The R9-Arms submachine gun is a

select fire Selective fire is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire we ...

submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...

chambered in

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...

. The R9 is notable because some of them are marked "R9-ARMS CORP. U.S.A.", although no such firm exists. It was made for sale to criminal organizations around the world. Unlike most

improvised firearms Improvised firearms (sometimes called zip guns, pipe guns or slam guns) are firearms manufactured other than by a firearms manufacturer or a gunsmith, and are typically constructed by adapting existing materials to the purpose. They range in qua ...

, the R9 is not a copy of an existing weapon design, nor a low quality

insurgency weapon Insurgency weapons and tactics are weapons and tactics, most often involving firearms or explosive devices, intended for use by insurgents to engage in guerrilla warfare against an occupier, or for use by rebels against an established governme ...

such as the

Błyskawica submachine gun The Błyskawica (Polish: 'lightning') was a submachine gunhttp://www.cruffler.com/trivia-October00.html. produced by the Armia Krajowa, or Home Army, a Polish resistance movement fighting the Germans in occupied Poland. Together with a Polis ...

. The R9 markings on the gun claim that it is from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, but are likely an attempt to gain credibility or baffle local law enforcers.

History

There is very little information on the origin, designer and exact number of examples of the R9.
A few have been seized in the

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.
An example has allegedly been seized in the United States. *2006: Police and

USKOK The Uskoks ( hr, Uskoci, , singular: ; notes on naming) were irregular soldiers in Habsburg Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe. Bands of Uskoks fought ...

raided the home of the Vugrek family in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and found an illegal submachine gun and pistol factory and seized an arsenal of weapons. They thought that that would be the end of illegal weapons factories in

Hrvatsko Zagorje Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian for "backland" or "behind the hills") is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica Mountain. It comprises ...

. *2012: A truck driver smuggling drugs from the Netherlands into the UK was arrested and was found to have an R9-Arms submachine gun fitted with a

suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity Sound intensity, also known as acoustic intensity, is defined as the power carried by sound waves per unit ...

. *July 2015: Police raided the Vugreks' house again and found and seized many R9-Arms submachine guns there.

Speculation as to the gun's origin

There is much speculation as to where the gun is being produced, if it is still being produced. The most plausible theory is that they were produced in Croatia, due to the number of R9-Arms submachine guns confiscated there. Furthermore, Croatia is and has been the home of a number of illegal arms manufacturers, such as Mirko Vugrek and his son, Ivan Vugrek.

References

{{reflist

External links

Google search for images of the R9-Arms submachine gun
9mm Parabellum submachine guns