For those who seek for the Excel Arms X9R on the Google machine, you gained’t discover a lot. A number of previous for-sale listings at most. On YouTube, all you’ll discover is a promo video from the shopper. While you look into Excel Arms as a complete, what you are likely to see is data on 5.7x28mm weapons they produced, a promised AutoMag pistol revival, and a TEC-22 clone, however not a lot else.
I can’t discover a single overview for the X9R on YouTube or Google. I stumbled into this oddball hanging on the wall of a dusty gun store with a $250 price ticket. Its odd appears captured me, and I’m a PCC fan. I snatched it up and introduced it house with out realizing a lot. After intensive looking out, I nonetheless don’t know a lot about this gun.
The Excel Arms X9R – What We Know
Right here’s what I do know for positive. The X9R is a semi-auto, 9mm, straight blowback carbine that makes use of Glock magazines. The gun was produced up till at the very least 2018, but it surely might need been produced longer than that; there isn’t a lot data. It’s value noting that the X9R missed the large PCC push of 2014/2015.
For those who weren’t into weapons in that period, you won’t know that the twin launch of the CZ Scorpion and MPX revived the PCC idea, and now everybody makes one. This was an fascinating period, and previous to the PCC revival, carbines that accepted Glock magazines had been fairly uncommon. The X9R provided Glock compatibility earlier than it was the usual. For those who’re curious concerning the origin of the “Does it Take Glock mags?” meme, it dates again to this period.
The X9R had that going for it, however not a lot else. The worth was between $800 and $650 for these rifles, based on previous listings, and that’s absurd. The weapons are CNC machined and feel and appear good, however they’re easy general. We get an AR-style inventory and pistol grip, however that appears to be the top of AR compatibility.
Reside Stock Worth Checker
Inside and Out
The handguard options Picatinny rails throughout the highest and backside and slots on the facet, however these aren’t M-LOK slots. They look like comparable in concept and assist you to mount rails, however the footprint is unknown to me, and it will need to have been proprietary. The barrel isn’t threaded, which is a disgrace as a result of this could possibly be a strong suppressor host.
The controls encompass a crossbolt security that’s fairly giant and a charging deal with to match. The journal launch is positioned ergonomically, so it’s simple to succeed in. It’s just like the journal launch you see on AR-9s. There isn’t a bolt launch, and the gun doesn’t have a last-round bolt hold-open machine. This was an issue of the period with Glock-mag fed carbines.
The charging deal with is correct facet solely, and there isn’t even a whiff of ambidextrous design with the X9R. It’s obtained all the trimmings of a straight blowback gun with a heavy recoil spring and heavy bolt, which ends up in a weighty little rifle.
The bolt is stainless, which makes all that carbon buildup from a straight blowback simple to wash off. The huge charging deal with supplies a safe grip, serving to you overcome the hefty recoil spring.
The gun comes with three Allen keys. Why? As a result of that’s what it is advisable to field-strip this factor. Yep, instruments are required to even clear the weapon. That is foolish, and so they may have discovered a extra easy tool-free methodology of disassembly.
To The Vary With the X9R
From prime to backside, the gun’s an oddity. It’s simple to know why it didn’t promote all that nicely, and why this seems to be the primary overview it’s acquired throughout the complete web. How does it carry out on the vary? I loaded up some metal and brass cased ammo, grabbed a handful of Glock magazines, and went to search out out.
Blowback weapons are likely to have a violent recoil impulse in keeping with a 5.56 AR-15. That’s not the case right here. It’s not overly easy, but it surely’s surprisingly delicate. Doubtless a testomony to good balancing of the bolt weight and recoil spring. It’s not jumpy, and it’s not throwing a lot into your shoulder. It’s higher than most inexpensive blowback 9mms, just like the KelTec SUB 2000, but it surely doesn’t contact a radial or curler delayed design.
Recoil apart, the accuracy additionally impressed me. It stacked rounds at 25 yards right into a two-inch circle. At 50 yards, I can attain out and hit an 8-inch gong with none actual problem. The X9R options an insanely mild set off. It has no noticeable takeup and a crisp break. The sunshine set off additionally makes it tempting to go quick.
Capturing Quick
For those who’ll indulge that temptation, the gun will go quick, generally quicker than you’d count on. Bump firing the gun is tremendous simple, and also you don’t want a flowery inventory to get it rocking and rolling. It’s an effective way to show cash into noise.
Very like the MP5, when the gun goes empty, you’ll hear a click on on account of a scarcity of the final spherical bolt maintain open. This slows reloads down, and so does the tight recoil spring. It’s important to jam the journal in after which combat with the charging deal with. Reloads are gradual, so don’t go too quick if you happen to can’t spare the reload time.
The gun does create a somewhat obnoxious noise. The receiver extension is empty, so when the gun fires, you possibly can hear the spring transfer, and it appears to echo contained in the tube. This leads to a reasonably annoying noise you’re left coping with. It’s not an issue, but it surely does annoy me.
There have been no reliability considerations. I didn’t shoot this gun extensively, however within the 300ish rounds I despatched downrange, I solely had one failure to fireplace, which appears to be a dud spherical greater than a gun failure.
Foretelling Failure
It’s simple to see why the X9R didn’t promote so nicely, or appeared to have bought nicely. The gun had an costly worth level combined with some odd options. It wasn’t fancy or revolutionary, it required instruments to area strip, and didn’t do something exceptionally nicely. The X9R is okay at a $250 worth level, however at $650 to $800, you’d be laughed out the door. Whereas it’s wonderful on the vary, it lacks objective.
There are higher choices for house protection and competitors, even within the PCC realm. Excel Arms isn’t any extra, however I’ll admit to some curiosity concerning the 5.7 model of this rifle. It is likely to be a bit of bit extra enjoyable. For now, the X9R will seemingly get misplaced within the gun protected.
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About Travis Pike
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms fanatic, and now an everyday man who likes to shoot, write, and discover methods to mix the 2. He holds an NRA certification as a Fundamental Pistol Teacher and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s teacher.
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