Q Unveils The BoomBox 8.6BLK

When Q began development of the BoomBox, the goal was to create a submachine gun with super and subsonic capabilities like the 300BLK, but with superior terminal ballistics. However, it didn’t take long before the mad scientists behind the Honey Badger realized they were on to something much bigger with the 8.6BLK, giving the new platform potential beyond mere ballistics, and allowing their engineers to do what Q does best, push limits.

Q’s Boombox @ TFB:

• NEW! Q BOOMBOX: The Honey Badger's Big Brother
• TFB Preview: Q Boombox 8.6 Rifle – The Honey Badger Replacement

The Q BoomBox harnesses the sheer mass of a 350gr subsonic projectile into an AR-15 size chassis, delivering three times the energy of 300BLK while remaining quieter than its suppressed predecessor. Exciting, right? Not enough says Kevin Brittingham, Q’s owner and CEO. The New Hampshire company claims the BoomBox is capable of 1 MOA accuracy at 300 meters, an impressive achievement for a gargantuan subsonic round out of a 1:3 twist 12” barrel. Yeah, you read that right.

But the guys at Q know that features and lethality are worth little without durability and reliability, and since we’re not cutting corners, how about putting steel feed ramps in the receiver? Sounds like a great idea, but what else have you got? They also developed a rigid forend, capable of holding zero on laser aiming devices despite load on the handguard. Peak Performance is what’s on the menu for the BoomBox, right down to the charging handle and gas tube, created intentionally unique to address operational challenges in a manner unlike any other before.

But don’t take my word for it. Speaking exclusively to TFB here’s what Kevin had to say about his team and about the development of the Q BoomBox:

"I'm so f*cking proud of the entire team here at Q that helped bring the BoomBox to life. After years of hype and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammo, I can officially say that the BoomBox is now shipping out to gun stores across the country. This is a true milestone for our company, and I appreciate all the excitement from our customers about this gun.

Other companies will pick a day on the calendar and then release new products on that date, whether ready or not. We refused to do that, much to the dismay of all y'all eagerly awaiting the arrival of this gun. We could have released this gun two years ago, made our customers part of the research and development process, and then perfected the design of the Gen2 BoomBox. Instead, we put the BoomBox through the most comprehensive testing we've ever done on a gun and built something special before making it available…So, I'm sorry for the wait, but we wanted to ensure we engineered the best possible version of the gun before we released it.

But we didn't just develop a gun; we created an entire system. The caliber, the gun, and the ammunition were all developed by our in-house engineering team. We Did something no one else can do with an unwavering commitment to innovative excellence. This is generations ahead of anything else going on in the gun industry. This is about blazing a new trail and setting new standards. The BoomBox is far lighter than anything else like it. It's also probably the most reliable and durable gun we've ever built.

This gun personifies Q as a company and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to building the world's most innovative and technologically advanced battle rifles. We didn't invent the BoomBox as an upfront solicitation from the military like contract guns often are, though. Instead, we built something the military didn't know they needed yet, and now they've certainly taken notice. Now we're excited to finally unveil the commercial version of this gun for the US tactical market.”

SPECS:

OPERATING SYSTEM: Direct Impingement

CALIBER: 8.6 Blackout

 WEIGHT: 5 lbs 8 oz

 BARREL LENGTH: 12 inches

 BARREL MATERIAL: 416R Stainless Steel

 BARREL FINISH: Bead Blasted

 TWIST RATE: 1:3

 MUZZLE DEVICE: XL Cherry Bomb

 THREADS: M18x1.5 (Tapered Shoulder)

 MAG TYPE: SR-25

 MAG CAPACITY: 20

 MAGS INCLUDED: 1

 LENGTH OF PULL: Collapsed: 8.375 inches - Extended: 13 inches

 TRIGGER TYPE: Literally The Best Trigger Ever Made

 TRIGGER WEIGHT: 3.25 lb - 3.75 lb

 SAFETY: AR-15 Style Ambi

 STOCK TYPE: 2 Position, collapsible

 GRIP TYPE: Reptilia CQG-NB

 HANDGUARD: Q-Sert, 11 inches

 RAIL: Continuous M1913 Picatinny Top Rail

 RECEIVER FINISH: Clear, Hardcoat Anodize

 OVERALL LENGTH: Collapsed: 26.75 inches - Extended: 31.25 inches

 OVERALL WIDTH: 1.5 inches

 HEIGHT: 7.25 inches

 SILENCER: Not included - Porq Chop or Short Chop recommended

I remember when 300BLK was the new kid on the block, and like many of the latest and greatest, early adoption has disadvantages that are easy to thumb your nose at, like cost and availability. 8.6BLK is not what I would call “widely available” at the moment, and it certainly isn’t cheap at $2.50 - $3.00 per round. If you guessed that the BoomBox wouldn’t be cheap either, you’d be right in many ways, some good, others harder to swallow with an MSRP of $4,399.

For most, the question is whether the 8.6BLK will become a mainstay of the community, or at least available enough to see the cost per round descend. For some, the 8.6BLK has already become a staple, and the BoomBox might be the best-suited host for the potent cartridge. Time will tell, and so will your comments below, let us know what you think!

For more information on the BoomBox and all Q products, visit   www.liveqordie.com