Publisher's Synopsis
This volume offers a thorough examination of Mexico's evolving approach to military firearms procurement and production, tracing the country's complex journey toward achieving greater autonomy in equipping its armed forces. It explores the various channels through which weapons have been acquired-from foreign purchases to the domestic assembly of imported components-and highlights the initiatives undertaken to rebuild and modernize Mexico's arms manufacturing capabilities.
Mexico's efforts range from licensing agreements to produce foreign-designed weapon platforms to the domestic development of next-generation firearms. These endeavors reflect a broader, long-standing goal: to establish a more self-reliant and sustainable military-industrial base. The analysis considers the nation's defense and industrial capabilities, offering insight into how political shifts and resource limitations have influenced procurement strategies over time. Building on the foundational research presented in earlier volumes of the Mexican Military Firearms series, this work encounters the challenge of accessing contemporary records. Over recent decades, several Mexican administrations have progressively restricted public access to official documents, reducing the availability of once-reliable sources such as presidential State of the Union addresses, Treasury reports, and publications from the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA). The Secretariat of the Navy (Marina) has withheld information regarding the purchase of military material, citing national security concerns. The Navy has not only concealed details about the weapons it has acquired and the companies from which they have been purchased but also classified data from 2012 to 2021 for a period of five years. In contrast, the Secretariat of National Defense has disclosed partial information concerning its own weapons purchases. Despite these challenges, international sources-particularly archival material and official reports from the United States-have proven invaluable in filling historical gaps. Additionally, period photographs and surviving examples of military hardware have been essential tools in verifying weapon types, usage patterns, and deployment timelines within Mexico's armed forces. This work does not seek to advance any political viewpoint or speculate on policy implications. Instead, it provides a clear, objective account of the development, acquisition, and fielding of Mexican military firearms. By synthesizing domestic records, international documentation, and visual evidence, this volume aims to offer collectors, researchers, and military historians a nuanced understanding of a subject that has long been underexplored in English-language literature.
