Milkor BXP

Lore & Background

The BXP was developed by Andries Piek, who had previously adapted the LDP for semi-automatic use and redesigned the Kommando's folding stock. After reviewing both designs, he thought he could create a simpler and better version. The first prototype was completed in 1978 using standard Uzi magazines and a fixed wooden stock. The second prototype in 1980 still used the Uzi magazine but had the upper hinged to the front of the lower. The final prototype, the Advanced Development Model (ADM), was completed in 1982, fully ambidextrous, replacing the Uzi box magazine with the trapezoidal magazine from the Carl Gustav Model 45 and replacing the Uzi safety lever with a rotating thumb-operated lever.

Commercial production by Milkor began in 1984, initially only the fully automatic model. It was purchased by the South African Police for specialized units, the South African Defence Force for Reconnaissance Commandos, the specialist security element at Jan Smuts International Airport, the Department of Correctional Services, and various municipalities. The semi-automatic version for civilians was designed by Piek and manufactured by Milkor in 1987, with significant design changes including a closed bolt and hammer-fired action, which the police believed could not be converted to full auto.

The weapon has a T-shape similar to the Uzi and MAC-10. The automatic version fires from an open bolt; the semi-automatic version fires from a closed bolt. Both are blowback operated. The bolt wraps around the rear of the barrel when closed. The cocking handle is at the top of the receiver. It has an ambidextrous safety lever and a separate fire-mode selector built into the trigger. The automatic version can fire single-shot by partially pressing the trigger or full-auto by fully pressing it. An interceptor notch catches the bolt if released during cocking prior to activating the sear. The weapon is coated with a rust-resistant coating that doubles as a dry lubricant. It can use various muzzle devices including silencers, heat shields, and rifle grenades, and can fire non-lethal or explosive projectiles using blank cartridges. It features an under-folding buttstock of stamped steel and standard open sights.

Reader's Guide

The Milkor BXP represents a significant chapter in South African firearms development, born from the necessity of an international arms embargo that forced local design and manufacture. It is the culmination of a lineage of hand machine carbines that began with the LDP in Rhodesia and the Kommando in South Africa, and its development was driven by the practical needs of isolated farming communities and law enforcement in a politically turbulent region. The BXP was notable for its evolution through multiple prototypes that refined its ambidextrous controls and magazine system, ultimately adopting the trapezoidal magazine from the Swedish K. Its production history is equally notable, passing through several manufacturers—Milkor, Supreme Technologies, Tressitu, Continental Weapons (which marketed it as the Phoenix), and finally Truvello—each making incremental changes to parts and design. The semi-automatic civilian version, with its closed-bolt hammer-fired action, was specifically designed to prevent conversion to full automatic, allowing civilian ownership. The BXP saw service with South African police, defence force reconnaissance units, airport security, and correctional services, and later with private security companies. Its legacy is that of a locally engineered solution to a specific geopolitical challenge, demonstrating how a small firearms industry can develop under pressure.

Did You Know?

• The name BXP stands for 'Blowback eXperimental Parabellum'.
• The semi-automatic civilian version fires from a closed bolt, while the automatic version fires from an open bolt.
• The BXP was later marketed in the USA as the 'Phoenix'.