AR9 alternatives
- Thread starter Mac11FA
- Start date
I guess I better chime in on this one.... I've got a CZ Scorpion w/ folding SBT brace, 2 MPX pistols, JRC 2nd Gen 9mm, LoneWolf 9mm Carbine, home-build PSA/KVP AR-9, Beretta CX-4, Marlin Camp 9, and Sub2000 Gen2 9mm. I might have a thing for PCCs...What do y'all want comparisons on?
How do you rate your list of PCCs as far as function user friendly accessible parts ease to use just feels right and fun factor. Each has its own job I guess but are the AR9 better suited for the HD job or range toys. Nice list btw
Currently own:
CZ Scorpion Evo 3 – carbine version is ridiculously front heavy so skip it and get the pistol, crazy fun, stock trigger sucks, plenty of aftermarket support, only downsides are the stock safety selector and getting a proper cheekweld with any of the braces/stocks without a cheek riser(at least for me), recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Sig MPX 8” & 4.5”-K – both of mine are pistols with braces (the 4.5" is pending on form now for SBR) and tons of fun, some gas in the face shooting suppressed just like any AR (9mm or 5.56) I’ve ever shot – I’m currently testing a few possible things to help with it, plenty of aftermarket support (though not as much as with the Scorpion but more is coming everyday), stock charging handle sucks and mags are stupid expensive, standard AR-15 recoil impulse
JRC 2nd Gen 9mm – Skip the 1st gens, they sucked, upper/lower/barrel/bolt all proprietary, My favorite to suppress – no gas in the face at all thanks to the large openings in the upper for the sidecharger, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes standard AR-15 stocks/grips/rails/triggers, takes Glock mags, easily and relatively change calibers using kits available from JRC, mag release is unconventional and sidecharging is different, standard AR-15 recoil impulse despite being a blowback design, a PITA to clean
Lone Wolf 9mm Carbine – I hate it, very finicky with ammo even after changing buffers/springs- due to carrier design, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes AR-15 stocks/grips/rails and depending on model notched or unnotched triggers, takes Glock mags, recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Home-build PSA/KVP AR-9 – since I built it from a stripped lower I love it, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes standard AR-15 stocks/grips/rails/triggers, takes Glock mags, runs great suppressed/unsuppressed, manual of arms is identical to AR-15 – excellent training on the cheap, recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Beretta CX-4 – fun but I’ve had it for years and barely shot it – not sure why, manual of arms is unique, stock and aftermarket parts are hard to find and expensive, cheap OE mags if you go the 92 route, I have the matching 90-2
Marlin Camp 9 – my favorite, niche aftermarket support, Marlin pretends this rifle never existed, takes S&W 59-series mags, aftermarket mags suck and good OE mags are expensive, OE parts are hard-to-find and expensive, people are always asking questions about it, I’m running a Burris FF3 on mine
KelTec Sub2000 Gen 2 – love it, goes everywhere with me, takes Glock mags, aftermarket support (not as much as Gen 1 but improving), MLOK, suppresses great without any gas in the face, a PITA to clean
Commando Mark-III – Thompson .45 clone (threw it in just for the shiggles), runs great after some well-known required tweaks, trigger is literally the worst I’ve shot, parts are impossible to find, mags are proprietary and impossible to find
Previously Owned:
KelTec Sub2000 Gen 1 – in stock form is sucks/give it the full RedLion treatment, takes several different mags depending on variant, tons of aftermarket support, PITA to clean
Colt & RRA AR-15 9mm – I hate the stick mags, suppressed results in tons of gas in the face and most venting methods causes problems, takes AR-15 stocks/grips/rails and depending on model notched or unnotched triggers, cheap mags, recoil impulse is different, standard Ar-15 manual of arms,
MechTech conversion – awkward ergonomics, surprisingly heavy recoil, ran great though
Chiappa M1-9 Carbine – great idea but poor execution, 9mm M1 Carbine clone, consistent FTF/FTE issues even 2 trips back to Chiappa on my dime, takes 92 mags, Cheap OE mags
Hi-Point 995TS – fun, cheap, reliable, just didn’t do it for me, OE mags are cheap but limited in capacity, aftermarket mags suck, niche aftermarket support but cheap, side-charging,
I’m probably forgetting a few but meh…. If you build an AR-9 (or hell, even buy one) from NFA, PSA, DDLES/QC10, etc be prepared to tweak/mod it to get it to run properly! Most of the factory builds are not gassed properly from the factory and the rifles beat themselves to death.
