Interdynamic KG-9 / Intratec TEC-9

Specifications

(1981-1982 (KG-9), 1982-1984 (KG-99), 1984-1994 (TEC-9), 1990-1994 (TEC-DC9), 1994-2001 (AB-10))

Type: Pistol (KG-99, TEC-9, DC-9, AB-10) , Machine Pistol / submachine gun (MP-9)

Caliber: 9x19mm

Capacity: 10, 20, 32, 36, 50-round box magazines, 72-round drum magazine

Fire Modes: Safe/Semi (KG-9, KG-99, TEC-9, DC-9, AB-10), Safe/Semi/Full-Auto 1000 RPM (MP-9 with collapsible stock), Safe/Full-Auto 1000 RPM (MP-9 with no stock)

Interdynamic MP9/KG-9

Interdynamic MP-9 with foregrip and telescoping stock - 9x19mm

Interdynamic AB of Sweden first tried to sell their 9x19mm submachine gun design to military buyers. Their design didn't generate much interest amongst the military clients of the world, so they brought their design to the U.S. and it went to market as the open bolt semi-automatic KG-9 pistol, which was bought in large numbers by criminals and often converted to full-auto. Production of the KG-9 only lasted about a year with around 2,500 guns produced in total.

The KG stands for the two founders of Interdynamic USA, Swedish designer George Kellgren (who later ran Grendel, Inc. before founding Kel-Tec) and Cuban-American designer Carlos Garcia.

As the 1980s progressed, shows like Miami Vice popularized the KG-9/TEC-9. The fully automatic guns in that show were KG-99s legally converted to full auto by Title II manufacturers.

Television

Show Title	Actor	Character	Note / Episode	Date
Miami Vice		Drug dealers and gang members		1984-1989
Burn Notice	Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones	Felix Cole	MP9, "Hot Spot" (S2E11)	2008
My Name is Earl	Faizon Love	Reverend Green	replica, "Gospel" (S4E24)	2009

Video Game

Game Title	Appears as	Note	Release Date
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades	"Super Illegal Tec9 Mod"	Full auto only	2016

Interdynamic KG-99

Interdynamic KG-9 - 9x19mm

Interdynamic KG-9 - 9x19mm

In 1982, after less than a year of production, the ATF classified the KG-9 as a Title II "machine gun" on the basis that its open-bolt design made it "readily convertible" to fully-automatic fire. This forced Interdynamic to redesign the KG-9 into a closed bolt system, birthing the KG-99. This was a somewhat welcome change anyway, as the one-pound bolt slamming forward on firing greatly compromised the accuracy of the open-bolt variants.

Intratec TEC-9

Intratec TEC-9 - 9x19mm

Intratec TEC-9 Mini - 9x19mm

In 1984, Interdynamic USA's co-founder, George Kellgren, sold his share of the company to the other founder Carlos Garcia, who renamed the company to Intratec. The KG-99 was rebranded as the TEC-9. The TEC-9 is more or less identical to the KG-99, except for a few differences in the sights and recoil buffer. The sights had their design and placement changed, while the internal recoil buffer was replaced with a threaded metal end cap after reports of shooters destroying their weapons by firing overpressure ammunition out of them. The TEC-9 was a favored firearm during that time by gangs, especially the Cuban and Jamaican posses in Florida, due to its intimidating appearance and similarity to the fully automatic MP-9 machine pistol.

Earlier 1984 to mid-1987 TEC-9s have a "button" front sight, while later TEC-9s from mid-1987 to 1994 have a stamped, spot-welded front sight (like the example pictured on the right). This redesign was a result of Intratec's 1987 bankruptcy after spending huge amounts of money to defend against a lawsuit backed by anti-gun groups, and is indicative of a drastically inferior firearm due to quality control cutbacks; this model is where the TEC-9 got its reputation as a piece of junk.

