Windham Gmc 9mm Glock Magazine Compatible Pistol Reviews

Wikipedia has the following to say about a concept called "Confirmation Bias": "the trend to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms 1'due south preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. Information technology is a blazon of cognitive bias and a systematic mistake of anterior reasoning. People brandish this bias when they assemble or recollect information selectively, or when they interpret information technology in a biased way. The effect is stronger for desired outcomes, emotionally charged problems, and for deeply entrenched beliefs." Basically, when 1 is looking for results or an respond, one tends to view drawn conclusions or perform inquiry in a style that supports a conscious or subconscious pre-existing bias.

I'll fully admit to initially having been under the influences of a full-blown confirmation bias when I start laid my optics on the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine . My get-go impression upon seeing Windham Weaponry'due south new carbine was probably like to how might you feel handling any other Armalite-pattern rifle for the kickoff time: "Yup, it'southward some other AR." And that's what I thought this platform would be; yet another AR. I knew there were some interesting features, but overall, I thought the 9mm carbine would fit into the same manilla envelope that other ARs practice, considering I had a preconceived notion of what this little blackness burglarize was all about. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that actually running this carbine through its paces steered me away from looking for information to support the conclusion I idea I already knew.

Pistol Caliber Magnificence

The Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM is a stellar piece of gear – well thought out but not over-designed to the point of lunacy. The whole package is approximately the same size as your standard M4 carbine, existence about 6 ¾ lbs empty with no accessories, and just shy of 31" long with the stock collapsed all the way in. A 16 inch long medium-weight barrel (with no flash hider or brake) incorporates a 9mm-standard 1:10 rifling twist to stabilize heavier bullets for subsonic loads without compromising light-bullet accurateness. All the standard AR goodies are included: a complimentary-floating anodized aluminum handguard, a 2" removable rail section for mounting accessories, and a full-length Picatinny rail that runs continuously from the back of the receiver all the way to the forwardmost bespeak of the handguard. The A2-style pistol grip and 6-position telescoping Car-style cuttstock are molded plastic, while the aluminum receivers are hard anodized in a pleasing, flawless matte black. The controls are all where they should be and operate the aforementioned as whatsoever AR would. The provided trigger is the expected Mil-Spec standard setup, and is compatible with all aftermarket AR-15 fire control systems. Nothing groundbreaking here, but no departures from the norm either – a huge benefit for training if you already run an AR-15.

When y'all break the receivers autonomously, all the same, you start noticing the changes that brand this Windham Weaponry rifle unique. First off, the ejector is stock-still into the lower receiver via two beefy allen screws, and juts upwardly from just behind the mag well – much different (and far simpler) than the plunger ejector that lives inside standard AR-fifteen bolts.

And speaking of bolts, popping the R16FTT-9MM'southward bolt out of its upper receiver raceway will reveal the big surprise: this gun runs every bit a straight blowback. That'south correct: no gas tubes, no gas ports or blocks, no gas keys to loosen and leak. No separate rotating bolt for a Multi-piece BCG. The gasses from the round going off in the chamber push the bolt backwards and start the procedure of the carbine'southward semi-automatic cycling; the burglarize's springs and physics perform the residual of the work. The straight closed-commodities blowback system has been effectually for over a century at present and is well-developed and dependable – and information technology's a great, reliable pick for the operation of this little carbine. Less moving parts than HK's roller-delayed organization, no weird unlike metals friction similar a Thompson's Blish Lock. No wildly unpredicatable accuracy from firing from an open bolt. No fuss, all elementary, reliable goodness. It should even work well as a suppressed rig, likewise; no worrying if your gas port is correctly sized or properly gassed.

Glock Perfection in an AR packet

The real oversupply-pleasing aspect of the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine is its ability to source its high-velocity meals from 9mm Glock magazines. That'south right, proud Glock 17, xviii, nineteen, 26, 34, et.al. , owners can now run a high-quality AR platform carbine that feeds from magazines that are already on-hand. For SHTF planning, the utility is obvious – both your long gun and your sidearm tin utilize the exact same magazines, easing your logistics strain as you pile up stacks of double-stack Glock magazines.

Also read: Magpul PMAG27 Glock Magazine

Making magazine conquering even easier is the fact that Magpul now offers high-quality, inexpensive 9mm Glock magazines; every bit a matter of fact, our subject carbine shipped with a Magpul 17-round magazine directly from Windham Weaponry.

