Building a 9mm AR-15 (picture thread)

[ghostie]

Here's some photos of the evolution of my 9mm AR-15. Expensive hobby this building AR's, but these have got to be some of the funnest guns out there.

I started out last year by buying a 16" RRA 9mm upper and a RRA 5.56 lower set up for 9mm.

I really liked the 16", but I started out originally wanting a shorty and the 16" was all I could find toward the end of last year. Then a 7" pistol came up for sale on GunAuction in the Spring, so I bought that. (Note the direction of the front sight in these shots. I thought that the flat side should face the shooter, but when I took it to Dlask they said this was backwards, so it is reversed now. It works about the same whichever way it faces. The sight will not sit down flat if if folds back, and it will sit down flat if it folds forward, so that does make sense to fold it forward). (Also note, the EOtech is mounted forward like that because the brass deflector will prevent it from sitting flat if it is mounted further back. The way it is right now seem pretty much perfect for eye relief, so I have no plans to change it).

Here's is a comparison of the two:

Size comparisson with a 14.3" Swiss Arms carbine:

I ended up selling the 16" to fund the ballooning expense of the 7" build. One of the main things I wanted to get was the free-float quad rail ($190 at Questar):

I got it installed at Dlask, along with a 6 position M4 stock (commercial diameter, which is what I wanted)

Then I put on a $19.99 UTG foregrip:

Now, most recently, I switched things around to a Magpul CTR with a Tangodown foregrip. I think I will keep it like this for now:

So, in case you guys are wondering (and the PMs will come if I don't do this), price tag:
RRA 7" 9mm AR-15 pistol: $1,895.00 on GunAuction (seller was Questar)
Midwest flip-up sight, rear: $159.99
Midwest flip-up sight, front: $139.99
RRA free float quad-rail: $190.00
Install quad rail: $25.00
Commercial buffer tube (installed): call it $50.00
Magpul CTR: $125.00 on GunAuction
Tango down foregrip: $55.00 in the EE

Total: $2,639.98

This price does not include the mags. One "Gen 2" C-Products mag came with the pistol, and that mag does work fine. I also have a bunch of the 10-round plastic mags (not for sale) which I aquired in various ways at different prices.

Here are some videos, during various stage of the build:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvw2WfWi9MA&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YP6TqJUnWk&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSRORZ7n3DE&feature=channel

 

[Tuco Pike]

The version you had beside the swiss arms is my favourite one. I like the clean look of that round handguard better.

 

[ghostie]

The version you had beside the swiss arms is my favourite one. I like the clean look of that round handguard better.

Yah, that is a nice version of a 9mm AR. It can be tough to decide where to leave it, and where to make changes. I actually like the smooth free float aluminum handguard as well. And shooting it that way, you just use the front of the reciever as your front hand grip, and that works really well. This is the way it is set up in the first of the videos I posted. My gf really wanted, what she calls, "handle" (foregrip), and I was wanting to try that out as well. It feels good shooting it that way as well. Whatever you do with these guns they are fun.

Here are some other pics of your version: (this is actually the 7" upper mounted on the 5.56 marked lower. We took it to the range that way once, before we took the pistol lower to get a stock put on it. I took the pistol lower with the wacky American law "pistol" tube on it to the range once. It is hard to shoot like that unless you have a single point sling, which I did not. Kinda painful if you try shooting it like that, using that dumb tube as a stock).

 

[mpjustin]

looks simaler to mine great guns arn't they? I to started off with a colt 9mm with the 16 inch barrel and then craved a shorter one and ended up with an ASA 10.5 upper, free foating samson star C quadrail, and CTR stock.

 

[Questar]

... (Note the direction of the front sight in these shots. I thought that the flat side should face the shooter, but when I took it to Dlask they said this was backwards, so it is reversed now. It works about the same whichever way it faces. The sight will not sit down flat if if folds back, and it will sit down flat if it folds forward, so that does make sense to fold it forward).

