Steyr MPi 69

Submachine Gun (SMG) / Machine Pistol [ 1969 ]

The outward design of the Steyr MPi 69 is not unlike the Israeli UZI or American MAC 10 series of submachine guns.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/25/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The Steyr MPi 69 was an UZI-influenced submachine gun of Austrian origin intended for military and security use. It was chambered for the widely-accepted 9x19mm Parabellum pistol round (as was the UZI) and introduced in 1969. A modernized form was introduced in 1981 as the "MPi 81" until the line was completely replaced by the all-modern Steyr "TMP" of 1992.

Design work on the MPi 69 began during the 1960s under the lead of Herr Stowasser with the intent to produce a workable submachine gun solution for budget conscious parties. The end result became a submachine offering that was clearly influenced by the popular Israeli UZI complete with the same centered grip handle doubling as the magazine well, fully rectangular receiver, a shrouded barrel assembly and telescoping wire butt. The receiver was manufactured of steel stampings with a cold-hammered barrel assembly for longevity and general operating abuse. The weapon was designed with a pressure-sensitive trigger in which single-shot or full-automatic fire could be achieved without use of a dedicated selector lever. A light pressure produced single-shot fire while a heavy pressure allowed full-automatic. The weapon was cocked through a short handle at the front-left side of the receiver, this interestingly doubling as the forward sling loop. As such, a shoulder strap was normally fitted for carrying. Sighting was through a front blade assembly with rear flip aperture.

The complete MPi 69 system weighed in at 7lbs and featured an overall length of 26.4 inches with a barrel of 10 inches. With the buttstock collapsed, the weapon was a handier 18 inches in length - ideal for special troops or security elements appreciating a more compact weapon. The firing operation was of blowback which allowed for a rate-of-fire equaling 550 rounds per minute. Muzzle velocity was 1,250 feet per second while effective range was roughly 150 meters. The weapon could be fed through a 25- or 32-round straight detachable box magazine. As in the UZI, the magazine protruded quite a distance out from the bottom of the grip handle to complete the iconic shape.

The MPi 81 was nothing more than a slight product revision of the MPi 69 and appeared in the 1980s. This model sported a more conventional protruding cocking lever along the received and its internals were slightly reworked to permit a more elevated rate-of-fire of 700 rounds-per-minute over the 500rpm of the original.

The MPi 69 itself never found widespread use in a market already dominated by the UZI and German HK MP5 series - as such it was limited to use in Austria itself and found buyers in only Greece and Saudi Arabia.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1969

Origin

Austria

Classification

Submachine Gun (SMG) / Machine Pistol

Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG - Austria

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Austria; Greece; Saudi Arabia

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Pistol / Sidearm
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.

Overall Length

670 mm
26.38 in

Barrel Length

260 mm
10.24 in

Empty Wgt

6.90 lb
3.13 kg

Sights

Rear Flip Aperture; Front Blade

Action

Blowback; Semi- / Full-Automatic Fire

Semi-Automatic
One shot per trigger pull; self-loading or auto-loading action aided by internal mechanism; trigger management (and initial cocking) typically required by the operator; subsequent shots are aided by the unlocked / moving bolt.

Full-Automatic
Rounds are automatically ejected from the breech, a new cartridge stripped from the feed and set in the chamber, and rounds are continuously fired so long as the trigger is pulled and an ammunition supply exists.

Blowback Operation
Gas pressure from the rearward movement of the ignited cartridge case provides the needed bolt movement, ejecting the spent case and stripping a fresh case from the magazine.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

9x19mm Parabellum

Sample Visuals**

Graphical image of a 9mm pistol cartridge

Rounds / Feed

25- or 32-round detachable box magazine

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Max Eff.Range

328 ft
(100 m | 109 yd)

Rate-of-Fire

550
rds/min

Muzzle Velocity

1,250 ft/sec
(381 m/sec)

MPi 69 - Base Series Designation and initial production model; sling loop/cocking handle; 500rpm.

MPi 81 - Modernized and improved version of the base MPi 69; conventional cocking handle; elevated RoF to 700rpm.

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Steyr MPi 69

Submachine Gun (SMG) / Machine Pistol [ 1969 ]

The outward design of the Steyr MPi 69 is not unlike the Israeli UZI or American MAC 10 series of submachine guns.

Specifications