Advice for 9mm PCC? Have AR Rifle Lower to build up and ideally would like to use Glock Magazines

[Shellbackitup]

I already have a lower with all the needed parts to assemble it, and a cheap Bear Creek 7.62x39 upper I've never taken out of the box.

I've decided that all this recent talk of PCC means I need another one, and instead of buying a Ruger PC Carbine, I bought a Ruger 77/357 instead, so I need to work with the parts I've got.

Stern and Kak seem to be well recommended for their magazine adapters, and since I already have Glock magazines, I want to stay in that ecosystem. But I was unsure if their uppers and other parts were well regarded or not.

Any good/bad experiences with brands or devices I should know of, would be greatly appreciated!

 

[RustVendor]

The best cheapest upper would be this, the BA barrels have a good feed cone and the KAW is a solid Bolt:

NBS AR-9 Slick Side Billet Receiver & M-LOK Handguard Combo

This NBS AR-9 Slick Side Billet Upper Receiver and M-LOK Handguard combo was designed and are compatible with Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) builds

ar15discounts.com

Ballistic Advantage 16" EPC 9mm Straight 4150 CMV Blowback 1:10 1/2x28 Modern Series

This 9mm chambered 16 inch Straight Profile Modern Series Barrel is machined from 4CrMoV steel with a QPQ Corrosion Resistant Finish and 1/2-28 x .5″ full profile threads. Features: Designed to work with both Colt/RR and Glock style AR builds. Compatible with standard mil-spec uppers. There are...

ar15discounts.com

Kaw Valley Precision 9mm Bolt Carrier Group - Black Nitride

The KVP 9mm BCG is a feature packed solution for your 9mm Blow Back Carbine or Pistol. Our 9mm BCG is compatible with either Glock or Colt style magazines. The carrier is constructed of US made 8620 steel, with a Nitride QPQ finish. The QPQ finish offers excellent wear and weather resistant...

ar15discounts.com

9mm 1/2-28 TPI Compact Muzzle Brake - SS

Stainless Steel Compact Compensator is made of an all steel construction with a heat treated erosion resistant Stainless Steel finish. It comes with a .223/5.56 1/2"x28 thread pitch. Reduces recoil and muzzle rise. USA Made.

ar15discounts.com

..and this buffer, this is what really makes the magic happen and requires no tuning and fiddle farting around. The only caveat is that it takes a strong pull to charge but I don't mind it at all but some people complain about it. But it's the best cheapest softest buffer for an ar9:

OpticsPlanet Exclusive Maxim Defense Industries RDB Roller Delayed Blowback System Up to 12% Off and Blazin' Deal w/ Free S&H — 2 models

Shop OpticsPlanet Exclusive Maxim Defense Industries RDB Roller Delayed Blowback System | Up to 12% Off 4.6 Star Rating on 51 Reviews for OpticsPlanet Exclusive Maxim Defense Industries RDB Roller Delayed Blowback System...

www.opticsplanet.com

 

[Skilly]

Ive built out a few PCC's but havent heard of much success with calibers outside of 9mm when it comes to reliability. Even then, still requires some trial and errror to get it right. After a lot of that, Im sticking to 9mm and Exomags instead of the Glock adapter. The only thing you need to change out is the BCG and barrel. Buffer + BCG weight should come in between 22-24oz and you will get flawless reliability.

 

[RustVendor]

Also I have never run an adapter because the Stern costs as much as a dedicated lower. I run this KE arms polymer lower and it F-s https://www.kearms.com/black-kp-9-polymer-milspec-receiver.aspx

They also have a standard lower https://www.kearms.com/store/p/846-Billet-KE-9-Lower-Stripped.aspx

 

[Shellbackitup]

So what I'm hearing is that if I want Glock mags, use a dedicated Glock lower.

And if I want to use my current AR lower, I shouldn't use Glock mags, but an Exomag.

I might have to rethink this plan...

 

[Gawernator]

Ive built out a few PCC's but havent heard of much success with calibers outside of 9mm when it comes to reliability. Even then, still requires some trial and errror to get it right. After a lot of that, Im sticking to 9mm and Exomags instead of the Glock adapter. The only thing you need to change out is the BCG and barrel. Buffer + BCG weight should come in between 22-24oz and you will get flawless reliability.

View attachment 270929

What is this sick af build

 

[RustVendor]

I haven't tried the exomags or an adapter, I've only used dedicated lowers so I can't say if those other things are good or not. But I can say that PCCs can be a bit finicky so I would be hesitant to use an adapter. I have built AR9s with a lot of different glock lowers and if you follow some basic principles they work really well. I'm sure there's people out there that just slapped in the adapter and it worked fine and others who got a dedicated lower and it didn't work at all LOL. The upper is somewhat independent of all that so you could just get an upper and get and adapter and try it, if you get the adapter from a place like optics planet you can just return it if it sucks and then get a dedicated lower.

 

[JackRydden224]

Mean Arms bearing delayed upper using exomags are the way to go. It made the rest of my PCC’s completely irrelevant. The MPX is an overweight hog compared to it.

14.5 upper on an Aero PDQ lower

 

[Skilly]

The other nice thing about using a standard AR15 Receiver is if you ever decide to move to a different caliber the option is there. Also from Means they have both the Endomag and Exomag with ejector or ejectorless options. You will need the ejector version.

Endomags replace the insides of your Pmag and were designed with a plastic ejector; it doesn't always do it's job so its prone to failure to eject and double feeds. I don't use mine anymore. The Exomag was built with a metal version and it doesn't fail to eject. Zero jams.

 

[JackRydden224]

The other nice thing about using a standard AR15 Receiver is if you ever decide to move to a different caliber the option is there. Also from Means they have both the Endomag and Exomag with ejector or ejectorless options. You will need the ejector version.

