Load Development for the PCC

Over the past few years, the Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) has gained popularity in competitive shooting, which has spilled over to home defense where PCCs maintain the controllability of a long gun without the overpenetration of a rifle. For the long-gun shooter, a point of attraction towards PCCs is that – relative to bottlenecked rifle ammunition – straight-walled pistol rounds are extremely economical to manufacture through a progressive press. This makes regular practice with a PCC very easy on the wallet.

Nonetheless, PCCs can present some challenges to the hand loader, inasmuch as they can be had in both short- and long-barreled versions, with each variant requiring its own load considerations. Having built and competed with both types of PCC, I can attest that knowing the unique ballistic characteristics of each variant can help shooters decide which one is best suited to their needs… preferably before they step up to the cash register.

Short-barreled PCCs present the least amount of consideration for load developers. Standard Short Barreled Rifles exist with PCCs, but a very PCC-centric option can be found in the “shrouded barrel” choice. Various companies offer pistol-length barrels, usually in the 5.5” range, with permanently affixed aluminum shrouds that artificially extend the barrel’s overall length to an NFA-legal 16 inches. This creates a nimble carbine that is light out front while maintaining a full-length forearm – a configuration that facilitates lightning-fast swings and stops between targets.

When it comes to short-barreled PCCs, the shooter is basically just firing a big pistol with standardized velocities and drop data. Thus, a USPSA competitor can crank out hundreds of rounds an hour from his progressive machine while using his favorite load recipe from years past, all without having to change a single setting between pistol and rifle.

On the other hand, the long-barreled PCC can present more of a challenge to the reloader, though it also has the potential for more flexibility, because additional barrel equals additional velocity. This is why I’ve personally moved from away the shrouded option to a 14.5” pinned carbine: the longer barrel allows me to “standard load” for some serious home defense while also being able to “download” the same firearm for competition.

With regard to standard loads and home defense, box ammo functions perfectly well in a long-barreled PCC… and with a significant power boost. One professional ammo maker told me that while their 9mm+P 124 grainers make 1300fps out of a 4.5” barrel, the same round will do 1600fps out of a 16-inch barrel! For those competition types who are reaching for a calculator, let me save you the trouble – that’s a 198 power factor. So, yes, while my long-barreled PCC may “only” be chambered for 9mm, it has the potential to behave like a fire-breathing dragon, should the need arise.

And if anybody is concerned about loading a “high velocity standard round” for their PCC, ease your mind. I contacted several powder manufacturers to find out if their recipes needed modifying to account for longer barrels, and they all gave the same answer: velocity and barrel length don’t affect chamber pressure. So warm up your cranking arm for marathon loading sessions, long-barreled PCC owners, because all standard load data applies.

On the handloading end, then, this begs the question about whether or not a reloader can develop his own mega-performance PCC ammo? Let’s just say that during my 14.5” PCC experimentation, I tried a pistol powder that’s famous for blowing gas through the compensators of Open pistols. My first round over the chronograph registered 1800fps with a 125gr JHP. Shot #2 clicked into the 1900s. These loads were 10% under max and kinda scaring me already, so I cut the experiment short… but I had proof that the potential exists.

Now, on a personal level, I am a competitive Steel Challenge shooter. Excessive velocity is my enemy: it’s unnecessary in a sport with no power requirement, plus unneeded force creates more recoil and percussion to fight while shooting fast. That said, I still want a PCC that I can take to USPSA competitions with power factor requirements and poppers which aren’t always calibrated in my favor.
In other words, I want it all.

For my 14.5” carbine, then, I started with a bottom-level load of one of my favorite pistol powders and a 125gr JHP. I incrementally worked it down until I was maintaining a feet-per-second average just under the speed of sound. This keeps my noise level at bay, I’m pointblank out to 70 yards with a 25 yard zero, and the 136pf easily meets USPSA’s power factor requirements. I then substituted 115gr JHP’s for lighter steel competition loads – with no adjustments to my XL 650 required because the bullet faces maintain the same profile – and I was good to go with both 125gr and 115gr choices in hand. The powder weight I’m using is well below the published minimum, but it gives me a 100% reliable and beautifully handling carbine.

It’s also worth mentioning that less powder means less cost-per-round dispenses through my powder measure during all-night reloading sessions.

Of course, I can already hear the question: how well do these downloaded rounds work in a pistol? Let’s just say that I tried it once… and I won’t do it again. I chronographed the 115gr loads out of my 1911 for an average of 900fps until I got a pop and a 446fps reading on the ninth shot. Therefore, my PCC ammo boxes are clearly marked, and visibly unique projectiles ensure that none get mixed into the pistol pile.
But let’s face it: there’s always somebody who wants to go softer. Way softer! For that, I’ll turn to Mike Setting, a champion-level Steel Challenge grandmaster whose company Pace Setting Design manufactures products for speed shooting competitors. In order to achieve reliable “sub-minor” performance out of a PCC, Mike uses a 5.5” sleeved barrel, a bolt with all weights removed, and his PSD buffer system that tunes with 1911 springs. By modifying spring weights while incrementally and safely reducing his powder charges, just as I did, Mike has reliably achieved a power factor of 60-70 out of his 9mm PCC. How soft is that? I’ve personally shot Mike’s competition PCC, and it’s the only centerfire I’ve handled which really does feel like the proverbial .22lr.

As Mike acknowledges, though, proper handloading is key to getting a firearm to perform in exactly the manner its owner wishes. Whether the PCC owner opts to go long barreled or short, or hot versus soft, his gun’s performance will see drastic improvement through proper handloading techniques. Once loads are safely developed, the PCC platform – paired with a quality progressive reloading machine – can provide tens of thousands of rounds of economical shooting enjoyment across an impressive array of performance bands.