P90

Ammunition: 5.7 x 28 mm armor-piercing cartridge
Capacity: 50 rounds
Price: $3000

The P90 is a compact submachine gun developed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN Herstal). It has an unusual bullpup configuration resulting in a short external barrel and a 50-round magazine that sits on top of the weapon, parallel to the barrel.

The P90 entered service in 1994. It is a selective fire, straight blowback-operated firearm with semi-automatic and fully automatic firing modes. It is fully ambidextrous, with an ambidextrous fire selector and charging handle, and downward ejection of spent cases. The P90 is built in a unique bullpup configuration that places the 50-round translucent magazine above the firearm, parallel to the barrel (with the rounds perpendicular to the barrel). A circular ramp at the bottom of the magazine aligns each round to the barrel.

This design makes the firearm compact and maneuverable; the translucent magazine makes it easy to quickly check the number of rounds left. The P90 is constructed largely out of weight-saving polymers, including the hammer and related components, which resemble the ones found in the Steyr AUG. The breechblock is part of the “moving parts group,” which contains twin guide rods, rate of fire stabilizer, recoil buffer, firing pin, and AR-15-style extractor and ejector.