Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC) are all the rage right now. It seems that everyone has their own take on these versatile platforms. Foxtrot Mike has now added to their Mike-9 PCC line with the Mike-9 Hybrid. GunMag Warehouse’s Jeremy Stone recently took a Foxtrot Mike FM-9 Hybrid to the range for an initial impression.
What is the Mike-9 Hybrid?
According to the Foxtrot Mike website, the only difference between the Hybrid and the original Mike-9 is the pistol grip. The Mike-9 is equipped with a standard A2 Mil Spec grip, while the Hybrid features an integral “Hybrid Reserve Mag” grip. Essentially, the Hybrid grip functions like a mag well, except it doesn’t feed the chamber. It holds an extra mag in reserve, theoretically enabling a quicker reload. More on that in a moment. First, let’s look at the Hybrid’s specs, via the Foxtrot Mike website.
Foxtrot Mike-9 Hybrid Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Operating System: Straight Blowback
- Barrel Length: 5, 10, or 16 Inches
- Barrel Contour: Lightweight
- Barrel Twist: 1:10
- Muzzle Thread: ½ x 36
- Weight: Variable by Barrel length
- Ambidextrous Safety Selector
- Billet Aircraft Aluminum Receivers
- Free Float M-Lok Compatible Handguard
Not Exactly Ambidextrous
Foxtrot Mike advertises the Mike-9 and the Hybrid as being ambidextrous. This is true in the case of the safety selector, magazine release, and grip magazine release, though the latter control achieves ambidexterity by being reversible.
The bolt catch is supposedly ambidextrous, but it seemingly doesn’t work. The gun has a standard AR-15 style bolt catch on the left side, with a small pin that moves up and down on the right. Except it doesn’t move far enough and also keeps the left side bolt catch from engaging properly. Jeremy notes that he found some stuff online showing that the receiver must be cut to allow the right-side bolt catch to move as it’s supposed to. Or you can just remove the right-side pin altogether. Jeremy did that and, voila, the left-side bolt catch works as designed. Not exactly a confidence builder and certainly not ambidextrous.
The Grip Mag Holder
The grip mag holder sounds cool at first but seems like a solution in search of a problem. Some folks no doubt like it, but Jeremy has some issues. But to be fair, the main problem is caused by his being left-handed. The grip mag release is located just where a standard pistol mag release would be. When Jeremy goes to shoot, his hand often, if not always, releases the mag just by gripping it.
But, as noted, the mag release is reversible, so that really isn’t a big deal. Right-handed or left, the shooter can set it up however works best. Jeremy does note that the release button is hard to reach, at least for him, when he shoots right-handed. But that seems similar to pistols. Some hands fit the grip and mag release, and some don’t. Some folks have to adjust their grip to hit the release. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Jeremy, however, questions the need for the grip mag holder in the first place. Again, some folks probably like it, but Jeremy points out that he would rather pull an extra mag from his chest rig or belt. It does seem that a new reloading technique would have to be learned and, after that one mag, the shooter would be back to the traditional techniques anyway.
And the grip is integral to the lower receiver, so you can’t swap it out. Jeremy doesn’t care for the grip, but some will probably like it. Given the grip’s function, it’s not surprising that it’s not detachable.
Yes, it takes Glock mags.
The good thing is that if you don’t care for the grip mag holder, you can always get yourself an original Mike-9. Both guns accept 9mm Glock mags, which is always a smart move. We also like it when manufacturers see the wisdom in not making their customers buy yet another proprietary mag when it’s unnecessary.
The Mike-9 series looks like a cool line of PCCs, whether you get the original or the Foxtrot Mike FM-9 Hybrid, or any of the three different barrel lengths. The good thing is that you get to decide which one fits you best. What do you think? Does the grip mag holder seem like a good thing? Let us know in the comments. Happy shooting y’all.
