TNW 9mm Carbine Range Report

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Sharps '74

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After all the negative comments about the TNW Carbine , I was dubious about owning one. Mine arrived by mail last week and I took it to the range today.

Out of the box at home, I was impressed with the fit and finish of the gun. I cycled 5 A-Zoom dummies out of each of the four Glock mags I bought and the SGM Tactical mag that came with the gun. I cycled them from bith bolt open and closed for the first rd. NOT a bobble - NO FTF or FTE !!!

I mounted a Bushnell TRS-32 1x32mm 5 MOA red dot on it, taking it from one of my AR15s.

Following our indoor IPSC practice, I went outside (our indoor is not yet approve for PPCs) and standing in 4" of snow with cold hands put 15 rds off hand into a sub-2" group from 15 yds. If I had benched it, I expect that would have been significantly smaller. Ammunition was American Eagle/FC 124 gr. Again - not a bobble. NO FTF or FTE.

I'd heard a lot of chatter about the lousy trigger of the TNW but I find it quite acceptable for the application. If I want a lousy trigger pull, all I have to do is pick up my Tavor .....

On the down side, I cannot load more than 8 rds into the pinned SGM magazine that came with the gun. The hand guard/barrel nut loosened slightly during my shooting but it didn't cause a problem Easily cured with the application of Teflon thread tape.

Maybe I got a good one out of the box compared to others. My IPSC pals were impressed with it's handling characteristics to the point that two said they were going to order one in 9mm without even firing mine.

My advice - BUY ONE before they get 'discovered' and the price goes up.
 
Sounds about right. Well, better than average obviously, considering all the complaints about feeding/ejection problems. I've not tried the 124gr American Eagle so can't compare mine to that directly - I see it's rated at about 1,160fps out of a pistol barrel, so you're probably seeing 1,200fps out of the 18.6" barrel. With that much push it's probably overcoming the stock spring just fine, avoiding the ejection failures and subsequent failures to feed which a number of ASR shooters experience. Maybe, just guessing. Could be running even a bit hotter than that, maybe 1,250fps.
 
I'm not concerned about velocity save for being under our club imposed indoor range 200 PF.

The current 'Rifle Magazine' has a review of the Ruger PC9 with 16-1/2" barrel. Out of six loads (factory and handloads) chrono'd, the highest velocity achieved was 1383 fps with Finnish surplus 115 gr ammo; a low of 1287 with factory 115 gr Black Hills. Highest handload was 1270 fps with 4 grs Tite Group under a 115 gr bullet.

Like I said, my only issue with the gun was the slight loosening of the barrel nut/shroud. Maybe I never tightened it enough by hand and need to apply a little more torgue .... ;>)
 
Jmcc said:
ive been saving up for Ruger PCC9 and im pretty close now.

What are your thought on Ruger vs TNW?
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The Rugers certainly got a better track record for reliability.

Doubt that they will be discovered once again and take off. Id think 70% of the PCC buyers are leaning towards the Ruger and the FX9s. And most competitive shooters are as well due to the last round hold open and release features on those guns. Which is good news for those wanting the ASR haha.
 
The 'double-tap' or dead blow bolt in the Ruger PC9 is certainly something to consider, as it seems the PC9 is a somewhat softer feeling carbine to shoot compared to the rather pushy recoil of the ASR. I actually considered using a shorter tungsten weight in my buffer weight mod before finding out about the bolt weight in the PC9 as it seemed a dead blow effect may smooth out the cycle, but decided it would be too insignificant an effect with the low mass, so just filled it with a tungsten rod instead.

The Ruger bolt (10.2oz) and tungsten weight (9.4oz) total of 19.6oz weigh considerably less compared to the to the bolt + buffer weight in the TNW ASR which is a hair under 26oz. In boring out my buffer weight and inserting a 16mm x 42mm tungsten rod I raised that total weight to 27.75oz, only a 1.75oz increase, resulting in slightly more resistance to opening then a bit more momentum at the end of travel. Really the Strike flatwire string was much more significant in improving the firing cycle.

The weight of the Ruger bolt assembly being only 75% of that in the ASR makes for considerably different dynamics, the impact on the shoulder and jump in sight picture for follow-up shots being most noteworthy. The sliding tungsten weight in the PC9 ought to further soften the jump by spreading it into two slightly separated impacts at either end of travel. I guess it's up to a given shooter to try each and find out, if possible.
 
I like the look and simplicity of the TNW. The Ruger is well engineered but looks "klunky", but has some versatility re: left hand conversion.

My firing of the TNW has been limited to the 15 rds I reported. 15 rds at 15 yds in a sub-2" group (the bulls eye centre shot to hell) fired off hand in sub-zero temps exceeded my expectations.

As for recoil impulse and momentum returning to battery - meh .... again, try a Tavor.

Tinkering with a TNW may be fun but it won't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. It is what it is - a minimalist survival rifle.

If you want more, then be prepared to pay for it.
 
The Magpul stock for the PC9 looks pretty slick. Still a bit too much shaped like a traditional rifle for my tastes, one of the things which had me picking the ASR over it or the Beretta CX-4, as I'm used to airguns with tubular stocks and prefer a more mechanical look for a modern rifle. If there were a 9mm lever action with a modest barrel length and nice wood I'd probably have picked that, but so far nobody's making one. Maybe I should buy an old 1894 takedown and convert it to 9mm... that would be a fun project, if it's possible that is, got to do some research...

