Lefty wanting to join the PCC bandwagon

[Meathead_67]

I recently built a Gibbz left handed PCC after buying and experimenting with the JP GMR-15, as well as lowers from KE Arms and Coda Evolution. The Gibbz set is easily my favorite of them all. Easy to manipulate and is the only one that "feels" like it was designed for a lefty, rather than adapted from a right handed version. Heck, I like it so much I'm working on a .223 build with the same left-side eject system to shoot in UML 2x4 matches.

 

[OPENB]

What did you think of the Coda? Drawbacks compared to the Gibbz and KE?

[Meathead_67]

12 hours ago, OPENB said:

What did you think of the Coda? Drawbacks compared to the Gibbz and KE?

The Coda and the KE each had their good and bad points.

 

I liked the flared magwell and mag release on the KE, but had issues with the ejector coming loose due to poor design of the set screws. This caused a serious problem as when you seated a magazine, occasionally the ejector would rotate up into the path of the bolt and lock up the gun. I'll include a picture of the fix I came up with for that just in case anyone else has that problem. (Drilled holes in the ejector, then bought longer set screws and turned them to fit snugly in the holes and hold the ejector in place. Seemed to work pretty well.)

 

I liked the ejector design of the Coda (came pre-drilled and never moved on me), but the magwell felt oversized and occasionally a magazine would come loose and drop out in the middle of a stage.

 

The Gibbz feels like it addresses all the issues I've had with both lowers. The only real drawback is that when compared to some of the super lightweight skeletonized lowers out there it feels a bit bulky and heavy. That doesn't really bother me personally, I'd rather have a bit of weight to the rifle.

[cconnection]

As another lefty, you must have ambi mag drop.  You do not change mags a lot, but when you do the last thing you want is to dread those stages and fall on your face!!! I ran block systems in standard AR-15 lowers that I would get set to function well and then epoxy them into position so they would not move. Worked because all the controls were ambi and familiar.  Only challenge was mag well flares were hard to come by.  But all that to say,  I finally broke down and bought the Gibbz Arms G-9 full lefty with lefty bolt as well.  Cannot wait.

 

 

[Sawdustnsteel]

I’m left handed and run Nordic components PCC. ( glock mag with max extension 57 rnds) I use my off hand while transitioning to drop mag and pull a reload when mandatory. Just practice the mag swap on the move. I thought about making a mag release bar I can hit with my trigger finger but it’s rare to have a mag change in my area. ( I was going through the trigger well and above the trigger so I can reach to  a safe rest spot to press and release, I fabricated it but never installed since it’s not critical)

[NervousEnergy]

I shoot left (right handed, but left eye dominate, and it's how I leared back in the teen skeet days), and the best lefty experience I've had is with my Tavor (9mm, of course.)  100% ambi, including the ejection port, with no special tools required to switch it around.  I can't fully recommend it as a comp gun, though it's so fun to shoot.  It's heavy, fairly harsh recoil, and the colt mag system is as much a pain to load on a closed bolt as every other person has mentioned.  At the last major I shot it at before switching to MPX, I took the extra second to lock the bolt back on the table start stage just to make sure I didn't lose even more time with a fumbled mag seat.  Great gun for leftys and incredibly reliable, but the MPX is simply faster on a stage all other factors even. 

 

No knock against the JP (I own a JP-15 AR and wouldn't shoot anything else in 223), but I don't reload and the MPX is dramatically softer with factory ammo.  I tried the GMR-15, a Lead Star (love the skeletonized look), a couple of franken PCCs, and the MPX beat them all with factory ammo.  A couple of guys had gotten thier blowback guns about as soft as the MPX, but only with handloaded -P rounds tuned to their buffer.  I don't have the time or inclination to do that, and the MPX was just as soft with hot, cheap factory ammo.

Edited January 31, 2019 by NervousEnergy

[NPDriver]

https://www.glockstore.com/FM-9-Complete-Lower?quantity=1&custcol19=1

 

The Foxtrot Mike's polymer lower is completely ambidextrous including the bolt release and their side charging uppers can easily be swapped from side to side. These lowers are always sold out everywhere but the Glockstore. The problem is they're the most expensive of their retailers. FM products makes great stuff at reasonable price. I bought their build kit (billet upper, lower & 8.5" M-lok handguard) for my pistol build, and I'm very satisfied with it. Lifetime warranty on everything and the best customer service I've ever experienced with any company. 

[dsim4181]

i am a Lefty as well and fully know the stuggle. i shoot a JP gmr 13 and its hands down the best PCC in my opinion. i am looking to getting an ambi lower to switch it out. after speaking to Dustin at JP i may have to get a complete lower as most of their parts are installed with red lock tite. mandatory reloads are a pain without an ambi mag release, am looking at the gibbs or the KE arms lower they seem to be the go to options.

[cconnection]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 9:59 AM, tehweej said:

Do you guys find that not having a left-handed mag release slows you down much? I know with PCC you shouldn’t have to reload except for mandatory reload stages, but I just wondered how much this affects your times.

 

I also like the side charging uppers

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

YES indeed.  You are right about not having to mag change much, but any malfunction your hosed, any skills challenge your hosed, any mandatory mag change stage your hosed. It sucks.  I have tried three different block system to convert a standard AR lower to a PCC lower and they are ok.  But anything is better than having to drop magazine with support hand and then retrieve new mag.  That's crazy if you think you can be competitive.

 

[cconnection]

I have built a gibbz arms G-9.  And although very nice, it has issues.  Some have had trouble with cartridge ejecting, I have had no problems there, but loading a magazine was a totally different issue.  Problem is the bottom of the bolt is not tapered at all, and when loading the left feed lip hits edge of bolt and will actually bend down after a couple of attempts to slam it home, then its worse.  I had to mill a taper cut into the one side of the bolt. Not for the faint at heart.  There is another post from a guy with pictures of what he did.  This seems to have fixed that problem, loads smooth now.  Ambi mag drop work great and right side charge is awesome.  Hoping all my problems are over.  Working on buffer systems now to soft recoil just a bit to improve follow-up shots.

[Chillywig]

On 12/22/2018 at 10:03 AM, MemphisMechanic said:

 

I agree. I’m a big fan of my KE arms lower now.

 

My gun is an odd duck because I had to lower the magazine position about 3/16” to clear the fat bolt head the CMMG Guard upper uses.

 

Ran like a top on the maiden voyage last night: After 6 months hunting for reliability feeding it from colt mags, I couldn’t get beyond a jam every 50-100 or so rounds.

 

She went 350 or so last night without a single malfunction. Everything from heavy slow 150gr 130PF  to hot fast 115gr loads.

 

Lousy camera angle, but:

 

 

 

 

Your front take down pin was walking out as you are shooting. 

[MemphisMechanic]

33 minutes ago, Chillywig said:

Your front take down pin was walking out as you are shooting. 

Thank you, captain obvious.

 

I was one detent spring short at the time.  

 

Run a mag

slap it back in

run a mag

slap it back in.

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by MemphisMechanic