Have we finally gotten a true copy of the famed Colt submachine gun? Not just a lower that takes Colt mags, but an extensive and realistic clone of the weapon? Colt has released 9mm carbines that take Colt mags, but they’ve never released anything like the original Colt SMG, aka the Model 635.
Harrington & Richardson 635 10.5″ Pistol
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Harrington & Richardson 635 10.5" 9MM 1/10 Pistol, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1149.99 |
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Harrington & Richardson 635 10.5" 9MM 1/10 Pistol, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1149.99 |
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BLEM Harrington & Richardson 635 10.5" 9MM 1/10 Pistol, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1099.99 |
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BLEM Harrington & Richardson 635 10.5" 9MM 1/10 Pistol, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1099.99 |
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Colt might not have, but H&R, a brand now owned by Palmetto State Armory, certainly has. It’s true that full auto is off the table due to the Hugh amendment, so it’s more of a semi-auto clone. Adding a true stock would make the gun a short-barreled rifle and subject to NFA regulations.
The H&R 635 SMG is a large-format pistol featuring the H&R brace. It has the look and feel of a classic submachine gun with a semi-auto design.
The Colt Classic
Colt has called a few guns submachine guns through the years. They even called an incredibly short variant of the CAR-15 a submachine gun before the world simply decided that submachine guns should fire a pistol caliber.
Colt watched HK eat their lunch for years with police forces and tactical teams. The MP5 was the submachine of professional forces. Wanting some sweet SMG dough and having the CAR-15 series, it became a simple affair to create a 9mm Submachine gun in the format of an AR-15.
The gun used a closed bolt, which was important for reliability, accuracy, and safety. The closed bolt was a big reason why the MP5 was so beloved. The MP5 also has the Teutonic patented roller delayed system to lock the breech, while Colt used a simpler direct blowback design. There are some downsides to direct blowback, namely recoil, and we’ll address that a bit more later.
Colt needed a magazine, and anyone who has developed a firearm knows how tricky it is to design a reliable magazine. Colt wisely used modified Uzi magazines. They worked and could be easily produced for Colt. The magazine held 32 rounds of 9mm, which continues the tradition of submachine gun magazine capacities easily divisible by eight.
A Deep Look At the H&R 635
The H&R 635 is a product of the era it’s trying to imitate, for better or worse. It features a fixed carry handle upper receiver, those old plastic M4 handguards we all love so much, and an A1 birdcage muzzle device at the end of the 10.5-inch barrel. The HAR-15 brace finishes the gun off and gives it a fantastic overall appearance.
The HAR-15 stock looks like the old CAR-15 stock and really sells the gun’s retro look and feel. It’s thin and blade-like, with a QD port at the end for a sling. There is also a bayonet lug, and I want someone to design a bayonet that would actually fit this gun. We get the nubby A2 grip and a sling swivel on the brace and in front of the handguard.
We also have the massive brass deflector. It’s not just a brass deflector but also helps with the rather gassy output of a blowback weapon. This is identical to the original Colt guns. H&R paid excellent attention to detail.
To the Range
I was so excited to get and shoot this thing. It’s become an obsession. The gun comes with one magazine, and I already had two spares on tap and ready to go. I did a quick check to test the zero and found the gun to be dead on at 25 yards from the factory. I used the iron sights to drill one ragged hole into an FBI Q Target.
I took it back to 50 yards and repeatedly rang a ten-inch gong. Next, I have something called the minute of the bad guy test. I use a printed target from Sage Dynamics on normal letter-sized paper. I set it up at 100 yards and fired seven rounds. If the majority hit the target, it’s minute of bad guy accurate.
The H&R 635 delivered six of seven rounds to the target, with the one missing hitting low. It hits the minute of bad guy accuracy requirement. Like the Colt 635 this model uses an A1 style sight. An A2 rear sight is a bit much for a 9mm. However, I would have appreciated the A2 apertures. Specifically the wide one.
We get the A1 50 and 100+ meter peeps. Both feel way too small for a gun designed primarily for use within 25 to 50 yards. A more open aperture would be nice, but it’s a catch-22. A more open aperture makes this less of a clone. It might be more efficient with a flat top upper and red dot, but then it wouldn’t have the 635 charm.
Range Work Is The Best Work
The gun has blowback recoil that makes it more or less feel like a 5.56 caliber rifle. It’s not over the top or painful, but more than you’d expect from a 9mm. While the brace might help stabilize the gun, it will impact your shoulder with serious force from its thin rear portion. It could never be confused for a stock.
