LaFrance M16K-45 SMG

This mod requires HONEST HEARTS DLC!

History

The M16K-45 was designed and built by Timothy F. LaFrance of LaFrance Specialties in San Diego, California. Production started sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, after the 1986 Hughes Amendment went into effect, meaning the guns are registered as post-sample machine guns and were only able to be sold to dealers, military, and law enforcement.  As such, the guns were marketed almost exclusively to law enforcement, military, and private defense agencies. However, LaFrance made a few M16K-45s with semi-auto lowers and 16-inch barrels for the civilian market. The guns were built entirely from custom parts made by LaFrance, except for the magazines, which were modified from existing Thompson SMG stick magazines. La France designed the M16K-45 as a submachine gun for use in close quarters where maneuverability is a major concern, such as in vehicles or buildings. The automatic guns have an 8-inch barrel for maneuverability. In addition to firearms, LaFrance made suppressors and other tactical accessories. In 2004, La France Specialties was acquired by Surefire LLC and its products were then manufactured under the Surefire name. In addition, the Texas-based government arms contractor North American Integrated Technologies (NAIT), who (allegedly) funded the development of the M16K-45, still (allegedly) produces the M16K-45 today.

Despite sharing nomenclature with LaFrance's earlier . 223 caliber M16K design, the M16K-45 is completely different in several key ways. It is a closed-bolt, straight-blowback submachine gun, meaning it relies on the mass of the bolt and buffer assembly to hold the action closed when pressure is high. Thus, the bolt is very heavy, and some iterations used a tungsten buffer assembly to increase mass and keep the firerate around 600 RPM. The construction of the upper receiver changed designs over the years as well. The early guns' upper receivers were milled from solid aluminum plate, and are visually distinct from the later versions which were forged. The gun in this mod is based on the very first prototype of the M16K-45, which had a milled upper. The lower receivers are nearly identical to a standard select-fire M16 lower, except the magazine well is wider and shorter to accommodate the Thompson magazines. The tubular handguards are either knurled or inset with silicone bands to ensure a firm grip, and the end of the metal is flared outwards to prevent the shooter's hand from slipping in front of the muzzle.

I dug up some interviews with Tim LaFrance and some more info on the gun:

http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2341

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUBcjULs3x0