*Images by the author unless otherwise noted
The MP5
A lot of people are comparing the Kuna to the MP5, only with a semi-automatic vibe. The H&K MP5 is the gold standard of submachine guns. Sporting a 30-round magazine and roller-delayed blowback action (just like the Kuna), it is in constant demand. It has been manufactured since 1966 and has not lessened in popularity, as it tends to get the job done. But you can’t just walk into your local gun shop and buy one because the MP5 will continue to squirt 9mm bullets as long as you hold down the trigger.
How is that a problem, I hear you say? What could be more fun? I totally, categorically agree with you! But Uncle Sam does not. The MP5 is a Regulated Weapon, and as such, falls under the auspices of the infamous National Firearms Act of 1934 (don’t get me started).
I Got Those Regulated Weapon Blues!
Being what it is, and the law being what IT is, it is extremely hard to own a real MP5. Federal law prohibits the possession of newly manufactured machine guns, but permits the transfer of machine guns lawfully owned prior to May 19, 1986. (The McClure-Volkmer “Firearms Owners Protection Act” of 1986 made illegal the manufacture or importation of any new automatic firearms after May 19, 1986).
So, that sort of limits your options. There are those who can buy them fairly easily, mostly law enforcement or governmental agencies. For common Joes like you and me, if you can find one for sale (pre-’86), expect to pay around $25K-$30K. Yup… “K”. (I just saw one for $54,995 online). They’re just not that many floating around, and demand greatly outstrips supply.
What might help is if you hold an FFL/SOT license. What is an FFL/SOT license? We know what FFL means, but SOT? That means Special Occupational Taxpayer and is necessary if you are going to sell NFA items such as MP5s, suppressors, short-barreled rifles, etc. There are several types of SOT, but that’s for another article. Buyers don’t need one, but with all the other regulations, the purchasing process can be onerous, as we’ve seen.
The easiest, quickest way to buy a submachine gun is to have an FFL/SOT. You can then buy and sell newly-manufactured guns and not be limited to guns made before 1986. Considering that a dealer price on some fully-automatic weapons could be as low as around $1000, it may not be a bad thing to have the proper licensing. Heck, you can even manufacture machine guns with the right license. Plus, there would be a very short wait in terms of delivery of the gun(s). You are a dealer and are entitled to whatever rights that entails. The process of becoming an FFL?SOT dealer is extremely involved, expensive, and takes a long time.
But, what if you’re NOT a FFL/SOT dealer and want to buy an MP5?
Non-FFL/SOT buyers will need to have a squeaky-clean criminal history, pay a $200 transfer tax, good only for that particular gun, plus jump through several other hoops. Here is a good article on the subject, written by a firearms attorney. It’s beyond the scope of this review to go much deeper, so let’s move on to the gun. But first, the critter…
The Kuna
Kuna: European Pine Marten, the national animal of Croatia.
Image: Euronews.com
Now we know what a Kuna is, but why? Why name a 9mm Personal Defense Weapon after a smallish mammal? Long story short, the name is a tribute to the Croatian company HS Produkt. This is the company that manufactures many of the guns sold by Springfield Armory, which includes the Kuna. I see the name as a way to honor that company. They’ve had a good relationship for twenty-five years or so, and they together have made and sold a lot of guns. So, it’s only right to name a short, effective weapon after a short, effective mammal… right? The Kuna appears on Croatian Euro coins and is a predator that has helped control invasive grey squirrel populations, among other species. Interesting critter. (Our American version is the American marten, a cousin of the weasel and wolverine).
PDWs
Personal defense weapons (PDW) come in various shapes and sizes, but most guns that can be classified as such are short, light, and chambered for a pistol cartridge, usually 9mm. This one is no different.
Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm
- Color: Black
- Barrel: 6″ Cold Radial Hammer Forged, Melonite®, 1:10, 1/2×28
- Sights: Hybrid Flip-Up
- Upper Receiver: Monolithic Aluminum, Type III Hardcoat Anodized
- Lower Receiver: Injection Molded Glass-Filled Polymer
- Gas System: Roller-Delayed
- Handguard: Integral, M-Lok®
- Pistol Brace: Strike Industries FSA
- Trigger: Flat, Aluminum
- Muzzle Device: Multi-Port Muzzle Brake
- Receiver End Plate: Picatinny
- Charging Handle: Reversible, Non-Reciprocating
- Safety: Ambidextrous
- Trigger Guard: Integral to Receiver
- Grip: AR-Pattern w/ Adaptive Grip Texture
- Magazines: (2) 30-Round, translucent
- Weight: 5 lbs 5 oz
- Length: 15.5″ – 24.5″
- MSRP: $1,149 ($999 without the brace)
Where To Buy
Features of the Kuna
Roller-Delayed.
The action of the Kuna uses a roller-delayed system, just like the MP5. This system employs a roller to temporarily lock the bolt into battery. The advantage here is that the bolt can be lighter, and with less reciprocating mass, so felt recoil is lessened. This system has been used on several firearms and works well.
Strike Industries Brace.
