The Springfield Armory Kuna is a 9mm SMG-style pistol that can be configured with a folding brace. It features bilateral controls and a reversible, folding charging handle. The AR-pattern pistol grip and funneled magazine well wears Springfield Armory's Adaptive Grip Texture, the same that appears on popular models such as the Hellcat and Echelon series. The Kuna's reliability and ease of control is provided by a simply roller-delayed blowback system, including a lightweight bolt assembly that moves smoothly within a machined aluminum receiver. Magazines were design specifically for the Kuna and are transparent, which provides the user a visual status check on capacity levels. The muzzle brake/compensator is extremely effective. For Guns & Ammo's evaluation, a short and lightweight Banish 9K and Aimpoint ACRO C-2 was used to further test the Kuna's reliability with increased backpressure and its accuracy potential.

Following the announcement of the Springfield Armory Kuna on April 15, 2025, Jim Tarr, author of Guns & Ammo's review of the Kuna ("Wild Weasel," July 2025), joined Mike Humphries, media relations manager for Springfield Armory, and Eric R. Poole, editor-in-chief, to discuss one of the hottest new firearms.