CSFA T77

The highly compact T77 submachine gun chambers 9 mm Parabellum ammunition in a magazine that holds either 15 or 30 rounds. The T77 SMG weighs 1820 grams and measures 617 mm in length. The barrel, which features six grooves that lend a spin a round at one turn in 254 mm, has a length of 215 mm. It fires at a rate of 1200 rounds per minute in fully automatic mode and has a muzzle velocity of 350 meters per second. It has been described as a hybrid of the Mini Uzi and an Ingram M10 (AKA the MAC-10) and the design was, in fact, based on the latter submachine gun.

The MAC-10 was a worthy model for the T77. The name of this compact selective fire submachine gun was an acronym for Military Armament Corporation Model 10. The 'Ingram' comes from the name of its designer Gordon B. Ingram, who patented the MAC-10 in 1964. It operates on the blowback principle, which essentially means that the energy created in the chamber and bore by the combustion of a round's propellants operate the bolt face through the cartridge. In this system, there is no lock between the bolt and barrel. Instead, the recoil spring and the bolt's mass keep the breech shut until it is 'blown back' by the expanding propellant gases produced upon firing a round.

The MAC-10 is of an uncomplicated and extremely cost-effective design, but it fell in disfavor because its very compactness and disproportionately high firing rate of 1000 rounds per minute made it extremely difficult to control. The T77 submachine gun was introduced in 1985 and is issued primarily to American law enforcement personnel and special forces units in airborne and seaborne divisions. It is reportedly also being used by Taiwan's Marines.

The T77 is based on the M11 and MiG 21 and is a preferred submachine gun for inside-vehicle and anti-terrorist operations. It is remarkably suitable for hijack-related operations and has been repeatedly employed for this purpose. Unfortunately, because of its versatility, it has also found wide preference in organized crime and the T77 SMG pops up repeatedly in gangland-related news. In fact, it is being phased out of use by many countries' Armed Forces now.