In addition to the black and satin nickel versions of the full sized TEC-9, there are several 'mini' variations of the gun, missing the barrel shroud / heat shield and sporting a slightly shorter barrel. These are known as the TEC-9 Minis. The TEC-9 series of pistols was built from 1984-1994. This is the most common version of the gun to appear in movies.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair	Tom Mason	Ben Kowalski		1983
Pray for Death	James Booth	Limehouse Willie		1985
Big Trouble in Little China	Kurt Russell	Jack Burton		1986
Eye of the Tiger		A biker		1986
Avenging Force	Michael Dudikoff	Matt Hunter	TEC-9 Mini	1986
	Steve James	Larry Richards
		Various henchmen
RoboCop		One of Sal's thugs	TEC-9 Mini	1987
Beverly Hills Cop II	Brigitte Nielsen	Karla	TEC-9 Mini, foregrip, barrel shroud	1987
Rage of Honor		Various henchmen		1987
RoboCop 2		One of Cain's thugs		1990
Pure Luck		A Mexican criminal		1991
Operation Corned Beef		Zargas' henchmen	Standard and Mini	1991
Falling Down	Michael Douglas	William 'D-Fens' Foster		1993
Martial Outlaw		A robber		1993
No Way Back		Serlano's thugs	TEC-9 Mini	1995
Top Dog		An illegal arms trader		1995
Mask of Death		A street thug		1996
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball		Wald's bodyguard		1997
The Ultimate Weapon		Roarke's man	With barrel extention	1998
Sin City		A prostitute		2005
Missionary Man		Smugglers and bikers		2007
Taking of Pelham 123, The (2009)	Ramon Rodriguez	Delgado		2009
Crank: High Voltage	Bai Ling	Ria		2009
The Keeper		Cross' henchmen		2009
The Town	Jeremy Renner	Jem		2010
Red Dawn	Chris Hemsworth	Jed Eckert		2012
Red Dawn	Josh Hutcherson	Robert Kitner		2012
Fire with Fire		Aryan		2012
Dead Man Down	Colin Farrell	Victor		2013
The Power of Few	Anthony Anderson	Junkshow		2013
Blue Ruin	Eve Plumb	Kris		2013
Bright		gang member		2017

Television

Show Title	Actor	Character	Note / Episode	Air Date
The A-Team				1983-1987
Strapped	Bokeem Woodbine	Diquan Mitchell		1993
The Stand		Flagg's Enforcers		1994
Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei		Thugs		1996-
Tremors: The Series	Michael Rooker	Kinney		2003
CSI: Miami		Assassin	"Dispo Day" (S1E18)	2003
Smallville	Michael Adamthwaite	Rick	"Crossfire" (S9E06)	2009
Longmire	Terry Dale Parks	"Agent Daxner"	"A Damn Shame" (S01E03)	2012
True Detective		drughouse guard		2014
The Walking Dead - Season 7		Savior	"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" (S7E01)	2016
		Savior	"Sing Me A Song" (S7E07)
Training Day				2017

Video Game

Game Title	Appears as	Note	Release Date
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City			2002
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas			2004
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories			2005
Resonance of Fate		Only seen in prerendered video sequence and made of riveted metal	2010
Saints Row 2	T3K Urban		2011
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action			2011
Söldner: Secret Wars			2011
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive	Tec-9	Semi-automatic	2012
Contagion	Intratec KG9		2013
Warface	TEC-9		2013
Far Cry 4			2014
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly	Intratec Tec-9	Stainless; w/10, 32 and 50-round mags,suppressor and barrel extension	2014
Payday 2	Blaster 9mm	Hotline Miami DLC	2014
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades	Tec9		2016
Far Cry 5	A-99	Select-fire	2018

Intratec TEC-DC9

Intratec TEC-DC9 - 9x19mm

The TEC-DC9 pistol first appeared in 1990. It was a slight redesign of the original TEC-9 pistol. The TEC-DC9 was the first "assault pistol" designed to comply with a legislative ban after the TEC-9 was specifically named in the California state gun ban. Intratec had been manufacturing the TEC-9 for years, but after the 1989 schoolyard shooting in Stockton and the subsequent Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, which banned a number of "named guns", Intratec complied with the law more or less just by renaming the gun. Thus the "DC" nomenclature meant "Designed for California" because the DC9 was able to be sold in California.

