armoury
ICS CES-P MP-5 + CXP-MARS PDW9
manufacture; sadly all work on
the PDW was brought to an
indefinite standstill and never
resumed.
In 2001, the Heckler & Koch
MP7 was introduced as a direct
rival to the FN P90 and this has gone on to become another
iconic firearm. Featuring a more conventional-looking
design, the MP7 uses a short stroke piston gas system as
used on H&K’s G36 and HK416 assault rifles, in place of a
blowback system traditionally seen on sub-machine guns.
The MP7 is able to use 20, 30 and 40 round magazines and
fires 4.6×30mm ammunition which again can penetrate
soft body armour. Due to the heavy use of polymers in
its construction, the MP7 is much lighter than older SMG
designs, weighing only 1.2 kg (2.65 lb) with an empty 20
round magazine.
Though personal defence weapons have not proved to
be drastically different from the “old skool SMG” in terms
of their use, they have been acquired by many special
forces and law enforcement groups as direct replacements
for older models due to their ability to counter threats
using body armour. However, this is far from the end of the
“PDW Story” as the AR-derived Pistol Calibre Carbine or
PCC has become the civilian firearm-owner’s friend!!
In reality the short, even 9mm, AR is nothing new
though! If you want to look at this in a timeline you could
well start with the Colt Model 607/607A in around 1965
(although some may argue the CAR-15 “Tanker” model
predates even this!), with its short overall length and nifty
two-position sliding stock. Admittedly, this was chambered
in 5.56mm and it would still take a while before 9mm
entered the scene using an “AR” main platform. In fact, it
was around 1982 that the Colt 9mm SMG (also known as
Colt Model 635) entered service with the DEA in 9×19mm
Parabellum. The 635 featured a Safe/Semi/Full Auto
selective fire trigger group and the 639 featured a Safe/
Semi/3-round Burst selective fire trigger group. Both came
with a 10.5 inch barrel, although the Model 633 was a
modified compact version with a 7 inch barrel, hydraulic
buffer and simplified front sight post. The most common
model though was the 635, which was simply marked
“SMG 9mm NATO”.
However, the modern civilian AR PCC platform is
now acknowledged as one of the most
versatile platforms available, with many
“off the shelf” models from the likes of
Wilson Combat, SIG SAUER, CMMG, and
JP Enterprises to name just a few! The
AR’s ability to be configured in countless
ways has made it incredibly versatile from
the get go, and this includes the ability to
be chambered in a variety of cartridges,
from the military 5.56mm through .308, .456
SOCOM, and various 6.8mm variants. It did
take a while to catch on but eventually the
9mm AR concept spread like wildfire!
Pistol calibre carbines have jumped in
popularity in recent years, with the dominant
chambering being 9mm. The major benefit
(other than price for rounds expended in training!) of
having a carbine that uses pistol ammunition is the ability
to share ammo and even magazines with a handgun, which
makes a great choice for civilian ownership and home
defence as it gives commonality to your ammo requirement.
It is also much easier to achieve higher levels of accuracy
with a “long” when compared to a “short” and carbines
provide a greater sight radius and a more stable platform
when using iron sights. Of course, you can put an optic and
bigger taclite on a carbine too, which works to provide a
small-sized, easily manipulated platform capable of putting
a lot of rounds into tight groups when shooting at speed.
Combine all of this with low recoil, ease of operation and
ability to fire quickly and a pistol calibre carbine makes a
formidable weapon to protect your home. Again, from a
“gun bunny” perspective another big bonus is the 9mm’s
ability to be effectively suppressed!
DIFFERENT FLAVOURS, SAME END RESULT!
And it seems to me like ICS have looked in and taken all
that history and indeed all the latest firearms trends on
board, to add extra depth to their range of AEGs!
Looking at that legendary MP5, the new CES-P
completely mirrors the real steel version, using the bestquality
steel and following the real-world production SPCC
Weld Processed Steel Stamping method. In addition, the
new CES-P model benefits from a steel retractable stock
and solid ABS plastic lower receiver and foregrip. Inside
you’ll find a whole host of new goodies, including the SSS
V2 Electronic Trigger System with short-stroke trigger that
is combined with a 3 round burst mode, ICS’s exclusive
“…THE MODERN CIVILIAN AR PCC PLATFORM IS NOW ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF
THE MOST VERSATILE PLATFORMS AVAILABLE, WITH MANY “OFF THE SHELF” MODELS
FROM THE LIKES OF WILSON COMBAT, SIG SAUER, CMMG, AND JP ENTERPRISES TO
NAME JUST A FEW!”
12
JULY 2020