handles do not reciprocate with the bolt as the weapon is fired. The safety/selector switch is also made fully ambidextrous, with the control duplicated on both sides of the weapon.
There are folding iron sights on the top of the weapon, inletted into the front and back of the full-length Picatinny rail. Alternate folding sights are available that extend up above the rail when mounted. The folding sights are intended for emergency use as the weapon is intended for use with a single-point sight, normally the Aimpoint Micro TL. There are additional lengths of Picatinny rail along both sides and the bottom of the front grip for attachments of aiming or illumination devices as well as a vertical front grip. The muzzle of the weapon has a 3-lug adapter for the attachment of a suppressor. For acceptance by the US, a compact suppressor was chosen for maximum concealability while holding down muzzle flash from the short barrel. Magazines are translucent plastic to allow for the remaining rounds to be easily seen by the operator. To minimize damage to the magazine when dropped, such as for a combat reload, there is a removable rubber boot that can be placed on the bottom of the mag.
The trigger pull is crisp and clean, to meet with the precision of the rest of the weapon. Generally, the APC9K is considered one of the most accurate submachineguns on the world market today.
