Smith & Wesson has expanded into several different areas over the last several years, from its M&P 12 shotgun to its Model 1854 lever-action, the company hasn't been afraid to explore new territory, and with its FPC, the Folding Pistol-caliber Carbine, Smith & Wesson entered the PCC market in a big way. Watch our "American Rifleman: Rifleman Review" segment above to see the FPC in action and hear the details of the design.
"Within the last few years, we've seen a lot of pistol caliber carbines emerging onto the market, and for good reason. They're easy to shoot. The ammo is a little bit more affordable. The whole mechanism is just a little bit simpler," American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. "And because of that, we're starting to see the pistol caliber carbine concept transition into some variants that, you know, maybe weren't really all that evident at first. And now Smith & Wesson is in the game with its FPC, the folding pistol caliber carbine."
Patterned off Smith & Wesson's M&P M2.0 handgun design, the FPC accepts standard M&P pistol magazines. A latch on the right side of the receiver, when pushed forward, allows the forward portion of the gun containing the barrel and handguard to hinge along the left side of the receiver and buttstock, making it an incredibly compact design that can be easily stored or transported.
"Not only does it take the magazines, but it also takes the interchangeable palmswell inserts on the backstrap, so you can really mold this to to fit your hand," Brune said. "It's also got a push button magazine release. We've actually got this right now on the right side of the frame, but it is reversible. It also has the newer blade-in style trigger, and that's been a really, really nice experience that just makes for a less mushy, more confident trigger pull."
The FPC also has on-board storage for additional magazines, with two slots on the underside of the buttstock that accept extended 23-round M&P magazines that Smith & Wesson includes with each gun, along with a standard, flush-fit 17-round magazine. There's also a bilateral charging handle located on the receiver extension, and a Picatinny optics rail located on the forward portion of the gun allows for the addition of a red-dot, open sights or other sighting solutions that remain zeroed to the barrel's point of impact, even after folding and unfolding the gun.
Overall, Smith & Wesson's FPC is really a welcome addition to a growing marketplace of pistol caliber carbines," Brune said. "So if you're looking for something that you know, it's easy to shoot, provides you just that much more capability in a defensive arm, the Smith & Wesson FPC is a great option to look at."
To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/videos/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.
