Aaron Voight's innovative and unconventional firearms are designed to fold, twist and break down to fit into pockets, bags, and backpacks where more traditional firearms simply will not fit. They include his diminutive folding Trailblazer Lifecard rimfire 'utility pistol’ and the award-winning Trailblazer Pivot 9 mm pistol-caliber carbine. In 2024, Voight started another veteran-owned and operated gun manufacturing venture called Dark Mountain Arms (DMA) in order to launch his latest creation simply called the Stowaway.
This series of bolt-action takedown carbines and pistols is designed to strip away as much weight as possible while embracing Voight's standards for quality construction and reliability. The result of his efforts is a survival and backpacking rifle that weighs just 2 lbs. 14.8 oz. He also made the unusual choice of chambering the first version of the Stowaway rifle in FN 5.7x28 mm which is often overlooked as an outdoor and survival rifle cartridge. I was intrigued with the combination of the modular Stowaway rifle's features and the FN 5.7x28 mm chambering. And so, I lined one up for a range test along with a DMA 9mm caliber conversion kit. You can read about the results of that evaluation here.
The Stowaway Pistol (bottom) is a more compact version of this company’s light weight survival rifle (top).
But in addition to the rifle, the Stowaway is also available configured as a 5-inch barrel, caliber-convertible survival pistol. Some folks may scratch their heads at the idea of a bolt-action handgun but it's been done before. Most of the centerfire versions I'm aware of are fairly beefy, including options like the Christensen Arms MPP, Savage 110 PCS and the fairly exotic Nosler Model 48 Custom. So what happens when a light-weight single shot is nipped here and tucked there to make it even lighter and more compact? I was intrigued once again. Having enjoyed working with the Stowaway in its rifle configuration, I wanted to see what the pistol has to offer. And like the previous model, the pistol was test fired with FN 5.7x28 mm and 9mm ammunition.
This bolt-action single shot is reliable and easy to operate.
At its core, the Stowaway pistol is identical to its long-gun compatriot in regards to nearly all of its features and functions. Three key changes are made at the factory in order for this version to qualify as a handgun. First, and most importantly in regards to federal regulations, it is assembled without a shoulder stock. Customers can choose between pistols configured with a plain receiver ($389) or a receiver fitted with a 1913-style stabilizing pistol brace adapter rail ($409). This 1.15-inch tall 2-slot rail was designed with the SB Tactical FS1913 side-folding brace in mind. But other fixed and folding braces can be used.
The next pistol modification is a change to the tubular barrel sleeve. It has been shorted 4.70-inches to 3.65-inches to better fit the more compact profile. Milled from aluminum, this sleeve shrouds most of the barrel and serves as the nut which secures the barrel to the receiver. Last, but not least, the slim-profile, button-rifled barrel has been shortened from 16-inches to 5-inches. Its total length is actually 5.625-inches because it is fitted with a reduced-scale AR-15-type barrel extension to engage the three lugs of the bolt.
The takedown lever is incorporated into the optics rail.
The pencil barrels are made from 4140 steel and treated with a corrosion-resistant black nitride finish. The muzzles are threaded at 1/2x28 TPI to accommodate a variety of muzzle devices including compensators, gas-forward cans and sound suppressors. The company provides knurled, anodized aluminum thread protectors. A small stud is installed in the top of the barrels' extensions which aligns with a notch cut into the threaded portion of the aluminum receiver. It ensures the barrels are properly aligned and seated when the barrel sleeve is twisted into place. The FN 5.7x28mm barrels sport a 1:9-inch right-handed rifling twist rate while the 9mm barrels are cut at a 1:10-inch twist.
The receiver assembly consists of three primary components. On top is the milled, hard-coat anodized 6061 T6 aluminum portion which houses the bolt assembly and provides the threaded mounting port for the barrel assembly. It is fitted with a combination aluminum nine-slot Picatinny optics rail and takedown lever. The lever is depressed when removing the bolt assembly.
