Brugger and Thomet hit SHOT Show 2022 with a bang, well, with more of a pew. The Special Purpose Carbine 9mm, or SPC9, was originally designed for a European police contract, but B&T is now bringing the gun to the United States in a wide variety of configurations. This includes several SBR variants, a PDW style design, a more traditional SBR with a AR 15 stock, and an NFA-free version with the 16-inch barrel.
I’m trying to find the best way to describe the SPC9. It’s a frankengun. We see major influences from the B&T APC 9mm series, the AR 15, and even a little MP5. The layout looks and handles like a AR 15. It has a buffer tube but not an AR-style buffer. Instead, you have the APC buffer in that tube. The gun uses the APC style lower with the awesome ambidextrous controls. You can use B&T magazines, and different lowers will accommodate Glock and SIG magazines too.
Where’s the MP5 come in? Well, the SPC9 charging handle is all HK and mounted near the front of the gun, right by the end of the handguard. You have a standard AR 15 charging handle too. You can use either to load, unload, and fix malfunctions.
Going Pew With The SPC9
At SHOT Show 2022’s Range Day, they had two SPC9s on deck. Both were SBR variants, and one was the more traditional B&T SPC9 SBR carbine and the other is the SPC9 PDW. Both wore B&T cans. Sadly, they didn’t have the non-NFA rifle variant of the SPC9 at Range Day. There doesn’t seem to be a braced pistol, at least not yet.
Both SPC9 variants handled like kittens. These guns utilize a straight blowback system, but the hydraulic buffer takes all the sting out of the blowback-operated guns. I dinged targets repeatedly at 50 yards with absolute ease. A great trigger and cold hammer-forged barrel ensure the gun’s super accurate. I found the standard 16-inch model on the floor and it’s an impressive gun.
As you expect from Swiss engineering, everything is meticulously crafted. The trigger is fantastic, the ergonomics are outstanding, and the gun handles very well. The SPC9 is a ton of fun to shoot suppressed, and my face wasn’t assaulted with gas with every shot.
I’m excited to see where B&T takes the SPC9. It’s a bit different than their previous entries, and while it’s unusual, I took a real shine to this new little PCC.
