Foxtrot Mike FM9 9mm AR Pistol

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  • profjeremy

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    A couple of people have mentioned interest in hearing about the Foxtrot Mike FM9 9mm AR Pistol, so I'm creating a separate thread to discuss it. I do want to preface this by saying that I'm not a gun expert by any means. In fact, I'm learning a lot by following along on this forum, so I would welcome any feedback about some topic that I've missed that is of importance/interest. This is just my humble opinion, for whatever that may be worth, but I really value the discussion more than anything.

    This first post will cover a little about my buying process and first impressions from unboxing the gun. I probably won't get to the range to shoot it until at least this weekend, but when I do, I'll follow up with a range report. Hope this info is useful!

    Purchase Decision & Process

    I've really enjoyed my CMMG Banshee 300 (10mm) and actually think that a PCC is a great complement to a standard handgun. The only two handgun calibers that I have are 10mm and 9mm, so once I came to enjoy my Banshee so much, I decided to try to find a 9mm. I also wanted a smaller gun than my 10mm, which has an 8" barrel. There are some 3" barrel PCC pistols, but I wasn't sure about a barrel shorter than my EDC gun, so I targeted the 5" length in my search. Candidly, at first the only reason I didn't try to find a Banshee in 9mm is the price. The Banshee products are a great line of guns and I don't regret the purchase, but let's face it... they're not the best value. Though there are some places showing ~$1,200 prices online, they're being marked at more like $1,600 when the "cheap" places get stock. So, not wanting to spend that much again, I set off to find a better value. I did some fairly extensive research and although there isn't a lot out there about the FM9 itself, Foxtrot Mike's gun parts are consistently mentioned as being among the best for PCCs. Although I did look at some other brands as well, I am not going to go into the "why not __________?" in this thread, but rather focus on why I went with the FM9.

    To be specific, I purchased the 5" barrel version of the FM9 with the SBA3 pistol brace, which is an exclusive product for Primary Arms. The purchase price was $679, which I thought was pretty reasonable. Can you find cheaper ones with decent reputations? Yes. Can you find cheaper ones with things like the SBA3 brace, last round hold open, etc. for that price? Perhaps, but I didn't see any I thought were a better value than the FM9. As we all know, that SBA3 brace alone is $120-130, which alone makes this more comparable to a $550 gun with a cheap brace. I have a version of the SBA3 on all of my AR pistols and like it... also believe there is value in having the same equipment in your hands as much as possible.

    As for the purchase itself, I'll say it was acceptable. I ordered the FM9 from Primary Arms on 9/3 and it shipped on 9/10. Though that is the longest order-to-ship timeframe I've had on a gun purchase (and this is my 4th since April), there was a holiday weekend in there, so I'll give them a pass. It was shipped UPS Ground insured for a pretty reasonable price, although I think most of my other purchases have been shipped 2 Day.

    Unboxing/First Impressions
    IMG_2404.jpg

    I know that this is very subjective, but I actually felt like the gun looked and felt great for being a less expensive gun. My first thought upon picking it up was, "Wow, nice!" It had a good weight to it, seemed like very nice build quality. Again, subjective, but I didn't like the look of the grip. To me, the stock grip (don't know what brand it is) looks like a toy gun grip. Perhaps that's strange, but was just my first impression.

    Likes
    - 21" overall length, with brace collapsed. 23.5" with it extended (that info isn't on the FM or the Primary Arms site).
    - SBA3 pistol brace!
    - The fit between the upper and lower is better than expected... just as tight as my Banshee, despite being $1,000 less expensive.
    - Flared mag well is very well-engineered, one of the more impressive features. I like it better than the mag well on the Banshee and the Saint.
    - Oversized mag release
    - Last round bolt hold open!
    - Arrived well-lubricated (that's what she said).
    - FM approved magazines are ETS, Glock and Magpul, so there are many capacity options (from 10 to 40 rounds, depending on brand).
    - After a couple of snap cap fires, I think the trigger is better than I expected it to be.

    Dislikes
    - Charging handle is standard mil-spec (small), but honestly expect that for the price.
    - Grip feels cheap, like hard plastic. It's also a little more angled than what I prefer.
    - The "blast diffuser" is wide enough that it completely negates the first set of M-Lok openings on the handguard, meaning you only have one M-Lok slot all the way around. This was the most annoying thing to me.