I certainly don't want to say that Dlask is "wrong" but it's interesting that Midwest Industries themselves show the product mounted with the flat rear-ward and installed so that the sight folds to the rear.

You would think the manufacturer would know how to install their own sight

Mark

 

[Unsub]

I like it best in it's final config but with the smooth free float as well.

Great looking build ,I love how versatile the AR platform is. I am more into the long barrel varmint style AR's but these are so different and that is cool as well.
I don't "get" the weird pistol "tube" when a stock is just as long?

 

[ghostie]

looks simaler to mine great guns arn't they? I to started off with a colt 9mm with the 16 inch barrel and then craved a shorter one and ended up with an ASA 10.5 upper, free foating samson star C quadrail, and CTR stock.

Yah,these are some of the funnest guns to shoot. I saw your thread on your 9mm AR as well. We both went with the CTR stock, tango down grip, and a free-float quad-rail. Good set up!

I certainly don't want to say that Dlask is "wrong" but it's interesting that Midwest Industries themselves show the product mounted with the flat rear-ward and installed so that the sight folds to the rear.

You would think the manufacturer would know how to install their own sight

Mark

Yah, that's what I thought too Mark. I even went to the Midwest website to look for the answer and found the same photo. My only question was... is the rail mount sight different than the gas block sight. It doesn't seem to make sense that Midwest would completely reverse the design just because one sight is a little taller. So yah, I tend to think you are right.

When I first started taking it to the range I was asking some of the Range Officer's and other AR gurus out there if they thought the front sight (folding back at that time) was backwards, and they said "no". Then when I went to Dlask to get the quad-rail installed, when I came back to pick it up I noticed that they had reversed the front sight. So I say, "Did I have it on backwards, or what?" And they were like, "Yah, that's backwards."

O.k., so maybe I will switch it back to the flat side facing the shooter. What do any of you other guys think. Does it make any difference having the flat side or the angled side toward you? Unlike the rear sight I tend to keep the front sight up all the time. I find it helps to judge point of impact on close range shots. The EOtech is dialed in for 25-50 metre shots, but closer than that you need to have the 1 MOA dot a bit high to hit your spot.

Informal poll... what looks better... floding forward or folding back?

I don't "get" the weird pistol "tube" when a stock is just as long?

The reason they do it, as I understand, is because it allows the manufacturer to sell shorter than 16" ARs and call them pistols - and in a standard AR design you need somewhere for the buffer and spring to go. In the U.S. you can't put a stock on a short barrelled (sub 16 inch) firearm or aspects of the "National Firearms Act" will kick in and it becomes a kind of prohibted thing (you can get it registered and keep it, provided local and state law allows for that, but it is paper work, fees and headache. The ability to transport an SBR is also restricted). When you get one of these pistols, it has a red tag on it that says "ALL NFA RULES APPLY!", or something like that. And every reference to the 7 inch and 10.5 inch ARs in the Rock River Arms catalog always seems to have similar warnings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_barreled_rifle

The "pistol tube" is pretty hard to use really. If you try and use it like a stock it hurts your shoulder. Make sure it doesn't hit your collar bone! If your hold it away from your body it is hard to control. I think a single point sling is the only way to go.

The TP-9's they have in the states are the same way. No stock and no foregrip... although in some places you can at least get the 30 round mags.

 

[WolFF]

this is the way the front sights are supposed to go, they are supposed to be like HK sights, it really doesnt matter what way you put them though .they work both ways, the way you have your setup though i would have them backwards so (flat side facing target) they were designed from my understanding for a freefloat rail that covers a low profile gas block, like in the pic,. to each their own, put it the way you want. i personally like the eotechs as forward as you can get them. i find it aquires my target faster.
how do you find it ?( eotech in the place you placed it)

you have a real nice setup there, congrats , it turned out looking really good.
thanks for the pics and the write up,

btw, is your eotech missing a screw ?