The removable B5 Systems pistol grip is of an AR-pattern.
The middle section, which houses the trigger group, is formed from an injection-molded glass filled nylon. Underneath the nylon block is a one-piece aluminum frame which includes an integral, square-profile trigger guard and a mounting point for the removable AR-15-type B5 Systems textured polymer pistol grip. The vertical, flat-faced trigger of the pistol provided for this evaluation exhibited a trigger pull of 4-pounds 3-ounces. It is listed as a single-stage trigger but the break in the 0.5-inch arc of travel was indistinctive. The simple solution was to treat the trigger like that of a double-action revolver, meaning, a steady pressure while swinging through from start to stop. With that in mind it proved to be comfortable and enjoyable to work with.
Like the barrels, the three-lug bolt assemblies are constructed from 4140 steel. However, the various parts are heat treated where needed and given a black-oxide finish. A glass-filled nylon cocking knob is installed at the rear. Cycling the action does not automatically cock the striker. Instead, the knob is pulled straight back to cock it. It's easy to tell when it has been pulled back far enough because it emits an audible and tactile 'click.' Between shots the knob rebounds into a half-cock position to prevent a chambered round from firing if the knob is bumped.
The caliber conversion kits include a barrel and a complete, drop-in bolt assembly.
The knurled aluminum bolt handle is set on the left side of the assembly along with the receiver's ejection port. Does this make the Stowaway a left-handed platform, or does is allow right-handed shooters to maintain a shooting grip while working the action? The answer is yes to both questions.
For this evaluation, I requested the Stowaway pistol that ships with the brace rail installed. It is 6.875-inches tall, from the top of the optics rail to the tip of the pistol grip and the receiver is 1.25-inches across as its widest point. When fully assembled, it is 11.625-inches long, from the muzzle to the brace rail. With the barrel removed and the bolt closed, the receiver is 7.125-inches long. Without an optic or ammunition, this pistol weighs 32.6-ounces when configured to fire FN 5.7x28 mm or 31.9-ounces with the 9mm barrel and bolt installed.
No tools are required to disassemble the pistol for routine cleaning.
The Stowaway is exceptionally easy to work with when it comes to either routine cleaning or changing out the barrel and bolt for a different caliber option. Start by opening the action and verifying the pistol is completely unloaded. While depressing the optic rail's takedown lever, pull the bolt assembly back and out of the receiver. Twist off the threaded barrel sleeve and pull it forward off of the barrel. Give the barrel a tug and it will pull forward out of the receiver. That's it, the pistol is now ready to clean or convert.
The barrel and barrel sleeve can be removed to reduce the pistol’s overall length from 11.625-inches to 7.125-inches.
To put it back together, insert the barrel you want so that the stud is aligned with the notch in the receiver. Twist on and tighten the barrel sleeve. Insert the matching bolt assembly about 2.5-inches into the aluminum receiver. When you feel some resistance, like the bolt will not go forward any further, pull and hold the trigger. The bolt will now slide in the rest of the way so that the pistol is ready to fire.
Looking over the Stowaway pistol's sleek, modular and light weight design, my goal was to pull together an accessory set to match it. This meant striving for reduced weight were possible but not sacrificing utility or reliability just to shave off a fraction of an ounce. Here's how the balancing act went.
I have no reason to knock the 9mm version since it is a solid performer and costs less to shoot. However, a 50-round box of 115-grain 9mm ammunition I had on hand weighed in at 22.7-ounces A 50-round box of 40-grain FN 5.7 x 28mm tipped the scale at 12.2-ounces and takes up about half as much space. And so, for the base gun, I went with the FN 5.7x28 mm caliber configuration (32.6-ounces) and one box of ammunition (12.2).
This pistol’s threaded muzzle, optics rail and brace rail can be used to support popular accessories.
