Gaujo
UZI Talk Supporter
I finished the Mac-Man book, and there are only a few pages devoted to the two .380 variants of the Ingram series, but I wanted to shed some light on them and share my general understanding of these guns we call "MACs". Most of you will know most or all of this, but I wanted to share for anyone who is new, or looking for a short summary.
Here are the guns Ingram actually designed
M-10 (in 9mm and 45)
M-11 (in .380, and with a smaller grip and mag)
In my eyes, people know of the M-10, and they think they know the M-11. In reality, most people are actually talking about the SWD M-11/9 when they say M-11. The gun people think of as the "M-11" was never made by the MAC company at all, and wasn't designed by Mr. Ingram.
The real M-11 (the pistol sized .380 version with the smaller grip) was designed by Ingram, made by the MAC company, and it is clear from the narrative of the book that it was very important in the company's history. This was the gun the salesman would actually shoot in a hotel room into phone books while he was demoing the product for potential clients.
The M-11(/9) that is so common, is actually a bastardization of the M-11, and Ingram did not design it. SWD extended the back end of the M-11 design to facilitate the extra bolt travel needed for 9mm, and this is where the SWD M-11/9 came from.
About the same time, they took the M-11 design, swapped the magwell over to standard 9mm dimensions, and called it the M11/A1. It was otherwise unmolested from Ingram's design, but for the mag well / grip change, and the stupid name. If it were up to me, they would have called the new 9mm a M-11/9, and let the M-11 continue as the .380 version. As it is, it's hyper confusing with all the dashes, slashes and so on.
SO, if you want to shoot an Ingram design "MAC" series weapon, these are your choices in order of how much control Ingram had over the design (least to most):
M-10
M-11
M11-A1 (only a grip / magazine change)
M-11/9 (significant departure from Ingram design, and my understanding is he did not get royalties for it)
Here are the guns Ingram actually designed
M-10 (in 9mm and 45)
M-11 (in .380, and with a smaller grip and mag)
In my eyes, people know of the M-10, and they think they know the M-11. In reality, most people are actually talking about the SWD M-11/9 when they say M-11. The gun people think of as the "M-11" was never made by the MAC company at all, and wasn't designed by Mr. Ingram.
The real M-11 (the pistol sized .380 version with the smaller grip) was designed by Ingram, made by the MAC company, and it is clear from the narrative of the book that it was very important in the company's history. This was the gun the salesman would actually shoot in a hotel room into phone books while he was demoing the product for potential clients.
The M-11(/9) that is so common, is actually a bastardization of the M-11, and Ingram did not design it. SWD extended the back end of the M-11 design to facilitate the extra bolt travel needed for 9mm, and this is where the SWD M-11/9 came from.
About the same time, they took the M-11 design, swapped the magwell over to standard 9mm dimensions, and called it the M11/A1. It was otherwise unmolested from Ingram's design, but for the mag well / grip change, and the stupid name. If it were up to me, they would have called the new 9mm a M-11/9, and let the M-11 continue as the .380 version. As it is, it's hyper confusing with all the dashes, slashes and so on.
SO, if you want to shoot an Ingram design "MAC" series weapon, these are your choices in order of how much control Ingram had over the design (least to most):
M-10
M-11
M11-A1 (only a grip / magazine change)
M-11/9 (significant departure from Ingram design, and my understanding is he did not get royalties for it)
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