Gone is the Caracal CC10 pistol caliber carbine from the UAE-owned company’s website, but in its place is a new, modern-looking submachine gun called the CMP9. This new weapon features integral 1913 rail mounting points on its aircraft-grade aluminum receiver, and a wraparound telescoping bolt system using the blowback principle. From Aftermath Gun Club:

Caracal’s official site no longer lists the CC10 sub-carbine but does show off a new 9mm sub machine gun named the CMP9 SMG. It is listed in three variants with five and a half inch barrel as the “K” model, six on the integrally suppressed (with an additional 6 inches for the suppressor), and nine inches for the standard model.

Note the KeyMod handguard and BCM Gunfighter vertical grip.

The SMG has a look akin to the modern SIG Sauer carbines, which isn’t surprising since Caracal hired Chris Sirois. Chris was the Team Lead of Special Weapons Development at SIG Sauer, then the head of R&D for Caracal International, and is now the Operations Manager for Caracal USA. [TFB note: See edit below]

The Caracal CMP9 is the latest in a line of recent submachine gun developments, which have been brought to market seemingly in defiance of the popularly accepted notion that the type is obsolete in comparison with short barreled 5.56mm carbines. Other developments include the Kalashnikov PP-19-01 “Vityaz”, the APC9, KH9, P26, and GHM9 from B+T, the Grand Power Stribog, the SMG9 from Sino Defense, the CZ Skorpion Evo 3, and the SIG MPX. Even H&K seems to be getting in on the action, as they recently introduced a modernization package for the 1950s-era (but excellent) MP5.

One reason for the resurgence of the submachine gun is several new contracts for “police carbines” from European police forces looking for weapons that use the same ammunition as their service pistols. Another good reason, however, is that the blowback submachine gun is simply easy to design and produce; so it’s a no-brainer for a larger defense company to add a weapon of that type to their catalog.

EDIT: We were contacted by a representative from Caracal who wanted to clarify that Sirois was not involved with the development of the CMP9 submachine gun. Also, they wanted to clarify that the CMP9 is an original design, and not related in any way to the SIG MPX (which makes sense, as the MPX is a locked-breech, tappet gas piston operated weapon).