PSA Harrington & Richardson Retro DOE Review: Old School Cool

It’s tough to explain why I’m so excited about this gun. At its core, it’s a blowback-operated, 9mm, semi-auto large-format AR pistol—there are dozens and dozens of those on the market.

It’s the aesthetic that makes this gun stand out. It represents a gun I’ve wanted ever since I was a kid, just getting interested in firearms. I stumbled across this Jane’s Gun Recognition guide, either for free or super cheap, and picked it up.

In that book, I saw the Colt SMG family and that the Model 633, aka the Colt DOE SMG. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. This ultra-rare submachine gun had a unique look to it that captured my imagination. Over the years, clones have come and gone at what was often a very high price point.

That’s changed. Palmetto State Armory acquired both NoDak Spud and Harrington and Richardson. In a wise move, PSA put the guys behind NoDak Spud in charge of the H&R lineup, and they’ve been producing some truly awesome retro ARs.

Last year, they showed the Colt DOE clone at SHOT, and this year, right before SHOT, it hit the market. It instantly sold out. But thankfully, PSA showed mercy and sent me one to test and review.

Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: Semi-auto, direct-blowback
• Barrel Length: 7.5″
• Capacity: 32
• Weight:
• Thread Pattern: 5/8” x 24
• Country of Origin: USA

Features

• DOE / M231 handguards with heat shields
• 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium nitrided barrel
• H&R “HAR-15” adjustable pistol brace

Origin of the DOE SMG

The history of the Colt DOE SMG is tied to the history of the Colt SMG. Fast-forward: Colt ruled the rifle and carbine market and wanted to get some of that sweet SMG money. HK was eating the SMG lunch, and Colt didn’t just want leftovers.

In the 1980s, law enforcement was interested in submachine guns for tactical teams. Colt decided to develop its own submachine gun, modeled after the AR-style rifle. The main competitor was the MP5, a great gun for the era.

HK apologists will tell you it’s still a great gun, but it’s the 1911 of submachine guns. Colt had a more ergonomic platform with the AR-15, turning it into a direct blowback 9mm submachine gun fed from modified Uzi magazines.

The original was the Colt 635 SMG. The DOE SMG, officially called the Model 633, was their more compact option. It competed with the MP5K but was a fair bit bigger due to the need for a receiver extension.

The 633 was also known as the briefcase gun among Colt employees because it could fit in a briefcase. They developed it for a Department of Energy contract, the DOE being responsible for protecting nuclear assets, power plants, etc.

This was reportedly a tiny order, and PSA has likely already produced more than Colt ever did. It was not a primary arm but likely a specialty weapon that worked alongside the M16 and Colt Commando variants already in service with the DOE.

The exact role the gun served isn’t very well-known. From its size, I’d guess it was for transportation and use when riding in vehicles. It’s super maneuverable, so it is easy to climb in and out of vehicles.

Sadly, we just don’t know. I can’t even find a photo of the gun DOE used with the protective force, but I can find plenty of them using the MP5.

That said, there has been a hole in the retro AR market for the various Colt SMG guns, and H&R is filling it with some high-quality clones.

Who Is the H&R Retro DOE For?

The H&R DOE SMG is for nerds like me who want to experience the DOE SMG design but have never had the chance. This unique, large-format pistol feels and handles like a retro gun, delivering its promise of a retro experience.

It’s a collector’s gun, a plinker’s weapon, but it would probably get some looks at a Steel Challenge match!

Ergonomics: Fit and Feel

The DOE SMG’s features relate more to its status as a clone of an old gun. This isn’t the gun I’d use for home defense or duty use. It certainly could be, but there are better options. With that in mind, let’s go from front to rear with the DOE SMG.

Up front, the barrel is threaded and suppressor-ready. The treads are 5/8x24mm, which isn’t as common as 1/2x28mm but still common enough for suppressor use. This was not a feature of the original Colt DOE and was likely integrated to satisfy a modern market.

From there, we have the Colt-style integrated hand shield to keep your hand from drifting in front of the barrel. We have a folding front sight, which might have been the first AR folding sight when the gun was developed in the 1980s. No one seems to know for sure why the sight folds.