The 635 is easy to control, and I could easily blaze through Bill Drills, double taps, Mozambique drills, and more. Shooting behind and around cover wasn’t tough, and moving and shooting were a breeze.
The gun’s short length makes it effortless to drive between targets. I ran a series of drills with four steel targets spread about 10 feet apart. I easily scored four hits in less than four seconds.
The straight-stick magazines make reloads quick and easy. The hefty metal mags fall out when the mag release is pressed. They also insert straight up, so it’s intuitive. Just don’t drop a full magazine. It will spew rounds.
I only used 115-grain brass-cased ammo, specifically a case of Sellier and Bellot, and it blazed through it all without any failures. I never cleaned the thing, and you can tell. The Blowback operation is absolutely filthy, but the 635 ran like a champ.
A Retro Winner
H&R has a real winner with the 635 SMG. It’s an awesome clone of a classic submachine gun. The retro look and feel are accurate to the original to an NFA-free degree. This makes it tough to suggest the 635 for home defense.
I think most shooters would be better off with a flat top upper, an optic, a handguard with attachments, and a white light. The retro gun is accurate, reliable, and easy to shoot, but it’s not optimized for a defensive role.
It’s a retro fun gun, and that’s perfectly fine. My plan is to attend a local steel challenge match with this thing. I don’t think I’ll win, but I bet I’ll have tons of fun. That’s the exact intent and purpose of this gun: having fun. With that intent and purpose in mind, it scores at the top of the charts.
About Travis Pike
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s instructor.
Meh. Rather have it in
45 acp and Glock msgazine-fed. And I much prefer the Colt 607 and subsequent “Commando” “submachine guns”.
Yes, a caliber with ammo that’s actually available.
Lots of 10mm ammo available on the shelves also .
There’s probably more 10mm than 45acp.
The H&R 635 is interesting.
Would like to see it chambered in
38 Super
357 Automag
10mm Auto
41 Automag
44 Automag
45 Win. Magnum
475 Wildey Magnum
50 Action
How about bringing back out the H&R model 700 semi auto rifle in 22 Magnum and in 25 Stevens. A updated version.
Can’t get the ammo. No chance it’ll be made in those calibers.
Lots of 10mm ammo available and one in 10mm might make it worth having .
And there is also the 10mm Magnum cartridge.
Aria Ballistics has ammo available.
Starline has brass available in 10mm Magnum.
Article said the 10mm Magnum fires a 200 grain bullet at 1500 FPS, that equals a 41 Magnum, both are handgun velocities.
The 10mm Magnum out of a AR-15
rifle would be impressive .
Never heard of it.
I use a 180 hornady XTP and Accurate #9 in my G20 and get 1,500 without the compensator on it.
But could it handle 10mm pressures?
I don’t know. It seems most PCC’s that are 10mm have to be very beefed up to handle it.
As Elmer Keith did be with the .44 mag ya gotta try it to find out .
I’ll let a gun company engineer try it and find out first.
Well, many gun companies are bringing out various new cartridges for AR-15’s.
So if they decided to chambered a AR-15 in 357 Automag, ammo companies would produce the ammo.
Now there is the 22 ARC, 22 Creedmore, 6mm ARC, 6m. Creed more, and so on.
I have two AR15’s and a Ruger mini 14. The only ammo I shoot exclusively in those rifles is Lake City M855 62.gr green tip. Those rifles love that stuff and shoot it very accurate. I have 2200 rds and I’m about to get another 1000rds. There seems to be a new round come out weekly.
Yeah, the latest cartridge is the 338 ARC by Hornady for AR-15 to compete with 300 Blackout and 350 Legend cartridges
I’m just not interested in any new cartridges at all. My oldest son is really into the suppressed 300blk ,not me.
I’ll stick with M855.
Nick, you’re so right. It’s some great ammo.
I’ve tried, I think most, if not all the import stuff, PMC’s M855 is too long, it won’t feed from a regular 30 rd mag, till you got below 18-20 rounds. I looked, the OAL was very visibly longer than the Win. M855. Plus it was way underpowered compared to the real stuff. There’s about 900 rounds buried in the closet that’s collecting dust. Ugh. There’s one from Bosnia I’m blanking on the name, allegedly M193, constant jams. It was closer to shooting .22LR than 5.56. A partial case of that crap too, down stairs, can’t use. IWI, I think… Read more »
Also I’ve shot plenty of stuff with M855 and M193. Logs, stumps, junk out of the garage. The M855 won’t blow up a melon as spectacularly as a M193, but the penetration on logs and stumps and junk is amazing compared to M193.
