F
Field Ethos
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By Mike Schoby
I can’t justify buying another rifle just because it could potentially serve as a “truck gun.” Hell, I have so many designated truck guns I don’t think I could stack them all inside my Ram’s Mega Cab. However, when I saw the Smith and Wesson FPC at SHOT Show that is the first thing that went through my mind, ‘It would make a great truck gun!’
But another 9mm pistol carbine? I already have more than I need. Smith & Wesson does make the FPC in 10mm as well, which is way cool, but still hard for me to justify buying another pistol caliber carbine. Then I saw it is also offered in 5.7×28—that piqued my interest. I honestly don’t have a 5.7 in either a pistol or carbine, but I do have a few boxes of Fiocchi ammo sitting on my shelf which I have been meaning to burn through, and this would be a fun platform to do it in, so I ordered it.
As you can likely tell, it doesn’t take much to talk me into buying a new rifle.
Aside from caliber, another vote for the S&W FPC is its legality (heck, they even make a California compliant version). With the continued ATF ambiguity surrounding pistol braces—they can’t seem to decide which direction to go and I’m sure we are one admin change away from them being interpreted as SBR’s again. Of course, you can always get a “real” SBR, but forgetting to follow the rules when traveling across state lines has real consequences, so having a 16-inch barrel folding rifle makes a lot of sense for a truck gun.
When I received the FPC, I was impressed—the folding mechanism was super intuitive and easy to use. The stock integrates two magazines in a secure locking mechanism. With one in the gun and two in the stock this brings the ammo load out to 66 rounds—fantastic for a grab-and-go package.
For me, the flat-top Picatinny rail requires a raised optic for a comfortable cheek weld. Enter an Aimpoint ACRO atop a Reptilia 1/3 lower mount. Not only is it functional, the FDE mount added a bit of lacking bling to the monochromatic black rifle. To compliment the look further, I added a Reptilia Socket sling mount and Torch flashlight body—both in FDE—to the M-Lok slots up front.
Since the FPC has a threaded muzzle, of course it requires a silencer. And if I needed a second reason, upon re-examining my ammo supply, I realized my stash of Fiocchi ammo was subsonic.
I have multiple rimfire suppressors but honestly wasn’t sure if they were rated for 5.7×28. Then I remembered the Rugged Oculus22 I have on a 22 magnum. I thought it was 5.7 rated. It was the reason I got it over the Rugged Mustang22. The 100% stainless steel construction was a difference of 3.5 ounces between the two (6.9 ounces versus 3.3 ounces) but if I remembered correctly, I believe reading that it was 5.7×28 rated. A quick check on the company’s website confirmed my memory wasn’t completely shot from Horse Soldier bourbon.
I direct threaded the Oculus on and stepped out into the back pasture for a quick mag dump. The combination of the 16-inch barrel, combined with the subsonic rounds and the keyed gas-sealing baffles of the steel suppressor left me grinning. It wasn’t as whisper quiet as a subsonic .22 LR in a bolt action, but it was damn close. While not a full horsepower 5.7 load, compared apples-to-apples, the 62-grain FMJ bullet would outperform either a subsonic 22 LR or subsonic 22 Win. Mag. with their lighter bullets.
After a couple of boxes of ringing steel plates, I was satisfied the rifle functioned well (actually, it functioned without a hitch). I decided to step up the next phase of testing with a more substantial load—namely the Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection 40-grain load. Designed from the ground up to a be a personal defense load, it features the company’s Uni-Cor bonded bullet. Unlike a traditional cup-and-core projectile that easily separates when encountering hard barriers, the bonding process is done at the molecular level, making for an incredibly tough, but expanding projectile, even when fired out of a carbine that regularly hits velocities of 2100+ fps.
All and all—do I need another truck gun? Nope. But the S&W FPC has been spending a considerable amount of time in the front of my truck lately. Spring is here in Montana and the gophers are out, as is the occasional coyote feeding on them. With the Rugged Oculus attached it is still easy to deploy inside the vehicle and can be poked out the window to take care of either problem out to 150 yards.
Price: $719 (Rugged Oculus22 — $$434, from SilencerShop).
Pros: Affordable, reliable and compact.
Cons: Wish the stock was adjustable for LOP.
