Hey all, I've been wanting an RRA 9mm carbine for a cheaper way to plink with the AR platform but was wondering if I should waste my money there as it will be just for cheaper plinking compared to 5.56 or if I should just get a .22lr conversion kit as I could plink for even cheaper?

What are some pros and cons of one route vs the other?  The cons I can think of for the 9mm AR is that I would have to buy the AR which is a lot more expensive than the .22 kit, the 9mm ammo is more expensive than the .22 and then I would need to get at least 20 32 round mags for the 9mm which will be very expensive.

Thoughts?

Just get both?

Help.

Thanks

I have both and mainly use the 22lt kit, but I run them on full auto so I don't really know if my opion counts.

22lr kits are about $200 and I use the Blackdog mags at $30 bucks a piece. So for $350 you can the kit and 5 mags for less than a 9mm upper alone. My Ciener kit runs great-1 FTE about every 4-5 mags on FA olny when dirty.

I would go with the 22lr just for ammo saveings. I only use CCI mini-mags though.  Can shoot all day for about 30 bucks.

I like the 9mm setup a lot since you could use it for real work and the ammo is fairly cheap and they are fun to shoot suppressed. They are also very reliable. The 22 kits can be unreliable sometimes and are purly for target shooting and they have very little recoil. However with the rise in ammo prices, even 9mm is getting expensive so 22 might be a better option for cost. Also you don't need a new AR to shoot 9mm, you just need a 9mm upper, mag block, 9mm magazines, 9mm buffer, and a hammer without the notch cut.

Well i have all 3...  .223,9mm... the .22 Ceiner kit and 6 BDM mags are on the way.

Total cost for the .22 kit and mags $310. plus $50 for almost 3k of .22 ammo.


I just can't wait for the Ceiner kit and mags to come in... I spend money to save money!!!  $10 for 550 round or $150 for 500, it doesn't take long to figure that one out.

But now i want a Eotech, or new rings for my scope.

What do you want out of the gun?  If all you want is a plinker the 22 conversion will save you money and let you shoot more.  If you want something that is a little cheaper than 223 but still is good for more than just plinking the 9mm might be better.  i went with the 22 because I know what my shooting will be with the gun and it is all into pop cans.  For that Ill take the 22.

Ultimately I just want a cheap plinker and the more I think about it, 9mm is going the way of cheap .223 such as Wolf when you can find it.  So the 20 dollars or so savings between .223 and 9mm doesn't make much since although the 9mm can be reloaded.

As to the .22 kit I see this on Brownells www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/productdetail.aspx?p=5478 and it says ciener but different names at the bottom where you would add them to your cart, what am I missing there?

Also does anyone make a mag larger than 10 rounds for that kit?

Thanks

Alright, found the blackdog mags at TI, but I'm still curious about the Brownells question above....

The Ciener kit and 6 blackdog mags are on the way.

Thanks everyone for helping me spend my money.

Ciener kit w/BDM mags here. I could not be much happier as it's hard to get cheaper than .22LR. Accuracy will be dependant on your barrel but, I shoot steel out to 200 yards. Currently  building a dedicated upper  w/a 1-12 barrel on an A2 upper. Getting 98-99% reliability from a variety of ammo. Should have done this 5 years ago.

I don't see a need to choose.  The cost for my M261 was a little over $100, so think about how many rounds of .223/5.56mm that add up to $100 (around 500, probably less).  The cost of that many rounds of .22LR is peanuts-$20 or less.  So getting a .22 adapter for fun and plinking (and trigger practice/smoothing-it's a great way to get good at that) is a no-brainer for me.

I also have an RRA 9mm on order (and Pete says they're starting to come in!), so I just chose which one to get first, not which one to get.

More than likely that will be the same situation here as far as which one to get first.  The answer to that is the Ceiner first here.

I think I will still want the RRA 9mm but I just don't like the idea of 30 dollar mags (CProducts) for it because of stuff like that (price), the current political climate and the new HR 1859 bill going after only standard cap mags.  I have lots of other mags I need to stock up on first before taking on a new mag type.

Kind of like buying a firearm in a new caliber, I'm in no mood to do that any time soon either...................

I already have a couple of 9mm carbines I don't shoot but who knows....