A PDW or personal defense weapon is a compact firearm, smaller than an assault rifle or a full size submachine gun, but more powerful and flexible than a normal pistol. Some firearms A firearm is a kinetic energy mechanical device that fires either single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... M16A2 (US). ... MP5KA4 9 x 19 mm with 3-round burst trigger group A submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the ammunition of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size. ... For the coin, see pistole For the part of a flower, see pistil. ...

PDWs were developed during the late 1980s for non-combat troops, as compact automatic weapons that could defeat enemy body armor. Standard pistols and SMGs chambered for pistol rounds proved ineffective against armored soldiers, and compact lightweight weapons capable of penetrating body armour were needed. Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... A bullet-resistant vest (body armour or body armor (U.S.)) - is an article of protective clothing that works as a form of armour to minimize injury from projectiles fired from handguns, shotguns and rifles . ...

Typical PDWs use small caliber, high velocity bullets cabable of penetrating soft kevlar body armour up to NIS Level IIIa. The wound characteristics of light high velocity bullet are the object of some debate. Jump to: navigation, search Kevlar, also known as Twaron and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, is a synthetic fibre that is five times stronger than steel, weight for weight. ...

The M1 Carbine used in the Second World War can be considered a primary forerunner of modern personal defence weapons. It filled a similar role - it was intended not for front-line troops, but for other troops such as drivers to defend themselves in an emergency. Jump to: navigation, search The M1 Carbine (more formally the United States Carbine, Caliber . ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Modern PDWs

• HK MP5K PDW by Heckler & Koch.
• HK MP7 by Heckler & Koch.
• FN P90 by Fabrique Nationale.
• PDW 17 Libra.
• Saab Bofors Dynamics CBJ-MS.
• A compact G11 variant (G11-PDW) by Heckler & Koch.

The MP5K (Maschinenpistole 5 Kurz, German for machine pistol 5 short) is a submachine gun manufactured by the world-renowed German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K or HK), introduced in 1976. ... Heckler & Koch Logo Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. ... Caliber: 4. ... Caliber: 5. ... Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN, is a well-known firearm manufacturer that originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ... HK G11 assault rifle, one of the earlier models. ...

See also

• List of submachine guns

An inclusive list of submachine guns. ...

References

• www.personaldefenceweapons.com