Since the carbine landed in my lap, I've been buying up a incomparably inconsistent mixture of polymer mags; xv-round Glock 19 and 17-round Glock 17 magazines, 33-round Glock "Giggle Sticks", along with a complement of 15, 17, and 21-round Magpul GL-9 magazines. Every unmarried i of them locks into the magwell securely and feeds the little 9mm rounds similar greased snot through the blowback action of the Windham Weaponry 9mm Carbine.

The 9mm Glock magazine compatibility is a Godsend to those wanting to design a single-caliber centerfire pistol/carbine plan; instead of trying to source the clunky Colt stick mags, SIG Sauer'south proprietary $60-each MPX magazines, or fifty-fifty pricier HK MP5 magazines, yous can walk into whatsoever Cabela'south or reasonably well-stocked gun store and find rugged, proven magazines on the rack for dirt money; my last buy was a Magpul 17-round mag for $15.99 at Cabelas. I even found used Magpul xv-round mags at a local gun shop for $10 each. Though I don't know why someone would discard anything that has "Magpul" moulded into it, I snatched them up with glee and they function with aplomb. I bought the 33-round Glock-made mags for $25 each on sale from Brownell'due south.

Icing on the polymer block: while there are several manufacturers who make 9mm AR lowers – a few of whom manufacture with Glock mag capability – whittling down this category further is the need for a 9mm AR lower that runs on Glock mags, AND ALSO locks the bolt back when the mag runs dry. The Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine checks all the above boxes with a flawless bolt agree-open feature. A burglarize that's theoretically designed for boxing or competition (or possibly actually intense hunting?) should absolutely lock the bolt back when the mag runs dry. Major kudos to Windham Weaponry for making certain the rifle operates equally we expect an AR-platform rifle should.

Suppressor Ready

Since pistol caliber carbines are immensely popular no doubt due in part for their ability to be effectively suppressed, Windham Weaponry provided the 9mm Carbine without a cage device – only a knurled thread protector at the danger cease of the butt. Unscrew the thread protector to expose the cage device threads. Windham Weaponry's page for this particular model says these threads are ½" x 28 threads per inch – however I did note a company newsletter that stated all 9mm models are produced with ½" x 36 thread pitch. The moral of this story: if you're looking to install a suppressor on your Windham Weaponry 9mm, exist sure to double check the thread pitch.

I visited my buddy with the SIG Sauer MPX-C that I reviewed a couple years agone so I could do a 9mm carbine comparing and take advantage of the SilencerCo Octane 9HD that he obtained for the SIG. Nonetheless, the muzzle thread pitches are entirely unlike betwixt the two guns, so I sadly wasn't able to play with the Windham Weaponry 9mm suppressed. And with the thread adapter for an Octane ix being about $90, I'll have to relieve the suppressed report (pun intended) for a later appointment. Merely the ability is at that place, so a tax form is in my future, I predict. I mean, it only makes sense, right? Right.

Great Out Of the Box, Merely…

Windham Weaponry kits out the 9mm Carbine with a complement of standard AR accoutrements that are perfectly functional, but I personally feel a touch dated in this ergonomically enhanced and developed firearms worldview. The standard provided collapsible buttstock is a mildly-enhanced throwback to Colt's Vietnam-induced CAR-15/XM177 design of the 1960s, and the A2 style pistol grip is unchanged since the introduction of the M16A2 variant from the early 1980s. The black nylon sling is really just a strap with zero quick adaptability when installed between the provided QD track mount and the telescoping buttstock.

Some may contend that these designs are perfectly acceptable and functional, and they are absolutely right. All the same, after having my cheek pinched in some buttstock-receiver extension junctions a couple times, and wrestling with trying to retrofit a proper two-point sling on the buttstock, I just bit the bullet and purchased a black Magpul CTR buttstock and MOE pistol grip. These ii simple additions added a bear upon of storage and a healthy serving of increased utility with the ability to properly mount a Blue Force Gear Vickers two-point sling on QD mounts fore and aft. This setup proved its worth on a carbine class and during numerous drills at the sandpit. Don't become me incorrect: Windham Weaponry provides a serviceable setup out of the box – and props to them for providing a complete package – but for a few extra bucks (MOE Grip – $20, CTR Stock – $60, Blue Strength Gear Sling $55) you go a pistol-caliber wonder carbine that wants for nothing in the ergonomics and utility department.