Endomags replace the insides of your Pmag and were designed with a plastic ejector; it doesn't always do it's job so its prone to failure to eject and double feeds. I don't use mine anymore. The Exomag was built with a metal version and it doesn't fail to eject. Zero jams.

The Exomag fit your standard rifle mag pouch if you decide to go sporting with it. You also get to keep the same motion when it comes to mag changes as your standard AR platform. I couldn't find any cons besides the cost and wait time with this setup.

 

[Shellbackitup]

The Exomag fit your standard rifle mag pouch if you decide to go sporting with it. You also get to keep the same motion when it comes to mag changes as your standard AR platform. I couldn't find any cons besides the cost and wait time with this setup.

Problem is, I don't have any AR's to begin with.

This is my first AR, and it's sat in parts in a box for many years since I mainly shoot pistol calibers and lever actions.

So all the benefits of the same motions, using mag pouches, etc. doesn't really apply to me.

I never built up my first AR because I was never a huge fan of the platform, even if I did get my ribbon with E in the Navy.

I figured using the AR Lower and Glock magazines that I already had would be a good solution.

I'm finding out it's likely not a good solution, or at least not one that anyone here seems to use or like.

Adding another magazine like the exomag is a possibility, but then I'm limited to 10 rounds.

 

[Skilly]

if we are talking CADOJ terms, you are limited to 10 rd. mags regardless. You can have freedom mags and you can have a PCC but you cant use them together, even with a compliant PCC mag lock config.

 

[Shellbackitup]

if we are talking CADOJ terms, you are limited to 10 rd. mags regardless. You can have freedom mags and you can have a PCC but you cant use them together, even with a compliant PCC mag lock config.

I'm confused- why can I not build a featureless PCC and use my freedom mags?

No adjustable stock, flash suppressor, pistol grip, forward grip, or grenade launcher, 30 inches, and I'm good, right?

It's just a rifle, just like any other, or am I missing something?

 

[RustVendor]

I'm confused- why can I not build a featureless PCC and use my freedom mags?

No adjustable stock, flash suppressor, pistol grip, forward grip, or grenade launcher, 30 inches, and I'm good, right?

It's just a rifle, just like any other, or am I missing something?

You can't use them on a pistol like he built but you can use them on a rifle

 

[Skilly]

PC 30515 Assault Weapon Ban prohibits their use with your semi auto rifle & pistols. Dropping an 11+ mag into your rig, reclassifies your fixed mag AR to an Assault Weapon. If you build it featureless, that gets around it; fixed mag doesnt.

 

[Shellbackitup]

You can't use them on a pistol like he built but you can use them on a rifle

But that wouldn't be a PCC then, right?

PCC stands for Pistol Caliber Carbine

Carbines are rifles

I cannot legally build an AR pistol as I have an AR Lower DROS'd as a long gun

Am I being dense here?

I really feel like I'm missing some very obvious thing lol

I'm really not trying to be difficult, I promise!

 

[Shellbackitup]

PC 30515 Assault Weapon Ban prohibits their use with your semi auto rifle & pistols. Dropping an 11+ mag into your rig, reclassifies your fixed mag AR to an Assault Weapon.

I wasn't planning on building a fixed mag AR though.

I wanted to build a featureless 9mm carbine using my legally owned standard capacity Glock mags.

That's what I asked about, PCC using Glock Mags on an AR rifle lower

It definitely seems that this is not something anyone here has or recommends. Every advice is either to change the lower or the mags.

So I'm probably going to have to reevaluate my plans for this AR lower.

Thanks for the input! That is a really sweet setup you have!

 

[RustVendor]

But that wouldn't be a PCC then, right?

PCC stands for Pistol Caliber Carbine

Carbines are rifles

I cannot legally build an AR pistol as I have an AR Lower DROS'd as a long gun

Am I being dense here?

I really feel like I'm missing some very obvious thing lol

I'm really not trying to be difficult, I promise!

haha no worries, I think they can all kind of fit under the "PCC" umbrella but you are right, you can't build a pistol unless you buy a lower that's designated as a pistol and pay a lot more to get it from someone who did some legal acrobatics. I personally don't have any AR pistols because there are a lot more restrictions, they are mostly a novelty, the extra barrel length isn't going to really affect anything but aesthetics because it's not like we can carry these things around in backpacks for self defense.

 

[Skilly]

But that wouldn't be a PCC then, right?

PCC stands for Pistol Caliber Carbine

Carbines are rifles

I cannot legally build an AR pistol as I have an AR Lower DROS'd as a long gun

Am I being dense here?

I really feel like I'm missing some very obvious thing lol

I'm really not trying to be difficult, I promise!

mixing a few things here:

A lower reg'd as a rifle can never be a pistol - the difference between a pistol and a rifle is barrel length and buttstock vs. brace. You had referenced "PCC" and that is a term used typically to describe an AR Pistol (<16" barrel, brace etc) that shoots pistol calibers, at least thats always what it means when I have heard it. If someone is building out a rifle, they usually just call it an AR9.

The freedom mag restriction applies even to rifles, but has an exception if you build it as a featureless you can use the standard cap mags without an issue.

 

[Shellbackitup]

haha no worries, I think they can all kind of fit under the "PCC" umbrella but you are right, you can't build a pistol unless you buy a lower that's designated as a pistol and pay a lot more to get it from someone who did some legal acrobatics. I personally don't have any AR pistols because there are a lot more restrictions, they are mostly a novelty, the extra barrel length isn't going to really affect anything but aesthetics because it's not like we can carry these things around in backpacks for self defense.

Yeah I think I was just stuck on carbine=rifle, and not thinking about AR Pistols at all.