I saw a picture in the banner rotation at Josh's and it triggered a rant mode.
First of all, what kind of idiot places the stock on her collar bone? No matter how mild recoil of P-90 is, it cannot be a pleasurable experience.
But more importantly, does anyone else notice that P-90 gets love in anime out of proportion with either its merits or representation of similar weapons? I think it's because it looks cool.
The following table uses data from Wikipedia (for P-90 and MP-7), and Izhmash.ru site (for AK-105). The fan site hkpro.com offers suspicious weight data and talks how MP-7's ammunition goes through armor better...
| P-90 | MP-7 | AK-105 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length, mm (stock extended/folded) | 500 | 541/340 | 824/586 |
| Weight, kg (empty/loaded) | 2.54 (3.0) | 1.8 (2.0) | 3.0 (3.23) [+) |
| Energy | (2.07 * 716^2)/2 = 530 J | (1.62 * 725^2)/2 = 421 J | (3.42 * 840^2)/2 = 1200 J |
| Cost (approximate) | $1400 | $1100 | $1000 |
So, MP-7 is much more compact, and is lighter, for a negligible performance shortfall. It is also noticeably cheaper. On the other hand, the retarded version of AK-74 (an equivalent of U.S. M-4) delivers greater performance at lower cost, especially including the cost of training and logistics [*).
Nonetheless, has anyone seen MP-7 anywhere in anime? I didn't think so. And if AKS-74U or AK-105 appear, then only in hands of short-living villains. I think I'm going to collect screenshots of P-90 on this post to bolster the point.
[+) Russians went for a bulk increase in AK-105. The AKS-74U was 735/490 mm long, 2.71 kg empty. I suspect this had to do with commonality inside the "Century" family of guns rather than with performance enhancements.
[*) Short assault rifle also inherits ergonomic drawbacks of the parent platform, exhibits control and flash issues, has other disadvantages. The point is the balance of these drawbacks versus its performance when compared against PDW class weapons. DWL.
FRIDGE UPDATE: I think I started thinking about writing this when I saw the following cap from Gunslinger Girl at BigN:
UPDATE: Right on cue, Ninomiya-kun at AoMM:
What is wrong with that barrell?
UPDATE: Reader Ed chalks one for MP-7, from Coyote Ragtime Show:
Apparently the weapon is not used in the show. Naturally, packing a P-90 into a briefcase is more difficult. You need a small suitcase...
Ed also mentions that P-90 is used in FMP.
There are some good points for this big submachine gun or, as some many consider, a cut down assault rifle. It features a bullpop design where the ammo feeds downward from the bar clip and ejects the shells downward. Also the size of the weapon may prove to be an effective melee weapon...
I think it has to be appreciated that P-90 is not that big, by comparison with AKS-74U or M-4, which are real cut-down assault rifles, and themselves are much smaller than WWII era SMGs. PPSh-41 is exactly the same size as AK-47 and is heavier. P-90 is only big for a PDW.
Just as a side note, for Henrietta and the way she holds her P90... I guess being fitted with cybernetic implants helps with firing in such positions...
Well, we're talking about bones of titanium rather than implants, but point taken.
UPDATE 20080126: Via DbD:
From Gunslinger Girl ~Il Teatrino~. Why is she aiming through the emergency sight?