Heads up though: when I yanked the original buttstock off the 9mm carbine to find that the stock receiver is of the Commercial multifariousness, not the Mil-Spec configuration. I checked with Windham Weaponry, and they confirmed that almost of their rifles become out the door with Commercial extensions, since the .03" narrower diameter allows the use of both Commercial and Mil-Spec stocks. Simply exist forewarned – it may be easier to find boosted colors and configurations in the Mil-Spec sizes (as the industry every bit mostly standardized the utilise of Mil-Spec components), only they volition rattle and wiggle just a tiny bit when used on Commercial tubes. Fully functional, but a chip annoying, if that sort of thing bothers you. Simply an FYI.

The only other change I made was to swap out the stock manner charging handle for a BCM Gunfighter Modernistic four slice with a left-side extension. More on the of import "why?" of that modification here in a second – and it ain't just for increased handle leverage.

You'll as well demand to source sights and/or an optic to run this carbine properly. I had some boot around, thankfully – but a No products institute.will be probably around $sixty-lxx to start – and eyes can range from Wal-Mart $39 cheapies to red dots and ACOGsthat volition make y'all take an unsteady knee when yous pull out the wallet. The Windham Weaponry 9mm AR carbine's picatinny track will gladly give any of them a solid dwelling house.

Yeah, But How Does Information technology Shoot?

Ahh, here's the question I'm sure nearly of you are dying to know the respond to. As soon as this trivial beast was in my sweaty palms, I grabbed a couple boxes of ammo and headed to the sandpit to become the 9mm Carbine dialed in and ready for some existent-world testing. A No products found. was mounted on the rail forth with some folding sights. I planned on dialing the rifle in for 100 yards – from previous feel with the SIG Sauer MPX I knew that was near as far away as a 9mm is happy to go.  The provided Magpul 17-round mag was loaded upward with some Winchester 124-grain FMJ ammo, and within three shots had the rifle on target at 25 yards. I went to a kneeling position, and trying for a decent group, proceeded to plunk four rounds touching with no problems whatsoever. A good kickoff.

Related: Survival Gear Review: SIG Sauer MPX-C

A few steps back to l yards confirmed that I was still on paper, and an adjustment to bring the bullet impact about an inch high at fifty yards worked well. A five-shot grouping from the kneeling position at fifty yards measured near ane ½" or then. I then stood, and proceeded to handily perforate a 1-liter soda bottle shot for shot at the 100-grand marker. The gun was a shooter for sure – better than I expected.

When I was testing handloads and another factory ammunition through the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine, I found that resulting grouping size varied wildly by bullet type and weight, simply all of the loads produced usable accurateness – specially when you consider that a chubby 9mm bullet ain't exactly a ballistic wonder. I settled on a handload that played nice in the West-W carbine and my Glock 19; the load pushed a 124-grain Hornady FMJ bullet at most i,250 fps – and grouped in the iv" range at 100 yards. I think the carbine could have washed a bit meliorate with a proper magnified optic, but the Vortex's holographic reticle was incredibly fast and positive to work with – and 100-yard four" groups from a 9mm carbine was A-OK with me. High-end defensive ammo did shoot markedly improve, with Remington Golden Saber 124-grain +P loads in particular providing splendid accuracy.

The R16FTT-9MM proved to be boringly reliable. It gobbled up every nasty lead bulleted handload I made, every hollow point defence load I offered it, and every steel-cased crap Wolf load I dropped the hammer on. To this twenty-four hours, with probably close to three,000 rounds through the rifle, I take all the same to experience a malfunction with the gun – though I make certain to clean and lube the rifle oft due to the blowback action's rapid carbon buildup.

Running the 9mm Carbine in the Real World

I recently took a carbine course through SRT Concepts here in Maine (outstanding company for training, check them out if y'all're in the New England Area). I checked with Peter Joyce, the instructor, ahead of time, and asked if I could run 2 guns at the form so I could compare a pistol caliber carbine confronting my normal 5.56mm AR. He liked the thought and welcomed me to run both rifles, as long as I was fully chatty with the instructors about swapping guns and following enhanced safe procedures while walking to and from the firing line with different rifles.

