Want To Build: 9mm AR15

[MikeD7]

Has anyone built one? I am looking for dos and don'ts. I want it to be a pistol and it must have LRBHO.

Thanks!

[EMR]

I’ve built three (one for me and two for friends). All are colt SMG based, not the Glock based. If you get the ramped bolt, you need the standard hammer without the notch cut in the corner. Otherwise the hammer won’t engage the sear.

Get a heavy buffer tube since it’s blow back and stuff the buffer tube with quarters so the buffer doesn’t have too much over travel and break your slide release over time.


Here’s my 9mm pistol. 100% reliable with all types of ammo. I used the Hahn Precision adapter for all of them. Has the LRBHO.

[Lloyd Smale]

never built one but do have a cmmg 9mm that runs like a swiss watch.

[6bg6ga]

Maybe someone can elaborate on the parts selection which is better the Glock mag setup or the colt or what ever. Where to purchase the uppers, bolts and so forth. What AR-15 parts can or cannot be used . Barrel selection who has the full length or pistol length barrels and so forth.

[jmorris]

I picked up my "kit" from model1sales. Came with everything except the lower reciever and that is all you have to assemble, the upper is ready to go.

[6bg6ga]

I picked up my "kit" from model1sales. Came with everything except the lower reciever and that is all you have to assemble, the upper is ready to go.

Ya but I have all the tools

[imashooter2]

Maybe someone can elaborate on the parts selection which is better the Glock mag setup or the colt or what ever. Where to purchase the uppers, bolts and so forth. What AR-15 parts can or cannot be used . Barrel selection who has the full length or pistol length barrels and so forth.

The only advantage to a Glock lower is commonality if you already have a pile of Glock magazines.

[762X51]

never built one but do have a cmmg 9mm that runs like a swiss watch.

I'll second that. One of my favorite guns. Fun and cheap to shoot and the nephews love it.

[cwheel]

I built the rifle version using PSA parts and it works perfectly. I opted for the version that uses Glock mags just to make getting mags cheaper and easier to find. Quality is on par with any others I've seen. They also have the parts kits to make the other version that uses Colt style mags. Their prices are much better than the other makers I priced out. Only criticism I have of PSA is they often are out of stock on some items with long wait times, but the price savings made the wait more than worth it in the end. They do stock a upper in a pistol version, I just didn't have a interest in it or the SBR version when I made mine for the grandkids to plink with when we had the 22 shortages a few years back. We could shoot our cast bullet 9mm reloads for half the price that 22's were going for at the time.
Chris

[EMR]

Maybe someone can elaborate on the parts selection which is better the Glock mag setup or the colt or what ever. Where to purchase the uppers, bolts and so forth. What AR-15 parts can or cannot be used . Barrel selection who has the full length or pistol length barrels and so forth.

Between http://www.9mmar.com/StoreHome.html and Midway, you can get all the parts you need. Like someone mentioned earlier, go Glock magwell if you have glock mags already. Admittedly Glock mags are way easier to load than the Colt SMG mags. If you buy a standard AR lower, you need a mag adapter, a standard AR lower parts kit, and a heavy buffer/spring and pistol buffer tube.

The upper only requires a 9mm bolt without a gas block and gas tube (blowback not impingement). Get a 9mm barrel and mount it with any standard handguard and upper receiver, charging handle that you wish. For mine, I ended up picking up my barrel from Green Mountain and having a local guy cut it down to accept a Noveske Pig to just protrude from the handguard.

When selecting a bolt, if you choose a ramped bolt, you may use a standard hammer (without the notch). If you choose an unramped bolt, you’ll need a 9mm hammer. I went with the CMMG bolt and a standard DPMS LPK.

[vzerone]

The only advantage to a Glock lower is commonality if you already have a pile of Glock magazines.

I don't agree with that. Glock magazine are plentiful and cheap, plus they come in a variety of capacities. They are also current and will be around for a long time.

[vzerone]

never built one but do have a cmmg 9mm that runs like a swiss watch.

