Smith and Wesson dropped an absolute bomb with the announcement of its latest design the Smith and Wesson m p FPC the folding pistol carbine brings a highly compact nine millimeter pistol caliber carbine loaded with m p 2.0 features chambered in the hugely popular nine millimeter Parabellum cartridge dammit P.

FBC is interesting as it was specifically designed for covert carry rather than being a conventional design it folds in half similar to the keltex hugely popular Sub 2000 while an interesting design is the new Smith Wesson m p FPC actually something to consider buying that's an excellent question.

So let's take a look at the pros and cons of Smith Wesson's new nine millimeter folding carbine when it comes to personal protection and covert carry to begin let's first consider the design of Smith Wesson's FPC it is a compact and fairly light pistol caliber carbine it weighs just five pounds and has an overall length of 30.3.

Inches press a lever and it folds in half reducing its length to just 16.3 inches this is the fpc's main virtue it's very compact overall length for storage operation is simple blowback and it feeds from standard m p nine millimeter 17 and 23 round magazines so you can feed it using the same magazines for.

Your carry pistol if your carry pistol is a Smith and Wesson m p as it's chambered in the universally accepted 9 by 19 millimeter it will fire a wide variety of modern defensive loads as well as economical training loads examining the FPC you'll note a few nice features at the muzzle you'll find half by 28 Barrel threads covered by a thread.

Protector so mounting a muzzle device or sound suppressor is simple the 16.3 inch barrel is surrounded by a polymer m-lok handguard which facilitates easy mounting of modern accessories the handguard being polymer is a bit out of the norm but fits in with the intended purpose of this piece.

The M lock slots facilitate sling mounts and mounting a white light am 1913 rail along its top allows mounting of iron sights and Optics at the front of the receiver we find a stout hinge on the left side and a large latch on the right pressing the latch allows you to swing the entire Barrel handguard assembly to.

The left side of the carbine this effectively cuts the overall length in half unlike a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 though by folding horizontally to the side rather than vertically Optical sights do not get in the way when you fold it this is a huge Advantage for the Smith and Wesson FPC over the Kel-Tec Sub 2000 in my opinion.

When folded the fpc's barrel assembly is held in place by a friction fit between the charging handle and hand guard to unfold simply grasp the handguard and tug it and unfold it until it locks back into place also you cannot fold it with a round in the chamber the receiver consists of an m p style pistol grip and there is an ejection.

Port on the right side controls consist of a reversible magazine release ambidextrous bolt catches and a well-placed crossbolt safety behind the action on the receiver extension you will find ambidextrous charging handles the trigger has a pull weight of.

Approximately five and a half pounds the bot is designed to hold two magazines this allows you to carry two spare mags right on the gun plus a third in the pistol grip that should be enough to handle any realistic personal protection scenario which can be handled with a pistol.

Caliber carving now let's consider what role Smith and Wesson designed their FPC to fill as a pistol caliber carbine it can share ammunition and magazines with your concealed carry pistol the advantage it has over a handgun is simply being easier to make rapid hits with it's much easier to shoot a carbine.

Accurately especially at speed than a handgun this accuracy Advantage becomes more pronounced as the distance to the Target grows pistol caliber carbines like the Sub 2000 and the FPC are at their best at ranges out to 100 yards keep in mind despite its longer Barrel it is still a nine millimeter while you'll see a small.

Boost in velocity from the longer Barrel please do not mistake the FPC for a true rifle it's not it lacks the exterior ballistics and especially the terminal ballistics of a true rifle for personal protection at realistic distances though that PC is well capable of placing rapid aimed shots onto an aggressor to stop the threat plus it.

Will do it with less muzzle blast Flash and a milder muzzle report than a 556 AR or 762 by 39 millimeter AK while Smith and Wesson ships the FPC in a nice discreet looking bag I would find something mundane to carry it in this folding pistol Carby is proudly made in the USA and has an MSRP of 659 dollars.