DUX 59

Fabrica de Armas Oviedo · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1959

Also known as: DUX M59

Overview

The DUX 59 is a 9x19mm blowback submachine gun, a West German refinement of the Spanish DUX 53 engineered and built by J.G. Anschutz. The DUX lineage descends from the Soviet PPS-43 by way of the Finnish Tikkakoski KP m/44, whose blueprints were carried to Spain by former Tikkakoski manager Willi Daugs and built at the Oviedo arsenal. Compared with the DUX 53 the 59 moved the charging handle to the left side, fitted a sliding safety above the pistol grip, enclosed the recoil spring in a telescoping tube and reinforced the magazine well.

Specifications

Weight (empty)3000 g (105.8 oz)
Overall Length790 mm (31.10")
Folded Length580 mm (22.83")
Barrel Length250 mm (9.84")
Action TypeBlowback
Firing MechanismOpen Bolt
Trigger TypeSingle Stage
Magazine Capacity32 rounds
Magazine TypeDetachable Box
Effective Range200 m (219 yd)
Rate of Fire550 rpm
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Frame MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialSteel
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Base model

Dux-53

Service history

Operators

Production

Production years: 1959-1970s

Limited trials and production weapon; only the DUX 53 has a confirmed figure (~100 sold to the West German Border Guard)

Origin

Country of origin: Germany

Designer: Willi Daugs

Notes

Trialed and used by the West German Federal Border Guard (Bundesgrenzschutz) into the mid-1970s before being replaced by the Heckler & Koch MP5. Sources disagree on dimensions (790/580 mm vs 835/620 mm) and rate of fire (550 vs 600 rpm); the reinforced magazine well blocked the drum and duplex magazines the Suomi/m44-derived guns were known for.

Background

The DUX line is a gun that crossed three borders: a Soviet PPS-43 design copied in wartime Finland as the KP m/44, smuggled to Spain by Tikkakoski's manager Willi Daugs, built at the Oviedo arsenal, then re-engineered in Germany by Anschutz to arm the very border guards watching the Iron Curtain.