Notes: This weapon was developed in the early 1970s, and was to become the standard submachinegun of the Mexican forces in 1976. The unusual feature of the weapon is the bolt; it is very large, and is not telescoping in the usual sense, but instead telescopes around the barrel. In addition, much of the bolt (and bolt spring) is exposed, to allow the weapon to be partially cleaned without disassembling it. In a sense, the operation of the HM-3 is much like a giant pistol. The folding stock is also unusual; the stock is meant to be opened with a simple flick of the wrist. As I said, the HM-3 was meant to be the standard Mexican submachinegun. Instead, there were too many unusual features, especially the large exposed length of the bolt and recoil spring, and only a small number were bought by Mexican military and police forces. The Mexicans decided instead to use the German MP-5.

Twilight 2000 Notes: Production of the HM-3 was restored in 1997, and large numbers of them were used during the invasion of the US.

Merc 2000 Notes: The CIA liked this weapon, as it confused enemies when it was captured; Mexico didn’t otherwise have a high profile in the espionage world.