The PDW concept evolved from a program hosted by NATO in the early 1990s, and it generally involved guns like the MP7 and P90. The idea was a bit of a flop in that regard, but it did expose the need for submachinegun-sized platforms that offered more range, better penetration, and generally better all-around performance. While the MP7 and P90 still exist and are PDWs, the modern PDW is slightly different.
The Modern PDW is a miniature weapon chambered in a rifle caliber. I’d say it’s a rifle, but a lot of the variants on the civilian market are considered handguns due to legal definitions. SOCOM recently adopted a new PDW that exemplifies the miniature rifle-like platform in the form of the MCX Rattler. With that idea in mind, I’ve gathered five mini rifle-like weapons for your consumption.
The Modern PDW
The modern PDW isn’t an infantry rifle designed to hit targets 300 yards and beyond. It’s a small platform with a short barrel in a rifle caliber. The modern PDW platform excels at close-range combat and offers superior penetration, especially against vehicles, hardcover, and body armor. At ranges from five feet to 150 yards, the modern PDW excels.
It’s an excellent home defense weapon and, in braced configurations, offers you stability and capability without restrictions on rifles or SBRs. These weapons come in various calibers and often use common magazine platforms. Their small size and short barrels make them natural suppressor hosts, and even with a suppressor they are still a fair bit shorter than a 16-inch barrel without a suppressor.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the top five currently on the market.
5. BRN 180 Gen 2 10.5 Inch Barrel
10.5-inch barrels are on the long side of this list by a fair bit, but the BRN 180 works as an uber short platform because you don’t need an external buffer. It’s based on the AR 18 series rifles and uses a short-stroke gas piston system with a buffer integral to the upper receiver. The BRN 180 lowers are easily fitted with a 1913 folding brace.
A folding brace of one type or another is a must-have, and that’s why this weapon hits the list, even with its slightly longer barrel.
The BRN 180 comes in 5.56, 300 Blackout, and 7.62×39. All of those calibers work fine from the shorter 10.5-inch barrel. However, the .300 Blackout and 7.62×39 excel rather well.
Although you can use a AR 15 lower, you’ll need an adapter to mount 1913-style braces. The BRN 180 allows you to use all your favorite AR 15 triggers, magazines, accessories, and more. The M-LOK handguard and optics rail take the old AR 18 series into the modern-day and make attaching red dots, lights, and more plenty easy.
4. Maxim PDX
Maxim is an early adopter of the PDW in a rifle caliber idea and perfected the AR in mini platforms. They did more than make it work. They made it work comfortably with innovations like the HATEBRAKE that propels the blast, muzzle flash, and concussion forward to leave the shooter with greater situational awareness. The PDX Implements the HATEBRAKE and Maxim’s revolutionary PDW brace system.
This modern PDW packs a 5.5-inch barrel and comes in 5.56, .300 Blackout, and 7.62x39mm. Sure, 5.6 seems silly, but it’s a reasonably affordable option.
The .30 caliber designs tend to do better from the shorter barrels, but all put holes in things that need holes punched.
Maxim’s experience and expertise allow them to craft a weapon only 18.75 inches long with a brace. They implement an excellent handguard design that envelopes the barrel and HATEBRAKE to form a seamless handguard with plenty of M-LOK slots for accessories, rails, and whatever else you need. It’s small but frighteningly powerful.
3. CZ Bren 2 MS Pistol
Two pistols in the Bren lineup make the list, and they are only slightly different. The 5.56 model has an 8-inch barrel and the 7.62×39 version has a 9-inch barrel. They both fall into the modern PDW category, and the short-stroke gas piston system allows for easy implementation of a folding brace design. SB Tactical isn’t shy about supporting the CZ Bren design either.
The Bren 2 series present an ultra-modern firearm, and CZ was not constricted by a military contract when they created the Bren 2.
This resulted in a very lightweight weapon weighing less than six pounds. The charging handle no longer reciprocates, and we got a bevy of ambidextrous controls.
CZ designed an ultra-modern firearm that keeps the weapon short at only 19.9/20.7 inches depending on caliber and barrel length. If these two are too short, there are 11-inch barreled guns which make a fair bit more sense than 5.56 caliber guns. This modern PDW represents CZ being untamed and ready to produce the weapon they’ve always wanted.
2. CMMG Dissent
The CMMG Dissent is relatively new, and as the name implies, it dissents from the AR 15 and firearms in general. The CMMG Dissent ditches the buffer tube and external buffer for an internal micro setup paired with a direct impingement system. This isn’t a system we’ve seen before, and it’s innovative and new. It’s also ridiculously small and available in 5.56, .300 Blackout, and even 5.7x28mm.
The 6.5-inch barrel pairs well with the 14.7-inch overall length and weight of less than 5 pounds. The ultra-short barrel favors the 5.7 or .300 Blackout round, but 5.56 is the affordable option, though it’s the loudest, fiercest, and often lacking the potential of the other cartridges from the short barrel.
The Dissent is a modern PDW that incorporates AR ergonomics without the AR buffer tube. The most significant difference ergonomically is the side charging handle that sits above the barrel. It’s ultra-easy to use and ideally suited for a folding brace with a 1913 rail seated at the rear of the gun. It’s likely one of the most modern options for those who like the AR platform but need the smallest weapon possible.
1 Sig MCX Rattler
As mentioned above, when SOCOM adopted a new PDW, they went with the Sig Rattler. The Rattler is the shortest possible version of the Sig MCX. This mean little gun uses a 5.5-inch barrel and comes in either 5.56 or .300 Blackout. Obviously, the .300 Blackout version makes sense with such a short barrel.
Sig’s mini bruiser features a PCB brace that folds out of the way when not needed to create a very compact package.
Sig trimmed, cut, melted, and molded the gun to be easily concealed in a bag for covert work, and that certainly works to your advantage as a modern PDW. The MCX Rattler is the definition of the contemporary PDW and is a perfectly reliable short-stroke gas-piston gun. If it’s good enough for SOCOM, it’s good enough for you and me.
Staying Strapped
These micro rifle caliber PDWs hit hard and shout loudly. They’re mean little guns that are loud and flash brightly, so it’s wise to double up on the ear protection. You won’t make marksman-level shots at 500 yards, but for self-defense distances, these mean mugs will keep you plenty safe.
