SSMG-04

the SSMG-04 is a gas-operated, fully automatic submachine gun chambered for 9x19mm rounds. like the other weapons of it's series (the Standard Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun ect.) the SAR-25 was designed to be compatible with normal NATO rounds which are standard on most Earths. the standard magazine holds 25 rounds, with the extended holding as much as 40 rounds. the SSMG series is unique in that it is the only weapons series to have drum-type magazines made for it, which can hold 60 rounds but slightly increase the jam rate of the weapon if both are not properly maintained. the SSMG-04 is well known for it's stocky frame and atypically straight clip, projecting diagonally from the weapon instead of curving. the weapon began manufacture in OCY 28, and ended manufacture under Wings in OCY 177, the manufacture of the SSMG-04 being switched to the UMC.

While contemporary SMG models are typically phased out of most Earth military forces by the twenty-first to twenty-second centuries due to the evolution of personal body armor and the weapon's consequentially shrinking effectiveness, Wings and the EMC continue to manufacture SSMG units due to their regular encounter with forces that either disregard or have no access to any type of body armor.

Variations
the SSMG-04 has several variations, mostly designed after the HU decommissioning of the weapon as replacements for the old SSMG designs.

SSMG-04K
similar to the SAR-25K, the SSMG-04K was a scaled-down version of it's namesake, sacrificing barrel length and the stock for a more compact design built to be used by drivers and pilots for emergency self-defense, only to be phased out for the most part by the SP-17, the preferred weapon for it's smaller size and higher rate of fire. the SSMG-04K still sees some minor service as a dual-wield weapon for the Duohuman Corps, but has otherwise fallen out of use.

SSMG-08
the SSMG-08 is a slightly modified version of the SSMG-04, being that the SSMG-08 is chambered for the .45 round instead of 9x19mm of it's predecessor. the upgrade in calibur increased the damage and stopping power of the weapon, and several improvements on the original design, including using different materials for the workings of the weapon, help decrease jam rates and make the weapon more resilient.

SSMG-12
the SSMG-12 was a complete redesign of the SSMG line, scrapping the stocky design of the older SSMG-04/04k and the SSMG-08 in favor of a bullpup design based around the FN P90, featuring a box clip holding an upward of 50 rounds and chambered for the same 5.7x28mm cartridge that the P90 used. some design changes were present, such as the exchange of steel and plastic parts for analite and other materials, but most of the original was left intact. the SSMG-12 entered Wings production in OCY 535, and has not yet achieved wide-spread use among the HU armed forces, but is expected to replace at least some of the older SSMG models within the next 2-5 years.