LWRCI (Land Warfare Resources Corporation International) is a gun company that has made a name for itself by offering high-quality AR-15 platforms featuring its own patented short-stroke piston system. But one thing that becomes quite clear early on in researching LWRCI's product lines is that this is a hands-on gun manufacturer. Headquartered in Cambridge, Md., with more than 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space, this company has invested a good deal into their in-house designs, manufacturing processes, materials and surface treatments. In short, rather than take the risks that come with outsourcing key components and processes, they simply do the work themselves.
The new IC-9 employs a chamber-ring-delayed blowback action.
For 2024, the company has expanded its Individual Carbine (IC) series to include a pistol-caliber carbine chambered in 9 mm Luger. Dubbed the IC-9, it’s designed to accept Glock pistol magazines and to lock the bolt open when the last shot is fired (a feature that is missing from some competing models). But rather than simply imitating existing blowback ARs, LWRCI applied its usual attention to detail, resulting in a smooth-shooting and reliable platform. Available in three configurations, including an 8.5"-barreled SBR, an 8.5"-barreled pistol or carbine with a 16" barrel, this is an evaluation of the carbine.
The aluminum handguard features M-Lok accessory slots and three QD sling cups.
One of the more eye-catching features of LWRCI AR platforms is the unique bell-shaped joint between the handguard and the MonoForge upper receiver, which the company says is lighter and stronger than standard-pattern uppers. Both receivers are "double-coined," meaning that they are forged twice, to make them "super-spec," or stronger, all of which contributes to improved accuracy. Customers can choose different finish options for the receivers and handguard, including matte black Type-III hard-coat anodizing treatment or a Cerakote finish in various colors. The carbine shown here is finished in Patriot Brown (PBC) Cerakote, which is much better-looking in person than the photos might imply.
The LWRCI standard fire-control group provides a clean, crisp single-action trigger pull.
The features of the in-house 16"-long cold hammer-forged barrel includes a muzzle threaded at 1/2X28 TPI, rifling with a 1:10" right-hand twist and a durable saltwater bath Nitride treatment applied called NiCorr. The 10.75" long eight-sided aluminum handguard features M-Lok accessory slots, three QD sling cups and a full-length top-side Picatinny rail. This rail lines up neatly with that of the upper receiver to provide a total of 17.75" of rail space for mounting optics and folding back-up sights.
The in-house polymer grip features textured rubber gripping surfaces.
Inside of the barrel is a chamber ring of which plays a key role in the delayed blowback-operated action. It's a conventional 9 mm chamber with the exception of a concave ring cut into the chamber wall. When a round is fired, the walls of the cartridge case momentarily expand to fill the chamber, including this recessed ring. This slightly larger than usual point of expansion for the cartridge case increases resistance, which in turn, slows down the rearward movement of the bolt assembly as the spent case is extracted. It's a mechanically simple, but an effective means of managing the nickel-boron-treated bolt assembly's rearward travel.
LWRCI also installs a hydraulic buffer assembly supported by a flat-wire buffer spring inside of the mil-spec buffer tube to reduce recoil levels even more. The result of these internal features is a carbine that does not exhibit the "rollicking ride" recoil or muzzle climb, exhibited by some 9 mm PCC configurations.
The six-position stock is capped off with a rubber butt pad.
Like other IC models, which were developed to meet the U.S. Army’s Individual Carbine Program requirements, this rifle's AR-pattern controls are fully ambidextrous, including the charging handle, bolt release and the safety selector lever. The sculpted trigger guard is made of polymer while the hammer and trigger of the single-stage standard fire-control group are treated with a nickel-boron finish for added lubricity and corrosion resistance.
All of the exterior controls are ambidextrous.
Factory-installed AR triggers are often workable, but not particularly enjoyable to use. But in this case, the LWRCI trigger assemblage was impressively smooth with a grit- and creep-free trigger pull of 5 lbs., 9 ozs. Considering that this carbine is intended for defensive applications, I would not be in any hurry to swap this trigger group out for another. This rifle's black polymer furniture includes a storage compartment in the pistol grip with textured rubber gripping surfaces and a six-position adjustable stock with an ambidextrous QD sling mount port and a textured rubber butt pad.
The Swamp Fox Arrowhead LPVO optic was mounted to this carbine using a 7075 aluminum Freedom Mount.
