Minebea PM-9
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 120 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.80 kg
- Introduced
- 1999
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Minebea PM-9, designated the 9mm Machine Pistol in Japan Self-Defense Forces service, is a Japanese blowback-operated, open-bolt submachine gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. Drawing on the layout of the IMI Mini-Uzi with a telescoping bolt and a forward grip ahead of the trigger group for control, it fires at a very high cyclic rate of around 1,100 rounds per minute from a 25-round magazine. Adopted in 1999, it equips support troops such as vehicle crews and artillery personnel, replacing the American M3 'Grease Gun' in JSDF service.
Japan's first domestically designed submachine gun since World War II, the PM-9 borrows heavily from the Israeli Mini-Uzi yet adds a forward foregrip in an attempt to tame its blistering 1,100-rpm rate of fire.
Known officially in the JSDF as the 9mm Machine Pistol (sometimes rendered 'M9'). Its high cyclic rate and compact, stockless form make it difficult to control in automatic fire, a frequent criticism of the design.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Minebea Co., Ltd.
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Japan
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1999
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 120 mm
- Overall length
- 399 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 25
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 1100 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.
- Machine pistol form factor
Forward grip
Telescoping bolt
Iron sights
Optional reflex sight
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 | 2.80 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 399 mm | 723 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 120 mm | 213 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 25 | 32 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Minebea PM-9
How much does the Minebea PM-9 weigh?
The Minebea PM-9 weighs 2.80 kg (6.17 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Minebea PM-9?
The Minebea PM-9 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Minebea PM-9 hold?
The Minebea PM-9 holds 25 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Minebea PM-9?
The Minebea PM-9 is 399 mm (15.7 in) long overall, with a 120 mm (4.72 in) barrel.
Who makes the Minebea PM-9?
The Minebea PM-9 is made by Minebea Co., Ltd. (Japan).
When was the Minebea PM-9 introduced?
The Minebea PM-9 was introduced in 1999.
How does the Minebea PM-9 operate?
The Minebea PM-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
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
- 1999
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
- Japan
Provenance
Confidence in this record
66%
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/minebea-pm-9' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "minebea-pm-9", "name": "Minebea PM-9", "manufacturer": { "id": "minebea", "name": "Minebea Co., Ltd.", "countryCode": "JP", "foundedYear": 1951, "website": "https://www.minebeamitsumi.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "updatedAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "version": "762f7333cad67775fd2717657fbee28eeb49b3cfdb66f781fc68fbb56bcfecf9" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "JP", "year_introduced": 1999, "barrel_length_mm": 120, "weight_empty_g": 2800, "action_type": "blowback"}