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Posted: 5/7/2014 6:46:02 AM EDT
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I've been wanting an AR15 Carbine chambered in 9mm for a long time. But which one?
Which manufacturer produces the most reliable and durable 9mm AR with available high-highest capacity magazines? I live a 12 minute drive from my gun club and reload my own ammo, this plus a love for guns and shooting means I shoot a lot. My guns run alot... Im gonna need a good strong AR15 chambered in 9mm Luger. Years ago when I was researching 9mm ARs I read that a 9mm AR should be dedicated to the 9mm round and the type of magazine used has much to do with reliability. Looking on Gunbroker I see the Colt 9mm ARs are around $1000, RRA are about the same. Sounds High. Which 9mm AR Carbine do you guys have experience with and which do you recommend and what features like magazine type do you recommend? Many Thanks VonBark |
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I wasn't interested in them other than for novelty until DDLES came out with their designs, I have never liked the large mag well to a small magazine. Having own one now, I would totally scour the web until you found either a Colt pattern or a Glock patterned lower becomes available or wait for the new manufacture (which was the original machine shop making them for DDLES I believe) of the lowers to start production now that DDLES is defunct. My colt lower is running Metalform 32rd magazines like a champ with a 5.5" upper and a 7.5" upper and I am planning on a 14.5" upper after I get my AR45 completed. If you don't like blowback operation, Ron Williams is working on a DI 9mm upper that sounds prettty interesting
Good luck to you, they are a true pleasure to shoot |
I recently built up a short & suppressed 9mm AR on a DDLES Glock pattern lower. It looks awesome, but the bolt hold open is crap. It sticks under high-compression of 33rd "fun sticks" and holds-open prematurely with one round still left in the magazine. The BHO has been a problem for a lot of DDLES owners. oh, and Jon Beaudry is cock-fag. 
I was really hung up on the idea of using my Glock magazines in a 9mm rifle. ....I didn't want to go down the magwell path and bought a DDLES. Seriously - I wish I had sat on my wallet until the Sig MPX became readily available. (gawd only knows when that will happen) |
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I have both a Colt factory 9mm AR and the DDLES Glock lower. The DDLES is finicky and the Bolt Hold Open is non-existent despite numerous trips to my most excellent Gunsmith. The Colt 9mm, running Metalform 32rd mags, is a champ. It has been 100% reliable with even the crappiest underpowered brass FMJ ammo. I trust the Colt. The DDLES is just a toy and it's been rather frustrating at times.
From my experience, go with the Colt. |
That sucks for all of you 9mm Glock guys, My 45 Glock lower has been running like a champ with the 25+ round (28 really) Kriss Super V mags, I wonder if the tab that engages the follower needs to be smaller in footprint to avoid any premature hold  anyways, aesthetically, I feel the DDLES colt is the way to go, I too am excited about the Sig MPX 
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Quoted:
I have both a Colt factory 9mm AR and the DDLES Glock lower. The DDLES is finicky and the Bolt Hold Open is non-existent despite numerous trips to my most excellent Gunsmith. The Colt 9mm, running Metalform 32rd mags, is a champ. It has been 100% reliable with even the crappiest underpowered brass FMJ ammo. I trust the Colt. The DDLES is just a toy and it's been rather frustrating at times. From my experience, go with the Colt. yep |
| I think you're gonna have a hard time finding any 9mm AR for less than a grand. I started with standard RRA lower ($300) and a hahn block ($200) and ordered a RRA upper w/ramped bolt for $550, and that was several years ago. if anyone sells a complete rifle for less, show me. |
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I pieced together an Oly style 9mm rifle using a Hahn block that uses Sten mags. I scored an upper here on the EE that was Olympic styled but wasn't Olympic. Not sure what brand it is. It has a 10.5" barrel with a 5.5" perm attached flash hider. The upper shoots great whatever it is.
I used a Tommy15.com lower I scored when I lived in FL. I probably have about $750 in it minus the Primary Arms red dot. |
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CMMG from Buds! Around $900 and shoots fantastic. Get the 3 pack magazines from Brownells. I have owned a couple or three 9mm AR's. First was RRA build. Once I learned how to adjust the mag well adapter it ran well but wasn't very accurate. Next I got a CMMG Mk9 dedicated 9mm lower and put together a upper using the CMMG bolt and a 9mm RRA barrel I had. It ran 100% flawlessly with about any magazine I put in it. I can not say enough good about the 9mm CMMG. Then, being a fan of all things 9mm carbine, I bought a JRC 9mm and it was 9mm heaven. 100% reliable, very accurate and it took Glock magazine and shot any ammo I ever put through it. Only weakness is that with the Glock mags you don't have a LRHO on the bolt. I hear people like their Colts so I can't say anything more about them as I have not owned one of their rifles. |
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I just bought a Jest Right Carbines 9mm Carbine, Glock lower.