The carbine course was stellar, and a real middle-opener with the part, functioning, and perception differences between the two calibers. On the base of operations level, the 2 guns were approximately the same – my 5.56 AR fifty-fifty has a Windham Weaponry heavy barrel! – with collapsible Magpul stocks, xvi" barrels, and identical sling setups. Optics were unlike, every bit my 5.56 rifle sports a Leupold Mk AR 1.5x-iv on a Burris PEPR mount, while I elected to run the 9mm carbine with the non-magnified No products institute.holographic sight in keeping with the shut-in philosophy the pistol-caliber platform promotes.

Related: Survival Gear Review: Windham Weaponry R18FSFSM-308

Both rifles performed flawlessly, with either carbine proving to be ridiculously accurate and perfectly capable of providing easy hits under all circumstances and shooting positions. At the 75 g mark and beyond, I did find that the 9mm definitely didn't take the outright applied accuracy and flat trajectory that the v.56 afforded, just hits inside the "kill" box were simple at all ranges to 100 yards with the 9mm. A "running man" drill with ninety 9mm rounds at all distances from pulverisation-burn down range to 100 yards, and launching bullets from a diversity of positions including prone, offhand, weak-side transition, and from behind cover with the rifle laying sideways and the buttstock mounted over the shoulder turned up a perfect score with no rounds hit exterior the scoring boxes. I used a mix of Winchester "White Box" 124-grain FMJ rounds and 124-grain FMJ handloads throughout the course with no failures to function. Recoil was positively negligible and the rifle was a breeze to burn speedily and accurately.

The guys on the line either side of me appreciated the 9mm carbine greatly. My five.56 AR wears a Seekins Precision muzzle brake that is hugely effective at taming cage rise, simply blasts concussively every time the rifle goes off. (I was told by my instructor that the muzzle nail was flapping my neighbor'south shirt around!)  The 9mm carbine was launching 124-grain bullets at about 1,250 feet per 2d, making the burglarize seem nigh suppressed in comparison!. Reportedly the 9mm AR was much more than comfy to stand near while I was shooting. Fifty-fifty with no muzzle device, there were no issues with muzzle rising or blast. This is a major consideration for anyone perchance running this gun indoors – whether it be a warrant-serving constabulary officer, or a homeowner defending his family.

The 9mm carbine's quick handling characteristics were a joy on the range, and the safety was positive and well-baked – a welcome characteristic indeed, particularly when working near other shooters with plenty of lark. Knowing through haptic feedback – a nice positive "click" – that the safety was fully engaged or fully disengaged when I operated it was a Godsend.

(Very  Minor) Trouble in Paradise

Bug? Yep, a couple – but these were not really the gun'south fault, just struggles that manifested themselves via the differences in mag design. You lot come across, due to the feeding bending of Glock magazines imparted by Gaston Glock's grip design, the Windham Weaponry's magazines rake backwards slightly in the magazine well and require a different insertion bending when reloading from the shoulder. Where a standard five.56mm magazine inserts direct up into the magazine well, the 9mm magazines crave yous to cant your wrist forward and slant the top of the magazine slightly forward when inserting. I as well had a chip of luck inserting a mag sort of like an AK, with the peak of the magazine facing my caput and then rocking information technology upwardly and into the magwell. However, this technique didn't work as well with tactical reloads when you lot had to juggle two magazines with ane mitt.

The other issue I constitute was that though magazines generally dropped complimentary when the release was pushed, the smaller, lighter 17 and 15 round pistol mags very occasionally had enough polymer-to-aluminum friction to hang upwardly and require a yank or a shake while performing a reload from the shoulder. Not the end of the world, but some other footstep to piece of work through when you need the gun topped off in a hurry. I did notice that this hang-upward miracle occurred mostly when the rifle had been in a position where the magazine had some lateral pressure on it, usually from leaning against a barricade or comprehend.

Training and repetition will help you through both of these issues decisively, but I found that swapping back and forth between the 9mm and 5.56 platforms had me dislocated when information technology came time for fast reloads. Keep that in heed if you like having lots of different rifles.

BCM charging handle (left) vs. stock. Note the congenital-up one-half-circumvolve expanse on the BCM.