 

[Cyanide Ride]

Private party or can anyone post?

The 16" will look familiar to Ghostie

Ghostie has pretty much stated all the specs on the RRA 16"-er I may have this cut down to 10.5, it just seems a good compromise between barrel length and handiness.

The 7.5"-er is a Bushy Carbon 15 9mm pistol, YHM flip ups and free float rail. I gotta say, the 7.5" barrel is quick to get around against the 16".

I haven't had a chance to do up a range report on these babies due to an injury, but soon... Very soon.

 

[ghostie]

The 16" will look familiar to Ghostie

Lookin' good. Looks like you are beginning to conquor the mag problem as well. Hope you get a chance to shoot 'em soon.

...they were designed from my understanding for a freefloat rail that covers a low profile gas block, like in the pic,.

Questar sells both kinds, the rail or the gas block mounted. The gas block one is taller. I'm just sort of stating the obvious here, I'm sure none of this is news to you. I was doing some testing this past weekend to see how accurate I can actually get with the irons the way they are set up currently ... and I was pretty impressed with it actually. Works better with the smaller ring on the rear site.

i personally like the eotechs as forward as you can get them. i find it aquires my target faster.
how do you find it ?( eotech in the place you placed it)

I think it is just about perfect for me where it is. The EOtech is really a marvel of technology. It's amazing the results a person can get with one of these things. It makes shooting out to about 100 yards pretty much idiot proof - which is what is required sometimes

btw, is your eotech missing a screw ?

Not that I know of. One of the hex screws is replaced with the big knob with a screw driver slot in it. The hex screw is in the box.

Which screw are you thinking of?

 

[Paulinski]

Can I join.

Here's my friend shooting my 10.5" 9mm AR that I build around factory RRA 10.5" upper.

I'm going to be expermineting with 10" stainless 9mm barrel soon.

ETA - I think it will look much cleaner with 10" rail and front Troy as opposed to fixed FSB.

 

[FNG762]

AR15-9mm build

4.5" barrel
sold or traded it off, think Redleg(TSE) had it last

 

[Hawes]

That's a nice looking rig you built. What kind of holster are you going to keep it in??!!

 

[Steve99]

Awesome Ghostie! Looks very similar to mine but I need the CTR and one of those mags...

 

[Juan]

Yah,these are some of the funnest guns to shoot. I saw your thread on your 9mm AR as well. We both went with the CTR stock, tango down grip, and a free-float quad-rail. Good set up!



Yah, that's what I thought too Mark. I even went to the Midwest website to look for the answer and found the same photo. My only question was... is the rail mount sight different than the gas block sight. It doesn't seem to make sense that Midwest would completely reverse the design just because one sight is a little taller. So yah, I tend to think you are right.

When I first started taking it to the range I was asking some of the Range Officer's and other AR gurus out there if they thought the front sight (folding back at that time) was backwards, and they said "no". Then when I went to Dlask to get the quad-rail installed, when I came back to pick it up I noticed that they had reversed the front sight. So I say, "Did I have it on backwards, or what?" And they were like, "Yah, that's backwards."

O.k., so maybe I will switch it back to the flat side facing the shooter. What do any of you other guys think. Does it make any difference having the flat side or the angled side toward you? Unlike the rear sight I tend to keep the front sight up all the time. I find it helps to judge point of impact on close range shots. The EOtech is dialed in for 25-50 metre shots, but closer than that you need to have the 1 MOA dot a bit high to hit your spot.

Informal poll... what looks better... floding forward or folding back?

Nice looking gun Ghostie!
Very similar to what I have... but your pictures are way nice.

RRA w/ 7" barrel.
CTR stock, Troy 7" FF carbine rail
No plans for any BUIS for now.

I've got an MI front sight on my 10.5" RRA and yes I mounted mine "officially" backwards to clear the rail when folded, but it works.