ST Kinetics CPW (Compact Personal Weapon) Submachine Gun/PDW

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By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

October 24, 2008

DefenseReview recently mentioned Singapore Technologies Kinetics a.k.a. ST Kinetics in our article on the GDATP IAR/Ultimax 100 Mark V (Ultimax 100 MK5) LMG/SAW is offering an interesting and pretty slick-looking little lightweight, multi-calber submachine gun (SMG)/personal defense weapon (PDW) called the Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) for CQB/CQC applications and longer engagements out to approx. 100-150 yards. However, as this is written, the CPW is only available in 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm NATO) caliber, and what those future caliber offerings will be is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, it looks like what we’ve got here is an SMG/PDW with heavy HK MP7A1 PDW (4.6x30mm) influence, and one that’s been executed pretty well–provided it’s reliable, durable/rugged and accurate under adverse conditions and high round count  In fact, it could be argued that the CPW resembles an updated/modernized MP7A1.

The ST Kinetics Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) subgun/PDW utilizes a "unique…


Cam recoil mitigation mechanism" to control recoil and muzzle rise and increase hits on target, and operates via delayed blowback. The CPW needs to employ an artificial/mechanical recoil attenuation/mitigation system, since it only weighs 3.3 lbs (1.5kg) empty/dry, and therefore can’t rely on weapon weight to control recoil. An empty 30-round CPW magazine (9mm) weighs .22 lbs (.1kg) and a fully-loaded mag weighs 1.1 lbs (.5kg) leaving the CPW with a maximum loaded weight of 4.4 lbs (2kg). Full-auto cyclic rate of fire (ROF) is a relatively high 900 to 1100 rpm, furthering the need for an artificial/mechanical recoil mitigation system.

The CPW’s design and configuration (appearance, control layout, etc.), including the safety/selector lever and telescoping/collapsible/retractable buttstock appear from the photos to be very MP7A1-like. However, unlike the HK MP7A1 PDW, the CPW’s pistol grip is slanted/sloped for enhanced ergonomics and natural pointing/aiming), and the rear of it is transparent, so the operator can see the remaining rounds left in the mag.

The CPW SMG also sports a skeletonized trigger, a full-length Mil-Std-1913 "Picatinny" top rail for mounting accessories (optics, lasers, etc.) and shorter bottom rail in front of the trigger guard for mounting a vertical foregrip.

Barrel length is 7 inches (7") (180mm), with a 1-in-250mm twist rate, which translates to a twist rate of between 1:9" and 1:10". At the end of the barrel is a short, open-prong flash hider a.k.a. flash suppressor.

The CPW pictured in this article, as well as the one pictured in the ST Kinetics’ CPW brochure, has what appears to be a L-3 EOTech 551.A65/1 HWS (NSN 1240-01-485-0441) combat optic (optical sight), which is basically just a lighter, smaller version of the L-3 EOTech 552.A65/1 HWS (NSN 1240-01-492-5264). The EOTech 551 HWS takes an N batteries, while the EOTech 552 HWS takes AA batteries.

As I alluded-to in the first paragraph, the Compact Personal Weapon exhibits pretty slick execution. If it operates as well as it looks–i.e. it proves to be controllable, reliable, durable and accurate under adverse conditions and high round count)–ST Kinetics may just have a winner on their hands. The advantage of 9mm cartridge, the the reason this is the first version offered, is that 9mm Parabellum is the standard military NATO pistol and subgun cartridge and the primary law enforcement pistol and SMG cartridge in every Western country except the United States, where the .40 S&W now rules as a pistol cartridge. 9mm is therefore the most abundant/plentiful pistol and SMG caliber in the world. Defense Review would very much like to see how a .45 ACP version of the CPW performs, if that is one of the additional calibers offered. It would also be interesting to see a 10mm version. Perhaps a 10mm sabot AP round could be developed for it. Or, ST Kinetics could develop their own proprietary PDW cartridge for it, or make a version that excepts another company’s PDW cartridge.

The KAC 6x35mm PDW cartridge might be too large and powerful for the CPW, since the 6x35mm is really more of a small rifle cartridge than a PDW cartridge. So, our first choice for a PDW round for the CPW would be the Saab Bofors Dynamics AB 6.5x25mm CBJ cartridge, which was designed and developed specifically for the Saab Bofors CBJ MS PDW. However, the 6.5x25mm PDW cartridge like Hechler and Koch’s 4.6x30mm PDW cartridge, is proprietary, thereby creating supply problems for anyone who adopts a weapon chambered for it.

Note: It’s possible that the Steyr TMP a.k.a. Brugger & Thomet (B&T) MP9 9mm SMG gun was a secondary design influence on the CPW, but this would be pure conjecture.

DefenseReview would very much like to see how the CPW SMG performs at the range, and we’re going to run one at the earliest opportunity.

Click here to view the Compact Personal Weapon (CPW) brochure.

Photo Credit: ST Kinetics


Company Contact Info:

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) – HQ
51 Cuppage Road,
#09-08, StarHub Centre
Singapore 229469
65 6722 1818 Phone
65 6720 2293 Fax
http://www.stengg.com/ Website


Related Articles:

ST Kinetics CPW (Compact Personal Weapon) (The Firearm Blog)

HK MP7A1 PDW/Gemtech ‘Brick’ Silencer/Sound Suppressor Combo at NDIA

Video: HK MP7 PDW (Personal Defense Weapon): Serious Compact Firepower

KAC 6x35mm PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) Gets Test-Fired at the Range

KAC 6x35mm PDW Photos in from NDIA Small Arms Symposium 2006

DefRev Exclusive: KAC Introduces 6mm PDW for Special Operations Applications

Brugger & Thomet Introduces New Subgun/PDW: Meet the B&T MP9

TDI KRISS Super-V XSMG .45 ACP Submachine Gun (SMG) Action Photos from NDIA

TDI KRISS Super V XSMG .45 ACP Submachine Gun Range Session at Blackwater

KRISS Super V XSMG System .45 ACP Submachine Gun: Photos of Latest Prototypes


Acronyms and Abbreviations:

LMG – Light Machine Gun
SAW – Squad Automatic Weapon
SMG – Submachine Gun
PDW – Personal Defense Weapon
CQB – Close Quarters Battle
CQC – Close Quarters Combat
HWS – Holographic Weapon Sight
AP – Armor-Piercing a.k.a. Armor-Penetrating

ST Kinetics CPW (Compact Personal Weapon) Submachine Gun/PDW by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

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