By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2022
Extar was founded by an engineer and injection mold expert who started working in the firearms industry in 1995. He developed and introduced the first molded polymer, rifle caliber receiver sets. That technology allowed Americans access to rifles with all the features they wanted during the Federal ban on Assault Weapons. A true patriot!
To this day, Extar’s mission is: To provide the people of The United States of America with access to firearms that are safe, fun to shoot, easy to use, lightweight, and reliable, available directly from the American factory where they are developed and produced. No Dealer Mark-ups and No Middlemen, only fair pricing for everyone.
Extar manufactures its products in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Because they produce their products on-premises and sell directly to the customer, bypassing the middleman, they can offer the EP9 at a super price.
The EP9 weighs in at 4.09 pounds. This makes the EP9 easy for beginners, better for extended shooting sessions, and effortless to carry on a sling. Extar believes that weight savings improve the usability of a firearm in every way, which is why they have been making lightweight firearms for close to thirty years.
THE RECEIVER
The top of the EP9 sports a full-length Picatinny-style rail, allowing the shooter many options for sights and optics, with plenty of room for lasers.
Extar believes that the Direct Blowback operating system is the most reliable and longest-lasting choice for 9mm, so they combined this reliability with their proprietary Advanced Recoil Impulse Damping System to bring soft recoil to this lightweight pistol. Their unique design and combination of materials help mitigate bolt bounce and reduce felt recoil.
The EP9 uses Glock-pattern magazines, and Extar was the first to patent a last-round-hold-open for Glock magazines. This means that the EP9 can take the same magazines as your sidearm and that you can use your collection of Glock magazines with the EP9.
THE BARREL
The bolt, barrel, and ejector of the EP9 have all been treated with BLACK NITRIDE. This finish further hardens the steel’s surface and gives it lubricity, making the bolt and barrel long-lasting and easy to clean.
SPECIFICATIONS
Action Type: Blowback
Caliber: 9x19mm
Magazine capacity: Compatible with 9mm Glock Magazines
Sights: Full-length Picatinny rail
Barrel Length: 6.5 Inches
Overall Length: 24 Inches
Weight: 4.09 Pounds
MSRP: $449
URL: www.extarusa.com
THE VERDICT
The EP9 is a well-designed, lightweight, and high-quality pistol made in America. Whether it’s for recreational plinking or home defense, the EP9 is a great buy! The EP9 is shipped with one magazine.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected].