Bushmaster or Olympic 9mm AR

[TigerStripe]

I've been thinking of buying either a Bushmaster Carbon 9mm or the Olympic Glock© mag system. Both use a lower that is dedicated to using 9mm mags, which to me would seem to cut out mag-block problems... Thoughts?

TIA,

TS

[Robb Jensen]

9mm is hard on lowers (meaning on trigger and hammer pins and pin holes). I haven't seen carbon lower 9mm break or wear out but I have seen aluminum lowers that had elongated holes. The use of the KNS pins should help them to last longer. I think I would stick to an aluminum or steel lower for 9mm.

[Paulinski]

GotM4

The pin hole wear is that for full auto or semi-auto fire? Its news to me that 9mm are hard on lowers.

Paul

[markm]

Its news to me that 9mm are hard on lowers.

That's the reason I've never built one (an AR in pistol caliber). I've seen a polymer lower busted from running 45 acp without a pistol buffer. The buttstock was broken clean off.

[Paulinski]

I guess I'd have to keep an close eye on mine. In the meantime I'll use K&S pins.

[Robb Jensen]

GotM4

The pin hole wear is that for full auto or semi-auto fire? Its news to me that 9mm are hard on lowers.

Paul

Full auto is worse on it, but I've seen the problem in semis as well.

[Paulinski]

Is there any way to prevent the damage to lower (I'm already using K&S pins)

How many rounds are we talking here? 5k 10k 20k?

Thanks

Paul

[Don Robison]

I've been wondering the same thing. The Glock mag compatibility is appealing, but the Oly name just keeps turning me off. I just can't bring myself to buy one of their guns.

[Paulinski]

Give the current choices I was stuck between Colt and RRA. Due to Colt availability (I don't have a problem paying extra for Colt) I went with RRA.

Olympic was out of the question, for me at least.

Now back on topic.

[jbecker]

I have a Bushmaster and have only had magazine related problems. Otherwise, it has run fine.