From The Vault: MAC-10 Submachinegun

Think of any 1980s-90s "B" action movie or "Miami Vice" episode: firearms come out, a shootout commences, and what gun is sure to be involved? The Desert Eagle. Right - that, too. But odds are there's also a MAC-10 in the mix, usually wielded by the bad guys. Brownells Gun Techs Keith Ford and Caleb Savant are at the Rock Island Auction Company to show us a pristine example of the infamous MAC-10 machine pistol. Developed by Gordon Ingram working in conjunction with Mitch WerBell, who developed its suppressor, the MAC-10 is one boxy, gnarly lookin' piece of shooting hardware. Police and military contracts were the goal. They didn't pan out, but Hollywood took shine to this simple, compact, blowback operated subgun, which came chambered in 9mm Luger or .45 ACP. Keith takes us on a walkaround of Rock Island's MAC-10. A telescoping bolt contributes to the gun's compactness, and the selector has only two settings: SAFE and AUTO. No sissy-pants semi-auto option here! "Ergonomic" is a word you don't use on the MAC-10, except when it's preceded by "NOT," but it was reliable and cheap to manufacture. Military Armaments Corporation (MAC) went out of business in 1975. Keith has a fun story about "investing" in surplus MAC-10s at that time. There's no denying the MAC-10's ensuring Coolness Factor!