Smith & Wesson Announces the New Response 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbine

By
Tim Stetzer
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35
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Smith & Wesson just dropped a new 9mm pistol caliber carbine (PCC), the Response. When I first caught the rumors on the Response on Reddit prior to the official release I thought it was going to be a 9mm AR platform rifle, but it isn’t exactly that.

While the Response has pretty standard AR-style controls, buttstock, charging handle, M-LOK rails and the like, it’s actually a blowback design that utilizes its own upper and lower receiver design (while still using an AR-style buffer and spring assembly to help keep recoil low).

The Response has an M&P-style grip and a Picatinny rail on top for optics mounting. It does not ship with iron sights, but most users are going to mount an optic. The Response has a 16-inch barrel with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle and thread protector, so it’s ready for a suppressor or flash hider of your choice.

What sets it apart from most other PCC’s is that it’s set up for M&P magazines and comes with two 23-round mags. It also has an interchangeable mag well and will take other pistol magazines as well. The Response comes with a spare mag well setup for GLOCK mags, and S&W is working on other mag well options, too.

There are a lot of pistol caliber carbines on the market today, but they continue to be popular sellers. Being able to match your PCC up to share mags with your carry or duty gun of choice makes the Response an appealing option, especially if you’re using something other than a GLOCK.

  • 16.5″ 1:10” twist barrel
  • FLEXMAG™ magazine well adapters. (Interchangeable magazine well adapters that let you use a variety of magazines from Smith & Wesson and other manufacturers.)
  • 32 1/8″ collapsed length, 35 3/8″ extended length.
  • 1/2-28 threaded muzzle with thread protector.
  • Flat-face trigger with crisp break.
  • M-LOK® slots on handguard with Picatinny-style rail on top.
  • (2) FLEXMAG™ magazine well adapters (1-M&P Double stack – installed, 1-G17/G19).
  • Compatible with M&P® Pistol double stack magazines and G17/G19 magazines.
  • 2 x 23-round magazines.

MSRP: $799.00

 

 

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35 COMMENTS

    • Elsewhere someone pointed out these may be targeted towards department sales as the price is a bit high but the larger known company name could be easier in procurement decisions re replacement parts and service.

  2. I understand an SMG. PCC? Not so much. If I’m going to carry something that is 3 1/2′ long and weighs seven+ pounds it’s going to chamber a rifle cartridge.

    • TEHO, of course, but I think the idea here is mag standardization. Same concept as a classic .44 Mag wheelgun + carbine loadout, but with guns that take mags.

      • Haz, that’s a good point and a practice I’ve done myself. With a .44 magnum. A 100 yard cartridge. Especially from a carbine. 9mm? I own half a dozen 9mm handguns and I’m not real crazy about them at 25 yards. For me carbine means rifle cartridge.

    • I don’t get the logic of a 9mm carbine that weighs 7+ pounds. I’m at the age where a pcc makes some sense because of health issues. But for the same reason a heavy pcc is not a good idea.

      Anything shoulder fired in 9mm should not weigh more than 5 pounds. Tops.

    • SBR/braced PCC makes a lot of sense, since us mortal civilians can’t possess new MGs. Add a binary trigger or similar and you’re awfully close to SMG.

      • I was thinking that I want something with a bit more @$$ to it and 10mm Auto would be exactly that.

        • 357 SIG, 30sc, hell kinda want to see if 460 Rowland is possible. More for the fun but impractical side of things.

        • 460 Rowland? Build an AR pistol in 450 Bushmaster, be a lot easier to get ammo. One in 350 Legend is pretty cool, has plenty of bullet whomp but half the recoil of the 450, and ammo is cheaper yet. I know, New York and all that, but hopefully change is coming…

        • Never said for an AR platform but yeah lots of neat options for the larger bore AR’s. I would probably look into a 458 if anything to keep the number of bullets I need to stock/cast a bit more manageable.

