The BXP is 9 mm submachine gun developed in the mid-1980s by the South African company Mechem (a division of Denel) as an improved version of the American MAC 10, and brought into production in 1988. Due to international arms embargoes of Apartheid South Africa, the country was forced to design and manufacture their own weapons. The weapon was intended for use by security forces. The manufacturing rights shifted from hand to hand several times during the years, passing from Mechem to Milkor Marketing and later to Truvelo Armoury, the current manufacturer (as for 2008).