Extar EXP-556
Extar USA · Pistol · In Production · 2013
Overview
The Extar EXP-556 is an ultra-light AR-15-pattern 5.56 NATO pistol, the company's original flagship product. Conceived in 2010 and brought to market in 2013, it was marketed as the lightest 5.56 NATO pistol in the world, weighing just 2.98 pounds (48 ounces) unloaded thanks to injection-molded high-impact polymer upper and lower receivers that eliminate the conventional AR buffer tube. The EXP-556 uses a direct-impingement gas system feeding from standard MIL-SPEC STANAG AR-15 magazines (one 30-round magazine included). It carries an 8.25-inch barrel threaded 1/2-28 with a recoil-reducing muzzle device, fixed ghost-ring sights on a 12.38-inch sight radius, an integral Picatinny rail, and a crisp 5.5-pound trigger. Affordable at around $449, the EXP-556 established Extar's direct-to-consumer, polymer-light identity years before the EP9.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1361 g (48.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 1843 g (65.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 457 mm (17.99") |
| Barrel Length | 210 mm (8.27") |
| Width | 57 mm (2.24") |
| Sight Radius | 314 mm (12.36") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Direct Impingement |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Trigger Pull | 24 N (5.4 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1300 J (959 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 150 m (164 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 229 mm (9.02") |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Matte Black |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as .223 Remington, 5.56 NATO, 5.56x45mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector
- Features: Ar15 Pattern, Stanag Magazine Compatible, Picatinny Rail, Threaded Barrel, Muzzle Brake, Ghost Ring Sights, No Buffer Tube, Lightweight Polymer Receiver
Variants
- Extar EXP-556 MK2 — Generation
Production
Production years: 2013-present
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Notes
MSRP ~$449. Made in the USA (Arizona). The lightest 5.56 NATO AR pistol on the market at launch (2.98 lb unloaded). Sold through Extar and distributors such as New Frontier Armory. Available in MK1 and MK2 (Gen 2) variants.
Background
The EXP platform traces directly to Extar founder's 1995 work on molded polymer rifle-caliber receiver sets. Conceived in 2010 and released in 2013, the EXP-556 proved a buffer-tube-free, mostly-polymer AR could be both reliable and remarkably light, paving the way for Extar's later pistol-caliber EP series.