Model 9 General Specifications-
Type: DA/SA Semi-Automatic Pistol Operation: Striker Fired, Rotary Delayed Blowback Sights: Fixed Front, Adjustable rear; both with Luminous Tritium Inserts Rear Sight Notch: 3.96 mm (.156”) Safety: Manual Safety, Automatic firing pin safety, Loaded-chamber indicator, Cocking indicator, Manual de-cocker. Chambering: Xuande-Xiphoian default cartridge is 9mm parabellum; however Xuande-Xiphoi maintains the rights to utilise a wide number of cartridge types, generally issued for special purpose use only. Trigger pull: 3.1 kg at toe (DA), 1.3 kg at toe (SA) Accessories: - Threaded Barrel with Thread protector for non-tactical models (Adds 15mm to OAL) - Tactical Laser Illuminator - Helix Suppressor / Silencer Variant Statistics Model 9C (Combat) Length (OAL): 203 mm Length (Barrel): 125 mm Sight Radius: 175 mm Height: 152 mm Width: 36 mm Weight: 670 grams unloaded, ~800-950 grams loaded Capacity*- 18+1 Rounds: 5.7x28mm 16+1 Rounds: 6.6x25 HVAP/9x19/9.8ACP 14+1 Rounds: .360 Auto/ 10mm Auto/ .41AE/.40 DDI 12+1 Rounds: .45 ACP Description: A full size pistol designed for general Military use. Model 9T (Tactical) Length (OAL): 204 mm Length (Barrel): 130 mm Sight Radius: 165 mm Height: 152 mm Width: 36 mm Weight: 630 grams unloaded, ~800-930 grams loaded Capacity*- 18+1 Rounds: 5.7x28mm 16+1 Rounds: 6.6x25 HVAP/9x19/9.8ACP 14+1 Rounds: .360 Auto/ 10mm Auto/ .41AE/.40 DDI 12+1 Rounds: .45 ACP Description: A highly modular pistol used for special applications. Model 9E (Enforcer) Length (OAL): 185 mm Length (Barrel): 105 mm Sight Radius: 155 mm Height: 140 mm Width: 36 mm Weight: 580 grams unloaded, ~750-850 grams loaded Capacity*- 14+1 Rounds: 5.7x28mm 12+1 Rounds: 6.6x25 HVAP/9x19/9.8ACP 10+1 Rounds: .360 Auto/ 10mm Auto/ .41AE/.40 DDI 08+1 Rounds: .45 ACP Description: A full-featured comfortable compact pistol designed with law enforcement and special forces in mind. Model 9D (Defender) Length (OAL): 173mm Length (Barrel): 65 mm Sight Radius: 113mm Height: 135 mm Width: 36 mm Weight: 400 grams unloaded, ~550-575 grams loaded Capacity*- 12+1 Rounds: 5.7x28mm 10+1 Rounds: 6.6x25 HVAP/9x19/9.8ACP 08+1 Rounds: .360 Auto/ 10mm Auto/ .41AE/.40 DDI 06+1 Rounds: .45 ACP Description: Sub-Compact variant for personal defense and concealed carry. A popular choice as a back up or secondary weapon for Law Enforcement and special forces. |
The Model 9 series of pistols was designed as a dedicated combat sidearm for both law enforcement and military personnel serving in the Xuande-Xiphoian Armed Services. The series was initially developed by Argus Industrial Manufacturing (AIM). Several years worth of design trials, field test and troop interviews generated the design requirements for the Model 9 pistol. Model 9 pistols entered service in 2008 and the series has become one of the most mature series of combat and defensive pistols of the twenty-first century.
