I’ll be the first to admit that as much as I enjoy AR rifles, their pistol caliber clones and AR-style “pistols” as the ill-fitting moniker goes have not excited me much. After all, there are handguns for recreation and personal defense that are entirely useful at near and near-ish distances, and modern sporting rifles for reaching further out for defense, fun, and hunting, so why combine the two? But I’m starting to come around, thanks to a great little 9mm AR style pistol called the EP9, also sold in 45 ACP as the EP45. It’s made by Extar Firearms USA.
Why has the EP9 made a believer out of me? It can be summed up in three words: reliability, ease, and fun. Having put a substantial number (in the hundreds) of rounds downrange with it now, I feel confident recommending it for these reasons.
EP9 Features
Polymer: don’t hate on it until you’ve tried it. Except for the fire control group and six-inch barrel, the EP9 is made of polymer. It weighs just 4.9 pounds. It has a shroud over the barrel end, a good thing for gauging hand placement by feel without endangering the operator. The full-length Picatinny rail offers lots of space for both an optic and iron sights (not included).
Controls
The controls are placed in easy reach. The left-side charging handle is easily operable by most people. All other functions will feel familiar to AR operators, though they all seem just a bit closer at hand with the EP9. The mag release, safety switch, bolt release, and trigger have that classic A2/milspec feel that make for easy transitioning between the EP9 and that heavier AR that consumes more expensive ammunition.
Stock
Extar offers two adjustable stocks; their in-house model and one by industry brace leader SB Tactical. My test copy has the SB Tactical and it’s easy and smooth to use. But buyers can save $100 by going with Extar’s brace, which also has positive feedback.
Magazines
A really cool, practical feature of this gun is that it’s compatible with Glock magazines. I tried mags from a Gen 4 Glock in it and they ran as well as Extar’s 18-round (10 round capacity option available) house mags. There are four mags included in their upgrade package; well worth the extra expense.
Speaking of that upgrade package, buyers also get a nice, padded zippered carry case with a shoulder strap, mag pouches, and zippered storage pocket. Then there’s a classy black, elasticized, clip-on one-point sling with the Extar logo. I’ve found this to be super handy even for range use as I’m checking and resetting targets or loading mags. For defensive use it’d be equally helpful, allowing the user to go hands-free if necessary.
Reliability
The gun that doesn’t go “bang” with every trigger pull is neither fun nor safe, defensively speaking. And in competition, reliable cycling is essential. I haven’t been able to make it malfunction regardless of ammo type/brand or rate of fire. It just keeps running.
Doing mags right is a place where startup manufacturers often stumble, but that’s not the case with Extar Their branded mags are lightweight and run without flaw. During this test the mags were dropped form standing position onto a concrete surface more than once. They turned up none the worse for the wear. My home range is a very dusty environment; fine sand penetrates every available surface on any part that touches the ground and many that don’t. None of that has impaired operation of the gun or mags.
It’s in the reliability department that the EP9 is, in my opinion, a standout in the PCC class. It deserves popular acceptance more than certain household-name brand PCCs for this reason.
Shooting Extar’s EP9
Light weight is generally associated with greater felt recoil. But Extar turns that assumption on its head with their innovative two-stage buffer tube system, which absorbs much of the force, leaving the user with very little to deal with. One of the industry porfessionals who tried this gun at a writers’ conference fired about eight rounds in succession as his first go with the EP9. His immediate reaction was “wow, this is the flattest-shooting pistol carbine I’ve ever fired.” He wasn’t exaggerating. It truly is a flat shooter, and thus offers numerous advantages for the beginner, competitive, or youth shooter who need not be distracted nor slowed down by recoil.
Trigger Thoughts
The traditional curved, aluminum two-stage trigger is as close to a clone in operation to a traditional A2 trigger as one can get in terms of creep, break, and clearly audible/palpable reset. Experienced shooters will find it familiar. Beginners will find it easy to learn and rewarding to use.
The Extar EP9 is great for anyone wanting to stay or become competent on an AR style gun without breaking the bank on either gun or ammo. With the exception of the charging handle, everything is the same, just more compact.
Compactness alone is another virtue of the EP series. That six-inch barrel and collapsible stock make for a discreet package that fits easily into any automobile cabin or in tight apartment quarters. Its lightness makes it exquisitely portable, eliminating excuses and barriers for going unarmed.
Extar rightly points out advantages of maintenance with their polymer components. Rust and lubrication are never a concern.
Is the EP9 Accurate?
The best-laid plens can go awry. On the first range appointment, winds gusted so hard that sandbags wouldn’t hold targets down. Then I found a perfectly calm day, but my intention to place the target at 15 yards was hampered by what has otherwise been a good sighting tool for this gun—the Lucid Optics E7. It has a blue reticle, and I showed up with a target in the same shade of blue. The reticle was invisible. So I colored in some bullseyes with a Sharpie and moved the target to 10 yards. The outer reticle ring was barely visible then, but it was enough to place its outline around my makeshift bullseyes. Here’s how it went:
Top Two—the Worthy Defenders: Federal Law Enforcement Tactical HST 147 grain JHP and Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain Flexlock laid down tight clusters of nearly the same size.
Second Place—the Faithful Workhorses: Likewise, Federal American Eagle 147 grain FMJ and CCI Blazer 100 grain FMJ Reduced Recoil loads, brass-cased, both performed without flaw but delivered slightly looser groups.
Ammunition tests in articles like this should be taken with consideration that an imperfect human and often imperfect conditions influence so-called accuracy; quality of the gun notwithstanding. That said, these results are what I expected.
Lasting Impression: Fun to Shoot
Full disclosure, I find any gun that runs well fun to shoot. But the EP9 well exceeds that simple standard. It’s handy in every way, reasonably priced to buy and operate, and can easily take on a rifle in terms of performance at typical defensive distances.
Being low-maintenance adds to the enjoyment, at least if you’re like me and would rather spend weekend nights doing something other than gun cleaning. Polymer is impervious to the concerns that plague metal and wood components, and Extar claims it to be more wear-resistant than the most hardened aluminun.
Whether for sport, training, or defense, the EP9 checks all the boxes a PCC can and does it in fine style. Being American-made by an Arizona company, it’s also a tool the owner can be proud of. I wasn’t an easy customer at first. But one range session opened my mind, and by the third, this little gun also wins my hearty recommendation.
Extar EP9 Price and Accessory Options
Prices start at $449 for the base model with two mags and Extar brace. Add $100 for the SB Tactical brace, and $100 for the bag/extra mag/sling bundle. There is no bad use of dollars among these choices, but leave room in the budget for a set of flip-up iron sights at the least. And shoot with confidence knowing you’ve supported a family-owned American business.