Runs like a champ with Blazzer Brass 115gr, and Freedom Munitions 124gr manufactured. I only have a few hundred rds through it so far. Very accurate to 50 yds, and also on a 10" plate at 150 yds. (1x red dot) Fun to plink away. Only down side so far is cleaning is not standard break down (remove buffer tube to remove bolt assembly). BUT, I only paid $650 on GB for the thing. That $350 difference from a standard RRA/Colt/CCMG one will buy lots of ammo. I would like one of those, but $1000 for one is a bridge too far right now. |
| Haven't yet shot my RRA 9mm side by side with my Beretta Storm carbine but in general seems the RRA is good but not great in terms of accuracy. I did pick up a JRC in .45 last year, gotta say it's a lot of bang for the buck and very accurate at 50 yards with 185 gr bulk reloads. I've dumped a lot of cheap steel 9mm rounds thru my RRA and it's never jammed once, although I think that's a testament to the greatness of the Hahn block/metalform mag combo. If I was doing a 9mm AR with a dedicated lower I'd go CMMG, they have a great rep on this forum. |
| I've got a cmmg mk 9 dedicated lower and an m4 cmmg LE upper that I put together, I added in a spikes 9x buffer and wollf heavy spring. It's very accurate, fast shooting rifle using the ASC mags. I found the pro mags to be total crap. If you shop around you can beat the average price of a complete rifle by piecing the two major parts together, plus the buffer I think should be changed out anyway. Aim probably still has a few of the discontinued spikes 9x buffers left. Good luck |
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I own a Colt 9mm and love it. I use CProducts mags and have had no problems with them, I bought these a few years ago and understand they've run into some difficulties. I've also got a few MetalForm mags, 20 rndrs but haven't had a chance to test them. I like the pistol caliber carbine, fun to shoot, not intimidating to new/inexperienced shooters and just plain fun and cheap if you reload for it.
I've shot it with my YH suppressor but have been told it's not a good idea due to the booster, I don't really understand what diference it makes but I'll take advice when given. Good luck in your search, you'll find they are a fun gun to take to the range. RD 
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I have a DDLES Colt and Glock Lower, and also a CMMG Colt Lower. The DDLES Colt works 100% after I modded the CMMG ramped bolt to clear the DDLES Colt extractor...Bolt Hold Open works on all my mags(Metalform, ASC and ProMag).
The DDLES Glock Lower and the CMMG Colt Lower all remain un-built and I'm undecided whether to sell them off. I had the itch to run Glock mags so I bought the DDLES Glock lower when it was available...however, after reading about the Last Round Bolt Hold Open issues and the "tuning" involved....I'm hesitant to build up the DDLES Glock lower since the DDLES Colt works 100%. So in short, I would recommend Colt Pattern, DDLES if you want to build one yourself and if you can find it, or CMMG complete turnkey since CMMG has excellent customer service if anything should go wrong. 
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Quoted:
I have a DDLES Colt and Glock Lower, and also a CMMG Colt Lower. The DDLES Colt works 100% after I modded the CMMG ramped bolt to clear the DDLES Colt extractor...Bolt Hold Open works on all my mags(Metalform, ASC and ProMag). The DDLES Glock Lower and the CMMG Colt Lower all remain un-built and I'm undecided whether to sell them off. I had the itch to run Glock mags so I bought the DDLES Glock lower when it was available...however, after reading about the Last Round Bolt Hold Open issues and the "tuning" involved....I'm hesitant to build up the DDLES Glock lower since the DDLES Colt works 100%. So in short, I would recommend Colt Pattern, DDLES if you want to build one yourself and if you can find it, or CMMG complete turnkey since CMMG has excellent customer service if anything should go wrong. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LSjLNliudaQ/Uy25FQ8hNyI/AAAAAAAAbQI/7Z1zzaA355M/s800/IMG_0238_DPP.JPG +1 |
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I think you're gonna have a hard time finding any 9mm AR for less than a grand. I started with standard RRA lower ($300) and a hahn block ($200) and ordered a RRA upper w/ramped bolt for $550, and that was several years ago. if anyone sells a complete rifle for less, show me. Built a LWD lower and a JSE upper for just over $900. Be patient, you can get there. |
As far as complete rifles go, there aren't a whole lot of options, that's why I chose to just build my own the way I wanted it. I would have liked a DDLES Colt style lower, but people want $400+ for them so I went with a CMMG 9mm lower. Also used a Sun Devil slickside upper, CMMG ramped bolt, Spikes BAR2 rail and a Octane 45. It has functioned flawlessly so far, I am very happy with it. I would love a Sig MPX, but I'm not forking out 2k for a 9mm rifle.
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Shooting 9mm hand loads from a 9mm, Springfield 1911 5" out to 100 and 135 yards I found there wasn't as much bullet drop as I thought there would be from a 5 inch pistol.
When shooting from a stable benchrest for the purpose of testing accuracy from the rifle what type of 50 yard accuracy can I expect from a 16 inch AR platform in 9mm when using ammo like Winchester white box 115gr. FMJ ammo from Walmart? How about from 100 yards? I definitely intend in getting a 9mm AR. My usual load for 9mm pistol loads includes 115, 124 or 125 and 147gr. jacketed, not plated bullets under Hodgdon Titegroup. For a carbine I'll switch to Power Pistol. Any comments? Thanks Again VonBark OP |
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