Too buy or not to buy??? MBX? JP? I’m PCC curious 😂

[nelson1each]

I’ve been shooting open for awhile and I love it...so it’s certainly staying my main division for the foreseeable future. I just recently sold my Lim guns so I’m debating buying a PCC for a second division to dabble in from time to time. Not gonna lie I’m a long time PCC hater but I’m starting to become a bit PCC curious  I shot a friends JP and it was pretty slick. Also, been perusing the MBX website recently and their stuff looks legit too. Curious on advice and/or opinions for a potential first PCC’er. Thanks guys! 

[jnr88]

MPX. Simply the best. JMO

[WxGuy]

Why not build one?  I'm about to finish build #3.  It's addicting and I've learned a ton.

[Jcgatus]

20 minutes ago, nelson1each said:

I’ve been shooting open for awhile and I love it...so it’s certainly staying my main division for the foreseeable future. I just recently sold my Lim guns so I’m debating buying a PCC for a second division to dabble in from time to time. Not gonna lie I’m a long time PCC hater but I’m starting to become a bit PCC curious  I shot a friends JP and it was pretty slick. Also, been perusing the MBX website recently and their stuff looks legit too. Curious on advice and/or opinions for a potential first PCC’er. Thanks guys! 

My first pcc was an mbx. It was amazing out the box. But boy was I mad when I found out that they sourced their receiver sets from another well known, budget company. In total, I couldve built the same exact setup with a  better buffer and barrel/comp for 400 less!

[egd5]

I own a JP but I think any of those 3 would be a good choice. I think MPX is just as good but the proprietary mags and the extra cleaning (or so I've read) is a turnoff for me. I've only known a couple of guys that had MBX but they really did like them.

[philmadxx]

If you like to tweak, tinker or fiddle with with your guns - save money and buy one of the generic guns out these or build one.  If you something that just goes bang every single time - JP is the way to go.  Not cheap but definitely the best.  

 

Good luck

[texasdawg]

I vote for building your own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a JP or MBX if you just want to open the box and go shoot, though. They are great systems and they do all the work for you.

 One can do a little research and find all the parts to assemble one themselves and save some money, too. You start trying to scrimp on parts and try using odd parts and the gun wont run, possibly.

 A barrel and buffer and bolt from the same company, an upper and lower that is well made, and a proven trigger is really all there is. The furniture can be what you want.

The waiting for different boxes to arrive is the bad part,,,

[goldfish]

I also vote to build one. You can make it the way you want it.  When i started to looked at the off the shelf AR9s, I did not like half the parts in them,  

You will learn a lot, what works and does not.  Keep it simple, stay with the same company manufacturer for parts as what "texasdawg" mentioned.  Years ago New Frontier Armory sells an AR9 parts kit, you can change parts. They can assemble for you but that spoils the fun part. This also gives you kind of a tech support for parts that will work.  

Like you said its not your main division. Why not expand your experience in building one also?  

[zzt]

I would buy neither of the two you mentioned.  After a lot of consideration and trying I decided on a Leadstar Arms Prime PCC.  I do not regret that decision.  If I had it to do over again, I'd do the same.  The reason is I knew squat about PCCs and wanted a proven design ready to go out of the box.

 

I know more now, so if there is a second PCC in my future I will build it.  Actually 'build' is the wrong term.  You don't 'build' a PCC as in building an Open or target pistol.  All you actually do is assemble the parts you've chosen.

[ltdmstr]

I couldn't find a factory combination that matched my needs, so I made my own on a JP upper/lower.  It's flat out awesome and a blast to shoot.  As zzt stated, ARs are assembled, not built like a 1911/2011.  So pretty much anyone can do it.  The only special tools you need are a torque wrench and chamber gages.  And if you don't have those, you can borrow or rent them.

[EarlKeese]

Is a Taccom complete upper a viable choice? If so, what forged glock mag lower would be a good choice to go with it?

[Darqusoull13]

13 hours ago, nelson1each said:

I’ve been shooting open for awhile and I love it...so it’s certainly staying my main division for the foreseeable future. I just recently sold my Lim guns so I’m debating buying a PCC for a second division to dabble in from time to time. Not gonna lie I’m a long time PCC hater but I’m starting to become a bit PCC curious  I shot a friends JP and it was pretty slick. Also, been perusing the MBX website recently and their stuff looks legit too. Curious on advice and/or opinions for a potential first PCC’er. Thanks guys! 

If JP is an option, JP is the answer for a PCC.

