Gun Review: The Springfield Kuna 9mm Pistol

I remember learning about the Springfield Kuna early last year when it won a contract with the police in Brazil. I ambushed the Springfield people at SHOT, and they were mum on the subject, sheepishly so, even. I bided my time, and patience paid off. At an Athlon Outdoors event, I finally got my hands on the Kuna for the first time and practically begged Springfield to send one for a proper test and review. My persistence paid off . . .

They said yes, and here we are. The American version of the Kuna is a bit different from the Brazilian gun. The US version is chambered in 9mm while the Brazilians use .40 S&W which results in super-cool straight magazines. Obviously, the American Kuna is a large-format pistol and not a submachine gun, thanks to Ronald Reagan, the Hughes Amendment, and the NFA.

Made by H.S. Produkt

Like the Brazilian version, the Kuna isn’t made by Springfield but by their Croatian partner H.S. Produkt. A Kuna is a kind of marten, a small, weasel-like critter. Their pelts were highly valued in Croatia and they became so closely associated with wealth that the Croatian currency used to be called the Kuna prior to the adoption of the Euro.

H.S. Produkt makes a variety of guns for Springfield including the XD series, the VHS/Hellion, the Echelon, and the Hellcat. The Kuna is their latest firearm and certainly one of the more interesting designs. New SMG designs are rare since the short carbine took off, but I still love PDWs, PCCs, large-format pistols, subguns. 

Guns Are Getting Better

The Kuna is the latest data point in my not-so-unique theory that guns are getting both better and more affordable. Most modern PCCs and subguns are direct blowback designs, which are inexpensive and easy to manufacture. There was a time when idiots like me paid nearly a grand for blowback guns like the Scorpion (I still love my Scorpions, BTW.)

Then the Kuna came swinging in with a roller-delayed system for less than a grand. In fact, the model with the Strike Industries brace retails for just under grand, and it even comes with backup iron sights. The brace-free version is right under $900 at plenty of retailers. That’s impressive. You’d be lucky to get a Turkish MP5 clone for that much cash.

The use of a roller-delayed system is extremely beneficial. A straight blowback system uses a heavy bolt and recoil spring to keep the action closed until the bullet leaves the barrel. With a roller-delayed system, rollers keep the action closed.

Eliminating that heavy bolt reduces the violent recoil impulse associated with blowback guns. Eliminating the heavy springs makes them easier to manipulate. That gives us a lighter, lower-recoiling system that’s easy to load, clear, and quickly fix malfunctions. So roller-delayed guns are great, but that’s not all to like about the Kuna

More Than Roller-Delayed

The gun has ambidextrous controls and they’re somewhat AR-like. If you’ve used an AR, you’ll adapt quickly to the Kuna. If you haven’t used an AR, you really need to, but the good news is you’ll still adapt quickly to the Kuna. Its controls are fantastic and provide excellent ergonomics. Everything is easy to reach and operate.

The Kuna is thoroughly modern with M-LOK slots and an optics rail. There’s a 1913 rail at the back for braces or stocks if you choose to take the SBR route (and given recent law changes, that option is going to be very popular). The Kuna uses proprietary magazines, which would usually be cause for much grumbling. However, the magazines are very reasonably priced — like $25-ish — and the feed lips are metal.

The Kuna’s upper is the serialized receiver which means, much like the B&T APC9, you can swap the lower and use other magazine platforms. There are already people working on a lower that will use Scorpion magazines.

I also appreciate that the gun ships with iron sights. They aren’t fancy, but they are functional. They offer an adjustable peep sight when folded up and act as open pistol-style sights when folded down. Just about everyone who buys a Kuna is going to put a red dot on the gun as soon as they take it out of the box, but I like that Springfield has offered us the option.

To The Range

The roller-delayed system does a great job of keeping 9mm recoil very minimal. Is it as good as an MP5? Off the bat, I’d say no, but I also don’t have one to shoot side-by-side. Additionally, the majority of my time with an MP5 has been with heavier SBRs or post-sample machine guns with stocks and not braces. That could make a difference.

Ultimately, the main takeaway is that the Kuna’s recoil impulse is low very controllable. It handles better than a blowback PCC. Shooting long strings of fire is a ton of fun. It puts a smile on my face to shoot a fifteen-round string and not have the red dot rise out of an IPSC target’s A-zone. Bill Drills are a blast and can be done in under two seconds with ease.

From a defensive perspective, the lack of concussion and muzzle flash, combined with a short barrel and the lack of muzzle rise and recoil, make this a very capable weapon. Sure, it’s still “just” firing a 9mm cartridge, but it’s short, light, and easy to control.

There’s a somewhat silly perspective out there where people will discount PCCs and subguns for defensive use because rifle calibers are so much better. That’s true, but a 5.56 AR this small would be heavier with more muzzle rise, more muzzle flash, and more concussion.

A 300 Blackout shorty is better, but 300 Blackout ammo costs a lot more than 9mm. While it’s not optimum, I’d hardly feel under-gunned with 30 rounds of 9mm in such a highly controllable platform.

The Kuna ships with a brake/compensator, but I almost immediately took it off and installed a suppressor. Roller-delayed guns tend to suppress well and the little Kuna almost begs to have a can mounted. I’m running the SilencerCo Spectre 9, and there isn’t any notable gas blowback until the last round is fired and the bolt locks open.

Shooting Straight

I do a somewhat silly test with PCCs that I call the Minute of Bad Guy test. I take a printed 8.5×11-inch Sage Dynamics Thoracic target that simulates the organs of the chest and place it at 100 yards. Then I shoot seven rounds offhand. If the majority of the seven rounds hit the target, the gun is Minute of Bad Guy accurate. The Kuna went six for seven at 100 yards so it’s Minute of Bad Guy accurate in my book.

Within 25 yards, I can shoot tiny groups that don’t exceed the black of a B8 target from an offhand position. When zeroing the red dot at 25 yards from a semi-rested table position, it was able to squeeze out some tight 3-inch groups at with cheap steel-cased ammo.

At fifty yards, I can land easy hits on a 33% sized IPSC target. Overall, the Kuna is about as accurate as you expect any PCC to be. It’s not exceptional like a JP5, but it will perform alongside higher-end PCCs such as quality MP5 clones and the MPX.

Hard and Hot

I ran the Kuna hard and hot with the can and a lot of dirty Monarch steel-cased ammo. I had one malfunction that was ultimately a failure to feed. That occurred because the magazine was failing to raise the follower high enough to feed the gun and occurred after a few dozen reload drills. The ground on my range is sand.

You could feel the grit and grind when you pressed the follower. The magazines were filthy and I took one apart and gave it a quick cleaning with a rag and my water bottle.

Boom…the problem disappeared and the magazine follower rose as needed. If you’re in a sandy environment shooting a suppressed Kuna and you do reloads with one magazine over and over, you might need to keep an eye on that.

That was the only problem I experienced with the Kuna in 750 rounds.

The Kuna is a fun, capable, and accurate gun. Springfield Armory and H.S. Produkt have put out an impressive firearm. Between its roller-delayed design, good ergonomics, and excellent performance, the Kuna is going to be tough to beat at its $1000 price point. And given the fact that you won’t have to shell out another $200 to SBR it after January 1, this is going to be a very popular firearm. 

Color me impressed. I’m just sad that I have to send it back to Springfield.

Specifications: Springfield Kuna 9mm Pistol

Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 30+1
Action: Roller-delayed
Barrel Length: 6 inches
Overall Length: 15.5 inches, 25.5 inches with folding brace
Weight: 5 pounds, 5 ounces
MSRP: $1,149 (about $999 retail)