The other problem I'd institute (actually earlier I took the course) centered around the 9mm carbine's blowback operating arrangement. Every fourth dimension the rifle went off, the gun cycled and hot gasses from the expended cartridge made their manner back through the charging handle keyway, and blew straight on my eyes. I never noticed the problem while wearing center protection, similar I practise 99.9% of the time – only the 1 time I didn't utilize center pro, the hot gasses expelling backwards rushed into my eyes like a rowdy heat gun directed on my face. It was uncomfortable to say the least – and while dry out eyes aren't fun, unburnt powder, instance debris, or other carbon residue could travel with the gasses – perhaps disabling your eye. Lesson one: always use heart protection. Lesson ii: ditch the stock charging handle and source a replacement unit of measurement that has a built-up "wall" of material on the top of the part – this mitigates the gasses nicely. The BCM charging handle I dropped in the carbine (standard AR charging handles work merely fine!) enhanced the gun's manual of arms with increased leverage for operating the bolt from the shoulder, and it deflected hot gasses nicely.

Of all the swapped parts I changed out on the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine, I would consider the charging handle bandy the most important – a huge prophylactic upgrade for your face and peepers. When the SHTF or that domicile invader kicks the door open at 2am, think yous'll be wearing rubber glasses? Even odds that you won't exist. Continue that in mind.

Contumely Tacks

The pistol caliber carbine efficacy contend is a bailiwick for a time to come article (one I'm looking forward to indeed); we're going to assume that your plans dictate that the 9mm quotient is what you desire, and you're looking to accept advantage of the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM'due south power to utilize Glock magazines. And why shouldn't you? For Survival Cache'southward target audition – Preppers and Survivalists – the Windham Weaponry 9mm carbine provides you lot with a hugely effective tool to maximize your minimalist ethics and requirements. No longer do you demand to proceed multiple magazine types, ammunition calibers, and other logistical and maintenance accoutrements to supply your firearms needs; the Glock-mag-fed 9mm carbine fixes this issue for yous. Run one caliber through one blazon of magazines for both your long guns and sidearm. The low recoil, shut-in effectiveness, and lightweight, quick handling would make this a stellar choice as a training rifle of primary arm for smaller-framed shooters, women, and supervised, accordingly-aged children as well.

I've written earlier about Windham Weaponry's outstanding delivery to quality and innovation – and this R16FTT-9MM is a perfect manifestation of both of these ethics. This carbine is beautifully manufactured to a design that is exactly what a 9mm AR should exist. I know I griped a tad about the accessories Windham Weaponry chose to include with the bundle, simply the very obviously and simple fact is that this carbine is 100% serviceable and set to get out of the box once you lot throw a sighting system on. It's also a great starting platform to build a suppressed carbine, or fifty-fifty an SBR. The street price of $900-950 for the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine may seem a bit steep when lesser companies offering a package with ostensibly the same features, but this is a classic example of getting what you pay for. The quality, design, reliability, fit, and finish are light-years alee of other companies' offerings, and – peradventure most chiefly – Windham Weaponry's transferable warranty and customer service are outstanding in their field…which I cannot say about other companies with, well, upkeep-minded products.

If you remember this 9mm carbine is "Just some other AR", become by your own confirmation bias and effort one out. You'll realize for yourself that an AR in 9mm is an absolute platform enhancement when combined with a sidearm that uses the same feeding system. Pistol caliber carbines paired with a compatible pistol are hot right now – shooters and preppers are recognizing the versatility, effectiveness, and minimalist leanings of the concept. And in that location's no ameliorate philharmonic (in my apprehensive stance) than a Glock xix and a Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9MM carbine. Grab 1 of each (or more, that'south cool as well), stock up on inexpensive, reliable magazines and some cases of ammo, and proudly possess the all-time pairing of shooting tools on the market – they're ready when you lot are, no matter what hits the fan.

Along with Joel, Drew is one of the co-founders of SurvivalCache. Drew has been immersed in the firearms and outdoors civilisation since birth. He now is a factory-certified armorer for several firearms manufacturers, besides as an experienced DuraCoat finisher. He currently works with a local firearms training facility every bit an on-call armorer and gunsmith. Read his total interview here.

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Source: https://survivalcache.com/survival-gear-review-windham-weaponry-r16ftt-9mm-carbine-best-glock/

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