The Extar EP9 is quickly becoming one of my favorite guns to take to the range. That, honestly, is surprising. Until this summer, I’d never heard of Extar. And, as I said in the overview article, I just assumed the company was based overseas, not in Arizona.
While, in simple terms, the EP9 is a direct-blowback PCC mainly made of polymer, it has more going on. Extar has worked some magic on the recoil-operated system. The engineers designed a recoil dampening system that reduces much of the felt recoil so often associated with direct blowback. And it works, even when running suppressed.
So, after putting hundreds of rounds through the brace-equipped EP9, it seems like a perfect choice for an affordable home defense or as a truck-style gun. It’s compact, shoots the world’s most commonly available ammunition, and uses a widely accepted magazine. It just makes logical sense.
The Plan
Every good idea starts with a plan or a thesis to guide the project and mine did, too. A truck gun or home defense gun—at least in my view—refers to any firearm stored in your vehicle or readily accessible in your home for self-defense, hunting, or survival purposes. These firearms typically have some key traits, including versatility, compactness, and lethality.
Of course, that definition can be somewhat vague, with a lot of variables to consider. For example, “home” could mean a sprawling farm, a single-family house in a suburban neighborhood, or a one-bedroom apartment in a busy urban area. Each situation calls for something different. It also depends on what you’re comfortable with and what you train with.
Pro tip: Always train with your personal defense gun. Verify and test the optics, the light, your ammunition of choice, and your magazines. Make sure everything functions properly, then make sure again a few months later.
Warning: If you want to pursue this idea, check your local laws on transporting weapons in vehicles, especially long guns and NFA items. Know the specifics around the castle doctrine and stand-your-ground laws in your state. For carrying in your car or truck, states with concealed carry or constitutional carry often favor handguns. Things can get tricky when loading long guns and other allegedly intimidating items in vehicles. Don’t be test case. Know your local laws and how they apply to what you want to do.
The Build
Living in a single-family home in a modern development surrounded by fields puts me in a unique situation. The house sits on a third of an acre corner lot near the main entrance. Getting in and out is simple, with two side entrances to the neighborhood also accessible. Unobstructed views extend down two streets, one over 1,000 yards long and the other about 400 yards. Behind the furthest house, a farm borders the neighborhood on two sides.
With all of that, I have options. I’m building levels of defense that include a handgun, AR-15, and the PCC. There are two of us and one dog in the house. With all of that in mind, this is how I decided to kit out the EP9.
- Vortex Venom Enclosed Micro Red Dot: The Vortex is an affordable enclosed pistol dot that I have masquerading now as a rifle optic. While it doesn’t come with an AR-mount, I’m using an old Leupold DeltaPoint mount that I had lying around. Since the Venom shares the same footprint as the Deltapoint, it was a perfect fit…no adapter plate needed. An optic like this is perfect for use on a compact PCC like the EP9.
- Holosun RAID (Rifle Area Illumination Device): A quality light is key for any defensive arm. The RAID is relatively new from Holosun and boasts some incredible specs, including 1,000 lumens, 80,000 candela, a light body built of 7075 aluminum, and is IPX8 rated. It ships with mounting hardware for M-LOK and Picatinny, and a clicky tail cap with a Crane port that works with the accompanying pressure pad. So far, I really like this light. Its downside is that it’s a bit too big. I might consider going to a more compact option in the future, but for now, it works.
- IWC M-LOK Hand Stop: Simple and effective. The hand stop is compact and requires only a single M-LOK slot for mounting. I’ve really liked the IWC accessories I’ve tried so far. They are affordable and feature intuitive, helpful designs (like NSLOT light mounts for retro guns).
- Magpul MOE-K Grip: This is a personal preference. The factory grip on the EP9 is fine. I had this one left over from a past project. I like the smaller K size, and it fits with the compact nature of EP9 and the project.
- Silencerco Omega 36M: Increasingly, no gun is complete without a suppressor. The Omega 36M is a jack-of-all-trades can that handles a wide range of calibers and platforms. I’m running the modular suppressor in the short configuration and it fits perfectly under the handguard.
Initial Impressions
As much as I’ve liked the EP9 so far, I have one real complaint. I’m not sure why the top Picatinny rail doesn’t extend the full length of the handguard. It’s actually annoying and caused a bit of trial and error when setting up the light with the hand stop. That extra rail space would have allowed for better pressure pad and hand placement when using a C-grip.
That said, the EP9 has operated flawlessly. At the range, I was using GLOCK 33-round OEM magazines with HOP 147 and 124-grain polymer-coated ammo. They functioned cleanly and, with the 147s, quietly. Thanks to the bolt dampening system, there wasn’t any excess felt recoil and minimal carbon blowback. To me, the EP9 was clearly meant to run suppressed.
Zooming Out
The EP9 so far presents an intriguing option for a home defense or truck gun. It’s compact, maneuverable, and has all the key features I look for in a firearm like this. The accessories and other gear are tailored to my particular environment and fit within a system. Your needs and situation will probably mean making some different choices.
I plan to spend more time testing it before sharing my final thoughts, shooting it both suppressed and unsuppressed with different magazines to evaluate its performance. Only then can I give a detailed report on whether the EP9 is worth your consideration.
“Increasingly, no gun is complete without a suppressor.”
I’ll be “all in” once registration is removed and CA reverses its course on banning everything under the 2A sun.