Welcome to at present’s Picture of the Day! The LUSA submachine gun, developed by Portugal’s INDEP in 1983, blended design parts from the HK MP5 and Uzi. Although using the MP5’s set off housing, it simplified the internals with a straight blowback motion and welded bolt/service unit. Notable options included quick-change barrels and ambidextrous controls, although it lacked a bolt hold-open system. When INDEP ended manufacturing in 1992 after restricted adoption, the design discovered new life in America. In 2004, three U.S. businessmen bought the manufacturing rights and tooling, forming LUSA USA. The corporate produced a number of civilian variants together with the Mannequin 94 carbine with 16-inch barrel and fake suppressor, the SP89 pistol, and the A3 short-barreled rifle. Although well-made, the LUSA’s proprietary 30-round magazines (beneficial to load with 28 rounds for dependable insertion) proved a limitation. Manufacturing ceased in 2011 as a consequence of prices, however the design influenced the later NiteScout carbine, which addressed some limitations by adopting Uzi magazines and MP5-style controls.
“Producer: Lusa USA
Mannequin: SGS
Kind: Rifle
Gauge: 9 mm
Barrel: 16 1/2 inch spherical
End: black
Inventory: steel”
Lot 294: Lusa USA Mannequin SGS Semi-Automated Carbine. (n.d.). Rock Island Public sale Firm. {photograph}. Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/2080/294/lusa-usa-model-sgs-semiautomatic-carbine.