    Other observations
    - No dust cover (not a big deal to me, but maybe someone cares)
    - Safety is not ambidextrous (again, not a problem for me)

    Planned Upgrades
    - Replaced the grip with a Magpul MOE-K pistol grip. I have a Magpul MOE grip on my Banshee, so I bought the "K" version (no beaver tail) for this one and I like the improvement in both look and feel.
    - Added a Sig Sauer Romeo5XDR red dot sight. Had it on my Banshee, but given how small this gun is, I swapped it to this one and the size is perfect for it!
    - I may see if I can find a narrower blast diffuser so I can use both M-Lok slots on the handguard (needs to be a blast diffuser because the barrel doesn't extend to the end of the handguard). I like the Magpul AFG (angled foregrip) and there is no way to put one on as-is. I put a small Magpul handstop on it for now, but it's farther back than I want it.
    - Replacing the charging handle for a larger one. I actually found a larger BCM Gunfighter charging handle on a good sale, so even though it's not ambidextrous, it will work fine for me.
    - I ended up buying a CMC flat trigger for PCCs on sale recently, so even though I think this trigger is decent, I'll probably upgrade it.

    IMG_2405.jpg

    Currently looks like this with a Magpul 27 round magazine. I also have 33 round and 24 round Glock magazines, as well as ETS 40 round and 31 round magazines to try out. I'll post again when I take it to the range, but until then... fire away!
     
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    WebSnyper

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    Stupid question, but the Foxtrot Mike 9 will take a standard charging handle? I have the freedom ordnance FM9 and I believe it has an AR 15 "configured" charging handle, but don't believe it is compatible with an actual AR15 charging handle. It did take a standard AR15 grip as long as there was no backstrap "tang" so I did swap that on my FM9.

    Basically on the Foxtrot Mike is there a listing of what is and what isn't swappable with a standard AR15 part? I can also check out their website to see if that info is there.

    I'll be interested in your range review once you get there as the Foxtrot Mike is of interest.
     

    profjeremy

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    Stupid question, but the Foxtrot Mike 9 will take a standard charging handle? I have the freedom ordnance FM9 and I believe it has an AR 15 "configured" charging handle, but don't believe it is compatible with an actual AR15 charging handle. It did take a standard AR15 grip as long as there was no backstrap "tang" so I did swap that on my FM9.

    Basically on the Foxtrot Mike is there a listing of what is and what isn't swappable with a standard AR15 part? I can also check out their website to see if that info is there.

    I'll be interested in your range review once you get there as the Foxtrot Mike is of interest.

    I think so, but I guess we'll see! The Foxtrot Mike website does say this, "The magazine well and upper receiver feed ramps have been machined for use with Glock magazines, yet it is still compatible with standard AR-15 parts like a trigger, pistol grip, and safety selector." Obviously, charging handle isn't mentioned specifically, but I'll let you know when I attempt to change it out!
     

    Route 45

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    I just ordered the exact same pistol from Primary Arms a couple of days ago. I already have a Ruger PC Charger with an SBA3 brace, but it's a chunky little thing, and not quite as compact as the FM9. I wanted something small for a backpack, and this looks like it will fit the bill. I haven't heard anything bad about these pistols, and the consensus is that customer service is top notch if you do have an issue.

    Primary Arms also had the 45 ACP model in stock, but it's a 3" barrel. I'll take 33 round Glock mags stuffed full of 147 grain +P 9mm over 13 round mags of 45 ACP hampered with the velocity loss of a 3" barrel. The one thing that keeps me from getting a Glock compatible 45 AR pistol is the lack of high capacity factory Glock mags for 45 ACP. Aftermarket stuff is hit and miss. Ok for a range toy, not ok for something that you might have to use for social work.

    Mine will be getting Troy fixed HK style sights, no optic. Adding a Magpul K2 grip and a BCM or Radian charging handle will get it to where I want it. Simple, small, lightweight and rugged.

    They are still in stock right now.

