Tec-9


The Intratec TEC-9 is a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Magazine capacity ranges from 10 to 50 rounds. TEC-9 and TEC-22 are two of the guns that were singled out and banned do to their "futuristic appearance".
The Tec-9 was once advertised as the most popular weapon among gang members in the United States. Today the Tec-9 is banned in the States but can still be bought used. There is only a ban on the purchase of new Tec-9's.
The TEC DC-9 was originally called the "TEC-9", but was renamed to "DC-9" about a year later, probably in response to a widely publicized crime where some deviant blasted his way through a crowded Washington DC office building with a TEC-9 in each hand.
The TEC DC-9 is a low priced autoloading pistol made by Intratec Firearms of Miami, Florida.
In keeping with the low price, the DC-9 also has a reputation for low quality construction.
The DC-9 bears the dubious honor of having been named explicitly in the 1994 "assault weapons" ban, as well as being listed in ninth place on the BATF list of "Top 18 Handguns Used by Criminals".
What made the gun popular among criminals is that it's real easy to remake it to a fully automatic pistol and the relatively cheap price. It is also a very reliable pistol if used with the correct ammunition.
As for styling, the DC-9 looks like nothing else so much as a miniature submachinegun, although it is not a fully automatic firearm.
The magazine well is located in front of the trigger, and the gun features a threaded barrel, a perforated heat shroud, and a long 30-round magazine, all of which contribute to the SMG-like appearance. For a handgun, the DC-9 is very large and very heavy.
It is over a foot in length and weighs in at over four and a half pounds when loaded (heavier than some rifles).
It is certainly not what most firearm enthusiasts would describe as a concealable weapon.
Most of the larger metal components of the pistol are constructed of plain heavy steel.
Here there are no exotic alloys as one might find on many other modern pistols, and this contributes to the extraordinary size and weight of the DC-9.
The gun has a hefty, industrial strength feel to it, as if it could be actively pounded on, dropped, used as a jack stand, run over by a division of tanks, and still keep on ticking.The loading, cocking, and unloading of the DC-9 is similar to many other magazine-fed pistols.
For readers not familiar with this or similar firearms, the following details are provided.
The DC-9 magazine is a double-stack design, holding either 20 or 30 rounds depending on the model.
Rounds are loaded into the magazine one at a time by inserting a round into the magazine, then pushing down on the round until it catches under the lip of the magazine. Repeat this until the magazine is either full or the desired number of rounds have been loaded into it. One thing that is particularly convenient about these magazines is that the rounds can be pushed rapidly straight down into the magazine, rather than having to slide each round backwards carefully under the magazine lips as on so many other pistols.
With careful fingers, it is possible to push the cartridges in five or six at a time by hand, or load the entire magazine in a couple of whacks with stripper.

After the magazine is loaded, it is then inserted into the magazine well on the underside of the gun, just forward of the trigger. When inserting the magazine, it should be pressed upward into the receiver firmly until the magazine catch 'clicks', then pulled down briefly by hand to ensure that the magazine is actually locked in place.
The DC-9 is a single-action pistol. Cocking the DC-9 is accomplished by pulling back firmly on, and then releasing, the cocking lever, which is topped by a small knob located on the left hand side of the upper receiver.The cocking lever must be pulled all the way back in its channel to properly chamber the first round.Once the first round has been chambered, the DC-9 will fire one round with each pull of thetrigger (unless the safety is engaged).

Tec-9 or DC-9 with a laser sight.

After the gun is cocked, the safety can be engaged by pressing the cocking lever in against the receiver (i.e. push it into the surface of the gun, not forward or backward). With the safety engaged, the firing pin and bolt are locked in place, allowing the trigger and sear to move freely without discharging the gun. Note that the safety can only be engaged while the gun is cocked.
If the gun is not cocked, the cocking lever will not push inward to the "safe" position.
The safety requires a deliberate pull to disengage; it can't be quickly tapped off.
To unload the gun, press the magazine catch and remove the magazine from the magazine well on the under side of the gun. Disengage the safety (if it is engaged) to unlock the bolt, then slide the cocking lever fully rearward to ensure that any chambered cartridge is ejected.

While holding the cocking lever back, look into the ejection port to make sure no cartridge is still in the chamber. IMPORTANT: Keep your finger away from the trigger while unloading this or any other firearm.

Although the manufacture of new DC-9s for civilian consumption is now banned in the U.S., there are many thousands of DC-9s that were manufactured prior to the effective date of the ban, and these are perfectly legal to purchase and own in most jurisdictions.

Intratec reportedly has an "after ban" model that does not have the threaded barrel.
If you find that the 30 round mags aren't then there are 50 round mags to the Tec-9. They are almost as tall as the gun is long, and they look pretty unwieldy when plugged into the pistol.