U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)-The Magpul FMG-9 is a prototype gun that was produced by Magpul in 2008. The FMG-9 is essentially a submachine gun built around a Glock slide. So it’s got almost all the same characteristics as a Glock 17, in terms of grip size and length, barrel length, and magazine compatibility. However, it has a folding stock and a minimal foregrip to improve the performance of the firearm, overall.
Although some FMG-9 models were produced, there aren’t a ton of them on the market. However, the FMG-9 was picked up by video game developers and airsoft companies. This gun shows up in tons of FPS games. And there are a ton of airsoft replicas of the FMG-9. Clearly, it’s a very interesting gun. But what exactly is the FMG-9? And why is it so popular in first-person shooter games and airsoft?
Let’s talk about that.
The Folding Machine Gun (FMG)
Folding machine guns have been a specialized tool for organizations like the U.S. Secret Service and CIA for a long time. Folding machine guns are one way for plainclothes agents to hide a good bit of firepower in non-permissive environments. The Magpul FMG-9 is Magpul’s offering to those organizations that have a need to hide a machine gun.
FMG-9 supposedly stands for “Folding Machine Gun.” The 9 designates the 9mm chambering. The FMG-9 has been called a “Glock in a box” on gun forums around the internet. That’s because it’s a folding Magpul frame, with a Glock slide. The barrel is proprietary. And the slide is entirely encased. The enclosure for the slide makes the
FMG-9 look less like a gun when it’s folded up and provides a mount for a detachable light. When the FMG-9 is folded up, it looks almost like a portable survival radio, one of those neat ones with an attached flashlight. Some say it looks like a laptop battery. But that seems like a stretch. As you may have guessed, it takes Glock magazines.
When the FMG-9 is unfolded, it’s about the size of an MP5-K with a stock. The stock is pretty basic since it’s designed to fold up into a tidy little box. But it’s more stable than a pistol. Most civilians don’t really need a folding machine gun. They’re a very specialized piece of gear for professionals who need to carry and conceal more firepower than you get from a standard handgun. However, folding machine guns are cool. So it’s no wonder the FMG-9 was adopted into first-person shooter games and replicated as a Magpul FMG-9 airsoft gun.
But how does it perform?
How much damage can the Magpul FMG-9 do?
There are two answers to this question: true performance and fictional performance. In real life, the FMG-9 is essentially just a pistol with extra furniture. The barrel length (4.49 inches) and cartridge are the same as a full-size Glock pistol. So the FMG-9 carries the same power as a 9mm handgun. It has a stock, which makes it easier to get more precision with the FMG-9 than a bare handgun.
But that’s not because the FMG-9 has more organic precision than a handgun. It’s just easier for you, the shooter, to shoot more precisely with a gun shouldered than it is holding a gun in your hands out in front of your face. Additionally, you can throw a 30 round Glock magazine in the FMG-9. You’d have to put the mag in after unfolding the gun. But you’d still have 30 rounds. So the FMG-9 can carry all the characteristics of a submachine gun, minus the longer barrel.
The FMG-9 is essentially just a handgun with furniture that gives you a more stable shooting platform that’s easier to use with 30 round magazines. Then there’s the fictional performance. Video game performance is certainly not representative of how guns perform in real life. However, most first-person shooters and airsoft guns assume the FMG-9 uses a Glock 18 slide, which means fully-automatic operation. And that’s the main benefit of the FMG-9 in FPS games and airsoft wars.
In most games, the FMG-9 does pretty much the same damage as a 9mm handgun (which is congruent with real life). But it fires insanely fast. So it’s more efficient than a pistol. But not quite as good as a rifle.
The high rate of fire is super handy if you’re not great at getting precision with a mouse or controller, though. The Magpul FMG-9 can be a good noob cannon if you need one.
For airsoft, the FMG-9 is the same as any full-auto airsoft pistol. It’s just got a stock. So you get more stability than you get from a pistol. Also, 30 round magazines are pretty much standard in video games. And airsoft magazines hold tons of rounds.
Reloading is a different mechanic in first-person shooter games and airsoft wars than it is in real life. But reloading less often is just as good in fiction as it is in real life. So those extra rounds do you a lot of good in FPS games and airsoft battles.
Is the FMG-9 as cool as it looks in games?
The topic of how much damage the Magpul FMG-9 does is more interesting in movies, video games, and airsoft than it is in real life.
It’s definitely a cool gun. But it’s a shame that there are so few of them in the world. Also, if you do get your hands on one, it’s likely not going to be full-auto, since full-auto guns aren’t available for civilians.
But, it’s still a cool, foldable semi-auto gun, that’s essentially a pistol caliber carbine. And it’s a fun gun in games and airsoft. Unfortunately, even if you do get your hands on a Magpul FMG-9, it’s probably not going to be as cool as the ones you’ve seen in video games and movies. It’s still cool, though.
Jay Chambers is a pro free speech business owner based in Austin, Texas. Having lived through several natural disasters and more than a few man-made ones (hello 2008), he believes that resilience and self-sufficiency are essential in this increasingly unpredictable world. That’s why he started a business! Jay writes over at Minute Man Review.