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Home Features

Daniel Defense PCC SBR- The Pistol Caliber Carbine Taken to a Higher Level

by Dan Shea
27 June, 2024
in Features, Reviews
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Daniel Defense’s compact and very ergonomic PCC in 9x19mm, with Vortex Spitfire Optic. (Dan Shea)

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Pistol caliber carbines have been around for a long time, now. Most were downscaled AR platforms with mechanical adapters to accommodate pistol calibers, and some were based on hunting rifle designs and crossed over. Daniel Defense has a long history in the firearms community and pioneered many advances in the AR platform. They have fulfilled numerous military contracts, including contracts with USSOCOM, as well as contracts to foreign militaries, in addition to tens of thousands of rifles sold to the American public. Their design and manufacturing process is highly-evolved, and state-of-the-art.

The Daniel Defense Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) is a purpose-designed carbine. Despite bearing design hallmarks of the AR platform, it has many unique features. When we decided to do a SADJ review on it, we chose the 13.6-inch long, short-barreled rifle (SBR) version. It seemed the right choice for a duty-type weapon. It’s available in a select-fire option, though we did not move forward with that option.

The PCC SBR has an 8.3-inch cold hammer forged, ½x28 threaded barrel with a 1:10-inch twist rate and an S2W profile. Most muzzle devices made for 9mm AR carbines will be useable on the DD PCC. It’s recoil-operated (no gas or piston system), uses a hydraulic buffer, weighs only 6.1 pounds (2.77 kg) unloaded, with an overall length of 22.5 to 27 inches, depending on stock setting.

Daniel Defense’s compact and very ergonomic PCC in 9x19mm, with Vortex Spitfire Optic. (Dan Shea)
Daniel Defense’s compact and very ergonomic PCC in 9x19mm, with Vortex Spitfire Optic. (Dan Shea)
The DD PCC has very well thought out, ambidextrous features. (Dan Shea)
The DD PCC has very well thought out, ambidextrous features. (Dan Shea)

PERFORMANCE

Our live fire evaluation was done at the Boulder City Rifle & Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada on a 100-meter range. (BRPclub.org) We chose to fire at 25 meters, at which range the point of aim is roughly the point of impact (regarding elevation) for most 9x19mm duty rounds. Dennis Powell was the shooter, and all record fire included the HUXWRX RAD 9 silencer and Vortex Spitfire optic. Velocity was recorded with the Garmin Xero C1 chronograph. Initial sighting-in was done with basic range ammo – we used Western 9x19mm 124gr FMJ (target not shown).

Some of the ammo we used for accuracy and function evaluation of the Daniel Defense PCC included Black Hills Ammunition 147gr JHP, Winchester 124gr FMJ, and Red Mountain Arsenal UHP Speer 147gr. (Dan Shea)
Results of our 10-round group accuracy testing. Shown are groups using three types of ammo: Black Hills Ammunition 147gr JHP (target left), Winchester 124gr FMJ (target center), and Red Mountain Arsenal UHP Speer 147gr (target right). (Dan Shea)

On the target, with 10-shot groups at 25 meters, we posted the following groups:

 Black Hills Ammunition 147gr JHP (TARGET BOTTOM)Winchester 124gr FMJ (TARGET MIDDLE)Red Mountain Arsenal UHP Speer 147gr (TARGET TOP)
Average Velocity (FPS)106310981072
Min/Max Velocity (FPS)1046/10951268/12931073/1103
Standard Deviation (FPS)14.718.823.3
Velocity Spread (FPS)4956.830
3-Round Group Size (MOA).381.43
10-Round Group Size (MOA)1.41.81.4

Atmospherics (using Kestrel 5700):

