I’m not sure if I was a gun guy or a sci-fi nerd first. I grew up in a shooting household, but my dad also took me to see the original Star Wars when it first came out in 1977. Maybe it was a parallel evolution. Either way, I love guns, and I love sci-fi, so I have a soft spot for sci-fi themed guns. It’s the best of both worlds.
Many times we see sci-fi guns in movies based upon real guns, like the blasters in Star Wars. You’re starting to see real guns being influenced by movies, and even more so games these days, though. Now, if you’re old and curmudgeonly you can insert something about “those damn kids” into the conversation about now. The reality is, though, that most of us were influenced by some sort of media, whether it was books and movies when I was a kid in the 70’s and 80’s, or video games for younger generations, when it comes to our interest in guns.
At the 2024 SHOT Show I got a chance to check out a couple new chassis systems from Strike Industries that either take some design queus right from video games or are going to end up in some future games or movies soon. Let’s take a look at the Strike Modular Chassis (SMC) Charlie platform for the SIG P320 and the Strike P90 chassis for the FN P90.
SMC Charlie Chassis for the SIG P320
The SMC Charlie platform is an evolution of the previous Bravo chassis. The Strike chassis are basically PDW platforms that take the SIG P320 Fire Control Unit (FCU), even ones that have a manual safety. The Bravo had a rear Picatinny attachment point for a brace or stock, ambidextrous QD sockets and a forward Pic rail for mounting lights, lasers or grips, including Strike’s mag well grip. The platform works especially well with Strike’s new Dual Folding stock or brace, which I’m hoping to check out closer in the future.
The Charlie carries over those features but adds a full length top Pic rail for more optics mounting space. The rear Pic rail is removable as is a full-length oversized triggerguard. It also has a flared mag well and a built-in blast shield. It can use Strike’s P320 Ambi Charging Handle, but a larger one that will work better with the top rail is in the works.
Now, that all sounds pretty practical if you want to turn your P320 FCU into more of a PDW platform, so what makes it sci-fi? Well, when you see the pics there’s a good chance you’re going to see the influence right away. At least if you’re at all familiar with the extensive Halo video game series or newer TV series. It has a pretty distinctive look, and the Charlie platform captures that well. That doesn’t mean that it still won’t make a practical and functional weapons system.
I’m generally a Glock guy but I’ve been kicking around getting a P320 FCU just because of the modularity of it and all the build options. The Strike SMC Charlie is probably what’s going to push me to finally do it. Honestly I love the look, but it was also comfortable, it pointed and shouldered nicely, and the controls were easy to reach. Those features, coupled with the ability to make a slick braced or SBR’d PDW that’s truly 21st century, have got me hooked. The Charlie is expected to hit the market in the second or third quarter of 2024. Prices aren’t set yet but the Bravo is what I consider a very reasonable $129 so if it’s anywhere close to that it will be quite affordable.
![](https://cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FULL-ASM-3.1.0.1095-700x465.jpg)
Strike P90 Chassis
![](https://cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shotshow_005-copy-467x700.jpg)
hmmm… I’ve got a new never been used P320 FCU someone gave me as part of a trade. I was originally going to use for a custom build project but changed my mind. So now I’m thinking maybe I will use it for one of these, might be fun.
It’s the 21st century now space guns rule. Wood stocks are dead. Steel guns are dead. Long live polymer frames.
I sow similar looking guns in my local Target on a toy section shelf.
I’ve got four or five SIG firearms, but neither of those models. If I did it would still be no thanks.
They need a fluorescent orange muzzle device.
Instead of a P90 chassis, build a chassis to invert the P50 (same mag but cheaper, shorter, half the weight, and non-NFA).
i wish
that i made enough money
so i could waste it
on stuff like this
we should be so lucky
that when the civil war happens
antifa shows up to the fight
with a bunch of crap like this
because the fight will be over
in about 20 minutes
Just remember, when antifa shows up to battle, the battlefield pick-up will likely be stolen…
Depends on how close everything gets but yeah lot of large frame pistol options that can do things these couldn’t. Still neat ideas that are making a lot of design iterations that could accelerate if sbr/sbs get removed from the NFA let alone other features.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to take pictures of black guns against black backgrounds must have attended the George Shearing School of Photography.
For you youngsters, make that the Stevie Wonder School.
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