Mean Arms 9mm Uppers- Has Anyone had Experience With These ?

[Haris1]

New Player on the market. They only sell 9mm Uppers with a unique bolt that is supposed to transmit to very reduced recoil.

I have extensive experience with CMMG radial delayed blowback uppers and find them softer shooting than

conventional straight blowbacks.

Mean Arms is going after a niche market with their limited product line( 9mm uppers-no lowers, no other calibers .

Their Claims seem very attractive.

Does Anyone have first hand experience with their uppers??

 

[amphibian]

I gave up on mine. See this long thread.https://www.ar15.com/forums/Industr...updates-information-and-resources/817-303326/

Ill sell you mine if you want it.

This page on my site may be relevant for you. https://c3junkie.com/?page_id=361

 

[Haris1]

Robert:
What is your barrel length
how many 000's of rounds (lol) have you put thru it(estimate)?
and how much do you want for it?
Regards
Haris

 

[amphibian]

Look at page four of the thread I already referenced for some pics of mine: https://www.ar15.com/forums/industr...-information-and-resources/817-303326/&page=4

Barrel is 7.5".
I have about 1200 rounds through it and gave up as it is on it's 3rd ejector spring. I have a new spring in there now and just set it aside. I have the optional K lifter in there which is less gassy than the stock lifter.
I would take $1k for it shipped. That would include the 3 lug adapter I put on the barrel. Obviously, I can't put the barrel back to its original form.
They do have a lifetime warranty so I would think you can keep working with them as long as they are still in business. They did bend over backwards for me but I could never make it through a SMG match without failure to ejects.

 

[Haris1]

Let me call you in an hour or later
what is best time to call
i am sure i want it
Haris

 

[Cortland]

My experience with the MEAN upper on my M16A1 has been good so far. I have around 1000 rounds through mine and have been happy with it. I have the 8" barrel and four lifters (H, K, M, P) -- I generally run the M lifter.

I did run it in a subgun match that was a disaster a few months back, but only because I had a bullet plating fragment get deposited/smushed on the barrel face such that the bolt wasn't fully closing. But other than that, the MEAN upper has been WAY more reliable for me than my CMMG upper. I tried every buffer spring, ejector spring, and magical incantation I could find on the CMMG and nothing made it run right.

OH, and I should add that 95% of my full-auto MEAN shooting has been done with amphibian's secret recipe A5 buffer tube, Tubb flat spring, and RB5007 buffer.

 

[Jmacken37]

Yes. Amphibian is the master of smooth FA in 9mm ARs!

 

[SecondAmend]

OH, and I should add that 95% of my full-auto MEAN shooting has been done with amphibian's secret recipe A5 buffer tube, Tubb flat spring, and RB5007 buffer.

While I do have an A5 length buffer tube on a dedicated AR9, 9mm rifle build, I don't care to install an A5 length buffer tube on my M16 as I shoot a number of calibers with said lower. Use of an A5 length buffer tube would add complications such as use of spacers with some calibers/uppers and not with others. More clutter than I care for. So I only use buffer/spring configurations that are suited for a standard, carbine length buffer tube.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[Cortland]

I'll add that the A5 tube and RB5007 buffer is also really excellent for slowing down .223, as well. For other calibers I use a spacer. Yours is still a fair point, though. It does add some fussiness to managing your M16 uppers.

 

[amphibian]

I'll add that the A5 tube and RB5007 buffer is also really excellent for slowing down .223, as well. For other calibers I use a spacer. Yours is still a fair point, though. It does add some fussiness to managing your M16 uppers.

Here is a recent thread about this here: https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/-/118-787310/?page=1#i8675054
I mentioned in that thread, I recently tested the 'Warthog' flat spring that is only $20 from Apex here: https://www.apexgunparts.com/ar15-m16-flat-buffer-spring-new-us-made.html
This spring is between the Tubb LW and Tubb 556 spring in power and I find that it works with all of my 'PhaseII' feeding options below.

Likewise, it also runs fine with my 556 uppers. So I can literally do an upper swap to go back and forth from 9mm to 556 with the A5 tube, RB5007. Note, that I could do that before as well with the Tubb 556 spring depending on the mag feeding option in 9mm.
The only other configurations that need more power that I can think of right now are the Shrike and my MGI setup with the AK magwell to strip rounds from the rough feed lips of combloc mags. I use the 308 Tubb spring for those.

 

[Gaujo]

I gave up on mine. See this long thread.https://www.ar15.com/forums/Industr...updates-information-and-resources/817-303326/

Ill sell you mine if you want it.

This page on my site may be relevant for you. https://c3junkie.com/?page_id=361

I completely adopted your RDB setup with a5 tube and that kynshot buffer and love it. Sounds like you are our resident expert on this, and probably the world expert! What do you think is the best delayed blowback? Also, did you ever post your rdb ejector fix?

 

[amphibian]

What do you think is the best delayed blowback?

Best is relative. Best proven is the MP5 as it is a proven classic. I like my hybrid Dissent as documented in my link below is my favorite right now since it is extremely tune-able and 'sustainable'.

Also, did you ever post your rdb ejector fix?

Link to my OLD CMMG RDB Banshee setup: https://c3junkie.com/?page_id=280 Fixed ejector on the Banshee bolt will eventually result in a broken bolt
Which is why I did my hybrid fixed ejector Dissent RDB as documented here: https://c3junkie.com/?page_id=1733

 

[Gaujo]

Ok so assuming ar-15 platform, are you still preferring RDB in general for delayed blowback?

 

[amphibian]

Ok so assuming ar-15 platform, are you still preferring RDB in general for delayed blowback?

Yes, I think my hybrid RDB Dissent is the best 9mm M16 option today: https://c3junkie.com/?page_id=361
Who knows about tomorrow.

 

[Jmacken37]

Amphibian's setup is definitely the way to go for FA 9mm in an M16 platform.