Self Defense

Springfield Armory Kuna

By: Dave Bahde

A surprisingly affordable roller-delayed gem

Heckler & Koch’s legacy is its “roller delayed” subguns and rifles. I have used them all, starting with the MP5 in every configuration it’s been available in. Having attended their operator, instructor, and Master Instructor Subgun schools, it is easily one of my most familiar and favorite systems. With tens of thousands of rounds sent downrange through an MP5, it is like going home every time I pick one up. They do tend to be a tad on the heavy side, though, and the controls are less than perfect. While I don’t have much use for a 9mm subgun these days, the Springfield Kuna’s introduction really piqued my interest. And, after spending some quality time with one, it has become a fast favorite.

uch like the famed H&K MP5, the Kuna uses a roller-delayed blowback operation, meaning that, after the shot is fired, the bolt-carrier group is momentarily held in battery by two ball-bearing rollers indexed with the receiver. When the gas forces reach a sufficient level, the rollers are overcome, and the bolt is pushed rearward. It’s extremely reliable, suppresses well, creates a softer shooting experience, and is typically reserved for weapon systems with steep price tags.

Springfield Armory Kuna

Springfield Armory’s 2025 On Target Editors’ Choice Award-winning Kuna is a roller-delayed 9mm PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) developed in conjunction with long-time partner HS Produkt, based in Croatia. Sold as a pistol, it is available with or without a Strike Industries pistol brace, and, aside from the roller-delayed operating system and compact size, it has very little in common with an MP5. Ambidextrous controls are straight-up AR; easy to reach and intuitive to run. The trigger is flat-faced, crisp, predictable, and provides an audible reset. The non-reciprocating charging handle can be run on either side. The pistol grip is AR-compatible, and the receiver end plate features a Picatinny rail that works with a myriad of stocks and braces. The Kuna’s barrel is 6 inches long, cold hammer forged, threaded 1/2×28 to accommodate a suppressor, and capped with a removable muzzle break. The lower receiver is polymer, while the serialized upper receiver is aluminum with a continuous top Picatinny rail with built-in flip-up iron sights and QD sling cups on either side at the rear. The proprietary magazines are translucent polymer with metal feed lips and hold 30 rounds, and you get two of them. Loading and feeding are identical to the venerable MP5 magazine. The optional Strike Industries FSA pistol brace features a QD attachment at the rear and folds to the left for easy transport in a bag.

The Kuna’s continuous Picatinny top rail features built-in flip-up metal sights that remain flush when not in use. The six-inch, cold-hammer-forged barrel is factory-fitted with a unique six-port compensator and is threaded to 1/2×28 for easy attachment of a suppressor. The charging handle, which is non-reciprocating, can be easily swapped to either side. The optional Strike Industries pistol brace folds to create a compact, bag-friendly package.

Range Time

Tested with an Aimpoint Duty red-dot sight, the first thing I noticed was how light, well-balanced, and incredibly maneuverable the Kuna is. The trigger is equivalent to a nice flat-faced AR trigger, suitable for defense or duty use. Controls are some of the best I’ve ever

At 25 yards, the Kuna stacked shots to create golf-ball-sized 10-round groups. The best performance came with Wilson Combat’s 115-grain HAP load, printing the 1.50-inch group shown here. Accuracy … check.

used, and familiar if you’re accustomed to an AR. Magazines drop free with ease, and the flared magwell makes reloads fast. Accuracy was outstanding; shooting ten-round groups at 25 yards, the Kuna kept putting every load into its own single growing hole, with the cluster measuring 1.50 inches using Wilson Combat’s 115-grain HAP load. This is another redeeming quality of the roller-delayed system; they seem to shoot everything well. Recoil is also what you would expect from the roller system: smooth, without the harshness or typical “thump” of straight blowback designs. The Kuna was pure joy to shoot, especially when working in tight spaces.

Left side controls — including the short-throw safety selector, mag release, and bolt release/hold open — are mirrored on the right side of the polymer lower. Similarly placed but a tad more compact than an AR, controls are easy to run without removing your control hand, and an AR-compatible grip will create a familiar grip angle for many. Two proprietary translucent 30-round magazines are included.

Bottom Line

I often wax nostalgically about the good old days of running an MP5. I sold off my last one at least a decade ago, and I think about picking up another one from time to time. Springfield Armory may have swayed me towards the Kuna, however, thanks in part to its extremely reasonable MSRP. The Kuna is ideally suited to an SBR conversion, although the brace actually worked pretty well in this case. All in all, this is one of my most fun gun tests of 2025, and another gun that just might end up in my permanent inventory or at the bedside.See the Kuna at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Springfield Armory; Tel.: (800) 680-6866; Web: www.springfield-armory.com.