    PA.jpg


    https://www.primaryarms.com/foxtrot...m-ar-pistol-sba3-brace-primary-arms-exclusive
     

    WebSnyper

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    The charging handle is mil-spec. :)

    Edit: They also have other models in stock, the 3" and 7" 9mm, and I see that the 7" 45 ACP model is back in stock. It is a side-charger model.

    Full details on the specs are at the link.

    https://www.primaryarms.com/foxtrot-...arms-exclusive



    Thanks, I'll check it out and good to know on the charging handle.

    I know you had a Freedom Ordnance (carbine, not pistol if I recall) some time back, so will be interested to hear your thoughts on comparison etc when you get it.
     

    profjeremy

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    I just ordered the exact same pistol from Primary Arms a couple of days ago. I already have a Ruger PC Charger with an SBA3 brace, but it's a chunky little thing, and not quite as compact as the FM9. I wanted something small for a backpack, and this looks like it will fit the bill.

    Yeah, at 21” collapsed, you’d still need a large backpack, but I didn’t want to go with the 3” barrel for the extra portability.
     

    Route 45

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    Thanks, I'll check it out and good to know on the charging handle.

    I know you had a Freedom Ordnance (carbine, not pistol if I recall) some time back, so will be interested to hear your thoughts on comparison etc when you get it.

    I had both the carbine and an 8" pistol. Both good firearms, I just sold them to pick up a couple of ARs a while back. I don't expect a lot of difference, but I really do like that the FM has a lot of mil-spec going on, where the Freedom Ordnance did not. I didn't care for the dinky charging handle on the Freedom, so the ability to add an ambi charging handle on the FM is a big plus.
     

    Route 45

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    Yeah, at 21” collapsed, you’d still need a large backpack, but I didn’t want to go with the 3” barrel for the extra portability.

    My only braced 9mm pistol is a Ruger PC Charger, which is 25 1/4" in length and weighs about 10,000 lbs. So I'll be happy to get something a little more compact and lighter.

    I've got a pretty standard Ozark Trail backpack, looks like a backpack that any college student would have. I just measured the largest compartment. A 21" pistol should do nicely.

    :)
     

    profjeremy

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    I wanted to give a little update on this to highlight what has been some pretty amazing customer service by Foxtrot Mike. I’ve contacted them with some questions on removing the blast diffuser (so I can replace it with something slimmer) and their response times to my three emails have been 21 minutes, 1 hour and 4 hours, 20 minutes. The last one was on a Saturday night!

    Although I’m a little annoyed that I have to take that blast diffuser off anyway (I gave them product feedback also), they’ve been extremely helpful and even told me the specific type of Loctite that they used so I know how much I have to heat it.

    Even though I didn’t contact them with a “problem”, it’s nice to know that they’re so responsive, just in case I ever have one!
     

    swamptick

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    Thank you for taking the time to review this as I have been interested in this type of firearm for quite awhile. Great info!!!
     

    Benp

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    I'm interested in hearing the reviews and the upgrades. This one is on my list so while I will not have anything to add about this I'll be reading these comments with much interest!
     

    profjeremy

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    Progress Report: Had some time to tinker this evening and changed out the blast diffuser for the one mentioned by gmcttr above (thanks again, btw!). Had to heat the original one up to about 600 degrees to break down the Loctite, but got it off there and the new one installed. It freed up the perfect amount of clearance on the handguard and with a slight modification to the Magpul AFG, I was able to install it with no problem. The change in muzzle device shortens up the overall length of the gun to 20 5/8” with the brace collapsed and I think looks better as well!

    Still waiting on my larger charging handle and need to install the upgraded trigger before I take it to the range, but here are some pics of the updated muzzle device showing the clearance and the AFG.

    B5A2E813-2C24-47EF-AE55-2432D210DAAE.jpeg 4A0A7C4B-DDAA-4D66-A640-296811CAA3C4.jpeg 33B8A908-F428-4196-B741-607AB4B3EF3A.jpeg
     

    profjeremy

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    Range Report!

