With the ever increasing prevalence of body armor on the battlefield, the venerable 10mm Auto PT-10 (an M1911A1 derivative) which had been in Cordian service since 1983 was becoming obsolete. SIAS, or Special Insertion Assassination and Sabotage, the Cordian Black Ops branch asked for a new “Offensive Handgun” which could defeat any body armor likely to be found on targets, and would be capable of automatic and/or burst fire. We at Castle State Arsenal were contracted by the Expeditionary Corps under Department of Foreign Affairs charter to procure or develop a weapon capable of meeting the criteria. The result is the weapon you see here: the Pistol, Type 740, or the Offensive Combat Handgun. The PT-740 OCH has entered limited service with SIAS and is in testing with the regular Expeditionary Corps and Expeditionary Rangers.

The PT-740 was designed to provide supreme accuracy with limited recoil, even during automatic fire. To achieve this aim, we at Castle Arms utilized a modified version of the Gas-Retarded Blowback action first found in the German VG1-5 carbine, and later seen in the Steyr GB and HK P7. The Gas-Retarded blowback action turns the slide and barrel into a gas pistol which acts as a buffer; gas leaves the barrel and enters a hollowed area around the slide, delaying the return of the slide. This helps accuracy in two ways: firstly, it allows the barrel to remain fixed during firing and cycling, unlike pistols using the Colt-Browning or similar actions, wherein the barrel moves to unlock the slide. Secondly, it acts similar to a hydraulic buffer, slowing down the slide and absorbing recoil force, making the recoil extraordinarily low, which in turn helps to increase the accuracy of followup shots, or bursts when fired in the automatic mode. This mechanism also helps to quiet the weapon, and to improve performance by allowing gases to expand further. The PT-740 also makes use of the “triple action” developed by the Korean Daewoo plant, giving it the safety of double action but the light trigger pull of single action. The PT-740 is also fitted with a slide catch, and a selector switch which can be set to semi, auto, or 3-round burst. It’s magazine is based on the Austrian GLOCK, and is a polymer double-stack design. High-capacity 30 round magazines can be provided on request.

In designing the round to be used in the PT-740, Cordian designers took cues from the Swedish 6.5 CBJ. However, instead of using a 9mm Parabellum round as the base, we took the larger and more powerful .40 S&W. The 7mm-.40 round which resulted resembles an upscaled 6.5 CBJ, with a 7mm sabot and 5mm projectile. This lends it increased power and range, especially in short barrels. Simply put, the 7mm-.40 can do anything the 6.5 CBJ can do, and more. The PT-740 is also offered in 6.5 CBJ, which was the original caliber requested by SIAS, and 7mm-10, a version of the 7mm-.40 based on the more powerful 10mm Auto rather than the .40 S&W. The 7mm-10 version is not, however, recommended if users expect to use the full auto setting much, because the recoil is tremendous. And of course, the pistol is provided with replacement barrels for .40 S&W, 9mm Para or 10mm Auto, depending on the version purchased, and conversion kits can be provided between 7mm-.40/.40 S&W and 6.5 CBJ/9mm Para versions on request (the 7mm-10/10mm Auto version requires a special frame and slide, which is not compatible with the smaller version).

The PT-740 was designed as a modular handgun, as has been seen with the caliber-changing features explained above, but there are several other features of this which should be considered. The PT-740 has removable front and backstraps, and easily replaceable trigger group which can be provided in various pull strengths. It also has an accessory rail mounted under the trigger, and the slide is fitted for the OST-576 Red-Dot / NOVAK partridge sight combo developed by VanDan Optics of Pocaire Gaoithe, a fellow OKC company. This unique sight combines a partridge-style NOVAK adjustable sight with a micro red dot sight. The sight housing is made of titanium, and it’s circuitry is printed on the inside of the sight housing using a technique similar to inkjet printers, but using metal particles as “ink”. This makes it extremely tough, and able to withstand the movement of the slide. A slide fitted for regular NOVAK or BOMAR sights can also be provided on request. The PT-740 has a threaded barrel fitted for the SST-740 Sound Suppressor, which is standard for the “Operator” variant. It also comes with the F/LST-740 Flashlight/Laser package, which mounts to the rail under the barrel, and contains an LED flashlight, as well as a visible light laser and an infrared laser for use with night vision goggles, similar to the AN PEQ system used in rifles. Castle Arms also offers a folding foregrip which can be mounted to the rail, and helps in controlling the weapon during automatic fire.

The PT-740 can be provided in any color, camo scheme, or configuration requested by the customer, all using high-grade Carbon Steel and our patented High-Impact Polymer.