AR Sponsor
Posted: 5/18/2008 8:29:27 AM EDT
| I have pretty much built the Ar of my dreams and have an extra lower and I am wondering if I should build another 5.56 or a 9mm. I have a ton o experience with te 5.56 but NONE with the 9mm. what are the reasons for having a 9mm Ar besides a cool plinker, bunnie blaster, home defense can someone elaborate foe me. |
|
A 9mm is much cheaper to feed. The 9mm is blowback operated, so it recoils simular to a .223. Since all the controls are in the same place, you still get realistic AR triggertime that doesnt hurt the wallet as much as .223 does. Truth be told, I rarely fire my .223 anymore because of the cost of ammo. A 9mm can be fired at pistol-cal only ranges. And on that note, it doesnt rattle you (and everyone else) at an indoor range like the 5.56 does. Yes, you can get cheap triggertime with a .22 conversion, but with absolutely no recoil you cant practice followup shots like you can with a 9mm. And since the 9mm punches bigger holes you dont need your spotting scope to see how your groups look  With the cost of ammo, a 9mm AR will pay for itself with three or four cases of ammo run through it, if you buy quality .223 plinking ammo anyway. Its gonna take a few more cases if you use wolf .223... |
| Buck50 hit it on the head: 1) 9mm ammo costs about half as much as .223, and 2) you can usually shoot it at a pistol range. I've never been interested in 9mm until recently. I lost my rifle range; it was a state range that is changing to hunting rifle sighting-in only, and since I'm on a fixed income, that .223 has gone up so much in the past couple of years. Anyway, now I'm building a DOE/633 clone. |
|
.....and the "cool" factor. I also have an AR in 5.56 but honestly, the 40S&W is more fun to shoot. I like the looks I get when others see that straight mag sticking out. Also good for home defense when more than one person may be the end-user. Nothing beats a 12ga. up close but my wife can't handle the recoil. BTW: 180gr. 40S&W is sub-sonic from a 16 incher  
|
| I can see the advantage with Home defense for sure. Having more rounds at your disposal is always a plus. do the ARs get more velocity than the pistols I have also beenn interested in a 45 or 40. those aremore powerful than the 9mm and I have a 45 and a 9mm so i would probably stick to one of those. also I see the advantage of having a weapon my wife can use ...any other advantages you guys can think of. I am just about convinced.I really like what someone said about a subsonic 9mm in more powerfull than a subsonic 5.56. that makes total sense. I would love a suppressed SBR 9mm...oh thats cool.. really cool |
|
OK COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS whats the best most desireable barrel length for Velocity and accuracy. I was thinking a SBR 10-11 inches. Is it worth the extra funds to go that way if you have a SBR does it effect the accuraccy If I dont go SBR can I go to 14.5 with permanant Flashhider and be legal. If I go with a SBR what about a 10.5 or 11.25 barrell |
I'm going 10.3" only because I'm cutting down an existing 9mm upper after I get my SBR paperwork back. IMO the 5" barrel under a rail with a can poking out is the best way to go, but it is all what floats your boat. From what I've heard, a 9mm out of a 10" barrel is equivalent to a .357 mag (but that could be internet bull sh*t). As for accuracy goes, you wont lose accuracy, but you will lose velocity. But who really cares when you are shooting a 9mm to start with. I see you are in Utah... When I get my paperwork back you can come and shoot mine and see what you think. *And yes you can have as many uppers as you want after your lower is registered as an SBR. |
| I have thought of getting a 9mm Car HB then when the paperwork goes through have Patriot arms Cut it off re-crown-thread it for new Flash/brake probably the easiest way to go for me. If I like the 16" maybe I keep it but I really like the way the 10.5 looks It looks very balanced without a can. |
| That would be a good way to go. I was going to just buy the whole new upper because I have a colt 6450 with the A1 type sites and fixed carry handle, but I decided to keep it looking classic and just have the barrel cut/crowned. I'm sure Frank at Patriot would do a good job. There is another guy that I've heard good things about that only charges like $80 and isn't as busy as Frank so I'm going to have him do the cut job after my paperwork comes back. Good luck on your build! They are a blast to shoot and much cheaper than .223. |
|
While a SBR would be neat and supressed even better, I hate to wait and really hate to wait for government BS. So I got a complete 9mm upper, 14.5" barrel with permanent flash hider, flat-top from CMMG. This is the "colt style". I like it a lot and it is becoming my favorite AR15. As for caliber, I like 9mm because of ammo prices and availability. Just got 1,000 rounds of Winchester 9mm ammo from WalMart for $199.86 including tax. I cannot get brass cased 223 for double that, and for fun shooting it is great out to 200 yards. 40 S&W and 45ACP are nice, but ammo prices are higher and magazines are not as readily available. If you are firmly entrenched in one caliber (as in have 50,000 rounds sitting around) then go for that caliber by all means. |
AR Sponsor