The 4.6x30mm round was developed by Heckler & Koch as a lightweight pistol/SMG cartridge with armor penetration capability. Intended as a direct competitor to FN's 5.7x28mm round in the P90, the 4.6x30mm fires a 31gr. steel-core copper jacketed projectile at 2,250fps(feet per second) for 345 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. This is comperable to the 9x19mm in terms of overall energy, however the high velocity gives the round better-than-average light armor penetration. The round was originally designed for the H&K MP7 PDW(Personal Defense Weapon) and issued to soldiers who could not carry a full-sized assault rifle due to space constrictions, but were deployed close to enemy action and therefore needed increased firepower.