And I’m talking real M855 and M193, both from Winchester.
Winchester M855 is all I shoot in my AR15’s.
Nick, always get Lake City green tip. PMC green tip sucks!
Indeed, I learned my lesson!
On a related note, I’ve read and seen on videos, guys say that the GI’s hated the M855 in Somalia. They say it couldn’t kill. But I wonder who was complaining? It seems most of the GI’s has M16A2’s, while Delta and others had, this is the pre M4 days, those non standardized Colt carbines, with the 10.3″ and 11.5″ barrels. The M4 has a 14.5″ barrel, the A2 of course is a 20″. I wonder if all the GI’s were complaining or if it was just Delta and the like with their, I’d argue way too short barrels for… Read more »
They’re putting out too many cartidges too fast. People can barely afford the common cartridges. All these new ARC’s are gonna be the next WSM and WSSM craze all over again.
How many will survive?
Yeah, and who can afford to purchase all these AR-15 uppers in all these new cartridges? Remington brought out the 30 Rem. AR round to compete with the 308 Winchester and 300 Savage. But, article said shooters showed little interest in it and the rifle was discontinued and apparently so was ammo. What about the 25-45 Sharps? Have one of those? The Winchester line of WSSM have been chambered in AR-15 And wildcaters have necked up the 400 Legend to 41-400 Legend to use 41 Magnum bullets and 405 Winchester bullets. And wildcatters have necked down the 400 Legend to… Read more »
I stick with what is available. That’s why I have a 9 though I prefer a 40 and why I have a 5.56 though I would prefer it in a 243.
A good example of why is because there is less powder and cartridge in a 380 ACP and I have never seen them cheaper than 9mm in the last 10 years that I have been watching.
So many countries use the 9.
I’m confused, what’s the question? The article is about a complete gun, not just an upper. I don’t know about the 30 Rem AR. Doesn’t ring a bell. The .308 obviously I know, and have shot. I’ve heard of but never shot a 300 Savage, though I do remember seeing a box of ammo at the local gun store once. Never heard of a 25-45 Sharps. Never shot any WSM’s or WSSM’s. Only read about them. I’ve heard of the 400 Legend, 41 Mag, and the 7.92 x 33 Kurz, but never shot them. I’ve never heard of any of… Read more »
Same here, Winchester Lake City M855. It works and is consistent.
I doubt that if PSA/H&R chambered a 357 Automag AR15 you’d suddenly see Federal, Remington, Winchester etc, pumping out 357 Automag ammo the next day. That’s not how economics works. The ammo companies are going to guage demand before they retool their lines for this obscure cartridge. Ammo companies can’t produce all cartridges, all day every day. And again, you bring up 22 ARC, 6mm ARC and so on… Can you afford to go shoot them by the hundreds each weekend? Can you afford a case of 357 Automag or how many of those other odd ball cartridges that you… Read more »
Well, if I won the Powerball, then I could afford to go out and purchase a dozen or more AR-15 uppers in various cartridges.
Hornady is now producing the 338 ARC cartridge, a good article in Firearm News about it.
It’s fun to go out plinking and shooting, using 22LR and 22 Magnum.
I’ll stick with 5.56 AR15’s.
Never heard of the 338 ARC till you mentioned it. Anything that big I don’t have a use for anyways.
Yes, have a few 22LR’s and I’m pretty good with a old Marlin 600 in particular.
Why 9 mm ? Lots of better options out there .
.45 or 10mm would be a better option in my opinion . Ya I know they mass produce 9mm ammo and practically give it away but cheap ammo is not always the best option unless it’s for range time .
Yeah, 9mm Luger is okay for plinking or close range small game.
Even the 30 Carbine is much better than the 9mm Luger.
How about something for shooting hogs, deer and bear? And home protection.
Cartridges like 400 Corbon, 10mm Magnum, 41 Automag, 44 Automag,
45 Win. Magnum 475 Wildey and
50 Action.
Hi. I was looking for 10mm magnum and I found an article that supposedly shows a 44, 10mm mag then a 40 and a 9. He claims the 10mm mag is longer than the 10mm and makes it to where you can use a bigger bullet and stuff more powder in where a 10mm would be to small.
I cannot find a 10mm mag pistol for sale and I can’t even find out if it is a semi or a cylinder. Do you know?
Do you have a link?? or own one? Have a brand and model name?
Thanks.