KE Arms KP-9
KE Arms LLC · Carbine · In Production · 2021
Also known as: KP-9 PCC, KE-9, KP-9 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbine
Overview
The KE Arms KP-9 is a 9x19mm pistol-caliber carbine built on a monolithic polymer lower receiver that is the 9mm sibling of the KP-15. Like the KP-15 it is injection molded from 30% glass-filled nylon - here in two halves that are sonically welded together - with the buffer tube, fixed A1-length 13-inch-LOP buttstock, pistol grip and trigger guard formed as integral parts. The KP-9 feeds from inexpensive, widely available Glock 9mm magazines through a flared magwell for fast reloads, and operates on a simple direct-blowback action with a 5.5 oz buffer. A complete carbine wears a 16-inch 1/2x36 TPI barrel capped by an A2-style flash hider, a free-float M-LOK handguard, a nitride-coated blowback bolt group, ambidextrous controls and a KE Arms Sear Link Technology (SLT) trigger. The complete rifle weighs about 5.9 lb (roughly 2.68 kg).
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2675 g (94.4 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 2980 g (105.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 870 mm (34.25") |
| Barrel Length | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Trigger Pull | 20 N (4.5 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 17 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 420 m/s (1378 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 657 J (485 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1800 m (1968 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Nitride |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Ambidextrous Safety
- Features: Monolithic Polymer Lower, Integral Fixed Stock, Integral Pistol Grip, Ambidextrous Controls, Glock Magazine Compatible, Flared Mag Well, M Lok Rail, Free Floating Handguard, Sear Link Technology Trigger, A2 Flash Hider, Flat Top Receiver, Picatinny Rail, Last Round Bolt Hold Open
Variants
- KP-9 Short-Barreled Configuration — Short Barrel
Production
Production years: 2021-present
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Russell Phagan
Notes
Complete-lower KP-9 configurations run about $559.95; the stripped lower is around $159.95. Because the KP-9's Sear Link Technology trigger has no traditional disconnector, it is especially durable under the high cyclic battering of a blowback PCC. Ships with a 5.5 oz buffer. Not to be confused with the unrelated Kalashnikov USA KP-9, an AK-pattern 9mm carbine. Available with SLT-1, SLT-2, DMR or Rekluse RTS-1 trigger options.
Background
KE Arms is the spiritual successor to Cavalry Arms, the company that pioneered the CAV-15 monolithic polymer AR-15 lower receiver in the early 2000s. After Cavalry Arms closed in 2010, the CAV-15 intellectual property passed through Sinistral Shooting Technologies to KE Arms, which refined the concept into the injection-molded, 30% glass-filled nylon KP-15 receiver. The receiver molds the buffer tube, fixed A1-length buttstock, pistol grip and trigger guard into a single part, eliminating the wobble and parts count of a conventional two-piece AR lower. The platform became the foundation of the 'What Would Stoner Do' (WWSD) project, a collaboration between KE Arms' Russell Phagan, InRangeTV's Karl Kasarda and Forgotten Weapons' Ian McCollum, distributed through Brownells, that set out to build the lightest, most cost-effective fighting rifle possible in Eugene Stoner's minimalist spirit.