Not long ago we brought you a first look at the FX-9 from Freedom Ordnance. This 9mm, Glock-magazine fed, pistol-caliber carbine is made from a billet upper and lower and ran anything we could fit in the magazine. Properly scaled for 9mm, the receivers are a touch smaller than your standard AR-15. When Freedom Ordnance created the FX-9 they weren’t adapting existing AR receivers and parts to 9mm, they were reinventing it. Controls and manual of arms still mimic the AR-15, but the FX-9 is a smartly-engineered reinvention more than an adaptation.
During our test and evaluation we wondered how handy would this platform be in pistol format. Light weight, compact, and with all the versatility of 9mm. The longer barrel adds some velocity to increase the effectiveness of the never-ending variety of defensive ammunition. Would a pistol version make for the ultimate home-defense gun? We asked Freedom Ordnance about it and like the clever craftsmen they are they were already working on it. Let’s not forget these are the same folks who brought us the belt-fed 9mm upper.
We didn’t have to wait long and now the pistol variant is here. Below is a first look at it before we gather up a pile of various 9mm loads and head to the range. We’d like to hear your thoughts: Is a pistol-sized 9mm PCC the ultimate for close-range defense without the collateral damage of a shotgun?
As you’ve seen in the video above there is a lot to like about the FX-9 pistol. Having not shot it yet my only reservations stem from the unique charging handle and trigger. The charging handle is a bit small and low for my taste. With an easy-to-grab charging handle I would normally declare a rifle unfit for defensive work, but having experienced the FX-9 carbine I feel fairly confident that it won’t be an issue. We have yet to experience a failure with that rifle. It simply runs and runs which makes the charging handle only needed once per shooting session.
Triggers in 9mm AR-styled PCCs are often different. Bolt geometry simply dictates so. We’ll see how this one breaks in after some range time.
