"assault rifle lookalike" carbines (marked 220, 450 and 900; in .22LR, .45 ACP and 9mm Para calibers respectively) produced in the mid-1980s in the US; approximately 20 years before the emergence of the FIC MK 9 on the market. A comparison of the two guns suggests the makers of FIC MK-9 studied the XC 900 carbine and based their design directly on it, although with some slight differences, add-ons, and modifications that in some way improved the original design. One such improvement is usage of the Uzi magazine style catch in FIC magwell, rather than making modified Uzi magazines with welded steel insert at the top of the magazine, serving the purpose of catch retainer surface, as in the original XC 900. This decision to bind the users of the gun in buying only the company's spare parts created logistics problems as it disabled the compatibility in using that particular magazine directly in the Uzi (which cannot be put in the magwell due to the steel insert), or buying the standard 25 or 32-round Uzi magazine on the surplus market to be used as a spare one for XC 900 carbine. Another usable add-on to the design is the Picatinny rail, allowing to easily mount scopes and other equipment, which was in the original XC troublesome. The sights are also different, as the original ones were not user-friednly when attempting to zero them. The cocking handle is on the left side of the upper receiver and incorporated with a dust cover. The front sights are fixed and rear sights have an adjustment knob for windage. The upper receiver has a Picatinny rail installed allowing telescopic and red dot sights to be used. Variants The MP-9 is a shortened version with a skeletal wire stock and no barrel jacket. Both the Mk.9 and the MP-9 are available in semi/full automatic versions. Users Philippine Navy Philippine Marines Republic of China Armed Forces (Special Forces) References Firearms articles needing expert attention 9mm Parabellum submachine guns Submachine guns of the Philippines