One of the most intriguing things about being a gun writer, especially one who has been writing for a long time now, is observing the various trends in the ever-changing world of firearms. Sometimes certain trends are predictable, such as the incredible popularity and variety of the 5.56 mm/.223 AR-15 rifle. It took a good number of years for it to become “America’s Rifle” — at least 30 years from Colt’s semiautomatic-only civilian AR-15A1 version hitting the market in the mid-1960s.
The AR-15A1 had a lot going for it: rugged construction, military lineage, light weight and chambering for a reasonably powerful rifle
cartridge. Rounds fired by that rifle could produce devastating wounds with FMJ ammunition — especially when fired from a 20-inch barrel with the early 1×12 inch barrel twist. These qualities practically ensured success in the commercial firearms market. Then, when the military M4 carbine became civilianized, we experienced a rapid increase in configurations and calibers. But the one trend I admit I NEVER saw coming was the explosion in popularity of 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCCs), especially those based on the AR-15.
The Surprising Advent of 9mm AR-15 PCCs
My surprise at the popularity of the 9mm PCC probably stemmed from my work in law enforcement from 1980 until 2020. During much of that time the 9mm cartridge was generally looked down upon as a pistol caliber, lacking in stopping power.
When law enforcement agencies began a wholesale switch from revolvers to semiautomatic duty pistols in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they dumped their .38 revolvers and moved to .40 Smith and Wesson, .45 ACP, and even .357 SIG semiautomatic pistols. Except for a few agencies, the 9mm was largely left out in the cold.
In the late 1990s, FBI tests compared the efficacy of 9mm to .40 S&W. These tests demonstrated that the two calibers were essentially
equivalent. The same agencies that said no to 9mm handguns a few years before switched — especially when Glock offered their national law enforcement 9mm trade-in program. The newfound acceptance of the 9mm for duty handguns subsequently created
demand for 9mm PCCs by both law enforcement and civilian users.
But Why a 9mm AR?
Wilson Combat has jumped into the 9mm PCC genre in a big way because they recognized that there are three main advantages to matching a 9mm handgun with a 9mm PCC.
- Commonality of ammunition. If you decide to back your primary 9mm handgun with a 9mm PCC rather than a 5.56 mm AR, you need only keep a large supply of 9mm ammo on hand to feed both. The same holds true if you want to participate in competitive
two-gun shooting matches. - Lower muzzle blast and perceived recoil. For instance, the Hornady 9mm Luger 115-grain XTP delivers 341 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, while the Hornady 5.56mm 55-grain FMJ round delivers 1,282 foot-pounds. Thus the 5.56mm round produces 3.76 times more muzzle energy, as well as a louder report. Blast and flash, even when reduced by a muzzle brake, ear
protection and a flash suppressor, are distracting to new shooters. A 9mm AR carbine not only makes a great training arm, it is also a great choice for shooters who can’t handle more. - Swappable magazines. If you get the right PCC — such as Wilson Combat’s Glock Receiver AR-9 — to serve alongside your Glock 17,
you only need to stock one magazine type and ammo type to be fully equipped.
All in all, these are solid reasons for owning a modern 9mm PCC, as long as you understand that your 9mm PCC has a shorter effective range than a 5.56mm carbine.
Wilson Combat’s Glock Receiver AR-9
Wilson Combat offers three different versions of its AR-9 PCCs to pair with three popular 9mm pistol types: the Glock 17, the Beretta 92, and the Wilson Combat EDC X9. For the purpose of testing Wilson Combat’s PCC, I chose the Wilson Combat Glock Receiver AR-9 Carbine, since I had a number of Glock 17 magazines available.
For those of you who are not familiar with Wilson Combat, they have been making the finest custom semi-automatic handguns (originally
starting with the 1911 pattern pistols), shotguns, and AR-15 Pattern Rifles available. I have tested a number of them.
