AR 15 9MM OR NOT

[Morgan88]

Hello to all
I would like some very basic info. I am looking at rifles and most are 223/5.56 caliber. Some are carbines and some are rifles. I did find that a carbine is shorter than a rifle. Why would someone need/want one over the other? Why would someone want 9mm versus dominant 223 or 5.56? Apparently there are a bazillion manufacturers. I am somewhat a novice and want to learn my way up the costly ladder

MORGAN88

 

[sgreen3]

A carbine is still a rifle.... The great thing about the AR9 platform for me is cheaper practicing and with mine being in SBR form its just a ton of fun running a few of the CQB Run-N-Gun courses. Plus having a carbine to go along and take the same mags as my pistol is kind of a bonus... If your ever in the southern part of the state your welcome to come give mine a try, but not responsible for you leaving and immediately start buying stuff to build one of your own .

 

[PGRChaplain]

Carbine is easier to maneuver, Rifle is more accurate. 9mm AR platform, lower cost to shoot, everything is in the same place control wise. Seems like everybody has a 9mm Handgun, Ammo Compatibility. AR Assembly Videos on YouTube, give them a watch, you may want to build your own AR. Lots of Info on here as well as AR15.Com - Your Firearm Resource. (AR-15, AR-10, M4 Carbine, M16, H&K, SIG, FNH, FAL, AK-47, 50 Cal, M1/M1A, Handgun, Pistol, Training, Hunting, and More!). Good Luck on your Quest!

 

[masterdekoy]

Carbine just means a shortened version of a rifle. The original was the M-16 with a 20" barrel and fixed stock. Most AR15s currently produced have shorter barrels around 16" and collapsible stocks. Same operation, same ammo, just shorter.

I think 9mm has several advantages depending on your intended use. Cost is a big one, you can typically save around 30% on factory ammo vs .223/5.56. Ability to be suppressed is another. While you can suppress 5.56 it's not what I would call quiet especially in a building. Ammo and magazine compatibility is a third. You can build a 9mm AR based off glock mags which would be compatible with your pistol. Also, they aren't as common and can be a lot of fun, and will turn heads at the range.

 

[throttletony]

The info above is good.

What's your main use for the gun? Guns are essentially tools.
Do you already own a handgun in 9mm? If not, it doesnt make a lot of sense to get an AR chambered in 9mm - although it us fun either way.
A carbine is just a shot rifle - typically with a 16" barrel

If you don't own any rifle - an AR in .223 (also called 5.56NATO, which can safely shoot the slightly lower pressured .223 case and has a slightly shorter leade/throat dimension) is a good choice.
An even better choice for a first rifle is a .22 LR - like a Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60, etc. I say "better" because you can shoot for much less $$ and learn all of the FUNdamentals.
Another fun option is a bolt action rifle in .223 - fun, enough power for shooting beyond 300 yds, and relatively cheap and low recoil (compared to something like a .308)

 

[gunworks321]

I bought my wife an M&P 15-22. Essentially a low recoil AR15. I added a suppressor for her and she absolutely loves it. I will soon transition her over the the 9mm suppressed AR and see how that works. Don't Think it will be a problem. Then we will step up to 5.56 and lastly 300 BLK. This is how I expect to bring my grandson and granddaughters along as well. Get them comfortable shooting then transition to the beefier models. Also it was my desire to keep the controls similar so transitioning would not be confusing to novice shooters. All of mine are carbines as I am small of stature as is my wife, so easier for both of us the handle. We also have 10/22's and bolt action Savage .22 , but she prefers the M&P.

 

[Rong]

I have found my 9ar has a very similar recoil impulse to my .556. Also for an extra $200 tax stamp Short barreled rifles are becoming very popular.
Advantage to a shorter rifle is easier maneuverability in tight quarters ie. vehicle or house. Disadvantage is loss of velocity. Accuracy is not necessarily lost with barrel length.

 

[DanVoils]

Carbine just means a shortened version of a rifle. The original was the M-16 with a 20" barrel and fixed stock. Most AR15s currently produced have shorter barrels around 16" and collapsible stocks. Same operation, same ammo, just shorter.

I think 9mm has several advantages depending on your intended use. Cost is a big one, you can typically save around 30% on factory ammo vs .223/5.56. Ability to be suppressed is another. While you can suppress 5.56 it's not what I would call quiet especially in a building. Ammo and magazine compatibility is a third. You can build a 9mm AR based off glock mags which would be compatible with your pistol. Also, they aren't as common and can be a lot of fun, and will turn heads at the range.

I have a New Frontier Armory 9 MM AR and it's a lot of fun to shoot. It uses Glock mags so I'm not adding anything special to the fleet as far as caliber or requirements.
Dan

 

[Tactically Fat]

For future reference:

Carbine has two main definitions: A) A long-gun that has a shorter barrel than the "standard"/original version of the firearm. B) A rifle chambered for a traditional "handgun" round.

 

[Cerberus]

Ok, time for this old grouch to chime in. Most of the others have addressed the Carbine vs Rifle question. I will offer a few simple pointers. First thing you need to decide is, just exactly what you are going to expect out of an AR. If you want it strictly for a fun range toy, then about any of the current offerings will fill that need. Some of the mid-lower range ARs are better than others, and with the boat load of new brands out there I can't sit and name them all. If you want it to be a fun range toy AND have a rifle that, if worst came to worst, be able to utilize it for protection, then it would be to your advantage to seriously look into one of the upper tier brands. BCM and Daniel Defense really are quality. If you are mechanically inclined building one is actually quite simple and not very hard to figure out, but you might want to find someone with one to at least use for reference and get a good build guide. What ever you get be sure to make certain it's actually assembled correctly, but you would need to do a certain amount of research to find out just what all that involves. If you want more boring details feel free to PM me.