Anyway, it seems a couple of retailers have the Magpul takedown stock just now, finally shipping. Pretty neat the way it clicks together into a tidy package for stowing in a pack. Around $160 for that apparently. And of course there's Ruger's own version with M-lok forend for folks who like to bolt on various accessories, or just wanting a look a bit more like an AR.
 
Sharps '74 said:
I'm not concerned about velocity save for being under our club imposed indoor range 200 PF.

The current 'Rifle Magazine' has a review of the Ruger PC9 with 16-1/2" barrel. Out of six loads (factory and handloads) chrono'd, the highest velocity achieved was 1383 fps with Finnish surplus 115 gr ammo; a low of 1287 with factory 115 gr Black Hills. Highest handload was 1270 fps with 4 grs Tite Group under a 115 gr bullet.

Like I said, my only issue with the gun was the slight loosening of the barrel nut/shroud. Maybe I never tightened it enough by hand and need to apply a little more torgue .... ;>)
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The barrels tend to shoot lose, they make a short handguard that basically replace the barrel nut and when you have it snugged there is a locking tab that mates with the picatinny rail.... it's not really designed as a barrel nut lock but serves the purpose well.
 
It had been bothering me for a while how the tiny steel piston with a tiny spring and tiny grub screw were supposed to 'lock' the barrel nut but really do no more than provide a little zipping sound when screwing in or unscrewing the barrel nut. So I got around to modifying it to actually lock. Chopped a piece from an old Manfrotto tripod leg clamp and machined that a bit to fit, threading it for a 1" 10-32 stainless bolt and using some steel filled JB Weld to hold it together. The rounded, polished tip of the bolt fits into a matching hollow I carved in the barrel nut with it thoroughly tightened into the receiver. A link bearing from a bicycle chain provides a smooth bearing between them, the setup made such that the bearing won't rattle when the barrel nut is locked. Now when I want to take the thing apart for transport I spin the lever out about 3 turns and it's free to unscrew, otherwise it's not coming loose.

barrel_locking_lever.jpg


If this ever annoys me too much I can always make a sprung plunger thing, just a little knob with a shaft running down through maybe a 1/4"-20tpi grub screw then a stronger spring and a polished end on a larger tip. That'd work the same, but I'd have to hold it up while screwing in or unscrewing instead of turning the current lever, so I think this solution is simplest and best. I might have been nice if TNW had designed in a little button though. Something you push when it's time to take apart and otherwise keeps it locked. The shallow teeth on the soft aluminum of the barrel nut don't last very well.
 
Can-Down

Sounds like a solution to a problem if and when it occurs. After how many thousand rds?

In the meantime - "if'n it ain't broke - don't fix it!" Unless you want to load it up with accessories which take away from it's intended lightweight and portability as an ASR.

I've handled AR15s with rails and PGs up the ying-yang and can't imagine owning one. A nice, clean, lightweight design was ruined - IMHO. My S&W AR15s wear the original round forestock not for the look but for utility and the tactile feel. One wears a red dot. I put an AR scope on my 2nd S&W AR15 and it has a totally different feel.

One of my pals has several AR15s, every one of them approaching the weight of an M1 Garand with after market accessories: bipods, heavier barrels, muzzle breaks, etc.

He only bench rests and refused to shoot from field positions when we've been at the range together. Not my cuppa tea.
 
Sharps '74 said:
After how many thousand rds?
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Not so much the shooting as that doesn't affect the barrel nut detent directly, though it can creep loose as you've seen. The slot in the barrel above the chamber engaging with the tip of the big grub screw above it locks the barrel's rotation anyway, and the long points of contact preserve alignment, so even if it got quite loose the thing would probably still be accurate. Headspace might be the biggest problem, the cartridges going too far forward to be fired... but that would be a very loose barrel nut.

No, it's just that I've done many, many disassembly cycles while tinkering with the carbine. It's all that dragging of a tiny steel tip across aluminum teeth which caused wear. For your intended use where it's unlikely to be taken apart much this sort of mod would likely be overkill.

As for accessorizing... I'll admit mine's somewhat heavy now. With a P.E.P.R. QD mount and 2-7x scope, T20 thermal scope on top of that, sling and brass catcher mounted... it adds up. Throw on a bipod and I'm well over 10lbs when loaded. But I'm not a race gunner. This is my do-all carbine. And starting well over a pound lighter than the Ruger, the accessorized weight is lighter than that would be.
 
GerardSamija said:
No, it's just that I've done many, many disassembly cycles while tinkering with the carbine. It's all that dragging of a tiny steel tip across aluminum teeth which caused wear. For your intended use where it's unlikely to be taken apart much this sort of mod would likely be overkill.

As for accessorizing... I'll admit mine's somewhat heavy now. With a P.E.P.R. QD mount and 2-7x scope, T20 thermal scope on top of that, sling and brass catcher mounted... it adds up. Throw on a bipod and I'm well over 10lbs when loaded. But I'm not a race gunner. This is my do-all carbine. And starting well over a pound lighter than the Ruger, the accessorized weight is lighter than that would be.
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You proved my point about accessorizing to the point where the original concept is lost - turning a lightweight 'survival rifle' into something else.

In my 12 years service I saw many good firearms subjected to stupid and excessive "military" cleaning. Same with civilian guns that get over cleaned after not much use. I clean as required when function interferes with performance.

I fully expect to put at least 500 rds down range through my TNC before I clean the gun, maybe even 1000 just to prove a point. Factory 9mm is amongst the cleanest burning ammo out there.
 
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