Cobray M11/9
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 129 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.59 kg
- Introduced
- 1983
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Cobray M11/9 (also marketed as the SWD M-11/NINE) is a compact, blowback-operated submachine gun produced in the United States by S.W.D. Inc. of the Cobray Company. A development of the Ingram MAC-11, the original of which was chambered in .380 ACP, the M11/9 enlarges the receiver and frame to chamber the more powerful 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge while keeping the gun extremely small and concealable. The select-fire version fires from an open bolt at a very high cyclic rate of around 1,200 rounds per minute and feeds from a 32-round Zytel polymer box magazine. Like the MAC family, it features a telescoping wrap-around bolt, a threaded muzzle for suppressors, and a collapsing wire stock.
Descended from Gordon Ingram's MAC-11, the M11/9 became an icon of cheap, compact full-auto firepower in 1980s and 1990s American gun culture and crime media. Its blistering ~1,200 rpm cyclic rate could empty a 32-round magazine in well under two seconds, earning the platform a 'spray and pray' reputation. Frequently sold as an inexpensive home-build kit and a favorite of the 'plinking' subculture, it is widely regarded as more fun than practical, with poor inherent accuracy and rapid ammunition consumption.
Two principal U.S. market forms exist: a select-fire, open-bolt submachine gun (registered as a transferable machine gun before the 1986 cutoff) and a semi-automatic, closed-bolt civilian 'pistol' variant sold in much larger numbers. The extremely high rate of fire and minimal sight radius make the M11/9 notoriously difficult to control, contributing to its 'spray and pray' reputation. Many examples were paired with aftermarket suppressors via the threaded barrel.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- S.W.D. Inc. (Cobray Company)
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1983 to 1994
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 129 mm
- Overall length
- 248 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.59 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 300 m/s
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Rate of fire
- 1200 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Threaded barrel
Collapsing wire stock
Swiveling nylon foregrip
Fixed iron sights
Extended receiver
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 1.59 kg | 3.18 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 248 mm | 723 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 129 mm | 213 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Cobray M11/9
How much does the Cobray M11/9 weigh?
The Cobray M11/9 weighs 1.59 kg (3.51 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Cobray M11/9?
The Cobray M11/9 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Cobray M11/9 hold?
The Cobray M11/9 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Cobray M11/9?
The Cobray M11/9 is 248 mm (9.76 in) long overall, with a 129 mm (5.08 in) barrel.
Who makes the Cobray M11/9?
The Cobray M11/9 is made by S.W.D. Inc. (Cobray Company) (United States). It was designed by Gordon Ingram.
When was the Cobray M11/9 introduced?
The Cobray M11/9 was introduced in 1983 and discontinued in 1994.
How does the Cobray M11/9 operate?
The Cobray M11/9 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Civilian Market
- 1983
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/cobray-m11' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "cobray-m11", "name": "Cobray M11/9", "manufacturer": { "id": "cobray", "name": "S.W.D. Inc. (Cobray Company)", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1983, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "55235e12435c13906598e6796c5f8354f69210ad1eda8895dafe02f52ee4d0f8" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1983, "barrel_length_mm": 129, "weight_empty_g": 1590, "action_type": "blowback"}