The best value for the money is the CX4, you get the shorter barrel look for less than $600

A 9MM AR SBR with a 7.5 barrel looks nice and with tax stamp is around $1100

A HK MP5 Clone looks like shit unless you SBR it, and to get a decent one you are looking at a total of $1700

Which route did you take and why?

I recently aquired a HK94, complete with both stocks and 8 LE marked "curved" magazines. I added the FBI polymer lower and HK FH, to help mitigate the "ugliness". I bought a parts kit for the inevitible SBR "hack job", but right now I am content. The MP5 is one of the best SMG's on the planet, though lack of bolt hold open device, ergonomic issues and price are serious drawbacks. Bobcat makes decent weapons, some are great....some are terrible. Vector makes a 10mm/.40 MP5 clone which looks promising and affordible, though magazines won't be.... The MP5 clone is more of a "collectors weapon" than an all out defensive firearm...actually it fills both roles very well. The 9mm AR is an excellent SMG which is reliable and affordible, not to mention it accepts the same components as a 5.56 AR. How to feed your 9mm is a consideration, as there are several ways to do it...all with their own pros/cons, so pick which one works for you. I lean

towards the standard Colt magazines, followed by the Oly Glock setup. 9mm AR's make great defensive weapons as they are realiable and affordible to practice with, not to mention 9mm JHP rounds are pretty potent. Another consideration would be a IMI or Vector Uzi carbine. The Uzi was the world standard and still is in some places. Its an excellent weapon, though less refined than the HK/AR, but usually less expensive too and every bit as  capable. The Storm is my least favorite just because I cant get past its look/feel...otherwise its a great gun. The HiPoint 9mm carbine is your most economic choice, but 800-1000 dollars would get you a HK clone/AR 9mm or Uzi, depending on what you want. While I do own the HK, I long for an AR and intend to by a RRA 9mm midlength when I get the chance....A 9mm AR is pretty tough to beat price/performance wise.

All 3 weapons you listed would get
the job done as plinkers.
Expensive ones, though.

Quoted: All 3 weapons you listed would get the job done as plinkers. Expensive ones, though.

Are you trying to say 9mm doesn't kill???

The Cx4 sux...a great idea that was very poorly executed...

Quoted: I recently aquired a HK94, complete with both stocks and 8 LE marked "curved" magazines. I added the FBI polymer lower and HK FH, to help mitigate the "ugliness". I bought a parts kit for the inevitible SBR "hack job", but right now I am content. The MP5 is one of the best SMG's on the planet, though lack of bolt hold open device, ergonomic issues and price are serious drawbacks. Bobcat makes decent weapons, some are great....some are terrible. Vector makes a 10mm/.40 MP5 clone which looks promising and affordible, though magazines won't be.... The MP5 clone is more of a "collectors weapon" than an all out defensive firearm...actually it fills both roles very well. The 9mm AR is an excellent SMG which is reliable and affordible, not to mention it accepts the same components as a 5.56 AR. How to feed your 9mm is a consideration, as there are several ways to do it...all with their own pros/cons, so pick which one works for you. I lean towards the standard Colt magazines, followed by the Oly Glock setup. 9mm AR's make great defensive weapons as they are realiable and affordible to practice with, not to mention 9mm JHP rounds are pretty potent. Another consideration would be a IMI or Vector Uzi carbine. The Uzi was the world standard and still is in some places. Its an excellent weapon, though less refined than the HK/AR, but usually less expensive too and every bit as  capable. The Storm is my least favorite just because I cant get past its look/feel...otherwise its a great gun. The HiPoint 9mm carbine is your most economic choice, but 800-1000 dollars would get you a HK clone/AR 9mm or Uzi, depending on what you want. While I do own the HK, I long for an AR and intend to by a RRA 9mm midlength when I get the chance....A 9mm AR is pretty tough to beat price/performance wise.

