Croat Agram 2000

The AGRAM 2000 is a submachine gun used by the Croatian army. It is a recon and light weapon that is mainly used by APC troops and PDW for non-combatants.

This gun was designed by Croatia because it confirms to NATO standards, and this was one more step taken towards entering the European Union. The AGRAM 2000 is a submachine gun, and so by definition it merges the automatic fire of a machine gun with the ammunition of a pistol. The size and weight ranges between the two of them.

Submachine guns were first experimented with in the early 1900s. The first design was developed in World War I, where it helped immensely in the trench wars fought at the time. Later in the World War II it was as frontline and commando weapons.

The AGRAM 2000 is a modernized version of the Italian Beretta PM12-S SMG. It has the same safe, single-shot, full-auto fire trigger design, which confirms to the Russian army caliber standards of 9x18, .7.62 and 5.75.

The gun weighs 1.8 kg unloaded and the length is 482 mm. The barrel length is 200 mm and the ammunition used is of 9mm Parabellum. The Feed system are15, 22, and 32 box, it has a blowback action. The Rate of Fire is 800 round/min and it usually uses Uzi magazines. The barrel is threaded for a suppressor, with a sleeve covering the barrel when it is not used.
The military-friendly forgrip makes control so much easier. Its design ensures that it will not get entangled with the other gear used as easily as normal foregrips do. However it does not have a provision for shoulder stock.

Simple in construction it can be made in small machine shops throughout Croatia. Here troops like guards and local militia forces are the major users of these locally made guns.
The AGRAM 2000 has proved to be quite popular in the world market, both in military and civilian versions. Like all submachine guns these are very good offensive and defensive weapons, and most useful in ranges generally below than 200 meters. Today it popular with paramilitary organizations and militia warfare, the police also use it in case higher and rapid-fire power is required.

As it offers the advantages of rapid-fire power and is lightweight it has unfortunately become popular with the criminal element. Many reputed police officers fear that this has the potential to create mayhem on the streets, if used. This is a real problem, because it is easy to make and can be made available easily.

The popularity of AGRAM 2000 in both military and civilian versions, led to the development of a version called the Agram 2002. This has no foregrip, and the rear sights are tangent leaf types, unlike the simpler flip-up types of the Agram 2000. In both the front sights are adjustable for windage, and have a protective ring. For many users the series of AGRAM 2000 is very much the submachine gun of choice.