Maxim Defense PDX
- Category
- Personal Defense Weapon
- Barrel
- 140 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.58 kg
- Introduced
- 2018
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Maxim Defense PDX is an ultra-compact personal defense weapon built on the AR-15 platform around the company's patented SCW (Self-Contained Wire) brace and buffer system, which eliminates the conventional receiver extension to slash overall length. Chambered in .300 Blackout, 5.56 NATO, or 7.62x39, it pairs a 5.5-inch barrel with the integrated HATEBRAKE muzzle booster to reduce flash, recoil and gas blowback in the short-barrel envelope. Marketed for Tier 1 close-quarters applications, it uses 6Al-4V titanium, 17-4 stainless steel and 7075/6061 aluminum and is built to order in the USA.
Maxim Defense first turned heads at SHOT Show with the PDX, a sub-19-inch AR pistol that delivered intermediate-cartridge ballistics from a package barely longer than a submachine gun, thanks to its receiver-extension-eliminating SCW brace.
MSRP $2,495. Built to order, 4-6 week lead time. The SCW system is Maxim Defense's signature innovation, collapsing the buffer assembly into the brace housing for a much shorter overall length than a standard AR pistol. Thread pitch 1/2x28 (5.56) or 5/8x24 (.300 BLK, 7.62x39).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Maxim Defense Industries
- Category
- Personal Defense Weapon
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2018
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 140 mm
- Overall length
- 476 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.58 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated direct impingement
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Hardcoat anodized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 625 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1585 J
- Effective range
- 200 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Scw self contained wire pistol brace
Hatebrake muzzle booster
Hk height rail
M slot handguard
Ambidextrous controls
Free floating barrel
Ar15 magazine compatible- Titanium components
- 2 moa accuracy
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 54 personal defense weapons | 2.58 kg | 2.23 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 53 personal defense weapons | 476 mm | 582 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 55 personal defense weapons | 140 mm | 168 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 57 personal defense weapons | 30 | 30 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Maxim Defense PDX
How much does the Maxim Defense PDX weigh?
The Maxim Defense PDX weighs 2.58 kg (5.69 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Maxim Defense PDX?
The Maxim Defense PDX is chambered in .300 AAC Blackout, 5.56x45mm NATO, and 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Maxim Defense PDX hold?
The Maxim Defense PDX holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Maxim Defense PDX?
The Maxim Defense PDX is 476 mm (18.7 in) long overall, with a 140 mm (5.50 in) barrel.
Who makes the Maxim Defense PDX?
The Maxim Defense PDX is made by Maxim Defense Industries (United States).
When was the Maxim Defense PDX introduced?
The Maxim Defense PDX was introduced in 2018.
How does the Maxim Defense PDX operate?
The Maxim Defense PDX uses a gas operated direct impingement action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/maxim-defense-pdx' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "maxim-defense-pdx", "name": "Maxim Defense PDX", "manufacturer": { "id": "maxim-defense", "name": "Maxim Defense Industries", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 2014, "website": "https://maximdefense.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "updatedAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "version": "dfe683bac783d6db254ae0d3a178639557add21098804dfbed602082544252e0" }, "category": { "id": "personal-defense-weapon", "name": "Personal Defense Weapon", "description": "Compact firearms designed for non-frontline military personnel" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2018, "barrel_length_mm": 139.7, "weight_empty_g": 2580, "action_type": "gas_operated_direct_impingement"}