Hey everyone! Let's create a showcase of our favorite AR builds. Whether you're an experienced builder or just starting out, we'd love to see your setups, parts lists, and hear about your experiences. Share what worked for you and what you discovered along the way. Can't wait to see the creativity in this community—who's got something cool to share?
Show Off Your AR Builds: A Photo Gallery & Discussion
- Thread starter Alan
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the_leper_colony
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- Joined
- Jun 30, 2025
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- 8
I built my first 9mm AR years ago, when Colt and Olympic were competing with their non-compatible systems: the Colts (& clones) used Colt subgun mags, and (IIRC) the Olys used Sten mags, with some type of magwell adapter attached to either the mags or the AR. Also available was a third option: a magwell adapter from a little company called VM Hy Tech, that let you use unmodified Uzi mags with a Colt-system upper. (Pretty neat!) For that first 9mm AR, I almost went with the VM Hy Tech adapter and Uzi mags, but finally decided on one of the new CMMG dedicated lowers and Colt-type mags instead.
Unfortunately, VM Hy Tech went out of business shortly after that, and I instantly regretted not buying one of their Uzi mag adapters (which are just about 'unobtanium' now). So, I built my own magwell adapter, using a surplus military Uzi magwell, combined with the front & rear portions of a Colt-type magwell adapter (which provided the feed ramp & ejector). The Uzi magwell is too wide to fit in a milspec AR15 magwell, so I used a Cavalry Arms Cav15 MKII lower, which has a magwell wide enough for .45 "grease gun" mags (or an Uzi magwell ;^). The rest of the carbine is mostly standard Colt-system parts. End result, a lightweight 9mm AR "fun gun" that uses unmodified Uzi mags (one of my favorites)!
As always FWIW, IMHO, YMMV, etc., etc.
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VenomBallistics
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- Jun 30, 2025
- Messages
- 18
the 9MM AR is a personal favorite of mine. I've built two.
The first is a carbine using colt SMG mags with a 556 mag well adapter.
This took a while to tune. Once I got it running right, it's been an amazing weapon.
Next is a 8.5" pistol on a printed lower designed for glock mags.
If you ask me, this is the way to go for nearly any 9mm AR build. With options from 10 round glock 26 mags on up to after market 32 round stick mags and even drum mags. you can focus the build on a modest small game gun on up to a downright vulgar sub gun
The first is a carbine using colt SMG mags with a 556 mag well adapter.
This took a while to tune. Once I got it running right, it's been an amazing weapon.
Next is a 8.5" pistol on a printed lower designed for glock mags.
If you ask me, this is the way to go for nearly any 9mm AR build. With options from 10 round glock 26 mags on up to after market 32 round stick mags and even drum mags. you can focus the build on a modest small game gun on up to a downright vulgar sub gun
VenomBallistics
Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2025
- Messages
- 18
Exhibit "A".
It's a printed braced pistol in 9 mm using Glock pattern magazines.
Built entirely on a lark, with parts either hiding in the toolbox or available in stock, it was an experiment with little expectations.
The end result is absolutely brilliant. I didn't expect it to be so good.
If current legal efforts bear fruit and the NFA falls, this is the basic equation of the brush gun of the future.
I hope to see store shelves packed 10 deep with them