Over the past few years, AR-9s — chambered for 9x19mm — have steadily risen in popularity as a cult favorite of those looking for cost-effective and highly user-friendly gun platform.
With the ergonomics and extremely familiar layout of the AR-15, albeit with a smaller round, a considerably weaker recoil impulse, and different magazines, AR-9s are a weird but workable mix between 9mm pistol caliber carbines and 5.56 NATO or .223 Rem AR-15s.
Given the lower price of 9mm ammunition in comparison to the larger rifle calibers that are typically used on ARs, it’s really no wonder that AR-9s have become as much of a fan favorite as they are these days.
In fact, a number of companies including Noveske and Palmetto State Armory have already hopped aboard the AR-9 train — offering guns like the Space Invader or the Shockwave to a wide range of consumers from competitive shooters in training to weekend range enthusiasts — and even those looking for a viable home defense gun.
That’s where Quarter Circle 10’s AR-9, dubbed the QC5, makes its appearance. This gun throws it back to the legendary Heckler & Koch MP5 — the original Cold War-era benchmark for all 9mm submachine guns.
While the MP5 was designed to use spindly banana-style magazines, most AR-9s today make use of straight Colt mags, or angled Glock-style mags, which look somewhat out of place on a gun designed to make use of a smaller cartridge.
QC10′s gun is thus engineered to field MP5 magazines and uses mil-spec parts to offer shooters a considerably robust and pretty cool-looking gun. The company builds both a pistol and carbine version of the QC5, with either a side charging handle (oooo, that MP5 slap!) or an AR-style rear charging handle.
The receiver is milled from 7075-T6 billet aluminum, and the gun features a Type III anodized hard coat. QC10 sells the QC5 pistol in three main barrel options: 5.5, 7.5 and 10.5 inches.
Additionally, for an extra charge, buyers can get their QC5 with a match-grade Hiperfire trigger beginning at $180.
The QC5 makes use of a custom pistol brace developed by QC10, and comes with a KeyMod handguard.
Given the level of customization that end-users are afforded with ARs, it’s not so far fetched to think that a shooter could modify this gun (and maybe lose the KeyMod for a different handguard) to meet his or her needs.
Before you break out the credit cards and checkbooks, be advised that the QC5’s primary drawback is it’s insanely high price.
Retailing for $1,689, QC10′s QC5 is nowhere near as wallet-friendly as a considerable number of AR-9s on the market today, though the argument persists that top-notch quality does come at a price.
Ian D’Costa is a correspondent with Gear Scout whose work has been featured with We Are The Mighty, The Aviationist, and Business Insider. An avid outdoorsman, Ian is also a guns and gear enthusiast.