Every firearm Wilson Combat turns out is a product of Wilson’s outstanding gunsmithing staff. Its guns are beautiful and still
practical. They are designed to be carried and shot and not carefully hidden away in a safe. Its AR-9s are no different.
The AR-9s are AR-15 pattern carbines. However, they do not use the actual AR-15 gas operating system, which blows carbon into the action
with every shot. Because the 9mm pistol cartridge is so much less powerful than the 5.56mm rifle round, it does not require a gas-operated action. Instead, Wilson uses a closed-bolt blowback system that keeps the hot powder gases out of the operating system, making it much easier and simpler to clean.
Some shooters — yours truly included — find the cleanup part of shooting an AR-15 to be a pain and, occasionally, we skip it. With a
blowback-operated arm, minimal maintenance and good lubrication should keep it running just fine. However, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
While most folks consider the standard AR-15 a homely rifle, the Wilson Combat AR-9s look really sharp. The lower receiver and upper
receiver have a bold, sculpted look with sharp angles instead of the more rounded areas of the original M16. There is no forward assist. A light greenish-gray Wilson Combat Armor-Tuff® finish is applied over the upper and lower billet steel receivers and 16-inch Wilson Combat match-grade barrel. Custom colors are available. Barrels are available in round-threaded or fluted styles. My test
sample came with the round barrel. The case deflector at the rear of the ejection port features a low-profile Wilson Combat emblem cut into the top of it. The distinctive bolt hold-open/release lever is in the conventional position on the left side of the receiver offering easy operation. The conventionally styled fire control mechanism resides in the traditional position.
The fore end railing used is Wilson Combat’s Black Tactical M-LOK Rail which runs from the rear of the receiver almost to the Q-Comp muzzle brake/flash hider. The muzzle threads are 5/8 x 24 to allow for easy suppressor mounting. A couple of M-LOK segments came zip-tied in a small plastic bag to the Rogers Adjustable Super Stock. I cut the zip tie and stowed the segments in the Wilson Combat soft nylon zippered case main compartment.
The black Wilson Combat/BCM Starburst Gunfighter pistol grip with storage compartment provides a solid gripping surface when hands are wet or sweaty.
The Wilson Combat TTU (Tactical Trigger Unit) breaks crisply at 4 pounds. The pull is light but not so light as to be considered dangerous
or unsafe. I was happy to see that a curved rather than flat trigger was used — I find curved triggers much more comfortable and the finger position more easily repeatable than flat triggers. The angular trigger guard gives plenty of room for a gloved trigger finger or for shooters with large hands.
Rather than the standard button-type AR-15 magazine release, the AR-9 features a paddle release to accommodate the Glock 17 9mm magazines. It was very convenient to reach and the magazines released easily.
The AR-9 fires from the closed-bolt position. The proprietary bolt is designed for optimal feed reliability with various 9mm
bullet profiles — within a reasonable range of styles. This is important because the primary purpose of the Wilson Combat AR-9 carbine is as a personal-defense or competition carbine for civilians and law enforcement.
One thing I would like to see on the AR-9 is a larger charging handle providing better leverage for charging the chamber, locking
back the bolt or clearing the chamber. Of course, the charging handle may only be a problem for an older shooter like me. If I was keeping this carbine, I would seek a larger charging handle.
Additional Details
| Wilson Combat Glock Receiver AR-9 Carbine
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| Caliber | 9mm Luger |
| Barrel Length | 16 inches-Carbon Steel Match |
| Overall Length | 33 inches |
| Weight Empty | 7 lbs, 0.2 oz |
| Magazine Compatibility/Capacity
*Note the AR-9 can be built to meet California Compliance Standards. |
Latest Generation Glock 17 Magazines with extra power springs for optimum reliability. Magazine Well is flared for easy reloading. Magazine Capacity reduced from 17 rounds to 15 by Power Spring. |
| Operating System | Gas Blowback |
| Price | $2158 Round Barrel/$2261 Fluted |
At the Range
Wilson Combat sent along a large quantity of its 9mm 135-grain flat-point FMJ training and competition ammo, along with 40 rounds of
its 9mm 118-grain Lehigh Defense ME +P Carbine self-defense ammo. I loaded up the ammo and gear and headed off to the outdoor range now that the Ohio monsoon season had stopped.