The Model 9 series of pistols vary in capabilities and size, however all are polymer framed, double-action/single-action locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed specifically for the harsh environments of battlefields around the world. The frame of the Model 9 is constructed of highly impact-resistant Long Fiber Reinforced Polymer (35% glass) with over-molded metallic inserts acting as an internal scaffolding. The steel frame insert adds rigidity and provides a smoother bearing surface for the slide rails to act on. A Rail Interface System runs the first two inches of the frame (depending on model) allowing for many after-market accessories to be easily fitted. The rail itself is actually over-molded over a metal ‘I’ shaped section of the steel frame insert to act as a support for the rail and better integrate it with the frame. This 'I' piece, and the metallic rail inserts are connected to form an internal monolithic structure or skeleton in order to reinforce the polymer frame. Improving on the originally internally chromed slide, the new all steel slide is Melonite and QP Salt Bathed Nitrocarburized (SNC) like many of Argus's products due to its higher performance and longer lasting nature over chrome. Salt Bathed Nitrocarburized parts are protected by a naturally scratch resistant, dry lubricated surface treatment that provides three to four times less friction than hard chromed surfaces. The slide is also through hardened to improve its structural strength and reliability, while ample room remains between the internal working parts to prevent seizure by means of grit-induced friction. QPQ SNC is a more time intensive form of the above mention QP Salt Bathed Nitrocarburized (SNC) process used on the slide and other components that introduces a second quenching phase that increases surface finish for lower sliding resistance and friction between operating components. Where as most external components on the Model 9 are QP SNC treated for corrosion and scratch resistance, all internal working components (Barrel, Modular action unit, striker unit, internal rail inserts, etc) are QPQ SNC treated for higher scratch resistance and friction reduction. This thicker and smoother surface treatment provides higher reliability than chrome while providing similar but superior protection. The recoil spring of the weapon is located below the barrel in a dual action Vollmer style captive telescopic buffer assembly. The captive ‘one piece’ system is composed primarily of three pieces in truth; the spring itself, and a two piece telescoping outer sheath. The recoil spring is an eighteen-pound (18#) progressive resistance chrome-nickel spring, designed for high reliability and smooth action over the expected service life of the weapon. The outer sheath is constructed of two QPQ SNC treated stainless telescoping sleeves that protect the spring, allow the recoil spring and guide rod to be removed as one pieces, and prevent binding or grime build up in hostile environments. The resulting action is a very smooth deceleration in the final stages of recoil improving frame strength due to less impact shock, and decreased barrel climb. The three position safety allows the weapon to be carried safely either cocked or uncocked, the safety being able to act as a traditional safety or acting as a decocking lever by pressing downwards on the lever beyond the marked 'S' setting allowing for the weapon to be placed truly in safe for storage or carry without worrying about spring fatigue of the firing spring. The weapon can be made ready to fire again simply by switching the lever to 'F' or Fire and strongly pulling the trigger like any other double action pistol. The internal action components at the rear of the frame (comprised of: the trigger spring, trigger bar, and sear) are internally braced as one removable unit for cleaning or replacement, and are attached to the frame via a set of lever bars which secure under the takedown lever that runs along the mid-section of the frame, and a small indent at the rear of the frame. The lever bars also act as a feed way assist during loading, giving the Model 9 near single stack magazine reliability from a full capacity double stack magazine. To remove the modular action unit the takedown lever must be rotated one-hundred and eighty degrees and the slide and barrel unit removed to allow access to the unit. Pressing in at the front of the lever bars releases them from underneath the takedown lever, and may be rotated up and the whole unit lifted free of the frame. The sights for the Model 9 series are composed of two sets of sight units. Since the front sight is often the primary sighting component used in close range combat shooting it has been given special attention and made integral with the weapon itself. By milling the front sight from the slide itself with the assistance of modern CAD/CAM manufacturing the sight is significantly more rugged than the traditional dovetail and pin design or welded post sights in use with most combat pistols. The rear sight is a fully adjustable Novak style with a wide set notch for quick target acquisition in combat conditions. The serrated back edge of the sight silhouettes nicely in bright light, and a single centered orange tritium dot below the notch provides high contrast without washing out the green tritium dot installed in the milled front sight post. The use of a single 'stacked-dot' arrangement allows for faster low light acquisition and decreased shooter distraction in daylight. The contrasting colors allow for excellent alignment in low light while still allowing front post focus by means of the brighter green dot in close quarters combat due to the eyes natural ability to pick-up the green spectrum under stress. What this means is deadly accuracy under stress in low light, and all weather conditions. The delayed blow back system as used in the Model 9 is based partly on a reinforced and updated