By Scott Smith | Contributing Editor
Lone Wolf Distributor’s Alpha Wolf in .45ACP, all dressed up and ready to go.
Pistol caliber carbines (PPCs) are not a new invention. Cowboys had them. They were around in just post-WWI, grew in popularity in WWII, sort of faded in the Korea era, and then had a sudden rise in awareness after Operation Nimrod on May 5, 1980 when the SA used H&K MP5s to liberate the Iranian Embassy in London. After this the MP5 quickly became the choice of SWAT and the infant Tier 1 assets. The UZI was also born in this time frame. The problem with these the Sten of WWII, the Thompson Submachine gun, and the few surviving MP40s was they are NFA firearms and require a tax stamp, long waiting periods and they are prohibitively expensive thanks to our “common sense firearms laws.”
In the early 2000s we saw the development of the first true pistol caliber carbine, at least by American standards; the KelTec Sub 2000. This carbine was chambered in 9mm and 40S&W using Glock, Beretta, Smith&Wesson and Sig Sauer magazines. I have one of the originals and have shot the daylights out of it. This carbine has seen many changes over the years and is like finding a unicorn on dealer shelves.
LWD’s well executed butt stock; all you need nothing you do not.
We also saw Marlin develop the Camp Carbine that fed off of 1911 magazines for the .45ACP and Smith Mod59 magazines for the 9mm. Ruger also introduced the PC40 and PC9 which used Ruger P Series magazines. Both of these carbines sold like hot cakes and for some unknown reason both manufactures suddenly quit producing them. Many folks blame the Clinton Crime Bill with its ten round magazine restrictions.
Over the mid-2010s we saw a few AR style pistol caliber carbines but no great ground swell. However, fast forward to 2017; a year dubbed by many as the “Year of the PCC,” PCCs seemed to be the talk of the SHOT Show. USPSA, IDPA and 3-Gun all introduced Pistol Caliber Carbine Divisions. The dominant carbine was an AR design using a semi-automatic blowback system chambered in 9mm using Glock 17 magazines, because you could get 32 round magazines for them. One thing that stuck out was the price of the PCCs; they all seemed to have starting prices north of $1500. To many folks that is cost prohibitive for a fun gun. The other issue was not all of us want a 9mm.
Come the end of the first quarter in 2018 this all started to change. Lone Wolf Distributors (Phone: 208-448-0600; Online: lonewolfdist.com) introduced the Alpha Wolf PCC 45. This was great news since for the last couple of years I had been doing work with Gluck’s new 21SF when it came out and fell in love with it; just like I did the Gen4 41MOS. Now there was a PCC chambered in .45ACP using Glock 21 magazines. I think I even heard the spirits of Jeff Cooper and John Moses Browning applaud.
I had Lone Wolf Distributers (LWD) send one of their .45ACP muzzle brakes and Plus2 Mag Extensions with the Alpha Wolf.
Smart laser etching tells the world you are shooting an Alpha Wolf.
Now back to the Alpha Wolf, it just felt right just like my three-gun M4 actually. The first thing I did was to remove the protective muzzle cap and install LWD’s 45 muzzle brake; I didn’t want to lose track of it. Next I installed the Plus2 Mag Extensions to take the capacity of the G21 from thirteen to fifteen. While it may not seem like a lot those two rounds mean a lot in competition. Only recently did LWD start selling SGM Tactical’s 26-round G21 magazines; this will put the .45ACP nearly on par with the 9mm in PCC.
Next I gave it a once over on the exterior. The forearm is M-Lock compatible with a full length top rail that mates flawlessly with the upper receiver rail. Next thing I noticed is there is no rear charging handle, LWD positions it on the left side. I found this to be convenient and took very little effort to get used to it. The magazine release is a large flush fit paddle which ensures you do not accidentally eject a magazine, but is easy to use on the reload. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the virtually non-existent bolt catch. I am not sure why LWD installed a barely useful catch, it will be the first item replaced on my Alpha Wolf.
I am not sure what make of grip or six position butt stock LWD installs on the Alpha Wolf, but they work fine. I would suggest they use a pistol grip that bridges that gap between the frame and grip; that sharp corner is annoying and painful under sustained shooting. The butt has an anti-slip pad that works really well. It has a quick detach point to install a sling.
The rear takedown pin is on top of the upper receiver. It is secure and requires some effort to remove so it will not come out accidentally. To remove the bolt, simply pull out the charging handle. There is only a single pin to push out to remove the cam and firing pin. The bolt has four locking cams which provide more than enough locking surface between the bolt and chamber.
A view of the side charging handle along with the Tru-Tec.
LWD uses a standard mil-spec trigger group. It was nice to see it is secured with anti-walk pins. You can swap out the trigger with any AR trigger group; it is suggested to not go too light, ignition issues can occur. The folks at the office suggest 3.5lbs lightest. Realistically at the distances this carbine is built for, your accuracy will not suffer if this is not as light as your precision rifle trigger.
One thing I did notice in the fire control group is how stiff the safety was. Not a big deal if you just use the Alpha Wolf as a plinker but it will affect your mounting the carbine for competition. I have a feeling the safety plunger is making too much contact on the safety; an easy fix down the road.