Thanks for the info. I am building a LMT 10.5 SBR now which is going to add to $2000 but next year I plan to get a Rock River 10.5 in 9MM.

BRD is hitting me pretty hard.

Ryno,
 Very well said.


Johnny C!

I'm going with the 9mm AR platform... order to be placed today.  


- BG

I gave up on my MP5 clone project after the Ohio Rapid Fire group buy fiasco, plus I needed the money for something else at the time...The AR setup is a nice option...

I never warmed up to the Beretta it just looks and feels weird to me.
I haven't touched the MP5 clones because of what I've read in AFRCOM some are good and some are not.So that leaves me with the AR. If I don't want to shoot 9mm. Heck, I just swap out the upper.  As far as the real deal full auto UZi or HK if I had the money I would already own both...

Why go 9mm? Oly Arms did a .45 ACP upper at one point. If you're going to drop to a pistol caliber, get a harder hitting one.

Quoted: Quoted: All 3 weapons you listed would get the job done as plinkers. Expensive ones, though. Are you trying to say 9mm doesn't kill???

Not at all.
But there are better options for shoulder
fired weapons than pistol calibers.
Just my $.02.

I have a Steyr SPP in 9mm, I love to shoot it, using the sling, and pushing it away from you makes it as steady as a rifle, and very accurate for only a six inch barrel.  Mated it with the original holosight and it shoots 5 inch groups at fifty yards from the bench.  Nice compact weapon, and since another company is now making them again, the cost of mags and accessories has went way down.

I have a UMP  and just built a 9mm AR. Although the UMP gets a lot of attention at the range, the AR is a better weapon. I'm saying this as an HK guy.

Bomber

I have always wanted a HK SP89 pistol to SBR but spending over $3000 for one will mostlikey never happen since I would have to add another $1000+ worth of extras to go on it also. I looked at buying a bobcat just a few months ago at $1500 and haveing it made into a SBR but feedback was really not that great from what I read around the net and talked to my class III dealer about them. The desideing factor was I found one at a gun show about 3 weeks back and it just didn't look like a $1500 weapon should look like in my mind. I desided to build another SBR Ar15 9mm. So far I have $800 in just the lower and about $600 more spent on the upper so far thats coming.

The CX4 is not in the same league as a MP5 or Colt 9mm AR-15

The beretta sucks big time, it is ugly as hell and feels weird. I would go for the MP5 Clone or the AR15 in 9mm. I already have a Bobcat and will get a Colt as soon as I can afford it.

I must say the following, do not believe all the bad publicity about the Bobcat. I bought one of the first Bobcats out there and I am absoultely amazed by what it does. When I got it everyone at the shop told me basicxally that they were crappy and not to expect much. Well, they were wrong. I have an FS model with the fake suppresor and will SBR it next year as I have too many projects right now. Reliability is 100%, no jams or FTFs. Accuracy is amazing. I am not a particularly good shot but at 25 yards I was able to get three of five shots touching each other with iron  sights. Recoil is non-existent, even less than my AK74. There may be some badones out there but there are always bad ones of everything out there, even AK47s. Here is the actual Bobcat I own. I may get rid of all my guns, but will NEVER get rid of this one.

Quoted: I have a UMP  and just built a 9mm AR. Although the UMP gets a lot of attention at the range, the AR is a better weapon. I'm saying this as an HK guy. Bomber

I'm happy with my UMP, and I just love the "thump" of the .45

Why are you not thinking of the other great options?

Glock 19

Glock 17

Both take hi-cap mags, and you can can and NFA them to accept a stock.  Be in it a total of 1,000, and have a stocked, supressed, short, hicap bullet spewer.

I will never own a shoulder fired weapon that feeds through the grip.

Until the HK94 is offered from HK to civilians in America (yeah right), I think the 9mm AR is the best way to go.

I will admit that the 94 clone posted above looks excellent, but with the recent fall out between Bobcat and Special Weapons, we won't be seeing any more of them.