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S&W has jumped on the folding pistol caliber carbine bandwagon in a big way. Introduced in February of 2023, the 9mm gun was a success out of the gate. It was built well, reliable, accurate, and could fold in half. It came with one 17- and two 23-round magazines.
Fast-forward to March 18 of 2025. S&W announced that they would be manufacturing their folding FPC in 10mm. Now, heads started turning. A 16 1/4” barreled, 16 1/2 inches-when-folded carbine in what many consider a more serious caliber than 9mm? Many folks said “sign me up!”. Hikers, hunters, campers, and shooters looking for portable power in a semi-automatic package were suddenly interested.
I can’t say that S&W has sold tons of these — its introduction occurred less than a month ago (at the time of writing) – but I’ll bet they are moving them out the door as we speak, and with good reason. A 10mm 180-grain JHP or 200-grain hard-cast FP out of a 16” barrel would be interesting, to say the least. A comparison
I am looking forward to making is the one with velocities recorded from my 4.5” Springfield Armory XDM Elite 10mm and those gathered from this carbine. I will report on velocities below.
Why A Folding PCC?
I touched on some possible uses for such a carbine as this one above. Let’s face it… If we had to carry around a carbine over 30 inches long all day on a hike, that probably would not be pretty.
But… if that 30-inch length could magically turn into 16 ½” and fit in a backpack or carry bag, now we’re talking! Why pack a carbine when a pistol would suffice? Because you can. Folded, this gun can go places a full-length one couldn’t. Plus, it packs more punch than a pistol. With the proper backpack (or even the carry bag that comes with it), it would be no trouble to give this 10mm a ride into the woods or on a trail.
Those who enjoy the outdoors could take this camping, especially in areas that house toothy, grouchy critters like bears. Talk about utilizing that super-de-duper 10mm performance out of a longer barrel! At 5.7 pounds, it won’t wear you out. Plus, it comes with three 15-round magazines so you can carry most of a 50-round box of ammo if desired.
Fishermen, take note… primarily if you fish in remote areas such as parts of Alaska. This is an option you might want to consider, one that makes sense. This carbine could be part of your fishing gear – you could sling it unfolded over your shoulder. Many slings will work with the FPC – S&W even includes one in the bag. That way, you’re ready if trouble presents itself.
But what if you never set foot in the wild? You know, what if your “jungle adventure” is that very game played on a Switch? What if you are looking for a gun for home defense? Truck gun? As the Monty Python character so aptly put it, wink-wink-nod-nod-say-no-more. This gun is excellent for those roles. At home, you could leave it unfolded and ready (with all safety rules observed), and then put it in the truck folded against the passenger seat. The thing is so quick to bring into action – unfolding it takes less time than talking about it – that it could go with you wherever legal without worrying about getting it into action quickly.
Features Of The 10mm Folding PCC
Before I discuss the specs, let’s examine some of the design features S&W engineered into this gun.
Optics ready. You have a nice, long Pic rail on top to mount whatever your heart desires.
Integrated recoil buffer system. This system handles recoil so you won’t beat yourself up.
Reversible magazine catch. Lefties, here we go. Also note the latch behind the logo – releasing that allows the gun to fold.
An M-Lok handguard and a Picatinny rail are included. If desired, lights or lasers can be added up front on the handguard or barrel.
Magazine storage is in the stock with tab release. Carry all three magazines with you. Loaded, these two magazines add some weight to the rear of the stock. It helps tame the recoil a bit.
Compatible with M&P 10mm magazines. (ProMag makes a 20-round version; S&W’s are 15).
A carry case with several pockets is included.
Accessories include two extra magazines, three extra backstraps, a sling, and a chamber flag.
Specifications, 10mm FPC
- Width 2.5 in
- Length 30.6 in (unfolded; 16 ½” folded)
- Height 8 in
- Weight 5 lbs, 7 Oz
- Caliber 10mm
- Size Rifle
- Capacity 15 (3 magazines included)
- Action Blowback
- Barrel Length 16.25 in
- Grip Polymer
- Sights None
- Optic Ready Yes
- Safety Cross-Bolt
- Color/Finish Black
- State Compliance CO, VT
- Threaded Barrel Yes
- Barrel Material 4140 CM
- Frame Aluminum
- Laser No
- 10lb Trigger No
- Stock Fpc
- Model M&P FPC
- MSRP: $699
Where To Buy
Handling This PCC
Why would I create a separate section about how this gun handles? Because it’s so skinny and light. I do understand that it isn’t all that different than many ARs in terms of dimensions and weight but this carbine is lighter than most, so it is swift into action. At under 6 pounds, you have something here that carries easily and doesn’t take up a lot of room when folded. It feels more like a .22 in hand.
Range Time
As I said above, I was curious about the velocity gain from this 16.25-inch barrel over the 4.5-inch one in my SA pistol. I knew it would be accurate… 10mm tends to be very accurate. My XDM Elite has proven that to me. I will be getting into casting my own bullets and “rolling my own” where 10mm is concerned, but I’m not there yet, so I stuck to some factory loads for this review. Plus, you wouldn’t care about my reloads, because you can’t shoot them… I set up my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph on the bench.
I put a red dot on the rail and got it sort-of-sighted-in. I figured if it were on the paper, that would suffice for this review.
Here are some representative 25-yard targets. I put a red dot on the rail and got it sort of sighted in. Of course, the 10mm is suitable for more than 25 yards, but I wanted to make sure all the shots hit paper. I was right in figuring that the POI would be off… The impact was low/left, but at least you can see the accuracy potential. These were all fired off-hand; there was no bench.
Federal 180-grain FP 1170 fps
Magtech 180-grain FP 1370 fps
Winchester “White Box” 180-grain FP 1178 fps
I was surprised that the Federal and Winchester loads weren’t any faster. The Magtech showed more velocity in this carbine than it does out of my 4.5” barreled XDM Elite. Once you find a load that this little carbine likes, you could conceivably take it hunting. I would find a good JHP or JSP, 180- or 200-grain load. Or, even better, an Underwood or Buffalo 200-grain hard-cast load. Talk about good close-in deer medicine!
What Else Is Out There?
There aren’t many competing, folding PCCs in the marketplace… I saw two from Ruger and the Kel-Tec SUB2000.
The Kel-Tec is available in 9mm or .40 S&W, for $578 or $621, depending on the exact model.
The Ruger LC Carbine is available in 10mm and .45 ACP for an MSRP of $1049.
Ruger’s PC Carbine is the only carbine I saw that comes apart – it doesn’t fold – for easy transport. It’s only available in 9mm and costs $779. So, the S&W is a viable selection in 10mm and is priced very well. (I’ve seen it online for as low as $575).
Final Thoughts
Pistol-caliber carbines, especially those in 9mm, are hot right now. I own two of them, and they are handy.
But, 10mm would be a more helpful caliber… it is deer-legal in Indiana while the 9mm is not. Add in the velocity bump you get from the longer barrel and the better sighting options, and you will have a lightweight folding close-range deer rifle. Or a camp protector. Or a truck gun. Or a … You get it.
This PCC is very handy – I bet S&W won’t be able to make them fast enough. What do you think? Let us know below.
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