The FX-9 from Freedom Ordnance has proven very popular. We were introduced to this affordable pistol-caliber carbine by Classic Firearms. Instead of adapting existing AR receivers to a blow-back action and pistol-sized magazine Freedom Ordnance did it right and built it from the ground up to run pistol calibers. This not only ensures that it will run, but also saves on weight and size.
The principle is simple. 9mm Glock magazines aren’t nearly as long as an AR-15 magazine, so why make the receiver so long? Freedom Ordnance managed to shave more than an inch off the length of the receivers. The entire package is scaled and sized properly for a pistol caliber. Keeping with the PCC trend however is the compatibility with several AR parts. Before tweaking it too much we wanted to know how it would run out of the box.
The video below shows testing with factory, Korean, Jagemann, ETS, Pro-Mag, ProMag, and SGM Magazines. We also tested a variety of ammunition loads from 158gr all the way down to 65gr.
After having such great results we decided the FX-9 pistol is a keeper. We’ve begun the transformation into making it a house-gun. Light, short, and high-capacity with just enough mass to make it controllable. What’s not to like?
Since we know the gun runs it was time to upgrade the user interface. This meant dropping the standard GI safety selector for a lighter and more tactile option from Radian. Installation was simple, but it is worth noting that the engagement doesn’t feel quite as positive.
The grip was also swapped out from GI to a Hogue for more comfort and positive traction. Trigger has been the touchy spot. Previous attempts with triggers from JARD failed, and as with all non-standard reciprocating masses there is concern the hammer may not catch and result in doubles or a run-away gun. Internet lore says that the 3.5# option from CMC works and so we’ve got that installed and ready for testing.
The pistol really begs for a hand-stop. Until we have one to try, some strips from Hexmag serve as a physical memory point. An adapter muzzle device was sourced to permit the rapid mount and dismount of a suppressor. As a fan of the MP-5 a trilug mount was the only choice. A light will also find its way onto the rail before the front end is complete.
The simplest of the changes from the out-of-the box configuration was of course the magazine. Nothing beats the simplicity of a translucent magazine from ETS to know just how many rounds remain or what is loaded.
What hasn’t been determined yet is which sighting system to go with. Around the house point and shoot is likely to be all we need. Micro-dots require too tight of a sight picture, as do many conventional red-dots. For “who’s there?” aiming I think a laser will do best, but I’d like to hear from the readers what they use for home-defense optics.
