The Snapshot is a personal defence weapon created by Luca Pavone for the ISC Phoenix and Phoenix Service Group after getting sick of using the modified Zen Arms 10mm Submachine Pistols. The weapon is intended to be used by PSG staff who are operating in areas where they are not expected to be seeing direct action, but still need a punch in their hands.

Luca got sick of modifying Zen Arms 10mm Submachine Pistols for their less than useful features, such as the habit they had of experiencing a full auto magazine discharge if the magazine was thumped, the propensity for ejected rounds to hit the user's arm when firing from the hip, and the negative connotations surrounding the weapon's history as being utilised by the Nepleslian Reds. He decided instead of retrofitting proper stocks and user-friendly features onto existing guns to create new weapons out of them, an entirely a new weapon should be made from scratch.

Another design consideration he had to make was how concealable the weapon was, which was a feather in the Zen Arms SMG's cap. Luca took some cues from the Styrling Dart, Styrling Ripshot, and Zen Arms .357 submachine guns to see what they did right after doing a few drafts of his own. However, his choice of cartridge, the 10 x 25 mm Ketsurui Zaibatsu limited how small he could make the weapon and keep it reliably controllable. He struck a balance when he designed a T-shaped gun with the magazine located in the handgrip, and a folding stock which doubled as an inline foregrip. He also had to do something with all those 25 round 10mm magazines he had lying around.

To keep the costs of production down, he designed the external frame and some of the components to be made using stamped metal instead of the usual high-end 3D printing from Allison Kelly. In addition, he curtailed the rate of fire to a respectable 700 to 800 rounds per minute for easier control in full automatic fire. Amusingly, he also had to make the in-built folding stock long and articulate enough to reliably clear a 25 round magazine in under two seconds. Unfortunately, longer magazines must have the stock unfolded at the start, or resting against the back of the magazine.

He was unable to reverse engineer the Zen Arms 10mm Submachine Pistol's action because of how it was positioned and because it made absolutely no sense¹⁾, even when stripped bare, laid out, and reverse-engineered into a CAD program. Instead, he opted to design a closed-bolt system in the middle of the weapon derived from NAM designs, with the cocking lever/bolt resting on top of the gun. Chosen primarily for reliability over an open-bolt system, he wanted to keep the cost of manufacturing reasonable, and the weapon reliable for the people who'd be protecting his interests.

• Designer: Luca Pavone, Allison Kelly
• Manufacturer: Phoenix Service Group
• Name: PSG Snapshot
• Nomenclature: PSG-W2-38
• Type: Machine Pistol, Personal Defence Weapon
• Role: Defensive
• Length: 390mm, 600mm with stock unfolded, and add 150mm for suppressor attachment
• Mass: 2.6 kg (5.7 lb)

The Snapshot PDW with stock closed, stock open. Both are using a 25 round magazine and default flash hider. A Snapshot PDW with suppressor, reflex sight, and insignia.

The Snapshot has an unusual profile compared to its contemporaries, using a distinct, front-heavy T-shape. The receiver and body of the weapon is boxy and simplistic, owing to its quick construction and no-frills approach. The silhouette aside, the other noticeable trait of the gun is the straight magazine loading into the handgrip, along with the folding stock. Trained shooters noticed that it was easier to reload something quickly when it was right under your gun hand.

The folding stock is able to flip one hundred and sixty five degrees, just under a 25 round box magazine, and with an adjustment of the foregrip; create a shoulder stock for more accurate fire. In addition, the foregrip/stock can be folded forward without the stock extended to create another handgrip for close combat. The fire selector is on an ambidextrous lever on the handgrip. White dot means Safe, one red dot means semi automatic, and two red dots signifies full automatic. The magazine release button is near the bottom and the back of the handgrip.

Looking down the open sights, the user aims through a pair of parallel trapezoids, and at another trapezoid in the negative space of the forward sight, framed by the bolt. The bolt has a prominent box-shaped divot cut out of it to clear the view for the user and act as a mid-sight since its just as tall as the front sight. The rear sight, meanwhile, has screw holes for an optic or laser pointing device. Of note, the belt loops for the front of the weapon are attached to the the pieces of metal that frame the trapezoidal front sight. They are very difficult to bend out of shape, thankfully.

Inside, the closed-bolt system wraps around the barrel. The barrel is usually seen with a flash hider and heat shield. Exposed, the barrel is revealed to be threaded, and able to accept a variety of different accessories, ranging from elongated shrouds, to compensators, and suppressors.

• Muzzle Flash: The muzzle flash is in the shape of a six pointed star thanks to the flash hider usually attached to the end of the barrel.
• Retort: Onomatopeia: PKRAK! for semi-auto, and PAKKAPAKKAPAKKA! for full auto.
• Effective Range 55 metres.
• Rate of Fire: Semi-Automatic, or 750~ RPM Full Auto
• Recoil: Can be fired with one hand on semi-auto, but for full auto fire or bursts and better accuracy, using both hands is recommended.

• Ammunition 10 x 25 mm Ketsurui Zaibatsu
• Round Capacity: 25, or 32 round box magazines

Damage ratings:

• DRv2 Personnel 2
• DRv3 Tier 1

• Firing Mechanism: Wrap-around closed bolt, blowback action.
• Loading: To reload the weapon, the user presses the mag release button near the bottom of the handgrip to remove the magazine, and slides another inside. To chamber a round, the user pulls the bolt on the top of the weapon back until it clicks, and forward. In addition, if ammo is still present during a reload, a round loaded will still be there after swapping mags, giving the user one extra bullet in the chamber.
• Mode Selector: There's an ambidextrous mode selector just behind the trigger on the grip. Goes from Safe, to Semi, to Full.
• Safety Mechanism: When safety is engaged, the movement of the bolt is restricted. There is also an interceptor notch in the bolt, which catches if the bolt is released during cocking, but prior to being caught by the sear.
• Weapon Sight: Open sights. Since the bolt is in the way of the sights, the bolt has space to keep the view of the front sight clear.
• Attachment Hard Points: Rear open sight allows users to bolt an optic or laser pointer to them.

• Snapshot PDW: 200 KS, includes two 25 round magazines.

• Receiver - (50 KS)
• Bolt - (20 KS)
• Barrel (threaded) - (40 KS)
• Recoil Spring - (10 KS)
• Folding Stock - (20 KS)
• Trigger Assembly - (20 KS)
• Flash Hider - (10 KS)

• Custom Flash Hider - (15 KS)
• Reflex Sight - (50 KS)
• Laser Pointer - (40 KS)
• Suppressor - (40 KS)
• Long Stock - (20 KS)
• .45 Zen Armaments Conversion Kit - (150 KS)

Luca created this article on 2015/12/27 03:21.

Totally not a BXP, and in general we need more T-shapes.