Did Poland Make the Uzi Obsolete? The FB Radom PM-98 "Glauberyt"

When you think of legendary 9mm subguns, names like the Uzi, the MP5, or the Beretta PM-12 probably come to mind. What almost never comes up is Poland’s own answer: the PM-98 Glauberyt. Despite being one of the smoothest, most controllable 9mm designs ever built, this firearm has lived in relative obscurity.

From Rak to Glauberyt

The PM-98’s lineage begins with the PM-63 Rak, a 1960s-era machine pistol that was compact and quirky but not quite a true SMG. By the 1970s, Poland launched a design competition for something more modern. The winning entry, adopted in 1984 as the PM-84 Glauberyt, borrowed the telescoping-bolt layout of the Uzi while adding Polish twists: ambidextrous charging handles, a folding foregrip, closed-bolt operation, and even a last-round bolt hold-open — something rare at the time.

The PM-84 was adopted just as Poland’s economy was collapsing. Production delays meant that only by 1990 did guns roll out in numbers. By then, Poland was moving away from the Warsaw Pact and into NATO, which meant a switch to 9×19mm. In 1993, Radom introduced the PM-84P in Parabellum caliber.

The PM-98 Redesign

The PM-84P worked but was rough. Its stock wobbled, the heel-type magazine release was slow, and handling with gloves was awkward. So in 1998, Radom introduced the PM-98, a major refinement.

Key improvements included:

• A sturdier twin-rod collapsible stock with rubber buttplate
• A thumb-operated magazine release for faster reloads
• A large side charging handle nicknamed “the ear”
• An oversized trigger guard for gloved use
• A foregrip socket for flashlight/laser modules

Most importantly, the PM-98 retained the unique inertial rate reducer inside the pistol grip. Without it, the lighter bolt would run at nearly 770 rounds per minute. With it, the gun cycles at about 640 rpm — deliberate, controllable, and incredibly smooth.

Variants and Evolution

The PM-98 spawned several offshoots:

• PM-98S — deleted the rate reducer, boosting cyclic to about 770 rpm.
• PM-06 — optics-ready with a Picatinny rail, improved three-position telescoping stock, and ambidextrous controls.
• BRS-99 — a semi-auto export/civilian version introduced in 1999.

How It Shoots

On the range, the PM-98 feels smoother than an Uzi. Where the Uzi relies on mass and long bolt travel for control, the PM-98 achieves the same with a lighter bolt and mechanical rate reducer. The result: bursts are easy to manage, one-handed fire is practical, and reloads are faster thanks to the new controls and bolt hold-open.

Despite looking like a simple wire stock, the twin-rod design locks solidly with a rubber buttplate, making the gun surprisingly comfortable to shoot. In short, it’s one of the most refined 9mm platforms of its generation.

Service and Legacy

Roughly 60,000 Glauberyt-series guns were built, the vast majority PM-84P. The PM-98 and later models served with the Polish police, military police, and border guards. About 3,000 PM-98s were exported to the Iraqi National Police in the 2000s. Small batches went to an Indonesian special police unit. Reports of Lithuanian and Philippine use exist in some sources but remain unconfirmed.

Even so, the PM-98 never reached the fame of the Uzi or MP5. It remains a connoisseur’s gun — clever, ergonomic, and controllable, but quietly overlooked outside Poland.

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