The folding brace by Strike Industries allows the gun to be fired with the brace in place or folded. The brace is $169 if purchased separately.
Hybrid Sights.
The flip-up sights that come on the gun can be used either folded down or up. You have a simple U-notch and post with the sights down, and a fully-adjustable aperture rear and post front with them up.
Translucent Magazines.
Two proprietary 30-round magazines come with the gun and are made so that you can see how many rounds you have left. (30 rounds, just like the MP5). The feed lips are metal. I do need to say that the Kuna uses a proprietary magazine… Glock mags will not work. There is good news, though … for only $25 each, you can order magazines from SA. That’s like getting discounted mags through someone else, but they are the originals. Not a bad deal! My Uplula loader wouldn’t fit the magazine, but that’s ok because you load it like a rifle mag… press the cartridges down and they pop in. You don’t slide them like you do with a pistol mag.
I wanted to list “Cool Factor” as a feature, but since that’s pretty subjective, I won’t. But… it still has one!
Why You Need One
A PDW can come in mighty handy. Not only is it, obviously, a personal defense weapon, but it has uses that you may not think of, right off the bat. For instance, a PDW can be really appreciated around the ol’ homestead. We live out in the boonies and have chickens. The Kuna, with the addition of a light, would make a great chicken coop protector. We get varmints… oh, how we get varmints… and something like this would come in handy when the coop is invaded. I have another 9mm PDW that fulfills this role and does it well so I know the concept is good.
Another use is as a home defense weapon. If, for some reason, you were to need a quick-to-action gun that has serious capacity, the Kuna would work. Mount a light/laser/red dot and you’re good to go. The gun is so short, you don’t have to worry about the bad guy grabbing the barrel, like what may happen with a shotgun. That short length helps you to “slice the pie” easily as you clear rooms, and 30 rounds of 9mm is nothing to sneeze at.
Lastly, the Kuna would be welcome as a truck gun. Folded, in a bag, it would be quick to get into action. (You can shoot it folded).
Being a 9mm, it would be cheap to shoot and inexpensive to practice with, which would allow you to get really good with it. Plus, it would be somewhat quieter to shoot than a .223. Heaven forbid that you should ever have to produce it in order to stop a two-legged threat, but if you did, I can only imagine the reaction of the person on the other end of it… holy mackerel! It looks like a submachine gun.
Handling
I own another PDW, so the Kuna’s size and design was nothing new to me. I was, however, struck by how light it is, and how maneuverable. With the brace folded, it was easily able to be manipulated and fired. Even with the brace extended, you have great control and can point the gun easily. I will admit that the Kuna is probably the nicest PDW I’ve ever had experience with. It is well-built and reliable.
Shooting The Kuna
This was the part of the review I looked forward to. I have found that shooting these small PDWs can sometimes be more fun than I can stand, but I persevered. I set up some targets at 25 yards and did some shooting off a bench, for groups, then off-hand, for fun. Here’s what happened…
S&B, 115 grain FMJ – 1240 fps, 8.8 SD
Fiochhi Range Dynamics, 1110 fps, 27 SD
Fiocchi 115 JHP, 1302 fps, 12.3 SD
As you can see, the gun is accurate. The sights were perfectly regulated. I had stuck a Real Avid bore sighter on the muzzle to check sight alignment before shooting, and it was right on. (That bore sighter is interesting… There is nothing that goes in the bore. It attaches to the outside of the muzzle via a strong magnet. You just have to line it up. I like that system).
Taking It Apart
After shooting, you have to clean it, right? Here’s the drill…
- Remove the magazine and make sure it’s unloaded.
- Pull the charging handle to the rear and release it to close the bolt.
- Put the safety selector on “safe”.
- Push the rear captive disassembly pin out from R to L and move the pin as far as it will go.
- Rotate the lower receiver downward by grabbing the pistol grip and pulling.
- Do the same with the front pin and remove the lower receiver.
- Pull the charging handle back and grab the recoil spring, and remove it from the rear of the receiver.
- Tilt the upper receiver so that the bolt & carrier slide down from the rear of it – grab it before it falls out.
- That’s all you need to do – clean away and put back in reverse order.
Photos are here to guide you the first time or two.
You can move the charging handle to the other side, as well… when the handle is all the way to the rear, pull it out and replace it on the other side.
Final Thoughts
If you have use of a PDW in 9mm, take heed. The Kuna is well-built, reliable, and more than accurate enough. Its sights are wonderfully useful, as is its brace. Usually, a gun has its MSRP price and then what I call a real-world price.
The Kuna is so new that it hasn’t even hit all of the gun store shelves yet that it will eventually reside on, so a discount price isn’t much lower than MSRP. I’ve seen the arm-brace version going for $1K, about $150 off, but that’s it. They will sell all of these they can make, I’m sure of that. If you want or need a 30-round (60 with both mags loaded), short 9mm semi-auto lead spitter with a nice arm brace, give the Kuna a look. It isn’t an MP5, but it’s a close, semi-auto alternative at an attractive price.
The little critter might be just what you need!
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