South Carolina’s PTR Industries is expanding from its familiar roller-locked gun game and making inroads into being a handgun distributor and suppressor maker.
We came across PTR’s booth at Cancon earlier this month and got the lowdown on them teaming up the Czech Republic-based Archon (pronounced arK-ahn) Firearms to manufacture and distribute that company’s line of pistols in the U.S.
The origin story goes back to the Russian-Italian Stryk pistol that debuted in 2017 by Arsenal Firearms – which soon rebranded to Archon. After appearing at SHOT Show in 2018 and 2019 with production shifting to RUAG in Hungary and Germany, the brand sort of went under the radar for a minute, but now PTR has the pistols in production in a new second-generation design.
The Archon line uses a patented breech locking system, the AF-Speedlock, which eliminates the need for a tilting barrel and allows the entire slide of the firearm to be dropped lower into the grip. Think CZ75 but with an even lower bore axis. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Like, really low bore axis. This helps reduce muzzle rise, allowing, in theory at least, for less felt recoil and faster target re-acquisition.
PTR will be releasing two different models, the Gen 1 Type B, and Gen 2 Type B.
The Gen 1 Type B.
Both use a 15+1 round double-stack 9mm magazine and carry Glock pattern sights. Standard features include three internal safeties (trigger block, firing pin safety block, trigger bar disconnect) and fiber-optic front sights. PTR had threaded barreled models at CANCON in Savannah, but does not have them listed in their catalog.
The Archon Gen 2 Type B by PTR has all the features of the Gen 1 Type B with an added innovative grip system. The new grip system features interchangeable grip textures and a modular design that allows the pistol to be tailored not only to each shooter’s grip, but also to change from a full size to a compact or sub-compact.
MSRP on the PTR Archon series is set to be $855 on the Gen 1 Type B and $960 on the Gen 2. Company officials told Guns.com that the pistols will start shipping in late November.
VENT SUPPRESSORS
PTR is also making a line of hybrid flow-through Purposely Induced Porosity suppressors specifically designed to reduce “port pop” thus billed as offering “superior” muzzle signature reduction when compared to traditional baffle designs.
These PIP cans are all in PTR’s new Vent series, with three models planned by caliber: the Vent 1 (.308), Vent 2 (9mm), and Vent 3 (5.56). They use monolithic 3D-printed bodies and industry-standard thread adapters and are full-auto-capable.
The Vent series will be available in three different caliber choices.
PTR has the Vent 2 9mm can in production and was using it on the line in Savannah earlier this month at CANCON.
When it comes to specs, the Vent 2, which is currently available, runs 7.6 inches long and weighs 8.9 ounces, using a 1.125×28 direct thread adapter. It has an MSRP of $1,425. Pew Science has already gotten one for testing.
The Vent 1, being a .308 can, is beefier at 8.74 inches and 12.3 ounces and uses a 5/8×24 thread pitch but can accept a 1 3/8×24 adapter. Meanwhile, the Vent 3, designed for 5.56, will be 7.41 inches long and weigh 8.9 ounces. Prices and shipping dates on the Vent 1 and 2 are not available at this time.