For the optic, I looked through a few quality options and went with the Swampfox Justice II. At 2.8-ounces with a Swampfox Rebel 1913 rail mount attached, this is not a heavy optic per se but also not the very lightest option either. A smaller, polymer housing optic would have weighed roughly an ounce less. However, this RMR footprint 6-MOA red-dot is fitted with a generously sized 30-mm ruby-coated lens which provides a wide, clear field of view useful for sporting applications. When installed it was a just-right height for me. The aluminum housing, ten brightness settings and up to 50,000 hours of runtime using one CR1632 battery are also a good fit for less-than-ideal outdoor circumstances. It's a tough little optic that's taken a beating in other pistol tests and held up well for me. I'll take the extra ounce, thank you.
The tough steel hinge of this Midwest Industries’ aluminum stabilizing brace can be configured to fold to either the left or the right side of the receiver.
When testing the rifle version of this gun, some of the shooting was conducted with Silencer Central sound suppressors installed on the muzzle. It only seemed right to quiet things down with the pistol as well. If you want one of the smallest, lightest suppressors that is compatible and effective with both FN 5.7 x 28 mm and 9mm, then the titanium Banish 9K is a great way to go (starts at $699). It's 4.1-inches long, has a diameter of 1.3-inches and weighs just 2.7-ounces Thanks to its 3D-printed construction, this suppressor has a total of eight baffles, despite its small size, with a noise reduction potential of up to 26 dB. While working with it at the range I hardly noticed the change in the pistol’s balance when it was installed on the muzzle. When shooting with subsonic rounds, the fall of the striker was louder than the report.
This evaluation provided an opportunity to test drive one of the most ruggedly built side-folding stabilizing wrist braces I've worked with. Made here in the U.S. by Midwest Industries Inc., this company's Arm Brace (#MI-ARM-SF; $209.95) features a beam and extension milled from one piece of hard-coat anodized 6061 aluminum. It has a total of five QD sling ports along with a series of weight reduction vents. The heavy-duty 'knuckle' (hinge) is made from heat treated 4140 steel and it can be configured for left- or right-side folding. In short, this brace is built just as tough as this company's combat rifle stocks. If there is such a thing as a 'survival brace,' then this is it! Despite its tank-like construction, it weighed in at only 14.4-ounces on a digital postal scale. That's about 2-ounces more than the lightest brace I could find listed online.
The author favored the generously sized lens of the Swampfox Justice II red dot for this particular outdoor and survival platform.
It should be noted here that this brace's clamp is not a perfect fit for the Stowaway's rail. In order to not block the bolt assembly's cocking knob, the brace had to be installed with the clamps' screw passed through the lower rail slot. This drops the knuckle down 0.25-inch past the base of the rail. In short, when shooting with it, the hinge was resting on top of my shooting hand. It's not a flawless fit but it was not a problem either. A good solution would be an accessory rail with a single central slot to fit braces like this one. Hopefully Dark Mountain Arms will develop one.
Tipping the scales just 2.7-ounces, the titanium Banish 9K suppressor weighs less than 7-rounds of 9mm ammunition.
A hook and loop security strap is provided with this stabilizing brace to secure the beam's extension to the forearm if so desired. With the brace installed and strapped down to my arm, the Stowaway was rock steady for standing two-handed and one-handed shots. I would say that with some large-format pistols, a stabilizer is almost a must to counter the muzzle heavy feel of these forward-weighted guns. But this was not the case with the Stowaway. With the brace removed, this pistol is impressively handy and well balanced even with the suppressor installed. It looks like it should be front heavy but instead is swings easily and naturally. That means folks can enjoy this pistol with or without a brace, depending on their needs and personal preferences.
Now to add up the weight of the whole kit. The pistol with one barrel and bolt, a single box of FN 5.7x28mm ammunition, the optic, a suppressor and brace comes to 64.7-ounces, or 4.04-pounds. For those who need this rig to be as light as possible, taking of the brace and cutting back to 40 rounds of ammunition will shave it down to just under 3-pounds total.
The Stowaway pistol was tested with its factory installed FN 5.7x28 mm barrel and bolt assembly along with a 9mm caliber conversion kit.
