There are two guaranteed paths for a firearm to become wildly popular and ultimately legendary: appear in a popular movie or television show or be adopted by the military. In the case of the B&T APC9 Pro, it straddled both paths like other iconic firearms such as the Beretta M9/92FS, Colt M4, and HK MP5.
The APC9 was recently acquired by the US Military to replace the older and worn MP5, and the pistol-caliber carbine has recently appeared in the Terminal List spinoff Dark Wolf by Jack Carr.
I recently acquired a B&T APC9 Pro for review, and I’ve had the opportunity to get it into the hands of students at courses I’ve taught. It is a firearm that exists in the shadows of the giants that came before it, but as you’ll read, it is starting to cast a serious shadow of its own.
Earlier this year, B&T sent me an APC9 pistol for evaluation and review. I won’t say testing since nothing I could do would ever surpass the rigorous standards of the US military.
Instead, I would get the APC9 out on the range during my own sessions, get it into the hands of students in the Obsidian Spear Group courses I taught or attended, and let fellow firearms enthusiasts try it when the opportunities presented themselves.
My APC9 was sent with multiple magazines as well as a B&T sling bag that worked well to carry the magazines and pistol discreetly. The recent pistol brace ruling made the Gearhead Works Tailhook configuration an easy selection over a stock that would require an additional tax stamp and that would create more restrictive travel.
B&T also sent a 3D printed suppressor for me to use with the review, which unfortunately did not time well with the repeal of the $200 tax stamp this coming January.
A Brief APC9 History
When the US Military put out a call in 2019 to acquire a new submachine gun (the first since the WW2 Grease Gun in 1943), all the major brands submitted their best. B&T designed the APC9K and delivered it for evaluation in an incredibly short amount of time. From what I’ve gathered from reliable sources, under two months.
The new submachine gun was meant as a replacement to the HK MP5. In less than a decade, the APC9 has become incredibly popular in semi-automatic form in civilian markets.
As mentioned in the onset of this article, the APC9 has also appeared in the films White House Down, The Gray Man, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, along with the television show Dark Wolf.
Key Features and Initial Inspection
From the moment I removed the APC9 from the packaging, I was impressed. The Swiss are known for precise movements in timepieces and Swiss Army Knives, which those who know me also know my love for.
The APC9 is sturdy, has no shortage of rail space, and the controls are familiar. Anyone with experience using an AR-15 will appreciate the common control placement for the safety switch, bolt release, and magazine release. The non-reciprocating ambidextrous charging handle folds down out of the way until it is needed.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the APC9 is the lower half. B&T makes multiple versions that allow for use with magazines from Glock, SIG 320, and MP5 Magazines.
The lower is non-serialized, allowing for easy swaps and modularity. I requested the 9mm variant for the low cost of ammo, but if money were not an issue, I’d select 10mm out of the various caliber options purely for the power factor.
The collapsing brace pulls out to full extension and doesn’t pivot, but it does have the slightest amount of play, as you would expect it would when fully extended as far out as it can reach.
Range Performance
Before heading out to the range, I set up the APC9 Pro with a Vortex UH-1 HG Gen II optic, Surefire 3V Scout Light, and a small section of Picatinny rail covering.
One point worth mentioning was the speed bump I had with the receiver picatinny rail being slightly oversized and having to mount the Vortex, sliding it from the back of the receiver instead of clamping it over the top.
The APC9 came with a small, minimalist single-point sling that clips into the rear sling loop at the end of the receiver.
The design of the APC9 Pro lends itself to exceptional accuracy and performance. Starting with 25-yard bullseyes, I was impressed with it offhand. I had to see just how much accuracy I could squeak out of it, and going prone, I easily kept all of the shots inside the 10 ring, with many inside the “X” ring.
Recoil is very light in large part due to the heft of the APC9 and the hydraulic buffer system at the rear of the receiver. The trigger on the APC9 feels heavier than some of the AR15 precision triggers out there, but not as heavy as a stock Glock.
I found the APC9 settles back on target quickly after firing for easy and accurate controlled pairs and triples at 25 yards. Working ready-up drills, I found the combination of the APC9 height and Vortex optic to be perfect for quick sight acquisition.
