Interdynamic KG-9 / Intratec TEC-9 - Internet Movie Firearms Database (2024)

Specifications

(1981-1982 (KG-9), 1982-1984 (KG-99), 1984-1994 (TEC-9), 1990-1994 (TEC-DC9), 1994-2001 (AB-10))

Type: Pistol (KG-99, TEC-9, DC-9, AB-10) , Machine Pistol / submachine gun (MP-9)

Caliber: 9x19mm

Capacity: 10, 20, 32, 36, 50-round box magazines, 72-round drum magazine

Fire Modes: Safe/Semi (KG-9, KG-99, TEC-9, DC-9, AB-10), Safe/Semi/Full-Auto 1000 RPM (MP-9 with collapsible stock), Safe/Full-Auto 1000 RPM (MP-9 with no stock)

Interdynamic MP-9/KG-9

Interdynamic AB of Sweden first tried to sell their 9x19mm submachine gun design to military buyers. Their design didn't generate much interest amongst the military clients of the world, so they brought their design to the U.S. and it went to market as the open bolt semi-automatic KG-9 pistol, which was bought in large numbers by criminals and often converted to full-auto. Production of the KG-9 only lasted about a year with around 2,500 guns produced in total.

The KG stands for the two founders of Interdynamic USA, Swedish designer George Kellgren (who later ran Grendel, Inc. before founding Kel-Tec) and Cuban-American designer Carlos Garcia.

As the 1980s progressed, shows like Miami Vice popularized the KG-9/TEC-9. The fully automatic guns in that show were KG-99s legally converted to full auto by Title II manufacturers.

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Interdynamic KG-99

In 1982, after less than a year of production, the ATF classified the KG-9 as a Title II "machine gun" on the basis that its open-bolt design made it "readily convertible" to fully-automatic fire. This forced Interdynamic to redesign the KG-9 into a closed bolt system, birthing the KG-99. This was a somewhat welcome change anyway, as the one-pound bolt slamming forward on firing greatly compromised the accuracy of the open-bolt variants.

Television

Intratec TEC-9

In 1984, Interdynamic USA's co-founder, George Kellgren, sold his share of the company to the other founder Carlos Garcia, who renamed the company to Intratec. The KG-99 was rebranded as the TEC-9. The TEC-9 is more or less identical to the KG-99, except for a few differences in the sights and recoil buffer. The sights had their design and placement changed, while the internal recoil buffer was replaced with a threaded metal end cap after reports of shooters destroying their weapons by firing overpressure ammunition out of them. The TEC-9 was a favored firearm during that time by gangs, especially the Cuban and Jamaican posses in Florida, due to its intimidating appearance and similarity to the fully automatic MP-9 machine pistol. It also became a frequently-mentioned weapon in hip-hop culture starting in the early-1990s, with at least one rapper taking the stage name "Tech N9ne."

Earlier 1984 to mid-1987 TEC-9s have a "button" front sight, while later TEC-9s from mid-1987 to 1994 have a stamped, spot-welded front sight (like the example pictured on the right). This redesign was a result of Intratec's 1987 bankruptcy after spending huge amounts of money to defend against a lawsuit backed by anti-gun groups, and is indicative of a drastically inferior firearm due to quality control cutbacks; this model is where the TEC-9 got its reputation as a piece of junk.

In addition to the black and satin nickel versions of the full sized TEC-9, there are several 'mini' variations of the gun, missing the barrel shroud / heat shield and sporting a slightly shorter barrel. These are known as the TEC-9 Minis. The TEC-9 series of pistols was built from 1984-1994. This is the most common version of the gun to appear in movies.

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Intratec TEC-DC9

The TEC-DC9 pistol first appeared in 1990. It was a slight redesign of the original TEC-9 pistol. The TEC-DC9 was the first "assault pistol" designed to comply with a legislative ban after the TEC-9 was specifically named in the California state gun ban. Intratec had been manufacturing the TEC-9 for years, but after the 1989 schoolyard shooting in Stockton and the subsequent Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, which banned a number of "named guns", Intratec complied with the law more or less just by renaming the gun. Thus the "DC" nomenclature meant "Designed for California" because the DC9 was able to be sold in California.

The most noticeable external difference between the original TEC-9 and the TEC-DC9 is the sling mount was changed from a D-shaped projection on the left side of the barrel shroud, to a removable stamped metal clip on the back of the gun. Since the TEC-9 and the DC9 can swap parts, sometimes live-action works will feature DC9 barreled upper receivers mated to TEC-9 lower receivers. This is typically the case for full-auto weapons that appear to be DC9s in films. The TEC-DC9 series of pistols was built from 1990-1994.

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Intratec AB-10

In the wake of the Federal Assault Weapon Ban of 1994 (part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and often referred to as the "Clinton Ban"), Intratec had to further alter their guns. This time there was not only a name ban on previous TEC-9 variants (this time nationwide), but also a list of banned features any two of which would render a semi-automatic firearm with a detachable magazine an illegal "assault weapon." The TEC series had two of the "bad" features, namely a threaded barrel and a barrel shroud. Despite much hyperbole, no one could truly explain how these cosmetic features made a firearm either more or less dangerous. Intratec duly removed the barrel shroud and threaded barrel, dubbing the new variant AB-10 ("After Ban"). Due to the magazine capacity limit imposed by the same law, AB-10s were only sold with 10-round magazines, though they were compatible with "grandfathered" pre-ban magazines of higher capacity.

Redesigning and renaming the TEC-9 series didn't help Intratec much. In 1999 media sources claimed the killers at Columbine used the "post ban" AB-10 (sometimes also misidentifying the weapon used as a TEC-DC9). According to the Jefferson County Sheriff Department, the pistol was actually a pre-ban TEC-9 Mini, a gun that had already ceased to be manufactured by Intratec. Despite reports in the press, the TEC-9 Mini and the Hi-Point 9mm Carbine were supplied by private parties and not gun dealers and thus would not have been affected by any of the proposed gun control laws.

Intratec's last model of this series of firearm fully complied with all legislative restrictions, but it was still vilified primarily due to misinformation by the media and law enforcement, and Intratec's reputation took another hit. Intratec was approaching its second bankruptcy by the end of 2000 and the company voluntarily dissolved in 2001.

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See Also

• Kimel AP-9