16" AR9 Builds

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  • Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,608
    White Marsh, MD
    I'm at a loss where to go with mine regarding muzzle device, forend, and stock.

    If you've built one post it up so I can see if anything jumps out at me.

    Looked at the PCC thread but there wasn't much to be had
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    Gonna need more than that to make a recommendation. Are you mounting irons to it? Do you want it to be able to be supressed? What are you using it for?

    If I were building a new 16" competition optics PCC from scratch, I'd be looking at the Taccom Super Feed ULW barrel, their ultralight handguard, and an MFI Minimalist stock.
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,608
    White Marsh, MD
    Funny I just thought about the minimalist stock. Haven't owned one but thought about it a time or two. Something different than Magpul...

    Already have a 16" Kaw Valley barrel. Don't know if I'd go for irons or a red dot but I will say the Sig red dot I just put on my wife's .22 AR is a lot of fun. I've never been an optics guy til recently

    As for what I'm going to do with it I'm not sure yet. I'd like to try some steel matches one of these years. So it should be light. Also the wife has tiny arms so weight means something
     

    StantonCree

    Watch your beer
    Jan 23, 2011
    23,932
    I’m boring. I got an original Colt 6430 upper and plopped it on a YHM dedicated.

    Looks identical to this pic i stole off gun broker but this is not mine
     

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    mtlcafan79

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 11, 2008
    1,279
    PG
    My regret with a 16" 9mm build was that it came out really heavy. Build it as light as you can everywhere. Between a heavy buffer, heavy barrel, and an old school quad rail it's a heavy tank.

    For muzzle devices unless it's a suppressor it doesn't really matter. At 16" there isn't much gas pressure left to run anything that resembles a comp.

    9mm.gif
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    A couple of mine. The 16" has been my primary PCC for years, side charging FM products billet receivers, 15" handguard, lightweight barrel, C-more sight(huge FOV and really fast), AR gold trigger, MOE SL stock, 8oz buffer/spacer, std carbine spring.

    The SBR on the left is for PA matches or suppressed fun. Aero EPC receivers, 5.25" taccom superfeed/ short stroke bolt. 9" MI SP handguard, 3 lug(tucks 4.5" of suppressor, or 6" flash can), hiperfire PDI trigger, MOE SL stock, 10oz KVP buffer, 308carbine spring, EoTech 512

    Right is a QC10 receiver, VLTOR PCX upper, 7.5" 3 lug barrel, 7" Aero guard, KVP bolt, 10oz KVP buffer, 308 carbine spring, GRF trigger, SB PDW brace. Sig R5.

    After building a few, and running the 16" and 5.25" in competition a few things stick out. Taccom superfeed and their short stroke bolt is epic, really short movement, fast trigger reset, light, bit sharp recoil, little dot movement. Standard stroke setups are a bit smoother, and less.work to run reliably(really hard on triggers), but more dot movement, and run slow with heavy buffers for suppressors. ,The PDI trigger.is probably.the best PCC trigger out, and can be found for $125-ish. Completely reliable, no hammer follow, light crisp 2# break. I use the 10oz KVP buffer and a 308 DPMS carbine spring, runs great for the money, but hydraulic buffers have smoother recoil. A short and/or light barrel/ front end speeds.it up. A.muzzle brake doesn't do much if anything for recoil in 9mm, too little gas pressure at the ports. You want short stroke bolts and heavy buffers if suppressing, a big gas deflector helps too. The Aero EPC is a nice receiver, with a reliable LRBHO in the upper, will definitely build more on that set. the FM has a good one, LRBHO is in the lower, but is more complicated, and uses more proprietary parts. The QC10 and most others have an unreliable complex.linkage in the lower. I'm an optics snob, you want a big FOV for competition or fast target transitions, the Eotech is good, but the C-more.is great.for competition, less clutter, more.visible target area, but not as rugged.
     

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    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    For muzzle devices unless it's a suppressor it doesn't really matter. At 16" there isn't much gas pressure left to run anything that resembles a comp.

    I use a brake as a muzzle blast enhancer on my competition PCCs. Normally, my competition PCCs are too quiet for the timer to hear the shots. I've had to reshoot a half dozen Steel Challenge runs because the timer didn't catch all five shots. Wasn't as big a problem with the brake on.
     

    bfoosh006

    Active Member
    Aug 19, 2017
    145
    @Bertfish

    I suggest using a muzzle brake that directs the gases upwards. In a 16" barrel, there just isn't enough gas generated from the 9MM to make effective use of most brakes.
    I tried a few other "regular" side directing muzzle brakes, and I couldn't feel ANY difference... YMMV in a shorter barrel length.

    So, I opted for any thing to counter muzzle rise.

    Something like these... and make sure what your barrels threads are.
    https://ultradyneusa.com/product/lithium-pcc-9mm/

    https://www.tandemkross.com/Game-Changer-PRO-9mm-Compensator-for-Ruger%C2%AE-PC-Carbine%E2%84%A2-and-other-9mm-Firearms_p_512.html

    I have a 16" Colt Pattern and ended up with a 7.5ish oz buffer weight and a Tubbs Flatwire 308 recoil spring.... much less "aggressive" cyclic speed.
    I opted for a "heavier" 9MM PCC, and couldn't be happier.

    And... because I did it... here is 129 different OEM factory rounds chrono data... ( sorry about the missing pics )
    https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/-/16-712312/?page=1&anc=7429025#i7429025
     
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    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    :thumbsup: VERY nice (!) and very helpful, too!

    Q - any idea if the / a hiperfire pdi trigger will drop-in a Rock River .40 cal. LAR-40? :innocent0

    It should. It has more engagement than most match triggers, and a rubber bumper. The short stroke bolt is brutal on triggers, fully resets the trigger in 1.5" of bolt movement(only 2" total stroke), had hammer follow or doubles on a couple others, but couldn't get the PDI to fail, it even bump fires pretty reliably.
     

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