It's exceptionally rare as a gun reviewer to have an opportunity to test a singular platform in two configurations. This was simply too good of an opportunity to see how ammunition performance is affected by barrel length to be passed up. That's why almost the exact same ammunition set was used to test both configurations. The only change to the set was the bullet type (polymer tip instead of full-metal jacket) for the Fiocchi USA FN 5.7x28 mm load. Otherwise, FN 5.7x28 mm and 9 mm DoubleTap Ammunition, Federal Premium, Fiocchi, G9 Defense, and Hornady loads were pulled from the same boxes.
The best unsuppressed FN 5.7x28 mm 3-shot group of 0.69-inches was printed using the Hornady Black load.
Formal bench rested accuracy testing was conducted for three 3-shot groups with each load fired into paper targets set at a distance of 25-yards. It was tempting to use the stabilizing brace for this portion of the test. But since some folks either can't or won't be using this accessory for the gun, the brace was removed from the receiver for bench-rested shooting. A Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph was used to measure bullet velocity averages for 10 shot strings.
The G9 Defense +P Woodsman 9mm load punched out a 1.11-inch group which was the tightest for this caliber set.
As mentioned earlier, some folks wonder what the inspiration might be to use a bolt-style action to build a handgun. Simply stated: accuracy potential. When testing typical semi-automatic pistols and revolvers with iron sights at 25-yards, I look for 3-to 3.5-inch 5-shot groups to indicate that the firearm, ammunition and the guy in the driver's seat are working properly. Using a red-dot optic I can usually shrink the groups by half an inch, and a bit more than that when firing 3-shot groups instead of five shots.
But as you'll see in the following table, this pistol exhibited sub 1-inch 3-shot groups with some loads. And when the groups did open up, they were still in the 1-inch to 2-inch range. Based on these results, it’s a safe bet that this gun has the accuracy potential needed to pot game at distances of 30-yards or more with the right ammunition. Here are the results:
After conducting the formal accuracy testing, the little Banish 9K suppressor was installed to see how it would affect the shooting experience. As is often the case when working with a quality suppressor, it boosted the fun factor across the board. It significantly reduced noise levels and generated a notable drop in the already modest levels of recoil.
As happens sometimes, the groups with the FN 5.7x28mm were actually slightly tighter with the suppressor in place. The Federal, Fiocchi and Hornady loads printed 1.03-, 1.21- and 0.64-inch groups respectively. The Banish 9K paired with the 9mm barrel and firing the DoubleTap, G9 and Fiocchi loads yielded 1.78-, 1.14- and 1.62-inch groups.
I'll be the first to admit that the light weight, single-shot, bolt-action Stowaway survival pistol chambered in FN 5.7x28mm or 9mm is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's just about as niche as an outdoor handgun can get. But once again, Voight has captured that often elusive 'nifty' factor in his latest gun design that gun makers so often hope to find. This gun's simplicity, reliability, modularity, accuracy potential and affordable price are certainly checks in the plus column as well. And for those enthusiasts who prefer rimfire ammunition, .22 LR and .22 WMR caliber-conversion kits were nearing completion at the time of this writing. For more information, visit darkmountainarms.com.
Technical Specifications:
- Type: bolt-action pistol
- Caliber: FN 5.7x28mm
- Capacity: 1 round
- Barrel: 5-inch pencil barrel; 4140 steel; black nitride finish; 1/2x28 TPI threaded muzzle; 6-grooves; 1:9-inch RH twist
- Trigger: 4-pound 3-ounce pull weight
- Sights: none; 9-slot Picatinny optics rail
- Grip: B5 Systems Inc. AR-style pistol grip
- Metal Finishes: hard coat anodizing; black nitride; black oxide
- Overall Length: 11.625-inches fully assembled; 7.125-inches with barrel removed
- Weight: 32.6-ounces, unloaded
- MSRP: $389 to $409; darkmountainarms.com
