If I say Ruger, what do you think? Ruger is a fairly diverse company. Some might picture their robust revolvers in a variety of calibers. Others may picture their affordable handgun lineups. Still, others might think of the slick and absolutely wonderful No. 1 rifle series, maybe their affordable AR series, or even something like the Mini 14. What I doubt many people picture is the Ruger MP9 submachine gun. Yes, at one point, Ruger wanted to get into the SMG market and did so with one of its most famed designers.
The Ruger MP9 – An Improved Uzi
It was the mid-1990s. Short carbines hadn’t wiped submachine guns off the international military and police table just yet. They were still a popular option for law enforcement and special operations use. Ruger decided to try to cash into that market and introduced the MP-9 into its catalogs in 1995.
The design is a bit older than the 1990s and tracks by the 1980s. Israeli firearms designer Uziel Gal looked to improve his design. The Uzi entered legendary status. Its compact design made it a favorite for various special operations forces, and it participated in numerous Israeli military campaigns. The United States Secret Service even accepted the weapon.
The Uzi was good but had some dated features. Namely, it fired from an open bolt. Open bolt designs are less reliable, safe, and accurate than closed bolt weapons. The MP5 established closed bolt superiority. In addition to closing the bolt, a number of changes were made to the Uzi to create the first prototypes. These were labeled the Model 201 guns.
A story relayed in Ruger and His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company & Their Firearms states that Bill Ruger sent two men to Canada to meet with Uziel. Bill Ruger wanted to get even deeper into the military and police market. There, they test-fired the weapons and reported back to Bill that they seemed well-made and easy to operate.
With that, Ruger purchased the design and the right to produce it.
Bill Ruger and the New Uzi
Bill Ruger decided there were further improvements they could make to the gun. The most noticeable was the use of polymer for the lower receiver. The use of Zytel reduced weight and likely cost. The MP9 also got a firing pin block and a bolt lock, as well as a magazine redesign for easier reloading. While the changes are notable, Uziel Gal’s design was still under the hood.
The MP9 used a straight blowback design with closed bolt operation. The fire selector is just like the traditional Uzi. The grip safety is done away with, but the gun still uses a top charging handle. Near the sights sits a small set of weaver rails, for what is anyone’s guess. They are too small for optics and would position an optic to be blocked by the charging handle.
In an odd move, the gun doesn’t use a Uzi magazine but a proprietary magazine based on the Steyer MPI89 mags.
The frame design is a radical departure from the standard Uzi. It features a small integrated foregrip and rear strut that acts as a rest for the folding stock. The stock folds downward, but not like a traditional under folder. The overall design is very compact.
The Failure of the Improved Uzi
Ruger didn’t sell many of the guns. Supposedly, they had to work hard to eliminate the meager initial production run and didn’t make more than that. The guns were relatively expensive and placed oddly on the market. For a bit more, one could buy a higher-end, roller-delayed MP5. Similarly, you could buy any number of direct blowback SMGs for a lot less.
Bill Ruger also wouldn’t sell dealer samples, so you had to buy the MP9 directly from Ruger. This likely didn’t help Ruger make any sales. Guns were never popular and are quite rare these days. The MP9 series faded away, and Ruger remained free from the submachine gun market after that.
Civilian sales weren’t possible due to the Hughes Amendment, and I doubt Bill Ruger would sell to the average Joe if he could. Semi-auto pistol variants weren’t exactly possible, either. It was in the midst of the Assault Weapon Ban. Fixed magazines didn’t seem practical, and the weapon weighed over 50 ounces.
The MP9 wasn’t meant to make it and that’s sad for a weapon of the Uzi lineage. If IMI/IWI owned the design I bet we’d have a braced version by now, but Ruger isn’t IWI.
