When Wayne Daniels took over control of RPB in 1978, he introduced a semiautomatic pistol version of the iconic MAC submachine gun. Called the “SAP” (Semi Automatic Pistol), there were three versions; .380, 9mm, and .45. They fired form an open bolt, and were virtually identical to the full auto type, but with a permanently engaged semiautomatic disconnector. The ATF approved this design in 1978, and then reneged and reclassified the design as a machine gun in 1982 after a lot of people made some…changes to them. The existing open-bolt semiautomatic guns were grandfathered in, but new production examples were required to be registered.
Given the $200 tax on what was still a sub-$200 gun, this totally squashed the market for RPB. Daniels brought in a designer (Max Atchisson) to come up with a closed-bolt semiautomatic MAC, and re-formed the company as SWD (his and his wife’s initials; Sylvia Wayne Daniels) to produce that design.
If I just jank my trigger finger back on the semi-auto, wouldn’t the pistol fire in some kind of abhorrent full auto mode, while permanently slapping my finger forward? I wonder how this could be passed off as a semi-auto handgun?
because Ian is not holding the trigger back against the pressure of disconnecting the Sear. he’s letting it move forward instead of pushing down hard enough on the disconnector to make it work. here is a YouTube animation showing how it really works. if you hold the trigger back and keep it back the sear disconnects and the trigger stays back. this is a full auto select fire machine gun but as he said the semi-auto works exactly the same it just doesn’t have the option to select full auto.
https://youtu.be/O736l0KPAnA?si=5JIbwtzz5wvRepJ9
Thank you!
So the disconnector will pop the sear out of the trigger’s engagement when the trigger is held back with sufficient force. That makes sense.
the trigger is not returning on its own because the trigger spring is on top of the trigger instead of under it. you can see it flopping around not doing anything.
The production examples of this weapon that I’ve handled were basically Kel-Tec before there was a Kel-Tec.
I am not sure of the provenance of the ones I was exposed to, whether or not they were early in the production history or not, but… Man. You just did not know what the hell you were getting, when you pulled the trigger. There was at least one that was randomly full-automatic, which was disturbing as hell.
Because of this, I’ve never, ever liked these things. Difficult to control, difficult to shoot well, and to my mind, effectively pointless as anything other than range toys or “Looks kewl, man…” items for the delectation of the ignorant. Also, served as pretty good foils for foolish dope dealers to try and shoot at the competition and police, without actually hurting anyone.
I know there are other people who had different experiences, but my experience was always extremely negative.
This design was meant to be coupled with a silencer and true full-auto; any other use-case that includes “no silencer” and “semi-auto” is utterly without merit, in my opinion.
All of my use of the original MAC-10 in .45 ACP was with the Sionics suppressor mounted, just for a handhold as much as anything else.
In .45, with the suppressor, on single about the only sound was the bolt moving. Although that was loud enough.
In autofire, it was pretty controllable with the suppressor to hang on to. Without it, it was a lot like autofire on an M14 with the loud switch installed. First two or three rounds somewhere around the point of aim, the rest of the magazine mainly a threat to birds and low-flying aircraft.
In 9 x 19mm (which had a lighter bolt), I defy anybody to let up on the trigger fast enough in auto to avoid emptying the magazine. RoF listed in the manual- 900 R/M. Reality- closer to 1,500.
The .45 MAC-10/Sionics Suppressor combination was a pretty decent low-signature, CQB gun. It could be “learned” in autofire with some practice.
I never did figure out a reasonable use for the 9 x 19mm version.
The seldom seen and obscure MAC-11 in .380 ACP had an even higher RoF, 1200-1600 R/M, but was fairly controllable due to the low recoil impulse of the cartridge.
Probably the best all-around choice would have been the Russian PP-71 in 9 x 18mm Makarov;
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/10/26/forgotten-soviet-pp-71-smg-designed-dragunov/
The cartridge was just about right for the gun’s size and weight.
A Western analog in 9 x 18mm Super might have been “just about right” for European police duty back then. Something to replace the MAS 38 in 7.65 x 20mm Long the French police were still using in the early 1970s before they changed over to the H&K MP5.
clear ether
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