Extar EP9 Carbine in 9mm Luger, the pistol caliber carbine has evolved

From the U.S. comes the EP9 Carbine, an interesting  polymer-framed PCC manufactured by Extar USA, a company based in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. It is an evolution of the P9 pistol model in 9mm Luger, initially offered with a 6.5” (165-millimeter) barrel. The Extar P9 was successful in the U.S. and created high expectations for a model with a longer barrel.  The American company's engineers therefore transformed the popular EP9 platform into a carbine, equipping it with a longer 16”/410 mm barrel, but not only that. In fact, the EP9 Carbine offers the user a combination of low weight and recoil manageability rarely achieved on a PCC thanks to the polymer frame construction. Extar took the time to recalculate and reformulate the bolt mass and recoil spring strength to account for the increased back pressure generated by the longer barrel. The end result is a pistol caliber carbine that shoots extremely smoothly. In addition, Extar's patented Dynamic Mass Bolt system cancels bolt bounce, making the gun even more reliable and safe.

Extar EP9 Carbine, long barrel and Glock magazines

The first and most eye-catching feature of the carbine version of the EP9 is the barrel that is an impressive 16.25 inches long, or 41 centimeters. Remember that this is a semi-automatic carbine based on an AR-15/M4 type frame with pistol grip and telescoping stock and compatible with the countless aftermarket products that can be purchased later. The trigger assembly, if desired, can also be replaced with one of the various AR-15 drop-in assemblies available on the market. The stock-mounted trigger is a direct type, with no pre-travel.

The Extar EP9 Carbine is chambered in 9mm Luger, a.k.a. 9 Para, and feeds from inexpensive, reliable and readily available Glock 19-17 type magazines with a capacity of up to 33 rounds. It uses a mass-delayed blowback operating system.

The safety is the classic AR-15-style lever, located on the left side but easily reversible. On the left side of the receiver we also find the reciprocating charging handle, meaning that it is integral with the bolt and thus moves along with it when firing. This is not a limitation of the gun, but a precise choice to simplify the repeating system and make it more reliable. If a firearm is made with care and handled properly, a reciprocating charging handle creates no problems for the shooter. Once the last round in the magazine has been fired, the Extar-patented hold open system makes reloading faster.

The Extar EP9 Carbine features a 20-cm (8-inch) long handguard with accessory rail at 6 o'clock, while at 12 o'clock we find a Picatinny rail that seamlessly connects with the one on the receiver. Given the type of firearm, the Extar Carbine is sold without sights, and the user can decide which ones to mount according to his or her needs. The stock is telescopic, so the length of the carbine can vary between 790 and 890 mm. On the handguard and buttstock there are attachment points for the carrying sling, which is useful when using the carbine outside the sporting environment.

In addition to the technical features, the Extar EP9 Carbine also proves to be interesting for its price, which in the U.S. is $499 – really low for a PCC based on the AR-15 platform. Unfortunately, we are not aware that Extar products are distributed in Europe, at least at the moment. Too bad, because we wouldn't mind trying it out in the field.

Extar EP9 Carbine specs and price