B&T USW G20

[Alex]

The windmill I am forever tilting at is the search for an adequate personal defense weapon, the mercurial PDW. Something that can provide more firepower than a standard CCW firearm but that can still be carried on my person without advertising, "gun". My wish list includes:

• More than 9mm firepower
• Better accuracy than a handgun, especially in the 20 to 100 yard realm.
• Not unpleasant to actually shoot.
• Able to keep it handy while traveling by car, motorcycle or foot.

I am confident in my abilities with my 9mm pistol, this PDW thing would be a secondary weapon for unusual circumstances. Some weapons I have tried with the intention of putting into a PDW role and given up on for various reasons:

• PS90 SBR
• 300 blk AR SBR
• 300 blk AR stock-less large format pistol
• B&T APC10 in 10mm
• Optic mounted G40 clone

My latest attempt at this is the B&T Universal Service Weapon, USW. They make a full firearm that has a folding stock and fits in a holster. Way cool, also an SBR and way expensive. Some states will give you permission to conceal carry a pistol but not a rifle and I am not sure how a concealed SBR would be viewed those places.

They also sell a USW chassis that you can put a Glock pistol into, with seperate 9mm and 10mm versions. I got the one designed for the G20 and got a pistol brace for it. Still expensive but it takes it out of me in smaller bites and fits the current legal definition of a pistol.

The chassis come with an ACRO mount machined onto the rear portion. It also has a pic rail that screws into the ACRO cut, opening up more optic possibilities. This made something possible that I thought not - putting a prism scope on a pistol. It sports a Primary Arms green illuminated 1x GLx prism, the one with the ACSS Vulcan reticle, my fav.

So how does this thing go together? The slide back plate comes off and is replaced with one that has a lug for a mini folding charging handle, since the slide becomes pretty inaccessible once installed in the chassis.

The rail of the Glock frame slides into corresponding rails in the frame while the protruding hump puts retention on the trigger guard via a thumb screw.

The rear of the frame is pushed into a boss that is molded to the shape of the beavertail. Tension to hold the frame in place is applied between these 2 points while the rail interface provides stability.

Once put together I discovered a couple of things that needed to be changed. My gen 5 G20 has ambi slide levers. The right side interfered with the folding brace latch and I could not get a digit into the left slide lever area. I got a bigger Vickers slide lever and cut the right leg off, solving both of those issues.
Disassembly proved difficult as the OEM slide lock seems to be designed more to not interfere with holsters and less to enable disassembly. Gen 5 slide locks have a different part number than gens 1-4. The only thing I could discern as a difference was the notch is more tapered to allow the lock to assemble over its corresponding coil spring vs. the leaf sping of earlier gens. I filed a taper into the Rival Arms slide lock I prefer, put it in and it seems to work.

Frame installed, the ratcheting thumbscrew at the front puts the tension on it to hold the thing together.

Frame installed.

A3 Industries folding Pistol Brace installed.

It does not seem like I can get it into a belt holster with the brace folded, maybe someone creative can think of something. In the meantime I have the perfect carry case for this gun and this role.

More to come as I get to know this thing. I hope to shoot it in the next action pistol match.

 

[Racer88]

So to be clear... this is an "NFA" SBR?

 

[Alex]

Nope, a braced pistol. Gun laws are weird and nonsensical but I am abiding by what the current law and Executive Agency rulemaking say at this particular moment. I realize they could change back at any time and I will have to scrap this project.

If the rulemaking changes, which it has flip-flopped several times, I can Form 1 it into an SBR for $0.00 and put a real stock on it or just toss the brace into the nearest lake. Or do something else if the State comes up with something completely different. If the pattern continues at least I will have a pistol with a prism scope on it.

I am well aware of how different administrations can interpret the same exact law in completely opposite ways. Braced pistols were good. Then they were bad. Now they are good again. All in the past 10 years. Not because the letter of the law changed but because the agency decided the words have a different meaning, depending on what their end goal was.

Having gone through the hassle and expense of getting an SBR through the proper channels I resented people just going out and bringing home braced pistols, cash & carry, same day. But here I am, joining them, keeping my ear to the ground for signs of the next flip in the rulemaking. I do not expect any laws to change, the opportunity for this single party controlled government to make any more pro 2A laws seems to have passed. Meanwhile executive orders are increasing with each baton pass, only to be erased when the next guy grabs the baton.

 

[Bobster]

Someone had a 9mm Glockaroni at the range last week. They offered to let me shoot it but I just held it instead. I think it is a solution looking for a problem. Really not the flavor of tea I drink...

 

[Bongo Lewi]

I have never gotten wood over those "convert your pistol to a fake subgun" kits. I don't see the point. To me, it's like the antique stocks you see in collections and historical pics affixed to German Lugers and 1911's. In a way like those weird six shooters with a two foot long barrel. A kludge. It's still a pistol.

In my narrow view, the purpose built subgun like a MP5, B&T, Kuna, Scorpion, Uzi, a Stribog, or MP5 clones are the right design for that gap between the pistol and the carbine/rifle. It's the ultimate anti-personnel weapon. Designed to fill the air around you with lead, not aim with precision.

BTW: I consider the Thompson "Chicago typewriter" a carbine but some say it's a subgun. It's a tough call.

The roller delayed operating system in all its variations are the undisputed champ of this genre.

True subguns were proven useful in combat with the Brit Lanchester and Sten Mk3, the US M3 grease gun, German MP34, 35, 38 and 40. There are others from Italy, Japan, etc. But many of the latter were really just carbine length select fire guns with wood stocks. Not in my opinion subguns. Some collectors don't agree with that opinion. So be it.

More modern variations like the Mac 10, copycats of it like the MPA and Cobray, and the guns of choice by south Florida drug dealers in the 1980s such as the Intermec, Benelli M2, Jatimatic, or the Spectre are interesting examples of subguns. Both simple blowback and the more sophisticated and expensive to produce roller delayed designs.

 

[Racer88]

In a way like those weird six shooters with a two foot long barrel. A kludge. It's still a pistol.

 

[Alex]

It's the ultimate anti-personnel weapon. Designed to fill the air around you with lead, not aim with precision.

That's the opposite of my stated goal. I'm a bad enough shot already, I don't need to send more lead off taget. I see you and other peeps posting palm-sized groups shot from standing at 20 yards, I can't even do that off a sandbag. Well maybe if I get to pick the best 2 out of the 15 holes. The additional stability and etched reticle optic are crutches intended to improve my accuracy.

Keep in mind this firearm was intended to help European beat cops and other poor shooters be more effective in fighting back against better armed opponents using rifles or trucks as weapons with something that can be on their person at all times.

More modern variations like the Mac 10, copycats of it like the MPA and Cobray, and the guns of choice by south Florida drug dealers in the 1980s such as the Intermec, Benelli M2, Jatimatic, or the Spectre are interesting examples of subguns. Both simple blowback and the more sophisticated and expensive to produce roller delayed designs.

Do you know of anything with an Uzi sort of design - magazine in the grip and not in a separate magwell forward of the trigger - that is not direct blowback and not hogged out of a giant chunk of steel? And is not NFA at the moment? Here in 2025 there should be something like that. It would likely be my next squeeze if this thing does not work out the way I want. I have already tried the subgun sort of architecture with the B&T APC 10. It is too big to carry in something smaller than a briefcase sort of thing that would be an obvious target of theft itself. I'm not the lunch pail type but the USW could hang out in something like that and be handy and not be something of interest to a pick pocket.