There is speculation that it was for firing ports, but it’s just speculation. Maybe it was to create a more snag-free design when stored. Sadly, the reasoning seems lost to time.

Early prototypes used custom aluminum handguards with a built-in shield, but production guns used modified M231 Port Firing weapon handguards. That’s cloned here with a polymer handguard that looks and feels like the Colt plastic that generations of servicemen wielded.

We have an A1 upper with simple A1 sights, including two apertures clearly made for the M16. I wish they were a little wider, but that would make the gun less clone correct. Unlike the real Colt DOE guns, the lowers are not 5.56 lowers that have been modified with a magazine block.

The original DOE and Colt SMG rifles used a block inside the lower receiver that converted a 5.56 magwell to accept a 9mm magazine. PSA and H&R smartly went with a dedicated Colt lower. This is a much more reliable option that isn’t reliant on roll pins to hold a block in place.

From there, we have the A2 grip, which is clone correct. The receiver markings even feature the AUTO engraving, but are sadly limited to semi-auto fire. At the end of the gun, we find the HAR-15 brace.

The HAR-15 brace is a blade-style design that attempts to replicate the look of the original CAR-15 stock but in brace form. It’s got several sling points, including a QD slot at the end.

I think this brace looks absolutely fantastic and completes the retro look. The matte military-style finish is solid, and the markings top it all off. H&R took their time to deliver an excellent all-around clone of an absurdly rare gun.

H&R did some excellent work making this gun look and feel like a retro SMG. It even has that M16 smell that anyone who served has likely experienced. From tip to butt, the gun maintains this 80s appeal that’s tough to explain.

I’ve never held a real DOE SMG, but it’s not that much different from this gun. Everything is solid and locked up nicely. The handguards and shield provide that distinct look while still being useful.

How Does it Shoot?

The H&R DOE SMG is everything I wanted it to be. At the first shot, I got the BOING of the spring I expected from a retro gun. The sights were dead on out of the box, and I was shooting 4-inch steel at 25 yards and making it ring.

I did a quick accuracy test at 25 yards to ensure the sights didn’t need any adjustment. The micro-sized peep sight feels odd on a submachine gun, but accurately represents the era. It did help me print a sub-1-inch group at 25 yards.

Rounds seemingly smashed into the small hole repeatedly at 25 yards. I backed up to 50 yards and fired on steel gongs ranging from a reduced-sized IPSC target to a 6-inch gong, and I could easily clean them up — it was all dings.

I have a PCC accuracy test I call “minute of bad guy.” I set up a Sage Dynamics Thoracic Vitals target, which is 8.5×11 inches in size, and fired seven shots at it from 100 yards. If the majority hit the target, it’s a minute of bad guy accurate.

At 100 yards, I can’t see the vitals. It’s just a white rectangle. The front sight covers almost all of it, so I held it as close to the center as possible and let it fly. Six of the seven hit perfectly, with one miss.

It was my third shot, and I knew as soon as I fired it that it was a miss. Something clicked wrong, and I threw the shot low and right. Still, the H&R DOE SMG delivers in the accuracy department.

This is a blowback 9mm, so the recoil is approximately the same as a 5.56 rifle, but the muzzle rise is more controllable than an AR-15 of the same barrel length. If you were to misuse the brace and place it against any body part, you’d experience a bit of discomfort. Calling it a blade-style brace is certainly an appropriate description.

Chucking Lead

I shot the DOE SMG qualification, which you can find easily online. It has nine stages, from three to 50 yards, and has accuracy and time standards. I smoked it with the H&R DOE SMG.

I flew through double taps, failure-to-stop drills, and reloads. The Colt SMG magazines are straight, so with a beer can grip, you can shove them in the gun for a quick and easy reload. These mags allow for a last-round bolt hold open, and the AR controls make it ergonomic and quick to get the gun back in action.

The only thing that slowed me down was the micro-sized peep sight. The A2 night peep sight would be a much better option, but it wouldn’t be clone-accurate. Other than that, dealing with a blowback 9mm isn’t that bad, and it’s ultimately controllable enough to be shot quickly and accurately.