Savage-Searle rotary delayed blowback system. The barrel unit is composed of two primary units; a breech unit and a barrel unit. The breech unit is composed of two pieces machined steel that contains the barrel support, the locking ring for the barrel, and the feed ramp. Within this breech unit the barrel is able to freely rotate and is internally fluted to decrease surface area contact between the two units, while increasing reliability in the face of battlefield sediment. The barrel has two machined parallel locking lugs directly forward of the breech unit; at the bottom of the barrel the lower lug engages into a perpendicular groove machined into the frame insert, this grove is reinforced by the takedown lever to reduce impact stress on the rest of the pistol. The upper lug engages in curved cam or groove running along the inside of the slide. This means that when the slide is in battery, the positive lock-up of barrel to slide assures perfect alignment of barrel and sights improving the weapons accuracy and first shot probability. Upon firing the locking lugs are torqued into their cut outs by the rotational torque generated by the bullet following the barrels rifling. This primarily locks the lower lug in place preventing the slide from recoiling until the bullet has left the barrel. Once the bullet has left the barrel, the continuing recoil is free to act on the slide and breech face. The recoiling of the slide acts on the top lug of the barrel camming the barrel thirty degrees and moving the bottom lug out of its groove allowing the slide to fully recoil while the top lugs travels in a straight section of the cam preventing it's interference during the rest of the operation. By channeling part of the recoil energy into barrel rotation, and by partially absorbing the barrel and slide recoil shock through the frame before it is transferred to the slide the Model 9 achieves unusually low felt recoil despite its heavy or high velocity loadings. Though fully backwards compatible with older Model 9 and Equinox magazines, the Model 9 is fed by an advanced polymer magazine design first pioneered with the Model 10 and later Model 15 Sub Machine Guns. The dual column magazine being designed to not extend much beyond the pistol grip itself in order to maintain as small a profile as possible while maximizing internal capacity. A new Self leveling follower improves on the older design by adding scalloped edge to the follower, allowing for decreased sliding resistance and increased grime tolerance over the solid bevel design of the original. In order to provide the best compromise of corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, and strength; the magazine uses a heat-treated triple braided stainless steel spring. This strong magazine spring combined with an improved self leveling follower allows for improved reliability and consistency of feed over older Equinox magazines. A compression stop on the bottom of the self leveling follower prevents the spring from exceeding its elastic limit and allows for long term storage of rounds in magazine without the worry of loss of reliability. Combined with the primarily non-ferrous make up of the rest of the magazine, the threat of corrosion or oxidation are exceptionally low even in high humidity environments and over long periods of storage. The magazines floor plate is made of the same impact resistant LFRP polymer as the frame, and acts as a finger stop to better assist in the weapons handling when using a proper two-hand grip. The floor plate of the magazine uses a double tension clip and a rail system for its attachment and ease of disassembly in the field. The grip of the Model 9 series is unusual in that it tapers towards the front of the grip so that the front-strap is thinner than the back-strap. This improves the grip comfort and control of the pistol during firing due to easier trigger control and more ergonomic form. The thinner front strap also allows the full framed grip feel comparable to a single stack magazine pistol, but with the advantage of a full double column magazine. The magazine well is also beveled inward very slightly to assist in quick reloading and indexing in low light, however, the strength of the frame was a primary concern over excessive beveling of the magazine well. The Model 9 uses an all new magazine design in order to maximize its capabilities in the modern age, while decreasing weight and increasing reliability. The Model 9 series is designed for quick, easy disassembly without tools in any environment the pistols are to see action. To disassemble the pistol for cleaning the owner first safeties the weapon and decocks the action. Removes the magazine, and checks that the chamber empty and ensure the weapon is safe to disassemble. While holding the frame with one hand and slide in the other in a ‘pinch’ grip with the thumb and index finger forward of the ejection port, draw back the slide till it is secured by the slide release lever. Rotate the takedown lever downwards one hundred and eighty degrees so that the end of the release is pointing towards the muzzle. While still holding the slide with the non-dominant hand, grip the frame with a dominant hand; Activate the slide release and gently pull the Slide forward off of the Frame. After approximately thirty millimeters of travel the slide will move forward easily under pressure from the recoil spring, let it continue forward under the control of your non-dominant hand until free of the frame. The Frame now only requires the Modular Action Unit to be removed from the frame by tipping it up and back, free of the takedown lever. Pushing back and lifting up on the captive recoil spring allows it easy removal from the removed slide, and pushing forward on the breech unit of the barrel allows the whole barrel unit to be tipped out of the slide. Total disassembly can be completed without tools in less than fifteen seconds; though such speed is rarely needed. |