The LWRC IC-9 has garnered significant attention in the pistol caliber carbine (PCC) market, earning an Editor’s Choice award after an intense week of testing in the Nevada desert, as reported by www.outdoorlife.com. Among 20 PCCs put through a rigorous gauntlet, the IC-9 stood out, distinguishing itself as one of the best available, combining high marks in performance, innovation, and features with an excellent price point.
According to www.outdoorlife.com, the IC-9 proved to be a flat-shooting and accurate platform with a soft recoil impulse, operating without any stoppages or failures throughout testing. Its ergonomics, featuring AR-type controls and grip, were also highly praised. A core innovation driving its performance is the Chamber Ring Delayed Blowback action. This system incorporates shallow grooves, or "rings," cut into the chamber. These rings momentarily hold the cartridge in place, allowing chamber pressure to drop before the bolt recoils. This clever design provides the same benefits found in delayed-roller blowback actions, such as the MP5, but without requiring additional parts.
The LWRC IC-9 is offered in various configurations, including 16-inch rifles, 8.5-inch pistols (available with or without braces), and SBRs. Beyond the standard black finish, buyers can choose from four Cerakote colors—FDE, Olive Drab, Tungsten Gray, and Patriot Brown—for an additional fee. All models share ambidextrous controls, an AR-style charging handle, and M-Lok slots on their handguards. The review specified an 8.5-inch pistol with a brace in FDE was used for testing.
During its evaluation, the IC-9 endured several hundred rounds of varied 9mm bullet styles and weights. Despite ample servings of heat, dust, and grit encountered at "Staccato’s Vegas facility," the carbine was never cleaned, and sustained rapid fire with 30-round magazines until becoming too hot to handle. This rough treatment resulted in no malfunctions or mechanical issues. When configured with a B&T Vers36-XM suppressor and a Trijicon MRO red dot paired with a 3X magnifier, the IC-9 was notably one of the least "gassy" suppressed guns in the test.
Accuracy was impressive, with plates engaged at 150 yards without difficulty, even with a 6-pound trigger. This heavier-than-ideal trigger did not hinder rapid target transitions due to the PCC's minimal muzzle movement and soft recoil. Further ergonomic details include easy-to-reach ambi mag releases and bolt catches, intuitive controls, a full-length Picatinny rail with reference numbers, and an oversized trigger guard with LWRC's Ultra Combat grip. Captured AR-type takedown pins simplify cleaning and maintenance. The report concluded that the IC-9 "checks every box," offering dead-nuts reliability and excellent build quality, delivering equivalent, and often better, performance than other high-end PCCs at a lower cost.
