The S&W FPC Side Folding Carbine

Earlier this year I heard rumblings that Smith & Wesson was coming out with a new pistol caliber carbine. As a fan of both the company and that platform, I was intrigued and eager to hear more. Finally, in late February, the Smith & Wesson M&P FPC (Folding Pistol Carbine) was released to the world. My interest was certainly piqued, especially after I saw Jerry Miculek's video.

   

Two other contributing factors to my interest were Smith & Wesson moving most of their production to a town about an hour away from where I live, and the fact that the FPC takes M&P 2.0 magazines. As I carry a 9mm M&P pistol every day, this detail meant I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new magazines.

The store where I work eventually received two of them, but they both sold the same day they arrived, which wasn't surprising. So I had to wait for the next shipment to arrive, which thankfully didn't take long, and the manager put one aside for me.

All told, the packaging and included components are very nice. Everything comes in a good quality padded case with handles and an attachable shoulder strap. 

Included in the case: 

• Carbine
• One 17-round magazine
• Two 23-round magazines
• Four grip back straps (S, M, L, and XL)
• Chamber flag
• Federally mandated lock
• Manual and other paperwork

Like the Kel-Tec Sub2000, the Smith & Wesson FPC folds in half for storage and transport. However, the FPC folds to the side instead of over the top, and the rear mounted charging handle interfaces with one of the slots on the fore end to lock it in the closed position. While this does make for a slightly wider package, it also means any optic mounted on the rail doesn't need to be removed or swung out of the way for storage.

Speaking of storage, the butt stock incorporates slots for two magazines, but this brings up one of my only criticisms of the FPC: the magazines are stored with bullets down and feed lips to the rear, which means quick reloading will require some practice to properly orient the magazines. Another issue with the magazine stowage is there are two release buttons, and the left button is pushed for the right magazine and vice versa. Again, this is a training issue, but not ideal.

I'm sure there will be aftermarket options available soon, as 3D printer files if nothing else.

Once I got it home, I gave it a quick teardown and cleaning. While I found disassembly slightly overcomplicated, it wasn't bad and revealed some interesting features:

• Removing the butt stock is easy enough, and it has an internal spring whose purpose seems to be applying pressure to the release lever. 
• The recoil tube plug and retaining pin can both be installed in either direction, a nice simplifying touch. 
• Once the bolt is removed, it's revealed to be two parts held together by a dovetail type interface.

As mentioned on one of the links in my AR 9mm PCC post, the combination of bolt and buffer should weigh at least 22 ounces., with more not being a problem. The FPC's carrier alone is nearly 21 ounces, and with the bolt in place it weighs in at 26.5 ounces, making it soft-shooting even for a pistol caliber carbine.

Speaking of shooting:

• Even with the no-name red dot I threw on it for testing, it was quite accurate at ten yards on a reduced-scale silhouette target, giving me the ability to nibble around the edges of the grouping and trim off scraps of target as I went. 
• Recoil was mild, as expected. 
• Brass was ejected in a pretty small area, allowing me to recover all fifty cases fairly quickly. Usually I lose at least one to the brass spirits.

All told I'm quite happy with my purchase, and with an MSRP only about $80 dollars more than a base model Sub-2000, Kel-Tec probably needs to keep an eye on their heels.