Shooting the LWRCI M6 IC-PDW

by
posted on March 18, 2015

I know, that is a lot letters and numbers. Last week I had the opportunity to tour the LWRCI plant on, of all places, the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In short, I was impressed. This is a company that makes parts, a high volume of high-quality parts, from which it makes complete guns. Even better I spent a morning at the range with the guys from LWRC and Shooting Illustrated’s Jay Grazio.

LWRC is best known for its piston-driven rifles and carbines, ranging from 5.56x45 mm NATO through 7.62x51 mm NATO, and the company, too, is a leader when it comes to guns in 6.8x43 mm SPC.

The IC stands for “Individual Carbine” and the PDW represents “Personal Defense Weapon, so this gun has an 8 1/2” barrel. While offered in semi-automatic as an SBR (short-barreled rifle), the version I fired on the accompanying video was a selective-fire gun capable of full-automatic chambered in 5.56 mm. They also had a 6.8 mm PDW that proved remarkably controllable as well.

In addition to the innovative piston that runs smooth, the PDW has an interesting bolt-carrier-buffer assembly that allows a short, H&K-ish retractable wire stock with two positions. To deploy it, just pull until it locks. It may sound like a little thing, but there is some serious engineering in getting such a gun to work, and work well. At 100 yds., despite the short barrel, I was able to consistently ring steel on semi-automatic and with short bursts. Look for more in the coming weeks on our trip behind the scenes at LWRC.

Latest

heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees
heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday

With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.

Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer

Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.

New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX

European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.

Review: Citadel Trakr

At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.

Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho

Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.