Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact 9mm 5.25in Grey — Proven Glock Mag Pistol

Description

The Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact is the short barrel version of Battle Arms’ dedicated 9mm AR pistol, cut down to 5.25 inches and finished in combat grey. It is the same platform as the 8.5 inch gun underneath: billet 7075-T6 lightweight receivers machined for Glock pattern magazines, Battle Arms’ own patented 9mm buffer system, and a free float M-LOK handguard. At 5.25 inches the barrel is barely longer than a full size pistol’s, and that is the point.

With the brace collapsed this is genuinely small, and 9mm is one of the few cartridges that loses very little from a short barrel, because most of its powder is burnt within the first few inches anyway.

Why the Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact Works at 5.25 Inches

Nine millimeter is an efficient cartridge in a short tube. A 124 grain load out of 5.25 inches is still moving faster than it would from a typical duty pistol, and the velocity loss against the 8.5 inch version is modest rather than dramatic. Cutting a rifle cartridge this short would be pointless; cutting 9mm this short is not.

What you do notice is muzzle blast. Short barrels are loud and the A2 style comp does not help with that, so this is a gun that earns hearing protection even outdoors. It is also very front light, which some shooters love and others find twitchy.

The lower is machined for Glock pattern magazines rather than adapted with a block, which means cheap and widely available magazines that you may already own. The 9mm buffer system is Battle Arms’ own patented design, lighter and smoother than running a rifle buffer with extra weight in it.

Controls, Handling and Legal Notes

Battle Arms fit their own parts throughout: a smooth nickel Teflon trigger, an ambidextrous monolithic charging handle, an extended magazine release, an enhanced bolt catch and a three position adjustable grip. These are the components the company built its name on, and having them fitted from the factory is much of what you are paying for.

The handguard is free float M-LOK with a full length top rail. On a gun this short there is not a great deal of real estate, so plan the light and hand stop placement before you buy accessories: the handguard is the shortest part of the package.

It ships as a pistol with an adjustable brace, not as a short barreled rifle. Rules around braces have shifted more than once in recent years and state law varies considerably, so confirm what is legal where you live before ordering. Magazine capacity limits apply in several states too.

Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact Specifications

• Manufacturer: Battle Arms Development
• Model: XIPHOS 9P, XIPHOS-005
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Barrel: 5.25 inches, black nitride
• Operating system: blowback with Battle Arms 9mm buffer system
• Receivers: billet 7075-T6 lightweight upper and lower, Glock magazine pattern
• Handguard: free float M-LOK with full length top rail
• Trigger: smooth nickel Teflon
• Charging handle: ambidextrous monolithic
• Controls: extended magazine release, enhanced bolt catch, three position adjustable grip
• Brace: adjustable pistol brace
• Muzzle: A2 style 9mm comp
• Magazine: Glock pattern
• Finish: combat grey

Why it is worth considering

• Genuinely compact at 5.25 inches, with very little velocity lost by 9mm standards
• Machined for Glock pattern magazines, which are cheap and everywhere
• Battle Arms patented 9mm buffer system rather than a weighted rifle buffer
• Billet 7075-T6 lightweight receivers with BAD ambidextrous controls as standard
• Cheaper to shoot than any centerfire rifle cartridge

Who it suits

This suits the shooter who wants the smallest practical braced 9mm that still shares magazines with a Glock, for close range work, training or a vehicle gun. If you want more velocity and a longer sight radius, the 8.5 inch version is the better buy.

Ammunition and Transfer Notes for the Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact

Nine millimeter is the cheapest centerfire cartridge to shoot in volume, and on a blowback gun the power level of the ammunition matters more than it does in a gas rifle. Very light target loads can short stroke the action and a steady diet of heavy plus P will batter the buffer, so standard pressure 115 to 147 grain ammunition is where this gun is happiest. Cartridge and chamber standards are published by SAAMI.

Expect it to run dirty. Blowback actions blow unburnt powder straight back into the receiver, and a short barrel burns less of it, so the bolt and buffer tube will want wiping down more often than on a 5.56 carbine. Keep the bolt wet and it will keep running.

If you want a longer barrel on the same platform, our Xiphos 9P with the 8.5 inch barrel is the other length we carry, and the Battle Arms Tanker in 300 BLK is the rifle cartridge alternative. More of our stock is on the MAG5 Firearms shop page. The Battle Arms Xiphos 9P Compact ships to a licensed dealer of your choosing, where you will complete a 4473 and a NICS check.