    Finally took the FM9 to the range today, delayed partially because my Sig Romeo5 developed a weird issue and I had to send it in for a replacement. However, I finally decided that I would just take my Aimpoint PRO off of one of my other guns and use it... couldn't wait any longer! In the meantime, I also replaced the FM9's stock mil-spec trigger with a CMC PCC 3.5lb flat trigger. Here is the semi-final look, with the upgrades including the KVP compensator, Magpul AFG, CMC trigger, BCM Gunfighter charging handle and Magpul MOE-K grip (33 round Glock mag in it). I like it with the Aimpoint Pro, but like it even more with the Sig optic:

    IMG_2467.jpg

    I decided to shoot 91 rounds. Not as random as it seems, but rather the exact amount to use one of each of the types of magazines that Foxtrot Mike recommends for the FM9. These are the magazines I used, in order: Glock 33 round, Magpul 27 round, and ETS 31 round. I also have a Glock 24 round mag and a couple of ETS 40 round mags, but didn't bring those this time. The Glock and Magpul mags were loaded up with Wolf 115 grain steel case, the ETS mag had 10 Sig 365 JHPs and 21 Federal American Eagle FMJs. The quick start guide from Foxtrot Mike recommends breaking in the gun with 500 rounds of steel case ammo, but I also wanted to see how the other stuff performed. The product guide also advises against any ammo with a muzzle velocity under 1100 fps. I also have some 9mm+P ammo that I can't wait to use in this thing!

    I shot my Banshee 10mm before this, just to note the comparison in how they shoot. I took the Aimpoint off of that one at the range and then put it on the FM9. The first magazine was the Glock, then Magpul, then ETS. I did a "quick and dirty" zeroing of my red dot at 25 yards and here are my first impressions:

    - I thought my Banshee 10mm had light recoil and very little muzzle rise, but this thing is like shooting a .22 comparatively.
    - Even using cheap steel case ammo, my shots were more consistent than expected.
    - This gun is so small... granted, my other AR pistols are 10.3" and 8" barrels, but I can't imagine going shorter than the 5" barrel on this. I got more used to it after a couple of mags, but it was a strange feel at first.
    - I think the Magpul MOE-K grip is a little small for my taste. I'll probably swap it out for a larger model and see how I like that.
    - I LOVE this CMC PCC trigger. My Banshee 10mm is getting one ASAP.
    - This gun is a lot of fun and is going to cost me a lot of ammo!

    Positives
    - I am not a good shooter, but this gun made me look decent
    - Such a soft shooter that staying on target is easy
    - So much fun to shoot that I kept losing track of how many shots I had fired
    - Last round bolt hold open worked on all three magazines
    - Granted, I didn't bring the 40 round mags, but even with the 33 rounders, this gun is very lightweight
    - If you told me that this was a $1600 gun (like a Banshee), I would believe you. The fact that it's under $700, yet shoots and feels like this is amazing value in my book.

    Negatives
    - On my first magazine, the bolt held open on the second to last round. I reinserted the magazine, dropped the bolt release and it fired the last round without issue (and held open again). Other than that, I had zero misfeeds. I don't know whether this was the fact that it was the first magazine, the steel case ammo, or even the magazine itself, but I will keep my eye on it.

    Overall
    This gun is well-made, accurate, and a ton of fun to shoot! I do kind of wish I had taken this to the range with the stock trigger and then upgraded it later, just to see how the stock trigger was. I wonder how much that trigger upgrade helped things... as it's really an amazing trigger and I bought another as soon as I got home ($140 on joeboboutfitters). However, counting up all of the upgrades I made, I spent an additional $260, which still leaves me under $1,000 all-in on this gun. For that price, I would put this as a much better value than the Banshee! I've only put 91 rounds through it, but at this point, I think the FM9's performance is at least on par with the Banshee (and I love that gun).

    To summarize, I highly recommend the FM9 5" from Foxtrot Mike! Keeping in mind that I am far from a great shooter, below are my results from the last magazine. Torso was at 7 yards, upper right at 15 yards and head was at 25 yards. I got carried away and only saved 5 rounds for 25 yards, plus I realized I needed to leave, so those shots were a bit rushed. Still great results coming from me and I'm sure you all would see even better!

    IMG_2466.jpg
     
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    Benp

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    Range Report!

