Spectre M4

The Spectre 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 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.

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	350 mm (13.78 in), folded 580 mm (22.835 in), unfolded
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	50 m (54.68 yd)
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

Design details

The Spectre 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 this eliminates the need for cocking prior to shooting no manual safety is provided. Unconventional 50-round capacity, four-column magazines are provided with the Spectre, but it can also use conventional magazines.