Lost in the Sauce: The New Daniel Defense PCC

Rather than take straight Glock double-stack mags, which are about the gold standard for 9mm PCCs, the Daniel gun will instead use curved CZ Scorpion pattern Gen I/Gen 2 magazines.

The story is that, since they are now making 9mm barrels for the Hudson H9 redux, why not make 9mm PCC barrels as well, right?

It also makes another deviation from the norm in the respect that it is fully ambidextrous with both a left- and right-hand capable charging handle, selector, mag release, and bolt catch. As such, since the receiver is shorter and uses a custom bolt, you cannot use a standard AR-9 upper or BCG.

Other than that, the plan is to accept standard AR-style accessories to include handguards and furniture. It also uses a standard mil-spec AR trigger pack and ships with Daniel’s MFR M-LOK handguard.

Daniel plans to release the PCC in both a factory SBR with a stainless steel 8.3-inch 1:10 twist S2W barrel as well as a carbine with a 16-inch format with a Magpul stock.

No word on a pistol brace or brace-ready format. As far as the action is concerned, it is a direct blowback but uses a heavy hydraulic buffer. We took a peek under the hood at SHOT Show and confirmed the buffer system is by KynSHOT, which is popular with the 3-gun PCC kids.

Price? Well, it is a Daniel Defense product, so expect it to be in the $2K range.

How does that compare to what else is on the market? For reference, the very well-respected CZ Scorpion EVO 3 line is available in pistol and carbine variants for right at around $1K while even the SIG Sauer MPX, about the most Gucci PCC that isn’t made by B&T, comes in at about $2,100 but runs on $70 spare magazines.

At that, it is clear the DD PCC could be aimed more at the SIG market than the one CZ cruises in.

“What makes this product stand out is its plating thickness. Typically, our 22 LR bullets, such as our popular Mini-Mag line, have a thin flash plate that requires wax to keep the barrel from leading,” said Jason Slinkard, CCI’s Rimfire Product Director. “The heavy copper plating on Uppercut measures six-thousandths of an inch. This design feature is a key to its overall effectiveness as a self-defense bullet.”

22 Plinkster went all-in on a 20-minute review including some real-deal Corbin Simulated Animal Muscle Tissue Ballistic Test Media (SIM-TESTtm) animal-protein based gel.

Hornady just had two new rounds accepted for standardization by SAAMI, which clears the way for gunmakers to start minting rifles (and pistols) for them. Centerfire, they push large (75-to-80-grain) pills at high velocity, with each far surpassing what the .223 Remington brings to the party. This could be a brave new world.

.22 Advanced Rifle Cartridge – (.22 ARC) with a 75-grain bullet traveling at a velocity of 3,075 fps and a Maximum Average Pressure of 52,000 psi.

22 Creedmoor (22 CM) with an 80-grain bullet traveling at a velocity of 3,250 fps and a Maximum Average Pressure of 62,000 psi.