The Spectre M4 is an Italian submachine gun that was produced by the SITES factory in Turin. It was designed by Roberto Teppa and Claudio Gritti in the mid-1980s. Production in Italy ceased in the year 1997, with the closure of SITES, but proceeded in very small numbers in Switzerland through Greco Sport S.A., a company founded by one of the designers of the Spectre, Claudio Gritti, until 2001. The Spectre is used by the Swiss armed forces and by Italian special forces, and has been exported elsewhere.
The Spectre M4 is a compact and light weapon, designed for instant firepower in close combat at short ranges. The four models have top-folding buttstocks, and were available with or without a forward handgrip ahead of the magazine housing. The largely polymer Spectre has a stamped-steel receiver.
The Spectre M4 is a standard blowback firearm operating from a closed bolt; however it has some unusual features. The barrel shroud completely hides the barrel. The bolt is designed to pump air through the barrel shroud to provide additional cooling. The Spectre is hammer-fired and the trigger group is double action with a decocker. This allows the shooter to safely carry a round in the chamber and fire immediately as the double action trigger eliminates the need for cocking prior to shooting. A manual safety is provided. Unconventional 50-round capacity, four-column magazines are provided with the Spectre, but it can also use conventional magazines.
| Spectre M4 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Roberto Teppa & Claudio Gritti |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | SITES - Società Italiana Tecnologie Speciali S.p.A. (later GRECO SPORT, S.A.) |
| Produced | Around 1985 thru 2001 |
| Variants | SITES "Falcon" (a.k.a. the "Spectre-HC") semi-automatic pistol (civilian); SITES "Ranger" semi-automatic carbine (civilian). |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 2.9 kg (6.393 lb) |
| Length |
|
| Barrel length | 130 mm (5.12 in) |
| | |
| Cartridge | 9x19mm Parabellum 9x21mm IMI .40 S&W .45 ACP |
| Action | Blowback, closed bolt |
| Rate of fire | 850 rounds/min |
| Effective range | 150 m (492 ft) |
| Feed system | 30 or 50-round Casket magazines Magazines for civilian-grade versions were factory-modified for 15-rounds, 10-rounds or even 5-rounds capacity. |
| Sights | Iron |