CZ Scorpion Evo 3 – carbine version is ridiculously front heavy so skip it and get the pistol, crazy fun, stock trigger sucks, plenty of aftermarket support, only downsides are the stock safety selector and getting a proper cheekweld with any of the braces/stocks without a cheek riser(at least for me), recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Sig MPX 8” & 4.5”-K – both of mine are pistols with braces (the 4.5" is pending on form now for SBR) and tons of fun, some gas in the face shooting suppressed just like any AR (9mm or 5.56) I’ve ever shot – I’m currently testing a few possible things to help with it, plenty of aftermarket support (though not as much as with the Scorpion but more is coming everyday), stock charging handle sucks and mags are stupid expensive, standard AR-15 recoil impulse
JRC 2nd Gen 9mm – Skip the 1st gens, they sucked, upper/lower/barrel/bolt all proprietary, My favorite to suppress – no gas in the face at all thanks to the large openings in the upper for the sidecharger, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes standard AR-15 stocks/grips/rails/triggers, takes Glock mags, easily and relatively change calibers using kits available from JRC, mag release is unconventional and sidecharging is different, standard AR-15 recoil impulse despite being a blowback design, a PITA to clean
Lone Wolf 9mm Carbine – I hate it, very finicky with ammo even after changing buffers/springs- due to carrier design, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes AR-15 stocks/grips/rails and depending on model notched or unnotched triggers, takes Glock mags, recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Home-build PSA/KVP AR-9 – since I built it from a stripped lower I love it, no problematic last-round-bolt-hold-open, takes standard AR-15 stocks/grips/rails/triggers, takes Glock mags, runs great suppressed/unsuppressed, manual of arms is identical to AR-15 – excellent training on the cheap, recoil impulse is different due to blowblack design
Beretta CX-4 – fun but I’ve had it for years and barely shot it – not sure why, manual of arms is unique, stock and aftermarket parts are hard to find and expensive, cheap OE mags if you go the 92 route, I have the matching 90-2
Marlin Camp 9 – my favorite, niche aftermarket support, Marlin pretends this rifle never existed, takes S&W 59-series mags, aftermarket mags suck and good OE mags are expensive, OE parts are hard-to-find and expensive, people are always asking questions about it, I’m running a Burris FF3 on mine
KelTec Sub2000 Gen 2 – love it, goes everywhere with me, takes Glock mags, aftermarket support (not as much as Gen 1 but improving), MLOK, suppresses great without any gas in the face, a PITA to clean
Commando Mark-III – Thompson .45 clone (threw it in just for the shiggles), runs great after some well-known required tweaks, trigger is literally the worst I’ve shot, parts are impossible to find, mags are proprietary and impossible to find
Previously Owned:
KelTec Sub2000 Gen 1 – in stock form is sucks/give it the full RedLion treatment, takes several different mags depending on variant, tons of aftermarket support, PITA to clean
Colt & RRA AR-15 9mm – I hate the stick mags, suppressed results in tons of gas in the face and most venting methods causes problems, takes AR-15 stocks/grips/rails and depending on model notched or unnotched triggers, cheap mags, recoil impulse is different, standard Ar-15 manual of arms,
MechTech conversion – awkward ergonomics, surprisingly heavy recoil, ran great though
Chiappa M1-9 Carbine – great idea but poor execution, 9mm M1 Carbine clone, consistent FTF/FTE issues even 2 trips back to Chiappa on my dime, takes 92 mags, Cheap OE mags
Hi-Point 995TS – fun, cheap, reliable, just didn’t do it for me, OE mags are cheap but limited in capacity, aftermarket mags suck, niche aftermarket support but cheap, side-charging,
I’m probably forgetting a few but meh…. If you build an AR-9 (or hell, even buy one) from NFA, PSA, DDLES/QC10, etc be prepared to tweak/mod it to get it to run properly! Most of the factory builds are not gassed properly from the factory and the rifles beat themselves to death.
