Perhaps my best AR build?

[stagpanther]

I've built lots of them in both xx15 and xx308 flavors--and I think this simple blowback 9mm is probably among my personal favorites. It's a simple blowback build and uses the Colt magwell adapter in a conventional multi-cal lower which I think is the best way to go for a home-grown 9mm build. Lacking the need for a gas system, it uses a simple screw-on carbon fiber handguard which also means very easy and quick barrel swap-out. It also has bolt lock-back without the the weirdness and unreliable gizmos of dedicated 9mm receivers. I've never had any issues with reliable operation.



Moreover, in this day and age of scarcity and rising costs "bang for the buck" has a more pronounced meaning. I can still score bulk 9mm ammo for around the same cost as the match-grade 22lr ammo I get for my 22lr rifles.

It's also one of my casual plinking rifles that I go shoot at random distance targets--like the 22lr not an easy thing to do beyond 100 yds. I love the Burris RT 3 paired with my shorter range AR's--although it gets a bit problematic with cartridges like the 9mm that have an inherent rainbow trajectory. I love the RT 3 as is, though I wish it had a few detent marks to allow for hold-under.

Yesterday I laid out some empty water jugs at random distances for some plinking fun--I like to see how many shots it takes me to connect using my elevation estimates. I did not measure distances to the jugs until after I was done.

First shot at the first jug was a hit. Second shot at the second jug was a hit. The third jug, however, was a miss. I took me an entire 15 round magazine to finally find the third jug, and even repeat hits were pretty hard. I then lasered the distances and the first jug was at 123 yds, the second at 190 yds and the third at 268 yds.

It's nice to have an enjoyable alternative to "tiny group syndrome" that still is affordable and accessible in these lean times.

[lunger]

I really like it . If one was available commercially would buy it.

[stagpanther]

I really like it . If one was available commercially would buy it.

This is also one the easiest of all the builds I've done and readily recommend it as a "first go" for anyone who has never built one before, the only semi-technically challenging part is adjusting the magwell adaptor so that the bolt carrier rides properly on it, but that is also quite easy to do. The Colt schema is much better for reliable feeds IMO than Glock-magazine based systems.

[GeauxTide]

I had a 45acp blow back AR15 pistol built, with 8" barrel built. Love it.

[44caliberkid]

Nice little gun. I have all the parts for one, hopefully will get it together this winter.

[9x19]

I remember when you cobbled that one together.

I have settled on the AR-V receiver set from PSA for my 9mm AR-style weapons. I really like the CZ Scorpion style mags and they work really well in the AR-V.

[stagpanther]

I've tried many variations of 9mm receivers--including that silly magazine with plastic ejector--but the colt magwell adaptor leaves them all in the dust IMO for several reasons. First you get to use a regular multi-cal lower--so you can always switch out. Second, once you get it properly positioned and screwed down it stays put and won't require periodic adjustment like the ejector in the receivers do. Most important of all IMO--it feeds the cartridge in a straighter alignment into the chamber, virtually eliminating jams of cartridges that wedge because of odd bullet configurations and angled feed from a glock magazine. The colt style magazine has a ramp that goes straighter to the chamber face--instead of that "jump the gap" that is prevalent in many lowers that are designed to use Glock magazines.

I don't recall seeing the PSA AR V products when I was building the new 9mm's--that looks like a pretty recent development.

[zukiphile]

I like that stock. I use them with the extended butt pad for a while; all that rubber stays in place sitting at the top of my shoulder and it approximates A1 length.

Just to see how it felt, I tried one without the extended pad, just as you have it and found that with my support arm slung up it permitted a more natural aim when standing.

The price is right too.

[stagpanther]

Kind of ironic--I believe it's magpul's cheapest stock--but the biggest reason I like it is that it's also one of their best for zero-play on the buffer tube.

[zukiphile]

I have to remember to use a bit of common sense when I install those.

The stock requires that the tube be set into the receiver to an optimal depth.
Depending on the tube and lower, that might not be when I like how the buffer detent looks. I've put it in too shallowly and stuck a bit of rubber in front of the stock retention screw. Once I set the extension in so far, the screw could make it to the other hole. Rather than back out the castle nut and reset the receiver extension like a normal human, I broke out a file.

I test fit an A1 stock last Sunday. It seemed a touch long.

[stagpanther]

The stock requires that the tube be set into the receiver to an optimal depth.
Depending on the tube and lower, that might not be when I like how the buffer detent looks. I've put it in too shallowly and stuck a bit of rubber in front of the stock retention screw. Once I set the extension in so far, the screw could make it to the other hole. Rather than back out the castle nut and reset the receiver extension like a normal human, I broke out a file.

That's true--setting the internal screw to accomodate the spacing to fit the buffer tube's holes is a bit unorthodox--but does work well and give a pretty rigid lock, which is what I like.

[stagpanther]

Here's another of one of my favorite builds--a 6mm ARC with an economical 6.5 outfitters monster barrel that I bought based on input from this forum's early-adaptor, Mel80. I don't see much from her these days on TFL, but she was a great experimenter in AR 15 builds and used them to spectacular effect at very long ranges, especially the grendel. I've done around a dozen builds of grendels and grendel wildcats--as well as the 6.8 special (and there seems to be eternal warfare between the two camps as to which is inherently superior)--but the ARC just seems to work better than all the rest of grendel spawn IMO and doesn't seem as "temperamental" when cycling as other grendels do. I say this a reloader that might go up and down in charge weights and COL's. There was no 6mm ARC brass available at the time that I did this build, so I used the parent grendel brass which sizes down very easily. I don't shoot as well as Mel does, but still generally get sub-MOA out to the distances I can effectively use a 3x prism scope.