Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The MPA971 is what happens when someone gets creative with the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. While other companies were pinning stocks and threading barrels, Masterpiece Arms looked at a pile of surplus Finnish Suomi magazines and thought “let’s build a carbine around these things.” The Suomi connection isn’t random. Those drums and stick mags were built for Finland’s M/31 submachine gun – the same weapon that froze Soviets solid during the Winter War. The 71-round drums and 50-round sticks were made to Finnish military specs, which means they actually work when you need them.
Here’s how they beat the legal puzzle. That 16.25-inch barrel keeps it rifle-length under federal law. Closed-bolt semi-auto operation dodges NFA problems. You get a pistol-caliber carbine that feeds from some of the most reliable high-capacity magazines ever made. This pre-2013 example shows the original setup before state bans screwed up the market. Parkerized finish and simple blowback action keep maintenance easy – matters when you’re burning through cheap 9mm by the case. The 16-inch barrel gives 9mm Luger enough steam to actually work at carbine distances.
The timing was perfect. Surplus Suomi mags were cheap and available. 9mm was affordable. Shooters wanted something that looked tactical without tactical prices. Masterpiece Arms found their spot building guns that worked around regulations instead of fighting them.
“Scarce Masterpiece Arms MPA971 Semi-Automatic Carbine.” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/5012/695/scarce-masterpiece-arms-mpa971-semiautomatic-carbine. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Writer | TheFirearmBlog
Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.
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