        • Will check that link out later tonight and I am sure you have read all about springs and parts to change/modify as well as muzzle device options for 1911 (the big bottleneck for NY options is the threaded barrel for anything above 45 super ) but yeah have the die set and she’ll plate for 45 (308 really) just never got around to anything chambered in it. I did notice 460 Rowland is easier to source than 45 super at the moment with starling so there is that.

        • Hawkeye got a chance to review the various options and damn may need to look into a semi auto permit and/or see if they sell complete uppers especially after seeing the 357 SIG and 10mm velocity tests (especially when they didn’t even use light grain copper solids). Some of those were approaching intermediate rifle territory.

        • Yes, got the springs and firing pin stop on the wish list, waiting for the next free shipping code to hit the Inbox. Not in a hurry, so I can be frugal, Mom would be proud. Underwood just had a sale on ammo, with free shipping. If I like this well enough, then I’ll get a Rowland barrel with comp, and step it up.

          If I ever get a PCC type, it will be in a thumper class cartridge, for sure. Although the 350 AR pistol does it, and has just a smidge more whomp than the 357 Max Contender, but with a magazine full of reserve shots. Kinda spoiling me.

        • Very cool, while I doubt I will get into many (if any) of the less standard AR calibers I could see picking up something like the tnw with a few conversion kits. Beretta H&K and others also have some appealing pcc options but for a lot of those I would want the sbr/suppressor option so another legal fight and/or a move involved later on when other priorities are handled. With that said I think that is all of the second time I have ever seen someone mention the 357 max and I realize I have a reading assignment today as I have forgotten much about it besides being some absurdly more powerfu/larger 357 magnum concept.

  4. I’m looking at the comments and wonder if I’m missing something. Specs work out to just under 3′ long fully extended and and 5.9# unloaded weight so I’m not sure where the 7+# and 3.5′ are coming from. Since I don’t carry either a Glock or M&P not of interest to me until I see what other mag wells become available.

    • W, look again. Length is almost three feet extended. Specs didn’t list weight, but it’s an AR platform so everyone knows about where it’s going to start. Now add the accessories. You’re going to have to. It doesn’t even come with sights. You’ll need a sling. The long gun version of a holster. Oh! It needs to be loaded. That stick full of 124 grain ammo is not light. Yeah, it’s going to be 7+ lbs rigged out.

      • It’s not an AR platform. It’s going to be lighter than an AR platform because it has no gas block, no gas tube, and a lighter bolt carrier group. If you don’t think removing the gas block and gas tube lightens guns up by a couple pounds, look at the Troy PAR (pump-action AR) or the Fightlite Herring Model 24, which are pounds lighter than a gas or piston AR-15.
        The Fightlite Herring Model 2024 weighs 5.7 lb, and it also accepts all standard AR-15 uppers (but it will be heavier if you throw a standard AR-15 upper on it, because standard AR-15 uppers have gas blocks and gas tubes).
        The Fightlite SCR somehow weighs only 5.9 lb even though it’s a gas gun, an AR-15 without the pistol grip, d it takes all standard AR-15 uppers.
        The Troy PAR weights about 5 lb for the folding-stock version, 6 lb for the heaviest version.

        It won’t be legal in my state anyway without some serious neutering, so I’d rather stick with a Troy PAR or Fightlite Herring Model 2024 that will let me have all the AR “evil features” without neutering the gun.

  6. Wait for a review or better try one hands on. For the price it should be tight, right and include a basic flash hider.

      • That’s very interesting. When S&W makes an FPC in .45 ACP- I’m buying one! And I’ll be using my CZ P-10F 45 Auto mags in it…

  8. It’s probably heavy because it’s blow back at some level.

    They will NEVER do it but I’d give it consideration if they ever made a version that took Sigma/SD9 mags.

  10. No thanks. Built a few PCC’s in 9mm, and one for .40 S&W, for less that take Glock mags, happy with those.

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