The Maxim PDX
One of our very first stops at Range Day was the Maxim booth. The PDX got a lot of attention in the run up to SHOT, and for good reason. It is a rock solid and incredibly compact gun.
The guns they had on the range were all rifles. There is a pistol version that comes with a Maxim pistol brace, but these are all in that short-barreled category.
Their 5.56 has the shortest gas system on record. And it runs reliably well. The real question that arises is how this shortened system affects terminal ballistics. Short barreled guns take some of the punch out of the 5.56. Once we get a gun in for testing, we’ll clock speeds and see.
The performance, though, was superb. If a gun can stand up to the rigors of SHOT Show abuse, it is off to a good start.
Daniel ran the 5.56. I spent some quality time behind the 7.62×39. It ran well, too. I was shooting a suppressed gun. There’s something about running a quiet SBR that has an OAL that is shorter than your typical carbine.
The price on these dudes is going to keep many of us away. The rifle should come in north of $2K. Is it worth it for the shortest gun out there? That’s not a question I can answer for you.
I can say this. The Maxim PDX is ready to roll out of the box. Slap on an optic and you’re set. That’s important, as this AR patterned rifle won’t have some of the modularity you come to expect from the guns that come in at much lower price points. But that’s a new trend. To hell with the modularity that defined the AR-15. It is enough to build guns that look and feel familiar, and (arguably) improve on the decades old design.