Altitude 2314 ft
Temperature 64°F
Wind Velocity 7 mph (coming from behind)
Humidity 34%
Barometric Pressure 27.48 hg
The Daniel Defense PCC’s ambidextrous controls are inclusive. The magazine release, last round bolt hold-open/bolt release, and safety/fire selector are all placed for ease of use. (Dan Shea)
The Daniel Defense PCC’s ambidextrous controls are inclusive. The magazine release, last round bolt hold-open/bolt release, and safety/fire selector are all placed for ease of use. (Dan Shea)
The Daniel Defense PCC’s ambidextrous controls are inclusive. The magazine release, last round bolt hold-open/bolt release, and safety/fire selector are all placed for ease of use. (Dan Shea)
The ambidextrous last round bolt-hold open/release shown in action. (Dan Shea)
The unique mechanism presents a bolt block when either the right or left lever is engaged, or the magazine follower pushes the block into position. When either side release is pressed, it drops out of the way, as well as when the bolt is retracted slightly. (Dan Shea)

From an armorer’s point of view, the placement of the ejector and the mechanism for changing it (inset) is much appreciated. It’s very easily accessed to fix a worn or damaged ejector. (Dan Shea)
From an armorer’s point of view, the placement of the ejector and the mechanism for changing it (inset) is much appreciated. It’s very easily accessed to fix a worn or damaged ejector. (Dan Shea)
The magazine well entrance is tapered for fast guidance of the CZ Scorpion magazines into position. In our case, we used Magpul P-MAG 35 EV9 35-round magazines, and we found mag changes were very quick. (Dan Shea)
Daniel Defense’s forend attachment system is one of the best M-LOK attachment system on the marketplace for AR style rifles and carbines. (Dan Shea)
The Daniel Defense 4-position buttstock is skeletonized and very lightweight, yet sturdy. It was fast to deploy to a comfortable length, both with and without body armor, and the slight rise for a cheek rest on either side was enough to get a decent cheek weld for our optic. Our PCC SBR came with DD’s standard stock, but it’s also offered with the excellent Maxim Defense CQB Gen 7 stock. (Dan Shea)
Field takedown of the Daniel Defense PCC. The Vortex optic and HUXWRX RAD 9 silencer are still installed. (Dan Shea)

HUXWRX RAD 9 SUPPRESSOR

Daniel Defense chose to use the HUXWRX RAD 9 silencer for the PCC SBR. HUXWRX says “HUXWRX Safety Company is a human exposure workshop dedicated to building products that are optimized for the safety and health of our customers, without compromising efficiency or performance.”

HUXWRX was at one time OSS Suppressors, a successful and innovative manufacturer with their OSS “Flow-Through” technology. HUXWRX is focused on the “safety” aspect of their product’s effect on end users. With as much damage as frequent firearms use has done to the health of end users, this is pretty refreshing. As toxic gas mitigation has become a popular discussion topic, as many shooters have serious heavy metal issues in their blood, the issue is addressed by HUXWRX “Flow-Baffle” technology which uses a series of helical coils that decrease blowback, and actually blow gasses forward. The Flow-Baffle design directs the expanding propellant gases that escape from behind the projectile uncorking from the muzzle into the suppressor entrance chamber, away from the bore line. Once re-directed, the radial grooves route these gases forward, through the suppressor, and away from the shooter.

Our tests at the range confirmed the claims about the gas-forward operation of this system. It accomplished this without adding any perceived recoil. We’ve previously tested the HUXWRX suppressors on fully automatic M16 rifles and found no increase in their cyclic rate. It was clear that the HUXWRX suppressor tightened the group (as expected) while meeting our expectations for sound suppression performance. Sound pressure levels with the RAD 9 are expected to be in the 133-136 dB range, and to the ear, that sounded right. HUXWRX suggested their new Ca$h 9k would be a good option for the Daniel Defense PCC, but we did not try one.

