The S&W Response – The Multi Mag PCC

When Smith & Wesson launched the Response PCC, I used to be type of ambivalent about it. Neat, one other blowback-operated AR-15 in 9mm. I didn’t give it a protracted look, however when S&W provided to ship it, I didn’t say no. I get pleasure from pistol-caliber carbines, so why not? After selecting up the Response from my native FFL, I realized I judged the Response slightly too early. The S&W Response isn’t your typical AR-9. It’s surprisingly completely different than most AR-9s and intelligent in a wide range of methods.

The S&W Response PCC

First, the higher and decrease are made fully from polymer. Uppers and lowers produced from polymer aren’t new, however they’re new for Smith & Wesson. Numerous polymer lowers type of suck. I’ve had multiple damaging interplay with polymer lowers. S&W is a reputation I belief for good firearms, so I’ll give it a good shake.

One of many massive advantages of the Response’s all-polymer design is weight. The gun weighs solely 5.9 kilos in whole. The higher and decrease usually are not standardized and usually are not suitable with different uppers and lowers. The polymer goes into the rail, inventory, charging deal with, and extra.

The subsequent moderately fascinating characteristic is the flexibility to swap magazine wells. The magazine effectively detaches from the decrease and permits you to use completely different magazines. The Response comes with the M&P magazine effectively put in and a spare Glock magwell. That’s sensible as a result of, as Ruger realized, folks actually need Glock magazines. There’s a cause the ‘Does it take Glock mags’ meme exists.

Additionally, like Ruger, this modular magazine effectively can doubtlessly introduce the magazine platforms. The magazine effectively appears giant, so we would see the potential for different calibers like 10mm and .45 ACP as effectively. Who is aware of? With the aftermarket, we would get extra choices than we ever thought-about.

Swapping Extra Than Mags

The magazine effectively is simple to switch. All you could do is take away a single hex head bolt and slide the magazine effectively to the aspect. Slide the brand new one in, and bam, you’re performed. It’s an impressively easy system. It takes just some minutes to swap the magazine wells over. Not a foul system in any respect.

The opposite factor we will swap round with the Response is the pistol grip. It’s quite a bit just like the M&P Pistol grip. It comes with a lot of inserts that can help you customise the scale of the grip. The Response grip is kind of grippy, greater than every other AR pistol grip.

Most AR aftermarket components and items work with the Response. You possibly can swap charging handles, safeties, and the like. Stuff just like the journal launch is proprietary, so it could accommodate each the M&P and Glock mags.

To the Vary

I largely used the M&P magazines for testing. I barely swapped to Glock to substantiate the reliability, however in honor of the M&P being S&W mags, I figured it was the higher option to go. Additionally, with the M&P magazines, you get a last-round bolt maintain open design. That characteristic doesn’t work with the Glock mags, from what I can inform. S&W sends you two 23-round magazines for the gun. The M&P magazines are strong and work effectively for a PCC.

Any type of straight blowback PCC tends to have some nasty recoil. Nicely, nasty is likely to be an exaggeration. Sometimes, a 9mm blowback AR recoils as a lot as a 5.56 AR. It’s a bit a lot for a 9mm, however not out of this world or stiff. The Response isn’t fully free from that blowback recoil, however it is vitally well-balanced, so the impact is minimized and turns into very well-balanced. The bolt weight, buffer, and spring are well-tuned correctly, and it reveals.

The Response presents some very spectacular ergonomics. The pistol grip is closely textured and customizable, as we coated. The rail is skinny and straightforward to grip, and there’s a set of textured inserts on the rail for a pleasant grip. The inventory is a Magpul MOE SL inventory that could be a improbable contact to the rifle total. It’s supportive and adjustable and locks on stable to the gun.

The controls are all of your customary AR-type outdoors of the journal launch. To accommodate the handgun magazines, it’s pushed rearward a good bit however very straightforward to succeed in. Up prime, we now have a polymer ambidextrous charging deal with that’s fairly beneficiant.

Blasting Away With the Response

The S&W Response has a really good set off. It’s impressively good, to be completely sincere. The Response’s set off is lower than three kilos and completely flat. PCC triggers will be finicky due to the various high quality of 9mm ammo. Steelcase Jap Euro stuff tends to have arduous primers, so sturdy springs are wanted. That’s not a problem right here. It’s a stable and light-weight set off with a brief pull. To cite Ricky Bobby, “I need to go quick.”

Quick it goes, and it’s an actual racehorse when it comes time to shoot quick. I blasted by means of a number of completely different drills and programs of fireside. I arrange my very own mini Motion Metal course for time with reloads, multi-positional capturing, and sprints. I additionally did the extra conventional Invoice Drill and scored a chilly 1.99 seconds on it. The gun performs and works reliably. It’s straightforward to shoot quick and well-suited if you wish to dive into the aggressive world of PCC with out breaking the financial institution.

Lastly, does it shoot straight and may hit something you want inside 50 to 100 yards? At 100 yards, you must begin factoring in bullet drop, but when I aimed on the head of an IPSC goal, I might hit it someplace at 100 yards. At 25 yards, we might produce a very good tight group that was almost one massive gap.

The PCC Life

The Response retails for round $699.99, in accordance with the web machine, so it falls outdoors of the price range vary however continues to be reasonably priced. It’s an effective way to enter the competitors world and be a competitor. Pistol Caliber Carbines are a very good little bit of enjoyable, they usually’re an amazing choice if you happen to’re already a part of the M&P 9mm fan membership.