The most noticeable external difference between the original TEC-9 and the TEC-DC9 is the sling mount was changed from a D-shaped projection on the left side of the barrel shroud, to a removable stamped metal clip on the back of the gun. Since the TEC-9 and the DC9 can swap parts, sometimes live-action works will feature DC9 barreled upper receivers mated to TEC-9 lower receivers. This is typically the case for full-auto weapons that appear to be DC9s in films. The TEC-DC9 series of pistols was built from 1990-1994.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Bad Boys	Frank John Hughes	Casper		1995
Hannibal		Gangsters		2001
S.W.A.T.		Bad Guys		2003
Bad Boys II		Bad Guys		2003
No Country for Old Men	Javier Bardem	Anton Chigurh		2007
	Josh Brolin	Llewelyn Moss
New Kids Nitro	Huub Smit	Richard		2011
Plan C	Ton Kas	Bram		2012

Television

Show Title	Actor	Character	Note / Episode	Air Date
Walker, Texas Ranger		Numerous assailants		1993-2001
NCIS		Arms Dealer	"Deliverance" (S6E15)	2009
Sanctuary	John Novak	Thug boss	"Monsoon" (S04E04)	2011
	Tora Hylands	Nicholls

Intratec AB-10

Intratec AB-10 in factory Black Finish - 9x19mm. Note the short barrel with no threaded portion: this distinguishes an AB-10 from a TEC-9 Mini or any other TEC-9 with the barrel shroud removed.

Intratec AB-10 in factory Nickel Finish - 9x19mm

In the wake of the Federal Assault Weapon Ban of 1994 (part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and often referred to as the "Clinton Ban"), Intratec had to further alter their guns. This time there was not only a name ban on previous TEC-9 variants (this time nationwide), but also a list of banned features any two of which would render a semi-automatic firearm with a detachable magazine an illegal "assault weapon." The TEC series had two of the "bad" features, namely a threaded barrel and a barrel shroud. Despite much hyperbole, no one could truly explain how these cosmetic features made a firearm either more or less dangerous. Intratec duly removed the barrel shroud and threaded barrel, dubbing the new variant AB-10 ("After Ban"). Due to the magazine capacity limit imposed by the same law, AB-10s were only sold with 10-round magazines, though they were compatible with "grandfathered" pre-ban magazines of higher capacity.

Redesigning and renaming the TEC-9 series didn't help Intratec much. In 1999 media sources claimed the killers at Columbine used the "post ban" AB-10 (sometimes also misidentifying the weapon used as a TEC-DC9). According to the Jefferson County Sheriff Department, the pistol was actually a pre-ban TEC-9 Mini, a gun that had already ceased to be manufactured by Intratec. Despite reports in the press, the TEC-9 Mini and the Hi-Point 9mm Carbine were supplied by private parties and not gun dealers and thus would not have been affected by any of the proposed gun control laws.

Intratec's last model of this series of firearm fully complied with all legislative restrictions, but it was still vilified primarily due to misinformation by the media and law enforcement, and Intratec's reputation took another hit. Intratec was approaching its second bankruptcy by the end of 2000 and the company voluntarily dissolved in 2001.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
The Long Kiss Goodnight	Geena Davis	Charly Baltimore		1996
End Game	Peter Greene	Jack Baldwin		2006

Video Game

Game Title	Appears as	Note	Release Date
Payday 2	Blaster 9mm (with Short Barrel modification)	Hotline Miami DLC	2014

See Also

• Kimel AP-9