The post Truck Gun Upgrade appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
I can’t justify buying another rifle just because it could potentially serve as a “truck gun.” Hell, I have so many designated truck guns I don’t think I could stack them all inside my Ram’s Mega Cab. However, when I saw the Smith and Wesson FPC at SHOT Show that is the first thing that went through my mind, ‘It would make a great truck gun!’
But another 9mm pistol carbine? I already have more than I need. Smith & Wesson does make the FPC in 10mm as well, which is way cool, but still hard for me to justify buying another pistol caliber carbine. Then I saw it is also offered in 5.7×28—that piqued my interest. I honestly don’t have a 5.7 in either a pistol or carbine, but I do have a few boxes of Fiocchi ammo sitting on my shelf which I have been meaning to burn through, and this would be a fun platform to do it in, so I ordered it.
As you can likely tell, it doesn’t take much to talk me into buying a new rifle.
Hassle Free Legality
Aside from caliber, another vote for the S&W FPC is its legality (heck, they even make a California compliant version). With the continued ATF ambiguity surrounding pistol braces—they can’t seem to decide which direction to go and I’m sure we are one admin change away from them being interpreted as SBR’s again. Of course, you can always get a “real” SBR, but forgetting to follow the rules when traveling across state lines has real consequences, so having a 16-inch barrel folding rifle makes a lot of sense for a truck gun.
When I received the FPC, I was impressed—the folding mechanism was super intuitive and easy to use. The stock integrates two magazines in a secure locking mechanism. With one in the gun and two in the stock this brings the ammo load out to 66 rounds—fantastic for a grab-and-go package.
Time To Pimp
For me, the flat-top Picatinny rail requires a raised optic for a comfortable cheek weld. Enter an Aimpoint ACRO atop a Reptilia 1/3 lower mount. Not only is it functional, the FDE mount added a bit of lacking bling to the monochromatic black rifle. To compliment the look further, I added a Reptilia Socket sling mount and Torch flashlight body—both in FDE—to the M-Lok slots up front.
Since the FPC has a threaded muzzle, of course it requires a silencer. And if I needed a second reason, upon re-examining my ammo supply, I realized my stash of Fiocchi ammo was subsonic.
I have multiple rimfire suppressors but honestly wasn’t sure if they were rated for 5.7×28. Then I remembered the Rugged Oculus22 I have on a 22 magnum. I thought it was 5.7 rated. It was the reason I got it over the Rugged Mustang22. The 100% stainless steel construction was a difference of 3.5 ounces between the two (6.9 ounces versus 3.3 ounces) but if I remembered correctly, I believe reading that it was 5.7×28 rated. A quick check on the company’s website confirmed my memory wasn’t completely shot from Horse Soldier bourbon.
I direct threaded the Oculus on and stepped out into the back pasture for a quick mag dump. The combination of the 16-inch barrel, combined with the subsonic rounds and the keyed gas-sealing baffles of the steel suppressor left me grinning. It wasn’t as whisper quiet as a subsonic .22 LR in a bolt action, but it was damn close. While not a full horsepower 5.7 load, compared apples-to-apples, the 62-grain FMJ bullet would outperform either a subsonic 22 LR or subsonic 22 Win. Mag. with their lighter bullets.
Truck Gun Performance
After a couple of boxes of ringing steel plates, I was satisfied the rifle functioned well (actually, it functioned without a hitch). I decided to step up the next phase of testing with a more substantial load—namely the Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection 40-grain load. Designed from the ground up to a be a personal defense load, it features the company’s Uni-Cor bonded bullet. Unlike a traditional cup-and-core projectile that easily separates when encountering hard barriers, the bonding process is done at the molecular level, making for an incredibly tough, but expanding projectile, even when fired out of a carbine that regularly hits velocities of 2100+ fps.
All and all—do I need another truck gun? Nope. But the S&W FPC has been spending a considerable amount of time in the front of my truck lately. Spring is here in Montana and the gophers are out, as is the occasional coyote feeding on them. With the Rugged Oculus attached it is still easy to deploy inside the vehicle and can be poked out the window to take care of either problem out to 150 yards.
Price: $719 (Rugged Oculus22 — $$434, from SilencerShop).
Pros: Affordable, reliable and compact.
Cons: Wish the stock was adjustable for LOP.
The post Truck Gun Upgrade appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
