Floro MK-9
Encyclopedia
The Floro Mk. 9 is a submachine gun
designed by Floro International Corporation
of the Philippines. The Floro Mk. 9 submachine gun is a private venture of Floro International of Tanay, Rizal Province in the Philippines
. The weapon is being marketed to local security forces as a low-cost alternative to imported submachine guns and is currently in limited use.
and the KG-9 assembled in clandestine workshops for sale in the black market. There are few openly marketed indigenous submachine gun designs owing to the availability and popularity of imported weapons such as the Israeli Uzi and the H&K MP5.
The Floro Mk. 9 submachine gun was developed as a private venture by Floro International Corporation
, an ISO 9000
certified company providing precision manufacturing and digital/optical media services. It was offered for evaluation to the Armed Forces of the Philippines
and the Philippine National Police
. Initial responses were favorable and some sales were made, particularly to the AFP's Anti-Crime Task Force and the Philippine Navy's Special Warfare Group. The Philippine Marine Corps
had a standing requirement for submachine guns to serve as personal defense weapons for armor crews and the Floro Mk. 9 was an option. Limited funds and the availability of M3 Grease Gun
s from reserve weapon stockpiles caused these to be issued instead. The M3 had the advantage of using the .45 ACP
cartridge which is more widely used in the AFP and has greater stopping power than the 9x19mm Parabellum.
Floro International currently markets an updated Mk. 9 and a shorter, lighter version, the MP-9. It is believed to be formerly known as the MK-19 submachine gun.
operated weapon chambered for the 9 mm cartridge. It fires from a closed bolt
with a selector switch allowing semi-automatic
or full-automatic fire. There is no bolt-locking mechanism. The upper receiver
is a steel tube and the barrel is held in place by the perforated barrel jacket. The lower receiver and magazine housing are of sheet metal. The long magazine well has a plastic handguard and doubles as a forward grip. It has the Uzi submachine gun
-type magazine interface and uses Uzi magazines which are locally available. The folding metal butt is based on the Uzi pattern as well. The Mk. 9 uses the firing mechanism of the M16
, the standard service rifle in the AFP.
The cocking handle
is on the left side of the upper receiver incorporated with a dust cover. The front sights
are fixed and rear sights have an adjustment knob for windage. The upper receiver has a Picatinny rail
installed allowing telescopic
and red dot sight
s to be used.
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
designed by Floro International Corporation
Floro International Corporation
Floro International Corporation is a Philippine company that produces a wide range of products for both the Philippine and export market.The company provides document conversion services and is ISO 9001 certified in the field of microfilming, digitizing, and indexing.They have gained some renown...
of the Philippines. The Floro Mk. 9 submachine gun is a private venture of Floro International of Tanay, Rizal Province in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The weapon is being marketed to local security forces as a low-cost alternative to imported submachine guns and is currently in limited use.
Development
Though several Philippine enterprises are involved in the manufacture of small arms, submachine gun production is mostly limited to copies of foreign designs such as the MAC-10MAC-10
The MAC-10 is a highly compact, blowback operated machine pistol developed by Gordon B. Ingram in 1964.-Design:The M-10 was built predominantly from steel stampings...
and the KG-9 assembled in clandestine workshops for sale in the black market. There are few openly marketed indigenous submachine gun designs owing to the availability and popularity of imported weapons such as the Israeli Uzi and the H&K MP5.
The Floro Mk. 9 submachine gun was developed as a private venture by Floro International Corporation
Floro International Corporation
Floro International Corporation is a Philippine company that produces a wide range of products for both the Philippine and export market.The company provides document conversion services and is ISO 9001 certified in the field of microfilming, digitizing, and indexing.They have gained some renown...
, an ISO 9000
ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
certified company providing precision manufacturing and digital/optical media services. It was offered for evaluation to the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
and the Philippine National Police
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
. Initial responses were favorable and some sales were made, particularly to the AFP's Anti-Crime Task Force and the Philippine Navy's Special Warfare Group. The Philippine Marine Corps
Philippine Marine Corps
The Philippine Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Philippines, and is part of the Philippine Navy.- History :...
had a standing requirement for submachine guns to serve as personal defense weapons for armor crews and the Floro Mk. 9 was an option. Limited funds and the availability of M3 Grease Gun
M3 submachine gun
The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was designed as a more cost-effective alternative to the Thompson, optimized for mass production...
s from reserve weapon stockpiles caused these to be issued instead. The M3 had the advantage of using the .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
cartridge which is more widely used in the AFP and has greater stopping power than the 9x19mm Parabellum.
Floro International currently markets an updated Mk. 9 and a shorter, lighter version, the MP-9. It is believed to be formerly known as the MK-19 submachine gun.
Design details
The standard Mk. 9 is a blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
operated weapon chambered for the 9 mm cartridge. It fires from a closed bolt
Closed bolt
A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward...
with a selector switch allowing semi-automatic
Semi-automatic
Semi-automatic may refer to:* A semi-automatic firearm, a firearm which automatically reloads, but will only fire one round per trigger pull** Semi-automatic rifle** Semi-automatic pistol** Semi-automatic shotgun...
or full-automatic fire. There is no bolt-locking mechanism. The upper receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
is a steel tube and the barrel is held in place by the perforated barrel jacket. The lower receiver and magazine housing are of sheet metal. The long magazine well has a plastic handguard and doubles as a forward grip. It has the Uzi submachine gun
Uzi submachine gun
The Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi...
-type magazine interface and uses Uzi magazines which are locally available. The folding metal butt is based on the Uzi pattern as well. The Mk. 9 uses the firing mechanism of the M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, the standard service rifle in the AFP.
The cocking handle
Cocking handle
The cocking handle is a device on a firearm which, when operated, results in the hammer or striker being cocked or moved to the ready position...
is on the left side of the upper receiver incorporated with a dust cover. The front sights
Sight (device)
A sight is a device used to assist aligning or aim weapons, surveying instruments, or other items by eye. Sights can be a simple set or system of markers that have to be aligned together as well as aligned with the target...
are fixed and rear sights have an adjustment knob for windage. The upper receiver has a Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
installed allowing telescopic
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
and red dot sight
Red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non-magnifying reflector sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot...
s to be used.