    Finally took the FM9 to the range today, delayed partially because my Sig Romeo5 developed a weird issue and I had to send it in for a replacement. However, I finally decided that I would just take my Aimpoint PRO off of one of my other guns and use it... couldn't wait any longer! In the meantime, I also replaced the FM9's stock mil-spec trigger with a CMC PCC 3.5lb flat trigger. Here is the semi-final look, with the upgrades including the KVP compensator, Magpul AFG, CMC trigger, BCM Gunfighter charging handle and Magpul MOE-K grip (33 round Glock mag in it). I like it with the Aimpoint Pro, but like it even more with the Sig optic:

    View attachment 91383

    I decided to shoot 91 rounds. Not as random as it seems, but rather the exact amount to use one of each of the types of magazines that Foxtrot Mike recommends for the FM9. These are the magazines I used, in order: Glock 33 round, Magpul 27 round, and ETS 31 round. I also have a Glock 24 round mag and a couple of ETS 40 round mags, but didn't bring those this time. The Glock and Magpul mags were loaded up with Wolf 115 grain steel case, the ETS mag had 10 Sig 365 JHPs and 21 Federal American Eagle FMJs. The quick start guide from Foxtrot Mike recommends breaking in the gun with 500 rounds of steel case ammo, but I also wanted to see how the other stuff performed. The product guide also advises against any ammo with a muzzle velocity under 1100 fps. I also have some 9mm+P ammo that I can't wait to use in this thing!

    I shot my Banshee 10mm before this, just to note the comparison in how they shoot. I took the Aimpoint off of that one at the range and then put it on the FM9. The first magazine was the Glock, then Magpul, then ETS. I did a "quick and dirty" zeroing of my red dot at 25 yards and here are my first impressions:

    - I thought my Banshee 10mm had light recoil and very little muzzle rise, but this thing is like shooting a .22 comparatively.
    - Even using cheap steel case ammo, my shots were more consistent than expected.
    - This gun is so small... granted, my other AR pistols are 10.3" and 8" barrels, but I can't imagine going shorter than the 5" barrel on this. I got more used to it after a couple of mags, but it was a strange feel at first.
    - I think the Magpul MOE-K grip is a little small for my taste. I'll probably swap it out for a larger model and see how I like that.
    - I LOVE this CMC PCC trigger. My Banshee 10mm is getting one ASAP.
    - This gun is a lot of fun and is going to cost me a lot of ammo!

    Positives
    - I am not a good shooter, but this gun made me look decent
    - Such a soft shooter that staying on target is easy
    - So much fun to shoot that I kept losing track of how many shots I had fired
    - Last round bolt hold open worked on all three magazines
    - Granted, I didn't bring the 40 round mags, but even with the 33 rounders, this gun is very lightweight
    - If you told me that this was a $1600 gun (like a Banshee), I would believe you. The fact that it's under $700, yet shoots and feels like this is amazing value in my book.

    Negatives
    - On my first magazine, the bolt held open on the second to last round. I reinserted the magazine, dropped the bolt release and it fired the last round without issue (and held open again). Other than that, I had zero misfeeds. I don't know whether this was the fact that it was the first magazine, the steel case ammo, or even the magazine itself, but I will keep my eye on it.

    Overall
    This gun is well-made, accurate, and a ton of fun to shoot! I do kind of wish I had taken this to the range with the stock trigger and then upgraded it later, just to see how the stock trigger was. I wonder how much that trigger upgrade helped things... as it's really an amazing trigger and I bought another as soon as I got home ($140 on joeboboutfitters). However, counting up all of the upgrades I made, I spent an additional $260, which still leaves me under $1,000 all-in on this gun. For that price, I would put this as a much better value than the Banshee! I've only put 91 rounds through it, but at this point, I think the FM9's performance is at least on par with the Banshee (and I love that gun).

    To summarize, I highly recommend the FM9 5" from Foxtrot Mike! Keeping in mind that I am far from a great shooter, below are my results from the last magazine. Torso was at 7 yards, upper right at 15 yards and head was at 25 yards. I got carried away and only saved 5 rounds for 25 yards, plus I realized I needed to leave, so those shots were a bit rushed. Still great results coming from me and I'm sure you all would see even better!

    View attachment 91382
    Thanks for the update! This seems like a really great option!!
     
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