Ingram MAC-10

Lore & Background

The MAC-10 was designed by Gordon Ingram in 1964. It is built predominantly from steel stampings and features a telescoping bolt, a notched cocking handle that can lock the bolt, and a built-in feed ramp as part of the trigger guard. The magazine design was recycled from the M3 Grease Gun. The barrel is threaded to accept a suppressor. The original rate of fire for the .45 ACP model is approximately 1090 rounds per minute; for the 9mm model, approximately 1250 rounds per minute. In the 1970s, International Association of Police Chiefs weapons researcher David Steele described the MAC series as "fit only for combat in a phone booth."

In Their Own Story

Rain sluiced down the fire escape as Max pressed his back against the brick wall, the MAC-10's cold, ribbed grip slick in his palm. Three Punchinello thugs burst from the doorway, their shadows stretching long under the flickering streetlamp. Max didn't think—he just squeezed. The gun roared to life, a deafening, percussive stutter that tore the night apart. Brass casings spun and clinked across the wet asphalt like a frantic drummer's solo. One goon went down clutching his chest; another spun into a pile of trash bags. The third tried to raise his shotgun, but the MAC-10's stream of fire caught him mid-step, stitching a red line across his torso. The slide locked back on an empty chamber, smoke curling from the barrel like a dying breath. Max ejected the mag, the scattered casings gleaming like fallen coins in the gutter.

Reader's Guide

The MAC-10 fires from an open bolt. The light weight of the bolt results in a rapid rate of fire. A two-stage suppressor by Sionics was designed for the MAC-10, which abates noise and makes it easier to control on full automatic, though it makes the gun far less compact and concealable. The suppressor also acts as a foregrip to inhibit muzzle rise. A heat-resistant Nomex cover can be fitted over the suppressor. The civilian semi-automatic pistol version was affected by the U.S. Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004; it weighed approximately 2.84 kilograms and featured a threaded barrel and magazines with capacities of up to 32 rounds.

Did You Know?

• The MAC-10's suppressor was designed by Mitchell WerBell III of Sionics and uses a two-stage design with a distinctive stepped profile.
• Standard .45 ACP ammunition is subsonic and commonly used with the suppressor, making it well-suited for suppressed use.
• The original Sionics suppressor measures approximately 29.1 cm in length, 5.4 cm in diameter, and weighs about 0.54 kg.
• Military Armament Corporation never used the "MAC-10" nomenclature in its catalogues or sales literature, but it is frequently used by dealers, gun writers, and collectors.