4 PCC Upgrades You’ll Have a Hard Time Resisting

You bought a new PCC, took it to the range, and had every bit as much fun as expected. Now you are back home cleaning it and already wondering which upgrades should come next. Don’t worry—you are not alone. Nearly every owner of a 9mm carbine develops the same condition sooner or later. In this article, we explain the difference between a red dot and a prism optic, examine how the various muzzle devices work, and look at what a weapon light, laser, or additional magazines can bring to the platform.

Think about the last time you saw someone running a Scorpion EVO 3, MP5, B&T APC, or a 9mm AR-pattern carbine with nothing but iron sights and no accessories. It is not a common sight. That does not mean these firearms are not ready to run straight out of the box. The right PCC accessories can improve their performance and handling even further—and few shooters can resist that prospect. So, what should you expect?

1. Red Dot or Prism Optic for a PCC?

The first upgrade most shooters fit to a PCC is some form of optic. This is rarely a conventional riflescope or an LPVO (low-power variable optic). At typical PCC distances, a red dot sight or prism optic is usually the more practical choice.

A red dot sight is a relatively simple aiming system. An LED projects an illuminated reticle onto a reflective lens inside the sight. Unlike conventional iron sights, it does not require the shooter to align separate front and rear sighting elements.

This makes shooting faster, more intuitive, and—depending on the size of the aiming point—potentially more precise. Dot size and color vary by model, while some sights allow the shooter to switch between several reticle patterns. Dot size is specified in MOA, or minutes of angle, with a 2–3 MOA dot being a common choice for a PCC.

A weapon-mounted light helps the shooter positively identify a target in low-light conditions. Here, it complements the red dot sight fitted to the compact HS Produkt KUNA. Photo: Rigad

Another major advantage of a red dot is its forgiving eye position. Unlike a conventional magnified optic, it does not lock the shooter into a narrow eye box or require a precise cheek weld to obtain a usable sight picture. Eye relief—the distance between the sight and the shooter’s eye—is also far less restrictive than with most magnified optics.

Red dot sights are also relatively affordable. Established manufacturers such as Holosun and Vortex offer reliable, lightweight models, with some priced below €200.

One example is the Vortex Crossfire, which features a 2 MOA red dot, both low and high mounts, and a claimed battery life of up to 50,000 hours.

The Holosun ARO is a strong alternative with similar specifications and a choice of dot colors. The RD2, GR2, and GD2 variants feature red, green, and—more recently—gold dots. For roughly €40 more, the Holosun ARO MRS provides three switchable reticles: a dot, a circle-dot, and a circle without the center dot.

A prism optic may look similar to a red dot at first glance, but it works on a very different principle—one much closer to a conventional riflescope. It uses an optical prism, with the reticle permanently etched into the glass. Compared with a red dot, this design brings several advantages as well as a few trade-offs.

Advantages

• Prism optics are available with fixed magnification such as 2× or 3×. A red dot requires a separate magnifier to provide a magnified sight picture.
• The etched reticle can be finer and incorporate more complex hold points for shooting at extended distances.
• Shooters with astigmatism who see a distorted or starburst-shaped dot through a red dot sight often find an etched prism reticle much sharper.
• The reticle remains usable without batteries. Many models also feature illumination, although that function naturally requires a power source.

Disadvantages

• Prism optics are often heavier and more expensive.
• Their eye box may be less forgiving than that of a red dot, depending on the optic’s design and magnification.
• Correct eye relief is also important, whereas a red dot places virtually no restriction on viewing distance.

If you are unsure which system will suit you better, the most reliable approach is to try both. Visit one of our stores, where our staff can demonstrate each option and help you choose the sight that works best for your eyes and shooting style.

A red dot and laser sight use different aiming methods: the former displays the aiming point within the optic, while the latter projects it directly onto the target. Both systems offer distinct advantages and limitations. Photo: Rigad

2. Muzzle Brakes and Other Muzzle Devices for PCCs

Many PCCs come from the factory fitted with little more than a flash hider. Its job is to reduce the visible muzzle flash produced when the gun fires. That is certainly useful, but it is far from the only option available for the muzzle of your PCC.

Many shooters opt for a muzzle brake or compensator. If you have always assumed they are the same thing, they are not. Their effects often overlap, but the main distinction lies in what each device is primarily designed to control.

A muzzle brake, as the name suggests, “brakes”—or more accurately, reduces the rearward recoil impulse transmitted into the shooter’s shoulder. It does so by redirecting propellant gases to generate force that counteracts recoil.

You can usually tell when the shooter in the next lane is running a muzzle brake. Depending on the caliber, it may give your hair anything from a light breeze to a full blow-dry—unless the lanes are separated by partitions or you happen to share Jason Statham’s hairstyle. Muzzle brakes vent considerable blast and pressure sideways, which makes them less than popular on confined ranges where moving to another lane is not an option.

A compensator, by contrast, is primarily designed to reduce muzzle rise during firing. It also achieves this by redirecting propellant gases, but generally vents more of them upward to counteract the forces that drive the muzzle off target. As a result, it is usually less disruptive to shooters standing nearby.