Since this carbine does not have sights, a red dot would be needed. I chose to put what I consider the best value in optics today on; Truglo’s (Phone: 972-774-0300; Online: truglo.com) Tru-Tec 2MOA red dot. The sight ships with high and low mounts, easy access digital buttons that make adjusting the dot intensity a breeze. Once you set the dot the sight has an auto on that awakens when you mount the carbine. Plus the battery lasts for several thousand hours; the Tru-Tec is a great deal. I have one of the original models on my three-gun M4 since 2016 and have yet to need a new battery. With a MSRP of $221 this optic is hard to beat; with a quick detach mount it is $258.
To test the Alpha Wolf I needed a mix of quality ammunition. I procured samples of Black Hills (Phone: 605-348-5150; Online: black-hills.com) 230-grain full metal jacket, Hornady (Phone: 800-338-3220; Online: Hornady.com) American Gunner 185-grain XTP, Remington 230-grain jacketed hollow points (Phone: 800-243-9700; Online: Remington.com), Sig Sauer (Phone: 603-610-3000; Online: sigsauer.com) 230-grain full metal jacket and Super VEL (Phone: 603-610-3000; Online: supervelammunition.com)230-grain full metal jacket. I picked these time tested bullet designs because they have proven reliable in virtually all “45s” I have fired them out of. Also the prime function the Alpha Wolf was to be a PCC firearm, plinker and down the road a house gun.
When I got to the range I zeroed the Tru-Tec/Alpha Wolf at 25 yards. All five loads were nearly point of aim/point of impact, give or take literally fractions of an inch. Off the bench ten round groups were all under an inch and a half. Bullet manufacture did not matter, which speaks highly to the consistency of bullet manufacturing and LWD’s attention to the building of the Alpha Wolf.
When I moved back to 50 yards the groups hovered around three inches. The pictured thirteen round group was a mix of all five loads, it measured exactly three inches. I have a feeling the group would tighten up with a magnified optic, but I was more than satisfied with the carbine’s accuracy with the 2MOA dot of the Tru-Tec. For PCC competition, this will easily keep a controlled pair in the center A-zone.
One thing that did stand out during shooting of the Alpha Wolf was how well the LWD 45 muzzle brake worked. We had joked around that this was more about looking good when shooting; after all, this is a long gun shooting a low pressure load. How much muzzle rise could there be? With the brake installed shooting with an extended grip, there was no perceivable shift in the Tru-Tec. Yes the sight moved, but no enough that you had to stop between shots, unless it was a precision shot.
For those who shoot a “C-clamp,” put the pressure pad on the top rail with the clips provided by Streamlight. The .45ACP muzzle break is visible here. It really tamed the recoil and will work.
With the crazy weather we had in May, I was able to shoot the Alpha Wolf, monsoons, near winter like temps, and sweltering summer temperatures. I never once lubricated or cleaned the beast through nearly five hundred rounds of factory ammunition and a couple hundred rounds of reloads. Never once did the carbine fail to feed or to fire. The reloads were the real test since they included polymer coated 200-grain H&G68 and a mix of hollow points. Accuracy and reliability never suffered.
Once I had put the Alpha Wolf through its paces and it proved to be as reliable as the Glock 21 whose magazines fed it, I realized this would be the ideal truck/house gun. For that it would need a light. For that I chose a Streamlight (Phone: 800-523-7488; Online: streamlight.com) TLR2-HLG which retails for around $340 online. While the light will function just fine with the toggle switch it is more convenient to use the TLR Remote which will set you back $30. Make sure to order the Momentary Back Door that the jack plugs into, it is about $35.
This $400 investment gives you 800 lumens of light and a visible green laser. The toggle on the TRL allows you to choose laser, white light or combination, making it a versatile light for protection or duty. The visible green laser is brighter than a red beam, making it useable in reduced light; aka a gloomy grey day or house lit with night lights. Generally I zero lasers on a long gun for point of aim/impact at 15 yards. That is sufficient for all but the most immense homes. Trying to zero the last much past this becomes hard, the sharp point dissipates and the laser starts to become hard to see in daylight.
This is a 50 yard 13-round target with all the rounds tested.
Over the last few years I have found that once your laser/weapon is zeroed, you can accurately “hip shoot” or shoot a truly accurate flash sight picture. I do not suggest co-witnessing a laser and red dot sight; there are too many points of light for your eyes to focus on. You must practice with a laser; without practice you will not be laser accurate (pun intended).
I put nearly a thousand rounds of ammunition through the Alpha Wolf PCC. In addition to the factory ammunition, it fired several types if reloads with both jacketed and polymer coated bullets from Ibejiheads and Blue Bullets. With the exception of a cartridge with a ruptured case and another with an inverted primer, the Alpha Wolf ran flawlessly. It is lightweight, accurate and handles well.
This carbine is built from the ground up as a hard use carbine. The PCC, feeds off the ammunition of designs as well traditional hollow points. It handles well thanks to its light weight. LWD’s Alpha Wolf in .45ACP is a versatile carbine. It will serve you well on the competition field, home/vehicle defense or even in a duty role, if your agency approves. Because I have a Glock chambered in .45ACP I will be buying the Alpha Wolf for the above mentioned reasons. I know that it will get me out to the range to shoot safely, shoot accurately and, thanks to its accuracy, I will have fun. All of you get out and enjoy shooting.
