Project Appleseed

Hello,
I'm pondering building an AR in a 9mm.  Anyone have an thoughts or knowledge with this.

Was it worth the time?  Was it effective?  Parts available?  Any ideas?

Pelon

I bought a 9mm carbine upper this summer.

At 150 yards I estimate the groups were 60 inches, and I could surround but could not hit a 12" gong.

At 25 meters I could shoot group that was one ragged hole from prone.

This is a fun carbine to shoot, but it is a very close range tool.

Mission drives the equipment.
What is the mission?

Thanks for the input...
What drives the mission...     let me ponder that...  Clearing a house may not be the appropriate verbiage that i'm looking for here, maybe something like a replacement/backup for my side arm.  I'm trying to keep everything I own to 2-3 calibers (haahha) ok, maybe 5-6 calibers.  I have plenty of long range stuff but not a lot of short range-action shooting style stuff.  Maybe i should just buy another 9mm pistol.  (1 is none and 2 is one) Right?   

Clearing a house, or a a replacement/backup for your side arm ... nothing does that like a .410 shotgun. No need for a 12 ga that will shoot into the neighbors house, the .410 does just fine.

Also, part of my drive is that I have a stripped lower and upper just sitting on the shelf  begging me to build them into something wonderful.  I'm tired of hearing them beg!!! 

Ignore those guys, I give you permission to need anther AR in a new caliber.

What's the Mission?  I counter that with "any gun will do if you do your part", so my 9mm carbine will do.

Personally I'd SBR a Scorpion Evo for PDW-type applications and be done.

Or SBR a .300 BLK shooting subsonics through a suppressor if you 100% need it to be an AR.

Before you start buying parts for that 9mm AR do some research on magazines. There are a couple ways to go.

The wonderful thing about choice of firearms, you can choose the ones you want.

What I want is an AR-10 chambered for 444 marlin rimless, gotta have some thumpers along with the peashooters!

https://www.ar15part.com/product-p/169mmssu1x10fsg2rl.htm

Also need magazine well insert, magazine, complete bolt carrier group, and 9mm buffer.

What's likely to happen is I'll buy "win" one in a "charity raffle" and wind up selling it to you Pain Killer. 

For me, it was tough to justify the hassle and expense of building an AR in 9mm when something like this is available for like $300 and gets the job done.  It is ugly and heavy, but it is built like a tank and always works.  http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com/Hi-Point-carbines/9MM_carbine.html

Now a short 300 blackout running 220 grains....  That's something I may just need to have at some point...

I assembled an ar 9 recently and really like it. Its accurate in close quarters and it's a blast running plate racks and steel poppers at 50 yards or so. Since you have the lower already, I think you'll enjoy an ar 9! Have fun!

Quote from: Pelon on October 13, 2016, 06:15:46 PM
Thanks for the input...
What drives the mission...     let me ponder that...  Clearing a house may not be the appropriate verbiage that i'm looking for here, maybe something like a replacement/backup for my side arm.  I'm trying to keep everything I own to 2-3 calibers (haahha) ok, maybe 5-6 calibers.  I have plenty of long range stuff but not a lot of short range-action shooting style stuff.  Maybe i should just buy another 9mm pistol.  (1 is none and 2 is one) Right?

So here are the next questions:
1.  Is there another caliber that you could use that you already have parts and magazines for?  Like .300 blackout or 5.56?  If you build a 9 mm carbine you are going to have to have mags and spare parts which equals more money.  Whereas with maybe an AR "pistol" in .300 or 5.56 the outlay is not as high.  Plus they may be more useful than a pistol caliber carbine.

2.  Is the money better spent on ammo?  With the election coming up, mags and ammo may be more scarce.

3.  Is the money better spent on training?  I don't know what kind of previous training you have, but you mentioned possibly house cleaning.  Ever been to a house cleaning class?  Training and 100 rounds of ammo is better than no training and 900 rounds of ammo.


I am not trying to tell you what to do.  I am trying to take you down a thought process that I wish I had gone through 15 years ago.
Even a couple of years ago an AR in 5.45 made perfect sense, until it didn't and now I am out about 500$ in equipment.

Quote from: DEH on October 14, 2016, 11:38:29 AM

2.  Is the money better spent on ammo?  With the election coming up, mags and ammo may be more scarce.

LOL - good point. I'm gonna go buy some 556 today - even if I can't afford it.

Quote from: DEH on October 14, 2016, 11:38:29 AM
Even a couple of years ago an AR in 5.45 made perfect sense, until it didn't and now I am out about 500$ in equipment.

Choosing equipment really does require thinking about enlightened long-term interest.

I was at the same junction for AR vs AK74 when I picked out my carbine, and in the end I just wasn't comfortable with relying on imports. I am pretty neutral on ARs but the logistics are overwhelming in the US for an intermediate cartridge platform. I wanted an AK because WOLVERINES!!! but it just didn't make long-term sense.

I think a PDW in 9mm is perfectly valid though. My wife is 5'4", I'm 6'2". She isn't comfortable shooting my AR. She loves our M1 Carbine, because it fits. A 9mm SBR would fill that same role.

Comes down to your assessment of needs.

9MM ammo is easy to come by, if the carbine will accept the same mags as your pistol, BINGO!

300 blackout is pretty cool, but there's good old murphy, a mag loaded with 300 blackout will fit very nicely into your .223, the bolt will close, the result sucks.

I guess the money is better spent on ammo and other parts.  I'll have to wait for The Poet to 'win' one at a raffle and sell it to ME!!!  Not Pain Killer!!!  I do have a small truck load of brass coming that I have to load up.  Thanks guys.

Consider a Kel-tec Sub 2000 if you have a pistol that it is compatible with.  You would already have magazines and extra loaded magazines are a good thing when needed.