US Army awards Sub Compact Weapon contract to Brugger and Thomet APC9K.

Brugger and Thomet (B&T) USA has won the competition over Sig Sauer and four other competitors. Their APC9K is chambered in 9mm and variants of the submachine gun are in use with police units such as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT teams).

APC9K with 20- and 30-round magazines (Picture source: B&T)

In 2018, the U.S. Army submitted a request to the industry for what they called a Sub Compact Weapon (SCW), to equip close protection units. Specifically, the Prototype Opportunity Notice called for a “highly concealable [Sub Compact Weapon] system capable of engaging threat personnel with a high volume of lethal force while accurately firing at close range with minimal collateral damage.” Six companies were selected for prototype testing. They had to submit a weapon that was optimized to fire 147-grain 9mm and include both 20- and 30-round magazine options. The expected winner was SIG Sauer.

On 1st, big surprise: the U.S. Army announced it had selected the APC9K made by the Swiss firm of Brugger and Thomet (B&T) USA. The contract amount is $2,575,811.76 for the purchase of 350 SCWs, with an option for additional quantities of up to 1,000 SCWs, with slings, manuals, accessories, and spare parts.