PDW's

[AJ]

I see all this hubub about PDW's. How many actually own one of these? To me a PDW is whatever firearm is within reach when and if I need one.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I have a 3lb rock within reach at all times.

 

[Rock185]

Looks like some shooters just love the PDW concept. To me, these PDWs appear to be SMG wannabes. I agree with AJ.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Let's agree to disagree. I have a SIG MPX (9mm) that is an outstanding and compact SD firearm for home or vehicle.. I also built a .300 BLK pistol (also 8" bbl) with Silencerco Omega 300 suppressor. Too each their own!

 

[rockquarry]

I've never seen the acronym "PDW". Something new?

 

[AJ]

PDW = Personal Defense Weapon. I guess it is a new term.

 

[Alpo]

I don't know how new it is. H&K's semi-automatic stockless version of an MP5 - H&K 94 PDW - was around before I retired in 2006. I don't know when they came up with that term, but it's been in use for at least 20 years.

 

[pharmer]

PDW = Personal Defense Weapon. I guess it is a new term.

I think H&K (when they were in Chantilly) marketed the MP5K w/ side folding stock as a PDW back in the 1980's IIRC. Long time ago. Joe

 

[gwpercle]

A Personal Defense Weapon can be anything ...
you could call my walking cane a PDW because I can beat heck out of someone with it ... actually it makes a Dandy PDW ... DPDW ... just stuff to talk about I guess !
Gary

 

[rockquarry]

Thank you all for the interpretation - I stay way behind on the acronyms, but I'm not sure I'm missing much. In this case, it appears to be just another gun...

 

[BB57]

PDW = Personal Defense Weapon. I guess it is a new term.

As a civilian / commercial term it goes back to at least 2004 and the marketing of ACS HEZI SM-1.

As a military term it goes back a lot farther and the M-1 carbine was functionally a "PDW" given how it was issued and employed.

The Israelis required there personnel to carry a persona defense weapon and as such it applied to reasonably small and portable weapons like the Uzi, MP5, Colt 9mm carbines and the shorter M16 variants like the XM-177.

Today, militarily speaking a "modern" PDW is by definition a "compact automatic weapon that can defeat enemy body armor, can be used conveniently by non-combatant and support troops and as a close quarters battle weapon for special operations and counter-terrorist organizations." In effect as body armor has become much more prevalent they modified the term to address the need to defeat at least soft body armor.

That revision in the 1980s was the basis for the 7.7x28mm round and weapons like the FN P90, among other developments.

But in an armed citizen, home defense context where body armor is not normally a factor the old defintion still works just fine.

So...no. It's not a new term at all. Even for civilian marketing purposes it still over 20 years old.

And its a lot smarter to be using a term like "personal defense weapon" than it is to use "assault rifle", "military style rifle", "military grade rifle" or "mil-spec rifle".

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As a home dense concept an AP5 or similar firearm makes a great deal of sense. An AP5 SBR for example is short, handles well, is very reliable, is easy to suppress, and looks intimidating to a potential home invader.

It's also in line with the PDW concept in that its easy to use an easy to shoot accurately by persons with limited training.

I'm not really seeing a downside.

 

[Grayfox]

I have an Extar EP-9 which I guess qualifies as a PDW. Straight blowback 9MM. Light, easy to handle, quite accurate and inexpensive.
Honestly, I consider it more of a range toy. Fun to play with, but in a real situation I'd likely grab something else.

 

[murphydog]

It's a useful tool and has more practical accuracy than a pistol, but to my thinking - too big to carry and not much more powerful than a handgun in the same chambering. Where do I buy one?