I ran into zero reliability issues, a major benefit of the blowback design. It’s super reliable and not ammo-picky. The majority of the ammo fired was simple 115-grain, steel-case FMJs. I fired a handful of Winchester 115-grain JHPs without a problem, but it was less than 20 rounds.

What Sets It Apart

What sets this blowback-operated AR-9 apart from every other blowback-operated AR-9 is its style. It’s a faithful replica of an extremely rare AR variant that’s easy to own and won’t kill your credit card.

By the Numbers

Reliability: 5/5

Blowback designs tend to be far from picky. This thing works quite well, even after being fed from sand-filled mags and a serious lack of cleaning.

Ergonomics: 4/5

It’s an AR with ergonomics, so it naturally scores high. The only downside is that sharp brace and how it feels when misused.

Accuracy: 4/5

This isn’t a sniper rifle, but it scores high if I’m judging it against other AR-9s. The iron sights will slow you down, but getting lead on target isn’t hard.

Customization: 4/5

It’s an AR, and you can do AR things to it, but you shouldn’t.

Value: 4/5

While you can get a regular AR-9 for cheaper, buying or building the correct clone version of the DOE SMG yourself won’t be cheap. H&R offers you a great clone at a bargain price.

Overall: 4/5

H&R Retro DOE Upgrades & Accessories

I wouldn’t change much about this gun. Doing so kinda defeats the point, but one can make some harmless upgrades that could make the gun a little more useful.

The weapon is certainly sling-ready, and as tempting as it would be to toss an old green surplus sling on, the Magpul MS1 offers a more modern and useful design.

The MS1 is a modern tactical two-point with a quick-adjust buckle. It’s wide, supportive, and an excellent sling overall. The MS1 is also affordable and comes in OD green to match the retro look.

The BattleSteel Carry Handle mount is a low-profile, simple screw-in design that makes running a red dot on your carry handle easy. It uses a direct attachment to Aimpoint micro footprints, making it easy to mount optics a little lower than a Picatinny rail.

This is a very easily removable upgrade, but it does give you a much faster sighting system. As someone looking to SBR the gun and shoot Steel Challenge, I might need this mount to be competitive.

You need an optic for the optic mount, right? The 403C uses the Aimpoint micro footprint and delivers an affordable optic. The 403C series offers a simple 2 MOA reticle with a backup solar panel, shake-awake technology, and 50K hours of battery life.

It’s not fancy, but it’s a tough and functional red dot that is well-suited for a micro-sized AR-9 like the H&R DOE SMG.

How We Tested the H&R Retro DOE

I conducted a few different accuracy tests and shooting drills during the course of testing the Retro DOE. A standard accuracy test was conducted at 25 yards, as well as my own PCC “minute of bad guy” test at 100 yards.

Other drills included double taps, failure-to-stop drills, and reloads. I also completed the full DOE SMG qualification course of fire, which includes nine timed stages at ranges from 3 to 50 yards.

The majority of the ammo fired was 115-grain steel-case FMJ ammo, and I also shot a handful of Winchester 115-grain JHP rounds to check for reliability with defensive ammo.

Meet the Experts

Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike spearheaded this article. Travis spent a lifetime shooting as a kid and later joined the United States Marine Corps, where he spent five years as an infantryman. His experience as a machinegunner, recreational shooter, and hunter has given him unique insight into bipod usage. Additionally, Travis has thousands of articles to his name with a variety of publications and has tested countless guns, bipods, and other firearm accessories.

Editing and adding to this article is Pew Pew Tactical Editor, Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a USPSA competitor, long-range shooting, and hunting. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. He has a few retro-style guns himself and definitely has love for the old-school-cool.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Verdict

The H&R DOE SMG is a mostly faithful reproduction of the original Colt DOE SMG. It gives us the look and feel of a gun never made in great numbers. Not only does it look great, but it’s reliable, accurate, and a ton of fun to shoot.

What are your thoughts on PSA and H&R’s execution of the Retro DOE pistol? Let us know in the comments below! Looking for more retro guns? We have you covered with the 5 Best Retro AR Rifles!