The AR-9 does not come with backup iron sights as part of the package since optics of one form or another seem to be mandatory for modern
AR-15s. However, I would like to see a set included just in case something happens to any optic that is later mounted. I think that this is particularly important if you have a mind to use your AR-9 as a survival weapon. Of course, you could (and should) add your own BUIS after purchase.
My test carbine shipped with a single modified Glock 17 magazine with extra-power springs added for greater feeding reliability. As a
trade-off, the springs reduce the magazine capacity by two rounds.
I did bring along a 31-round ProMag Glock magazine to see how it would work. If it didn’t work out well that would be verification that other
magazines without the specialized springs could — but not necessarily would — be a problem. It would also indicate I should follow directions more often — like my wife tells me.
Owen, my 12½-year-old son, accompanied me on this test. He needed to learn how to run an AR and I figured that the Wilson Combat AR-9 would be a great starting place due to the lower recoil and blast.
After mounting my 20-year-old Aimpoint Comp II on the AR-9, I loaded up the supplied Wilson Combat modified Glock magazine with 15 rounds of their 135-grain remanufactured HBFN training ammo. Then I backed off to 20 yards. From the standing position, I took aim on the center of the head area of the cardboard silhouette target and began squeezing off shots.
The Wilson Combat AR-9 is one smooth-shooting PCC — likely the smoothest-running one I have ever fired. Recoil seems nonexistent and the red dot remained steadily in the area of the center of the target. Muzzle blast was also quite low. Taking my time, I managed to fire a 15-shot group that was 4½ inches by 2½ inches directly in the center of the head. This was due in part to the excellent trigger, superb balance and low level of muzzle blast. It is no wonder that the 9mm PCC has become so popular recently.
My son’s turn was next. I wanted to give him a longer shooting experience, so I loaded up the 31-round Pro-Mag that was already preloaded
with Winchester White Box 9mm 115-grain jacketed flat-point ammo. Owen set out my former sniper mat at 30 yards and assumed an excellent prone position that he has been practicing at the Project Appleseed shoots. I handed him the rifle (with the bolt locked
back) and let him insert the magazine and drop the bolt forward.
Here is where we verified that Wilson Combat was correct in recommending beefier magazine springs for its AR-9. Owen fired four very
accurate first shots that landed squarely in the center of the chest. Then the AR-9 had a failure to feed. We got the round cleared, and Owen started firing again but experienced additional failures to feed. I called a cease-fire and added
some lubrication to the bolt. It didn’t make a difference. I pulled out the Pro-Mag with 9 rounds remaining in it.
We then reloaded the Wilson Combat magazine with another 15 rounds of the Wilson Combat ammo. When he had fired all his rounds, his group measured 2½ by 4½ inches. Pretty impressive, and the lack of muzzle blast made it easier for him to learn how to operate an AR. I counted 23 bullet holes in his group. Only 8 rounds were from the first magazine.
It was a great range day. We both really liked the carbine.
Final Thoughts on the Wilson Combat Glock Receiver 9mm Carbine
It makes sense that some modifications would be needed to convert a 5.56mm AR-15 into a 9mm PCC. Eugene Stoner, to the best of my
knowledge, did not consider that his 5.56mm battle rifle would be converted to a 9mm pistol-caliber carbine when he designed it. Some give-and-take needs to occur to make things like that work. And it works just fine.
For those seeking reliable higher-capacity magazines, Wilson Combat offers 33-round Glock mags featuring the extra-power springs. Wilson
Combat continues to be the leading custom firearms manufacturer and continues to expand its impressive product lineup. It is truly a remarkable company.