Daniel Defense PCC 9mm with HUXWRX RAD 9 silencer installed. (Dan Shea)
The RAD 9 silencer comes with an extension; the basic silencer is 5.15 inches (13.08 cm) long and weighs 5.9 ounces (167 grams); when the extension is added, the long configuration (shown in all photos) is 7.7 inches (19.56 cm) and weighs 9.1 ounces (258 grams). (Dan Shea)
Daniel Defense chose the 9mm HUX 2550 Stiction Lock Compensator (threaded 1/2×28) for the PCC’s muzzle device. “Stiction” generally means the force needed to get an object into motion. This is a well-designed anti-rotation device that keeps the suppressor from unscrewing. It’s right-hand threaded onto the barrel, while the HUXWRX suppressor mounts on it with a left-hand thread. As a note, the suppressor endcap is right-hand threaded onto its mount base, which is anti-rotational when the gases from firing are involved. (Dan Shea)
View of the front endcap and the muzzle-attaching end of the RAD 9 silencer. (Dan Shea)
The patented “Flow-Through” system is evident in the ports in the end cap. (Dan Shea)
A Nielsen device is often used on handguns to counter the silencer’s mass, which can cause cycling problems on the carefully timed, tilting barrel operating systems used in many pistols. (Dan Shea)
For our tests on the PCC SBR, which doesn’t need the Nielsen device to function with a suppressor, we removed it and used the HUXWRX-provided end cap that attaches to the muzzle device on the PCC. (Dan Shea)

VORTEX SPITFIRE AR PRISM SCOPE

The Vortex Spitfire AR prism scope is designed specifically for the AR/M16 firearm family. (Dan Shea)

The Vortex Spitfire AR prism scope is designed specifically for the AR/M16 firearm family. That means 5.56x45mm, and in fact there is a bullet drop compensator (BDC) turret included. So why would we put it on a 9mm carbine? Because it’s designed for an AR, it’s small, very fast for target acquisition, and very accurate. With the range of the 9x19mm cartridge initially being designed for under 50 meters (of course, we shoot it farther), and the typical police AR rifle engagement being less than that (even police sniper engagements average a bit over 50 meters), we decided the Vortex Spitfire and the 9x19mm round complimented each other at these real-world engagement distances.

Most 9x19mm-issue cartridges have no elevation drop from point-of-aim out to 25 meters, and only 1-2 inches of drop at 50 meters. (We should note here that prism scopes are not compatible for use with Vortex’s Micro 6x, Micro 3X, or VMX-3T magnifiers). The illumination controls are two buttons located under the ocular lens; one has an up arrow, the other a down. The ocular is used for reticle focus – it’s rotated right or left when viewing a blank surface to get a sharp focus for the operator’s eye. All of our shooters were very pleased with the Spitfire AR optic, and each had their preferences on reticle color and brightness. At only 4.3 inches long, weighing 11.2 ounces, and yielding a 79-foot field of view at 100 yards, this FFP 1x optic is an unobtrusive enhancement for the Daniel Defense PCC.

The single AAA battery compartment is under the objective lens (at the muzzle end of the optic) and it’s opened with a coin or screwdriver. The battery will last around 250 hours on the optic’s highest brightness setting, and up to 3000 hours on its lowest. (Dan Shea)
The Spitfire AR uses the Vortex “Dual Ring Tactical” (MOA) reticle. (Dan Shea)

The Spitfire AR uses the Vortex “Dual Ring Tactical” (MOA) reticle. This is a glass-etched reticle and is very durable. Shown here, the illumination is at “0” so the DRT reticle was easier to photograph. In real use, there are five brightness levels; the lowest is “ultra-low” and is for use with night vision devices. The operator can choose either red or green illumination by momentarily pressing both the up- and down-arrow buttons at the same time. Color is more a personal choice, of course, but the ultra-low red works well with night vision goggles, perhaps better than green… again, it’s subjective. Reticle subtensions (the reticle markings) are in MOA, which will aid those who use the reticle for range finding.

Author

  • Dan Shea
    Dan Shea

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Tags: 9mmDaniel DefensePCC

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