9mm AR-15 Reliable??

[ramjet308]

This is more of finicky AR in a 9mm stuff. Yours works great with C-Products. C-Products has become 4 letter word in my house. The SS mags rusted and what finish they painted on the mags came off with brake cleaner. I gave them away they were so bad.

I use the Hahn adapter with modded Uzi mags. They are cheap and are high quality.

I ran all my mags on the last match and had zero problems.

I think a few things for a reliable AR 9mm are these.

1 a good ramped bolt
2 std AR trigger group (not the 9mm hammer style)
3 Brand name mag adapter like Hahn or RRA (cant say either way on dedicated lowers.
4 use mags and adapters designed around the UZI/colt mag platform. stay
away from Sten and Olympic 9mm conversions.

I had to shave about .010 on each side of the bolt rails on the upper right above the magwell. If I over inserted the mag the feed lips would jam against them and then I would have a stuck mag ready to jam and not drop free.

this is all my results but I like to tinker and fix stuff. For a turn key 9mm I think a RRA with the UZi mags THEY sell.

Your results may very.

 

[JWH 223]

You don't need to use an Oly system to use the Lone Wolf Glock lowers. The oly bolt/upper can be used with no mods. You can use any colt style system (RRA, Spikes, CMMG) upper and bolt, you just need to narrow the 6 o'clock area of the bolt to fit between the single feed glock mags. ADCO did mine for about $40 if I remember correctly.

The lower that I bought was a stripped lower from another provider. It had a number of out of spec issues and I sent it back. LW is (unless they just changed) only selling complete lowers now, because they had so many issues with the lowers being machined wrong.....if they can get them together, they can test them and they know they work.....then they sell them as complete lowers to make sure they won't be coming back.

My replacement one works very well....only complaint now is a tight mag well. It gets better with use. I think the mags actually get worn in the right places.

I now have about 150 rounds through mine. A mixtures of winchester white box 115 grainers, some 156 grain HPS and some 115 grain reloads. All ran PERFECT......I am loving it.

It is about my 4th or 5th 9mm AR. So far I have had 2 with Hahn Blocks, 1 with the no mod Uzi block and one RRA block. Used Uzi mags, Modified Uzi mags, CP mags, Colt mags, Promags......you name it. None sucked, but this is my favorite hands down.

My $0.02

 

[ramjet308]

I did the search and did not come up with a lot. Anyway I was basically given 5-32 rnd Colt 9mm mags, Mag Block (not sure which one-it's for colt mags). Anyway I understand the basics about converting the AR over to 9mm...but how reliable are they??? I am going to the SAR show this weekend and was thinking about getting a upper (already have the bolt/Buffer/hammer). I just want something reliable for my son to shoot in the local Subgun/Carbine matches. This is strictly semi auto......

So you still gonna build one for your boy?

 

[AZ Doug]

So you still gonna build one for your boy?

He, like you, borrowed mine for quite a while. His son, like mine, shoots left handed. I have an ambi safety on mine, for my son, but THM7's son did not like the left side lever on the safety. It got in the way of his trigger finger. Because of this he decided against an AR 9mm. (that was the last I heard) I do not like the right side lever as it gets in the way of my trigger finger, but I live with it, mainly because I seldom shoot that gun.

 

[medphys]

Resurecting this thread.

I'm going to be doing a 9mm build, but will be making a custom maxwell adapter so I can use 36 round Suomi mags... both modified and not. If anybody has any interesting parts lying around, let me know Upper receiver, bolt, barrel, etc... It'll also be a permanent host for my 2"x8" suppressor.

 

[nayo]

Resurecting this thread.

I'm going to be doing a 9mm build, but will be making a custom maxwell adapter so I can use 36 round Suomi mags... both modified and not. If anybody has any interesting parts lying around, let me know Upper receiver, bolt, barrel, etc... It'll also be a permanent host for my 2"x8" suppressor.

I am pretty sure the suomi mags don't fit in the magwell….