Suppressors have become increasingly popular in the Czech Republic, largely following a legislative change several years ago. Under the former system, suppressors were removed from Category A, which covered prohibited firearms and accessories. Their ownership then required the appropriate firearms licence—now replaced by a firearms authorization—and registration under Category C. Under the current legislation, a suppressor is treated as a regulated firearm component subject to Category R4 rules.

The primary purpose of a firearm suppressor is to reduce the sound signature of the shot. Its effectiveness depends on its design, the firearm’s caliber, and the ammunition being used. Hollywood has spent decades teaching us otherwise, but a suppressed firearm is not whisper-quiet. In most cases, a suppressor reduces the report without bringing it below a hearing-safe level. With few exceptions, proper hearing protection remains essential even when shooting suppressed.

In addition to reducing the report, a suppressor fitted to a PCC can also calm the gun’s recoil and muzzle movement, providing some of the benefits associated with a brake or compensator. By containing and slowing the release of propellant gases, it can produce a smoother recoil impulse. The extent of that effect depends on the firearm’s operating system. A suppressor will influence a direct-blowback PCC differently from a roller-delayed platform such as the MP5.

A linear compensator is something of a hybrid. It may resemble a suppressor externally, but it is better understood as a device that directs blast, flash, and pressure forward. Its primary purpose is to improve shooting comfort by sending muzzle gases away from the shooter and anyone standing alongside them.

Where a conventional muzzle brake can make you unpopular with the shooter in the next lane, a linear compensator does the opposite. Its effect on recoil and muzzle rise is more subjective, however, and a conventional brake or compensator will generally perform better in those specific roles.

Suppressors differ in design, dimensions, and compatibility with specific firearms and calibers. The ammunition used also affects the resulting sound reduction. Photo: Rigad

3. Weapon Light on a PCC: With or Without a Laser?

There is no denying that a firearm fitted with a light looks considerably more (tacti)cool than one without. A weapon-mounted light, however, is more than a cosmetic upgrade.

Its most obvious advantage is the ability to illuminate a target in low-light conditions. That much is self-explanatory, but the practical benefits go further.

Many shooters use a PCC for home defense. The platform is well suited to the role thanks to its typically compact dimensions, generous magazine capacity, and suitable chambering.

In such a situation, you may not want to announce your position to a potential nighttime intruder by switching on the room lights. A powerful burst from a weapon-mounted light can illuminate and temporarily disorient the person in front of you, giving you time to identify the threat and potentially bring the situation under control without further escalation.

If your range permits it, low-light training with a weapon-mounted light is also a useful change of pace. It requires additional caution and experience, but it teaches skills that conventional daylight shooting does not address.

A light also adds a small amount of weight toward the muzzle. This can marginally reduce muzzle rise during firing. It is certainly not a reason to mount a light by itself, but it is a minor side benefit.

A laser sight for a PCC can be purchased as a standalone unit or integrated into a weapon light. Unlike a red dot sight, it projects a visible aiming point directly onto the target and therefore provides another method of aiming. It also has limitations: dot visibility depends on ambient light, distance, and the target surface, and the laser may be difficult to pick up in bright daylight.

A laser also provides no useful illumination and cannot replace a weapon light, which allows you to positively identify what you are aiming at. A combined light-and-laser module brings these two distinct functions together, allowing them to complement each other.

When choosing a PCC, it pays to consider the availability and cost of spare magazines. Differences between platforms can significantly affect the overall cost of expanding your setup. Photo: Rigad

4. Magazines for PCCs

Yes, the perennial topic. Your PCC may ship with 20-round magazines—or perhaps only 10-rounders—depending on the model and factory configuration.

Twenty-round magazines are just about tolerable. Ten-round magazines in a semi-automatic carbine, however, are best left to California, Australia, and other jurisdictions less fortunate in their firearms legislation. If you hold the relevant exemption for large-capacity magazines or an R2-category firearm under Czech law, there is little reason to restrict yourself to a comically short 10-round magazine that will look decidedly out of place in an EVO 3.

Magazine availability and cost are worth considering when choosing the firearm itself. Magazines for the aforementioned CZ Scorpion EVO 3 can be found for a few tens of euros. Magazines for less common or more exotic platforms, such as the H&K MP5, may run into the high double digits or even exceed €100. Per magazine.

If you chose a PCC with a magwell designed around Glock-pattern magazines, your options are even broader—although arguably at the cost of slightly awkward aesthetics and magazines that are less pleasant to load by hand. Fortunately, magazine loaders provide a simple solution to the latter problem.

Which PCC upgrades ultimately make sense depends on what you expect from the carbine. A red dot, different muzzle device, weapon light, or additional magazines can improve its practical capability while multiplying the fun factor at the range. A few shooting sessions will usually reveal what the basic configuration genuinely lacks—and what you simply want to buy because it will make you happy.

PCC Upgrades: “Finished” Is Usually Temporary

Which PCC accessories ultimately make sense depends on what you expect from your carbine. A red dot, different muzzle device, weapon light, or additional magazines can improve its practical capability while multiplying the fun factor at the range.

Just bear in mind that, among 9mm carbine owners, the phrase “one more upgrade and I’m done” tends to have a remarkably short shelf life.