For the time spent at the shooting range, the IC-9 was topped off with a Swampfox Arrowhead optic (ARH18241-GB; $395) using this company's 7075 aluminum Freedom Mount (FMC-30-M; $124). This second-focal-plane, low-power-variable optic is available in several configurations. The model shown here is the 1-8X 24 mm with the Guerrilla Dot BDC glass etched reticle illuminated by dual green emitters. The locking push/pull turrets allow for 0.5 m.o.a. adjustments per click without the need for tools. The 12 brightness settings include those for bright daylight conditions and two that are optimized for use with night vision. Other features include a 30 mm tube, a zero-reset feature, fully multi-coated lenses and an IPX7 rating.
Unloaded, the IC-9 tips the scales at 6 lbs., 8 ozs.
Along with the single Glock OEM 33-round magazine provided with the gun, the magazine test included a fairly diverse selection of capacities (15-, 17-, 18-, 20- and 33-round) from manufacturers including Extar, Glock, Magpul and SGM Tactical. All of the magazine and ammunition combinations I could come up with fed, fired and ejected reliably throughout the course of testing with the bolt locking open on the last shot, just as it should. The formal bench-rested five, five-shot group accuracy testing was conducted at 50 yards. Here are the results:
As you can see from the results table, the IC-9 demonstrated its sub-1" group performance potential using Hornady’s Critical Defense load. The Winchester USA Ready practice and competition round was a solid and consistent performer as well. Based on the results with these two loads, along with the informal testing, I have no doubts that the rifle is doing its job and doing it well. But in this case, the bullet velocities and group sizes of the SIG Sauer M17 load fluctuated significantly when fired from this carbine. This was a genuine surprise for me because this same load performs quite nicely when fired from pistols, including a Glock 49 I recently worked with.
The one-piece bolt assembly is treated with a nickel-boron finish for added lubricity.
The formal 10-shot bullet-velocity string fired next to the Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph resulted in a Standard deviation (Sd) of 112, which means the velocity difference between the slowest and the fastest shot fired, or the Extreme spread (Es) was 263.2 f.p.s. That's quite a bit of difference, especially when compared to the extreme spreads of the Hornady and Winchester loads, which were 31.5 f.p.s. and 58.5 f.p.s. respectively.
The IC-9 recoil management features provided a smooth and enjoyable shooting experience.
Just in case these readings were some sort of fluke or malfunction, I left the chronograph running during the five-shot group testing. These informally recorded velocities were just as consistently inconsistent as the 10-shot string. This in turn contributed to noticeably larger five-shot groups. More testing is required. But for now, the takeaway for me is that the IC-9 carbine and the SIG Sauer M17 ammunition are both top-notch products. But like that one couple we all know from the office, they shouldn't be dating each other.
The mix of ammunition and magazines proved to be reliable with this carbine.
In the process of working with a variety of factory assembled AR platforms over the years, I've found several makes and models which arrive with perfectly usable and reliable feature sets right out of the box. But as my fellow at-home AR tinkerers will appreciate, even the most likeable rifles can usually benefit from a few modifications. An add-on here, or a component swap there, to give the gun that just right look or feel.
The best individual group of 0.86" was printed using Hornady Criticla Defense ammunition.
The LWRCI IC-9 is one of those rare AR models that have the just-right factor from the get-go. From the knurled thread protector on the muzzle to the rubber pad on the buttstock, I could not find a component or feature that I would change on this rifle. I enjoyed working with all of it and this semi-automatic worked reliably for me.
Rifles and carbines made by LWRCI cost more than some competing models. The basic black version of this gun has a suggested retail price of $2,177, which includes the upgraded Cerakote finish. But it's evident in craftsmanship, features and finishes where that money is going. Just slap on an optic, lubricate it and go to work! This is the first time I've tested an LWRCI AR-type carbine, and it's left me looking forward to working with more.
LWRCI IC-9 Carbine Specifications
Manufacturer: LWRC International
Model: IC-9, Patriot Brown Finish (ICR9PB16)
Action Type: chamber-ring-delayed, blowback-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire carbine
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 16" 41V45 steel; NiCorr salt-bath nitride finish, 1/2x28 TPI muzzle
Receivers: aluminum alloy; Patriot Brown Cerakote finish
Magazine: Glock OEM 9 mm, 10 or 33-round detachable box
Sights: none, full-length Picatinny rail
Trigger: LWRCI standard fire-control group, single-stage; 5-lb., 9-oz. pull
Overall Length: 30.25" to 33.50"
Drop @ Comb: 0.5"
Drop @ Heel: 0.5"
Accessories: owner's manual, one magazine, knurled thread protector, lock
MSRP: $2,177 (as configured)