In the past month we've hosted 7 USPSA and SCSA matches total. My backup rifles have been loaned out twice to help someone finish a match in a month. In literal hundreds of matches we've hosted I've loaned out my GMR's to any number of shooters when their *insert brand here* broke. Not one time has that brand been a JP. 

I totally understand some folks have preferences on things other than reliability. Some folks like flash and there are a few other brands that make nice things. If you want proven reliability and you want to shoot, you shoot a JP. If you want to have that nagging itch in the back of your mind wondering if your gun will make it through a whole match, that's up to you. 

[hwansikcjswo]

I own JP, a personal built with Taccom stuff (barrel, buffer, and bolt), and a build that's a copy of Max Leograndis' set up.

 

Now I have 2 pcc that's a copy of Max's. I love it, it shoots the best out of all the pcc I have tried so far.

 

I recommend you check out his build from his insta. (Brekke Custom sells the barrel and handguard). 

 

The parts I used to copy his build are

 

12"+4" comp Brekke custom barrel+comp and their Max handguard

QC 10 lower (FM9 for back up)

Hiperfire Eclipse trigger (competition trigger in the back up gun)

Kynshot 5015HD buffer with their SS spacer

JP 308 carbine spring

5 quarters in the tube

Welded bolt (Taccom bolt in the back up)

Anderson upper (same as Max)

K2+ grip

Edited August 21, 2020 by hwansikcjswo

[Tampa-XD45]

JP Rifle Builder to get the exact build you want:  https://www.jprifles.com/rosmain.php?assembly_id=66

 

[zzt]

I'll state my advice more directly to the OP.  You are new to PCC.  You should buy your first PCC already assembled.  The reason is not all AR parts work with all other AR parts, and you don't know which do and which don't.  It could become quite frustrating trying to figure out why something is not working when you don't know how it was supposed to.

 

I was 100% sure I wanted a PCC to compete in another SCSA Division.  You are not sure, but may want to dabble.  Try buying a relatively inexpensive gun first, shoot it a while and then see if you are still interested.  As you shoot it more you will learn what you do and don't like.  Plus you'll be able to shoot other people's PCCs, so you will broaden your horizons.  I occasionally shoot with an M who shoots a stock Kel Tec.  He said he paid $400 for it.  To me it looks looks a pos, but he shoots the lights out with it.

[nelson1each]

Thanks guys, a lot of solid info. I’ve built/assembled a few AR’s so I’m pretty familiar and have the tools. As stated by a few, I was thinking buying one ready to go out of the box because I don’t know what I don’t know when it comes to a PCC build. 

[ck1]

If you're going to go blowback/AR9, just build your own... Max L is probably the best in the game and he's using a $40 upper mated to a $150 lower lol.

 

If you don't want to tune a blowback, I have an MPX PCC "3rd Gen" which has run like a top for a year without ever malfunctioning and it shoots as soft as a Nerf gun.

 

I've shot 3 different JP's and 1 MBX, and honestly IMHO for what they cost I wouldn't do it, at the end of the day they're just blowback AR9's, they're just put together correctly. There's nothing really special about them you couldn't add to your own build for a lot less.

[BRadcliffe]

I ordered a JP and got it in this week. It was my first high end gun and blew my mind how nice everything feels. I have the new vertical port comp and the dot barely moves. 

[hello0o0o0o]

To answer your question, first, the JP is worth the money if you are looking for a fully built tuned set up.  I would recommend getting the shroud barrel and not the 14" or 16" full length.  However, the full length has very very good recoil management.  

The MBX is okay too but there's not much to say about it.  But also consider DaVinci Arms for their prebuilt options.

Second, I would definitely not recommend the MPX as even the gen3 does not have enough precedent for the high round counts of uspsa... though you'll always find that one guy who basically want to f*#k their MPX they love it so much. 

 

Now, ck1 has a good point in saying that MaxL has insane performance out of cheap gear.  
I would also recommend following some of his builds.  He has a few builds posted on here and insta where he uses a FM9 bolt etc.  

I would probably go with a JP lower receiver due to the importance of glock mag angle and then follow a Max or Hwansik build from there.  PCC is very equipment geared and there is complicated topics involving short stroking, bolt speed, trigger performance, and barrel weight.  It's a very complicated field which is why unless you follow a professionals build exactly (a good option) or have an experienced friend to help, I would probably recommend doing prebuilt.

[MLS2GO]

3 hours ago, hello0o0o0o said:

To answer your question, first, the JP is worth the money if you are looking for a fully built tuned set up.  I would recommend getting the shroud barrel and not the 14" or 16" full length.  However, the full length has very very good recoil management.  

