One of Hollywood’s greatest tricks (and one fully supported by firearm companies who liked the exposure) is to take a weapon that is in development or competing for a future use contract into a movie or TV show, especially if that movie or TV Show is future set or present set with latest tech. They will also pick ones that are either limited adoption or with some other mystique about them.
Stargate SG-1 was probably the most prolific promoter of the FN P90 when they swapped from the previously popular MP5. It was a cool, compact futuristic looking weapon system that actually made a certain sense in role too.
Equilibrium in 2002 took advantage of the G36’s space age looks (introduced in 1997) and some fancy Beretta 92’s (1985) that were still new or could be made to look the part.
But the place where the P90 and the H&K competitor, the MP7, came from is one that military forces seem to constantly go back and forth on.
Equipping “rear echelon” troops with a lighter more convenient weapon.
This same thing applied to tank crews due to their limited available space for gear and pilots for the same reason. When the main weapon systems or support services these personnel were to operate weren’t rifles, it made a certain sense to equip them with something else more convenient for their roles. Yes?
Kinda. If you notice today the M4 is the king of the ring but this didn’t keep militaries from looking at compact convenient weapons for where those things made sense. Now that design mission drifted into lower profile protective details and has kinda stayed there.
But from the M1 Carbine to the Desert Eagle (yep, developed for tank crews) to the actual competition for the NATO PDW, it has been an interesting ride.
Enjoy 9-Hole’s overview.
