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For years, fi rearms makers have mar- Mannlicher, the Steyr SPP (Special Pur- The 9mm Steyr TMP (Tactical Machine keted semiautomatic fi rearms that closely pose Pistol) is a semiautomatic version of Pistol) is extremely compact and measures resemble their full-auto counterparts such the Steyr TMP (Tactical .) under 12 inches overall with a selective fi re as the MACs, Uzi, and SP89 (the semiau- and its newly updated and renamed ver- capability that in full-auto mode operates at tomatic pistol version of the MP5). With sion the MP9. As is common today, the a cyclic rate of 900 rpm. Available only to the sunset of the “assault weapons” ban, gun is mostly polymer from to military, police and other offi cial entities, the more fi rearms are making an introduction receiver. TMP is fi nding favor among professionals in in the marketplace with many consumers The SPP is a cross between an UZI, the fi eld of VIP protection, given its compact taking notice be it purely for sport, for AR-15 and Colt 2000. The magazine seats size, high fi repower and overall fi ne quality. personal defense, or both. Among the inside the handle like the UZI, the charging The SPP and TMP are not all that dissimilar many high capacity autoloaders on the handle is similar to that of an AR-15 and in appearance. The TMP often comes with market is Steyr’s SPP, Steyr’s answer to the ergonomic handle and rotating barrel a pistol-grip forearm, and is actually a tad the HK SP89. Made in Austria by Steyr were borrowed from the Colt 2000. shorter than the SPP.

90 The Small Arms Review • Vol. 10 No. 6 • March 2007 Visit SAR on line at: www.smallarmsreview.com

Above: The photo on the left illustrates the Steyr SPP bolt in the unlocked position while the bolt is in the locked position in the photo to the right.

The SPP is slightly longer than its eight locking lugs with both parts moving pleting the cycle of extracting and ejecting burst-firing brother, measuring 12-3/5 rearward for a short distance. The barrel is the fired case, recocking the inches overall tipping the scales at ap- located low to the shooters hand allowing internal hammer and disengaging the sear. proximately 3.1 lbs. with a fully loaded better control of the fi rearm. The SPP’s At this point the bolt is stopped and then 15-round magazine in place. As such, this approach to keeping the chamber closed begins to move forward under pressure is not what would be considered until the bullet exits the fi rearm is to use a from the recoil spring chambering a round suitable for concealed carry, except per- rotating barrel. The barrel is free to rotate from the magazine. As it slams shut, the haps under a trench coat or other similarly locking the chamber when closed. When bolt forces the barrel to rotate into the loose-fi tting top garment. the bullet exits, the rotating energy is no locked position, ready for the next shot. The SPP has a sling mount located at longer there keeping the chamber closed. To hold the bolt open when the magazine the rear of the lower receiver. A handy The barrel is then suddenly stopped and runs dry, the rear of the ejector, which is adjustable web strap to fi t that mount is rotated free of the bolt, after a brief delay part of the slide release lever located on available as an extra, which allows the caused by resistance from the opposing the left side of the gun, is raised in order gun to be comfortably carried slung from torque of the bullet’s rotation. The bolt to catch the bolt and hold it open. As a the shoulder, bodyguard fashion, and still continues its rearward travel alone, com- result of the SPP’s method of operation, be instantly ready for . It can also assist in steadying the pistol when fi ring over longer than normal distances. Steyr engineers chose to rely heavily on modern, state-of-the-art molded synthetics for the construction of the SPP. A growing trend we see with not only Steyr but Glock, HK, Ruger, Beretta, SIG and Springfi eld Ar- mory. To that effect, the entire outer body of the pistol is made of a synthetic mate- rial. Much like the frame of the Glock, the substance is practically indestructible having strength similar to that of steel. Like most semiautomatic pistols, the SPP is divided into upper and lower re- ceiver sections. The lower section houses several moving components including the trigger and safety mechanisms, while the upper section covers the bolt and barrel sub-assemblies. The SPP employs delayed , short featuring a rotating barrel. At the moment of fi ring, the barrel is solidly locked to the telescoping bolt via

Left, opposing page: The unique hammer and trigger assembly of the Steyr SPP.

The Small Arms Review • Vol. 10 No. 6 • March 2007 91 Visit SAR on line at: www.smallarmsreview.com

perceived recoil is reduced compared to other 9mm pistols of comparable size that employ the straight blowback system, due to its massive, heavy bolt. The cocking handle of the SPP is quite similar in design to that of the AR-15 and is located at the rear of the upper receiver under the rear sight. The rear sight has a fairly wide square notch and is adjustable for windage only, via a screw. The round- post front sight is adjustable for elevation and is only adjustable after breaking down the gun. The top of the upper receiver can have a molded rail that allows the mounting of a variety of optical sights. With the rebirth of the TMP as the MP9, an upper receiver with a tri-rail is a new option. However, the pistol’s open sights are quite adequate for most of the uses that this gun is bound to encounter. The trigger mechanism has great safety and simplicity though it has a long trigger pull. The reason for the long trigger pull is that the TMP has a two-stage trigger with the fi rst stage being semi-auto and the second stage being full-auto. There is no select fi re switch to set. The TMP inherited its fi re selection system from the Steyr AUG. The SPP, being the semi-auto version of the TMP, Steyr just changed the trigger setup so that it would only have a single semiautomatic stage. That is why the trigger pull is long on the SPP. Its mostly straight-back travel was somewhat long and spongy, but the let-off pressure was quite consistent, breaking at approx- imately 9.5 lbs. This trigger incorporates an automatic safety that prevents the hammer from falling unless the trigger is actually pulled and thus acts as a drop safety. There is also a manually activated crossbolt trigger safety, with appropriate red and white markings. Take-down for routine cleaning and maintenance is extremely simple with the SPP. Like the Glock, it has a front release that is pulled down to disengage the fi ring pin. With a push of the rear pin and front shroud release, the pistol comes apart eas- ily. The box magazines for the SPP are made of the same extremely tough plastic ma- terial as that used in the AUG assault rifl e and can be easily disassembled for clean- ing. The SPP comes with one 15-round magazine, but 30-round magazines are also available at extra cost. The SPP can handle just about any facto-

92 The Small Arms Review • Vol. 10 No. 6 • March 2007 Visit SAR on line at: www.smallarmsreview.com ry 9mm ammo without problems. In fi ring several hundred rounds of various brands and types of ammunition, the SPP did not have one single stoppage. It has amazing reliability and delivers more than suffi cient accuracy to get the job done. The Steyr SPP is a well made high-tech defensive pistol that can be used in a variety of legitimate civilian applications.

Above: Steyr SPP fi eld stripped. Left: Steyr SPP 30-round magazine

Steyr SPP Technical Data

Caliber: 9x19mm Sights: Open notch type Barrel length: 130mm (5.1 in.) Overall length: 322mm (12.6 in.) Width: 45mm (1.75 in.) Empty weight: 1,190g (2.6 lbs.) Magazine capacity: 15- or 30-rounds

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