The MBX is okay too but there's not much to say about it.  But also consider DaVinci Arms for their prebuilt options.

Second, I would definitely not recommend the MPX as even the gen3 does not have enough precedent for the high round counts of uspsa... though you'll always find that one guy who basically want to f*#k their MPX they love it so much. 

 

Now, ck1 has a good point in saying that MaxL has insane performance out of cheap gear.  
I would also recommend following some of his builds.  He has a few builds posted on here and insta where he uses a FM9 bolt etc.  

I would probably go with a JP lower receiver due to the importance of glock mag angle and then follow a Max or Hwansik build from there.  PCC is very equipment geared and there is complicated topics involving short stroking, bolt speed, trigger performance, and barrel weight.  It's a very complicated field which is why unless you follow a professionals build exactly (a good option) or have an experienced friend to help, I would probably recommend doing prebuilt.

I have both of the JP Models the 14.5" barrel with pin and welded comp and the UL with the 5.5" Barrel and shroud. I like them both very much, but for me they shoot completely differently. The regular barrel rifle dot barely moves, but it is slower to transition. I bought this rifle primarily for USPSA. I know this from reading the splits on the timer. The UL dot moves a noticeable amount more, but is quicker on transitions because of reduced weight. Again the timer doesn't lie. My purpose was to shoot USPSA with the heavier gun and Steel Challenge with the lighter one, plus have a back up to the other in either case. I have the same optic a Sig Romeo XL with a 6 MOA dot on both and trigger pull on both out of the box is 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds. If I was younger and stronger, I might be tempted to go with the lighter one for everything. IF I had to choose only one I would be going with the heavier one. I have not shot the UL in a match yet, only practice. 

[hello0o0o0o]

Just now, MLS2GO said:

I have both of the JP Models the 14.5" barrel with pin and welded comp and the UL with the 5.5" Barrel and shroud. I like them both very much, but for me they shoot completely differently. The regular barrel rifle dot barely moves, but it is slower to transition. I bought this rifle primarily for USPSA. I know this from reading the splits on the timer. The UL dot moves a noticeable amount more, but is quicker on transitions because of reduced weight. Again the timer doesn't lie. My purpose was to shoot USPSA with the heavier gun and Steel Challenge with the lighter one, plus have a back up to the other in either case. I have the same optic a Sig Romeo XL with a 6 MOA dot on both and trigger pull on both out of the box is 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds. If I was younger and stronger, I might be tempted to go with the lighter one for everything. IF I had to choose only one I would be going with the heavier one. I have not shot the UL in a match yet, only practice. 

I just received my 12.5" Brekke custom upper.  so much much much lighter than the heavy JP.  I haven't shot it yet but I definitely think it's going to be an important switch.  Most people are going towards medium weight setups now.  Not ultra light nor heavy.  I see the benefit of lightening up the front end. 

 

I cannot stress this enough, for PCC you already split fast enough, but where you'll win the matches is in transitions and movement.  Both benefit from the lighter barrel.  The dot movement at least in theory can be cleaned up with mount, stance, load development, and buffer system.  

[18111811]

On 8/20/2020 at 9:49 PM, Jcgatus said:

My first pcc was an mbx. It was amazing out the box. But boy was I mad when I found out that they sourced their receiver sets from another well known, budget company. In total, I couldve built the same exact setup with a  better buffer and barrel/comp for 400 less!

what MFG is this budget company?

[telligentgunner]

My first PCC was also an MPX.  A decision I'd later regret. They are not reliable and it cost me match wins clearing malfunctions. 

 

My second PCC was an MBX.  I thought it was a great setup when they were selling it with a "bad lever", but don't anymore.  The downside, there was more dot movement compared to the MPX and didn't have a side charging handle.  But it was reliable as hell. 

 

My third PCC was a JP GMR-15 and I still own it.  I got it with a side charging handle, it is very reliable, but it has about the same dot movement as an MBX if you don't do anything to it.  I've since tamed it down with a hydraulic buffer and weights.

 

My fourth PCC was the JP-5.  But I waited until the side charging version came out.  (People who didn't want to wait were a bit upset when it came out.)  Now I have everything... reliability (when you tune it right), side charging, less dot movement, and a bolt release on the right side.  But it's pricey.  I would buy once, cry once if I could do it all over again. 

 

Good thing... you can use "MILES" at checkout for 5% off and 10% off accessories.  You're welcome.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by telligentgunner