I bet you would like their new 45 acp one!!! Very unique bolt design on it to make it a delayed blow back.

[cwheel]

The 9mmar link proved interesting. I sure haven't bought stuff from them, but their prices are WAY higher priced for what looks like the same stuff PSA has for sale. Quality is hard to compare unless you had both side by side. I don't regret doing my build with the upper and lower assemblies PSA offered and got a shooting rifle around $500 without the sights. Sure would be your choice.
Chris

[6bg6ga]

I tend to agree. The prices are higher than what I would expect to pay. There isn't enough defference to command the higher prices. Why should it cost for example $150 for a 9mm barrel when I can find 223 barrels for less than $50 cost. The same goes for the rest of the stuff. I guess if you want a different caliber get ready to bend over.

[vzerone]

I tend to agree. The prices are higher than what I would expect to pay. There isn't enough defference to command the higher prices. Why should it cost for example $150 for a 9mm barrel when I can find 223 barrels for less than $50 cost. The same goes for the rest of the stuff. I guess if you want a different caliber get ready to bend over.

Because it's more a novelty. I agree with you and being that there is supposedly an AR glut why haven't the prices come down on all of them?

[MikeD7]

What is the difference on lowers that say they aren't LRBHO vs the ones that are? I see Spartan lowers in 9mm that say you must get an upper that has LRBHO. I would like to go with PSA or whoever is the most cost effective, but I want LRBHO.

[Multigunner]

Seems to me a .45 ACP conversion would be more efficient if a suppressor is to be used.

Has anyone marketed a dedicated upper and lower optimized for this general type carbine able to use many AR internal parts and aftermarket external fittings such as stocks and rail mounted sights and such?

By optimized I mean the magwell and ejector port sized to the pistol caliber dimensions, and the entire action a bit shorter over all.
That would shave a few ounces at least and maybe an inch or so from OAL. Add a quick barrel takedown feature for storage or switching calibers. Market barrel and mag kits for all commonly found 9mm and 38 rimless or semi rimmed rounds up to the 9mm Winchester magnum. 7.62X25 kits as well.

[dragon813gt]

I tend to agree. The prices are higher than what I would expect to pay. There isn't enough defference to command the higher prices. Why should it cost for example $150 for a 9mm barrel when I can find 223 barrels for less than $50 cost. The same goes for the rest of the stuff. I guess if you want a different caliber get ready to bend over.

There is a big difference. It's called volume. 9mm barrels are a small market. Where as tens of thousands of 223 barrels are sold each year. And those cheap 223 barrels are run of the mill milspec barrels. Look at the price of say a Krieger barrel and it's easy to see that small volume means a higher price.

[vzerone]

Seems to me a .45 ACP conversion would be more efficient if a suppressor is to be used.

Has anyone marketed a dedicated upper and lower optimized for this general type carbine able to use many AR internal parts and aftermarket external fittings such as stocks and rail mounted sights and such?

By optimized I mean the magwell and ejector port sized to the pistol caliber dimensions, and the entire action a bit shorter over all.
That would shave a few ounces at least and maybe an inch or so from OAL. Add a quick barrel takedown feature for storage or switching calibers. Market barrel and mag kits for all commonly found 9mm and 38 rimless or semi rimmed rounds up to the 9mm Winchester magnum. 7.62X25 kits as well.

I don't think any manufacturer would do that. If they were that willing we all know that if the AR15 was just a tiny bit longer so you could shoehorn in a cartridge that could really performe, then the current crop of wildcats, they would have done so.

Now there are companies out there that do have a dedicated lower receiver, meaning the smaller mag well, and CMMG is one of them. You should take a look at their AR 45 comes in both pistol and rifle form. Pretty exclusive delayed blowback, wish they would come out with it in 9mm.

[Gunslinger1911]

Olympic Arms has uppers in 9mm, 10mm, and 45 ACP.
Use standard lower - they have a proprietary mag that takes up the whole mag well.
I have the 45 - great fun !