Colt 9mm SMG
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 267 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1982
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Colt 9mm SMG (officially Model 635) is an American 9x19mm submachine gun built on the AR-15/M16 platform, developed by Colt's Manufacturing in the early 1980s. By adapting the M16 receiver to a closed-bolt blowback action and accepting a magazine well block to use Uzi-pattern 20- or 32-round magazines, Colt produced a compact PDW-class weapon that retained M16 manual-of-arms familiarity for crews and law enforcement already trained on the platform. It became one of the most widely adopted submachine guns in U.S. federal law enforcement and saw service with USMC personal security details, the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, and several foreign militaries.
The Colt 9mm SMG owes its existence to a U.S. Department of Energy requirement in the early 1980s for a controllable submachine gun for nuclear materials couriers, who already trained extensively on the M16; rather than learning a wholly new platform like the H&K MP5, Colt's solution preserved muscle memory by simply rechambering the M16 receiver to fire 9mm Parabellum from the bolt face.
The standard Model 635 fires from a closed bolt at approximately 900 rounds/min with full-auto capability; the Model 639 substitutes a three-round burst, and the Model 633 is a 7-inch barrel compact issued to DEA. Hydraulic buffer kits reduce cyclic rate to 650-850 rpm.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1982
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 267 mm
- Overall length
- 730 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 396 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 583 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 900 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.
Select fire
Ar15 pattern
Telescoping stock
Uzi pattern magazines- Magazine well block adapter
Iron sights
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 | 2.60 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 730 mm | 723 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 267 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Colt 9mm SMG
How much does the Colt 9mm SMG weigh?
The Colt 9mm SMG weighs 2.60 kg (5.73 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Colt 9mm SMG?
The Colt 9mm SMG is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Colt 9mm SMG hold?
The Colt 9mm SMG holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Colt 9mm SMG?
The Colt 9mm SMG is 730 mm (28.7 in) long overall, with a 267 mm (10.51 in) barrel.
Who makes the Colt 9mm SMG?
The Colt 9mm SMG is made by Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC (United States). It was designed by Henry Tatro.
When was the Colt 9mm SMG introduced?
The Colt 9mm SMG was introduced in 1982.
How does the Colt 9mm SMG operate?
The Colt 9mm SMG uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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 Marine Corps
- United States
- United States Marshals Service
- United States
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- United States
- Diplomatic Security Service
- United States
- Argentine Army
- Argentina
Provenance
Confidence in this record
84%
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/colt-9mm-smg' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "colt-9mm-smg", "name": "Colt 9mm SMG", "manufacturer": { "id": "colt", "name": "Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1855, "website": "https://www.colt.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "American firearms manufacturer headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1855 and now a subsidiary of Colt CZ Group, continuing production of iconic firearms including the 1911 pistol.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "7143c7ff3f7e156063a240f2df7b4746ee1c0394d7cd5f592d05bac43233d637" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1982, "barrel_length_mm": 267, "weight_empty_g": 2600, "action_type": "blowback"}