Personal Defense Weapon
Specifications
- Type
- Compact Automatic Weapon
- Origin
- Belgium / Germany
- Era
- 1990s – present
- Notable Users
- NATO vehicle crews, rear-echelon troops, special forces, security teams
- Epoch
- Modern Age
History
The Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is a relatively new category, designed to replace the pistol for military personnel who need more firepower than a handgun but cannot carry a full rifle. FN Herstal’s P90 (1990) and Heckler & Koch’s MP7 (2001) defined the category, firing small-caliber, high-velocity cartridges (5.7x28mm and 4.6x30mm) capable of penetrating body armor at 200 meters. The P90’s unconventional bullpup layout and top-mounted 50-round magazine make it immediately recognizable. PDWs prioritize armor penetration, low recoil, and compact size.
Significance
The PDW exists because body armor made pistols useless but most troops can't carry rifles. It's a weapon born from a very specific gap in the arsenal. The arms race between personal armor and the cartridges designed to punch through it keeps producing new answers, and the PDW is one of them.
More from the Modern Age
12 weapons
54 Weapons. Five Epochs. One Poster.
The Personal Defense Weapon is one of 13 weapons from the Modern Age featured on the poster.
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