While I didn’t swap out the provided pistol grip, it should be noted that the APC9 can accept AR pistol grips with more of a vertical profile than slanted, making it more comfortable to control in a slung position.
The pistol has enough real estate on the forend to hold it securely while transitioning laterally between targets.
The B&T Print-X suppressor came with an extension piece and two different end caps for vented and enclosed sound suppression. There is noticeably less blowback with the vented cap installed, and the sound with Defender Ammunition 147 grain subsonics was hearing safe with no distinct crack.
I tested a wide range of ammunition from Winchester white box, to Hornady Critical Duty, to Federal American Eagle. Supersonic rounds didn’t outperform the 147 subsonics from Defender in terms of accuracy, and the 147s chronographed between 1000 and 1050 feet per second with a noticeably quieter sound signature.
For fun and outside of the likely use of this firearm, I pushed back on a private range and was able to hit steel repeatedly at 100 yds with head holds. Considering this is a pistol round, the 9mm isn’t packing as much energy at 100 yards as it is inside of 10, but it is still traveling with enough authority to be lethal.
Where It Fits In
The APC9 was adopted by the military for personal security details requiring capability in a compact package. For this reason, it makes sense that it would perform well in civilian hands in certain environments.
The 9mm round puts out far less pressure than a 5.56 caliber firearm, making it easier to suppress and quieter in confined spaces. If the user is not wearing ear protection, which is highly likely in a home-defense scenario, preventing auditory exclusion will be a top priority.
Additionally, the 9mm round may penetrate less than a rifle round if the correct ammunition is selected. This is a serious consideration if the user is in a high population density neighborhood or environment.
The compact size and “pistol” designation also allow this firearm to travel where pistols are legal to carry but rifles are not.
Where it Doesn’t Fit In
A pistol-caliber carbine with a longer barrel can provide greater muzzle velocity, but it will never come close to the velocity provided by a rifle. Inside of pistol distances, the APC9 Pro will excel, but when pushed to rifle distances, pistol calibers simply cannot compete.
For those in law enforcement who may encounter individuals with body armor, rifles are a better option. Images of the North Hollywood bank robbers of the late 90s should come to mind when duty pistols couldn’t stop the two armed suspects.
Expectation management is essential with any firearm, and the same can be said for 5.56 being stretched to heavier caliber round distances.
Final Thoughts
The APC9 is a dream firearm. I’ve put a lot of ammunition through it. A LOT. This review was largely possible through the generosity of The Powder Room in Panama City Beach, FL, which provided the Defender Ammunition for the majority of the test.
It’s a good thing I had the ammo to spare because the students I let try it out burned through it quickly. I don’t recall a single tester who didn’t remark something positive about it.
Most commented on the lack of recoil, and others pointed out the accuracy they achieved. I still have some ammo left over and some classes coming up and I expect the sentiment to continue.
I’m a stickler for reliability, and during the course of the review, the only time I had any problem was not properly attaching the suppressor to the three lug adapter and watching the suppressor go down range.
This might have happened a couple of times, as my other suppressors are direct-thread or use another muzzle device.
At the risk of sounding overly confident in the firearm, if that is a thing, I was waiting for some problem to present itself, but it didn’t. Whether I shot the firearm clean, dirty, loaded mags with different ammo, or attempted to outrun the action, I couldn’t create a problem with it.
Simply put, I trust it and understand why the U.S. Military does too.
Cleaning the APC9 isn’t difficult; takedown and maintenance are very similar to other two-pin firearms. Some of the places where carbon builds up will require some smaller brushes and a bit of reaching.
During the test, when not loaded for the range, I kept the APC9 loaded next to my bed in the sling bag. With the smallest configuration of the can and the brace collapsed, the bag was just a little too short to fully enclose the pistol. I used the bag more as a scabbard and found it could protect the firearm while still being easy to access.
I’ve had a chance to use this APC9 for about six months now, and I’m a believer. I know where this firearm fits in, and it gives me a great option for home defense, while traveling and staying in urban areas, and as an introductory tool for the new shooter who may be reluctant to try a rifle for the heavier recoil or louder report.
This is the first B&T firearm I’ve used, but it won’t be my last. The company has earned its Swiss precision reputation, and I’m all for it. I’ll continue to train with this, get it out in front of others on courses, and watch as it continues to establish itself as an iconic firearm.