 

[medphys]

I am pretty sure the suomi mags don't fit in the magwell….

Hmmm, I have a PSA lower that the mags fit into. Maybe there's are made differently? The magwell has a little vertical slot running under where the mag release is. I'll take a pic later on tonight.

 

[strobro32]

They fit my Armalite and DD lowers too.

I had a suppressed AR9 with the stiffest springs and heaviest buffer that would let it run. The suppression levels of a blowback action AR9 were still disappointing compared to the suppression level of any 9mm browning action pistol.

 

[Jmacken37]

That's a great idea medphys. I think the suomi sticks are the best mags ever made.

 

[Patrick Floyd]

anymore info on the suomi lower

 

[HART1]

That's a great idea medphys. I think the suomi sticks are the best mags ever made.

I don't know. Have you ever seen a Sterling mag?

 

[HART1]

I am pretty sure the suomi mags don't fit in the magwell….

It can be done. https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=15&t=578783

 

[medphys]

It can be done. https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=15&t=578783

OMG. I was thinking the stick mags, but OMG that's cool!

 

[medphys]

anymore info on the suomi lower

It looks like the magwell will need a couple slots milled in to allow the mags to fit. The location of the current slot puts the mags too far to the rear of the mag.

Plus the mag catch is an issue. I'm not a machinist which make it challenging.

 

[HART1]

OMG. I was thinking the stick mags, but OMG that's cool!

I thought you were talking about a drum mag. lol
I think Oly made them and then sold the design to these guys http://www.floridaammotraders.com/

I bet it could be done with a modified jack squat magwell http://www.theflatspot.net/suomi--2xtm-9mm-drum-magwell.html
Just a little cutting and fab time.

I think M60 Joe might have some info on this weapon?

 

[medphys]

I bet that magwell will work for the 36 rounders too.

Thanks for the info and links!

 

[HART1]

Your welcome and yes, you could still use stick mags.
I'm not a machinist either, but I've still made some sick shit and you can too.

I bet you could have someone like wildhorse mfg or someone over on weapons guild help you.
I had Cody help me before and he has a pretty good idea how to work with this type drum setup.
He designed and built 9mm 80% tommygun kits that use this drum.
http://www.wildhorsemfg.com/thompson.html

Another guy would be holescreek. He makes some beautiful weapons.

 

[medphys]

...but I've still made some sick shit...

Yes you have!

The more I think about it, the AR31 (Suomi drum AR) would be pretty slick. Time to start collecting parts

 

[HART1]

If I was you, I'd get a weapons guild account and start a build thread in the AR section.
Believe me, you'll get a lot of attention on this idea and attract people, like mad machinist, jack squat and a few others that could most likely help you with this project.
They all troll that forum.

You have the pics to help with the drum angle already from the first link I posted.
Include those pics in your thread. A good machinist would have a good idea how to do those cuts from just the pic.

The first thing I'd do though, is try to contact the last company that made the weapon. They might just have some left over parts you can use???

This is a sbr model I found on the web. Best of luck and if you run into a problem, give me a shout.



I almost forgot moleman. He's another good builder and I think he hangs out on the guild also?
http://www.gunco.net/forums/showthread.php?t=76390

Even if you had to ship your lower and upper for the cuts to be made, you could use a 80% AR lower and ship it to the machinist with no FFL transfers.

Then all you'd have to do is finish a few things on the receiver, like this.
http://www.gunco.net/forums/showthread.php?t=73088

I just happen to know a guy who has one of these AR15 milling jigs also, and you can use a drill press with it.
I haven't tried it yet myself though. http://www.cncguns.com/tooling.html

 

[HART1]

Wildhorse mfg told me that mike 928 on the guild has been working on a design like this.
I think he calls it a AR31?
I'm "not" suggesting you go all out like this though. It looks like a bunch of work and I've never talked to Mike about the design myself.
As far as I know, it's just a experimental weapon. I don't even know if it's finished yet?