AR-9 complete upper

[jellyb]

What is the best AR-9 upper to buy or is building your own best?

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by jellyb
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[Les Snyder]

depends on your sense of esthetics, skill in building ARs (tools), and money... if you want a carbine with a last round bolt hold open that will be a more expensive proprietary unit depending on the lower you select, easier for a Colt lower, more expensive for a Glock lower.... I built my carbine for less than $800 (less optic)... you probably can buy a complete lower, and put together or buy a complete basic AR upper and 9mm barrel, and inexpensive full float tube for about that ballpark.... you will add more for a match trigger....if you don't like the looks of a large ejection port, for a small ejecting cartridge, you'll need a dedicated upper...you need some basic tools, pin punches and barrel spanner/pin driver spanner depending on the type of barrel nut/fore end you select, and a good plastic upper saddle block so you can mount the upper to tighten the barrel nut....at the ranges we will shoot these for PCC, I don't think barrel manufacturer is that critical...

[blaster113]

It'll be cheaper if you have the tools and knowledge to build your own.  Plus you can put in the parts you want, vs. being stuck with whatever OEM stuff is on there.  

Running the PSA slick sided upper and CMMG barrel/bolt combo which has been 100% for me.  beauty of it is any milspec AR upper you have handy will work. 

[Dannybot]

If you can change a tire, you can build a 9mm upper.  The economics may or may not be there to build though. 

 

For a Colt style upper, all the tools needed are a vise, upper clamp, barrel nut wrench, torque wrench and a 3/4" wrench if you are using some sort of muzzle device. 

[JHOWARD]

I don't think there is any difference in Colt and Glock, etc uppers.

 

I built my 9mm upper with a Wilson 10" barrel and it was 100%.  Nothing special or different front a 5.56.

[rowdyb]

remove/replace 19$ part, the mag, and go back to shooting.

[Dannybot]

3 minutes ago, JHOWARD said:

I don't think there is any difference in Colt and Glock, etc uppers.

 

I built my 9mm upper with a Wilson 10" barrel and it was 100%.  Nothing special or different front a 5.56.

True.  I just don't know about the LRBHO for the Glock style uppers.

[JHOWARD]

It's kinda a weird part, but it doesn't affect the assembly.

Edited January 10, 2017 by JHOWARD

[RigPig]

I like assembling, others will pay to have a complete. I've fixed enough factory guns for buddies that had loose barrel nuts that I don't trust someone's assembly just because it has a name on it. With assembling yourself you have control over the quality of your upper and get to choose each component.

For me, I wanted a JP GMR-13 but didn't like the upper receiver or handguard options and wasn't going to pay a premium for their billet .223 receiver. Instead, I purchased an Aero slick-side upper, JP bolt and barrel, Seekins 15" NOXs handrail and AP Manufacturing brake . I have about $640 in my upper using quality parts by catching sales and buying the barrel in SS. Leaves enough left over for the red dot.