DIY: LWRC Ultra Compact Stock plus JP Silent Captured Setup for an AR9

JRHorne

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I got inspired last year to build an AR9, specifically one that used Colt mags and had a full sized magwell, so the receiver looked just like a standard AR15 receiver. That leaves a few quality options in Colt, CMMG, and Spikes (maybe a few others). I ordered my CMMG and have been very happy with it. The decision to build the AR9 was based on two things: how much I like the AR15 platform and how much I like my SBR Scorpion 9MM. So of course once I drifted through the interwebs, I decided to build two different uppers. One super short and one intermediate length. I have since built a 3rd, 16" upper. I found plenty of inspiration for my build in this thread on AR15.com: https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/9mm-AR-gun-porn-ok-lets-see-them-/15-208426/

Specifically, I found this picture:
DD1EFDE0-A922-4AEA-B782-768171D699EA.jpg

Perfection: short and compact but very functional. So I ordered some parts and started my build. See thread here: https://carolinafirearmsforum.com/i...-colt-pattern-lower-super-short-barrel.11346/

As part of the build, I wanted to use LWRC’s Ultra Compact Stock Kit. It has a 6” buffer tube and is a fan favorite among the SBR crowd. Plus the entire kit can be had for $100, which includes the buffer tube, the stock, and a spring and buffer. Below you can see its size and how small it is compared to a Moe stock. Here's a good thread from AR15.com comparing some stock lengths for PDW style setups. https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/-/51-444867/&page=1#i4322198
LWRC UC FDE Stock.jpeg

3545690_02_lwrc_ultra_compact_stock_640.jpg

The problem was that running this combo with a blowback AR9 meant a lot of energy moving to the rear. So I'd need to source a super heavy buffer to keep the bolt from bottoming the action out once it reached full travel. This would impact both function and longevity of the setup, not to mention the sound. My Google-Fu turned up one solution, and that is Slash’s heavy buffer specifically designed for an AR9 using the LWRC ultra compact. People run it and love it. There is a lot of praise for it on AR15.com.

Problem: the buffer and spring cost $150. That’s crazy to me for a super short, heavy weight with a spring. http://heavybuffers.com/uciw9.html

So after talking with @Slacker about how much he loves his JP Silent Captured Setup in his AR9 (16” I believe), I did more searching. I found a thread where one of the .300 BO guys wanted to run the JP in the LWRC UC, but it was too long. So he called JP and worked with them to buy and cut his own shorter metal rod, ordered new weights and spring combos, and dialed it in.

Naw bruh, I ain’t got time for that. Plus that’d be like $300 by the time you bought one setup and extra weights and springs. Negative.

Fortunately, my persistent Google-Fu turned up the JP Silent Capture setup for the Maxim CQB stock. Maxim sells their CQB combos with the JP SCS and they actually have a dedicated 9mm kit! Even better, the JP SCS for the Maxim CQB in 9mm IS SOLD SEPARATLY!!! PRAISE THE LORT!

So by this time I have the LWRC stock kit and I email JP asking them about the fit of that part into the LWRC kit. I get a quick response from a sales guy who said he talked to one of the engineers and it wouldn’t work. WTF?!?!?! So I said to hell with it, I will do my own math. I measured the inside of the LWRC tube once installed on the CMMG receiver to see the depth to the buffer retainer. I found the JP SCS for the Maxim CQB on Brownell’s website and submitted a question, asking them to measure the overall length. Something like 4 business days later, they responded with the measurements. Gotta love Brownells. Even better, IT WOULD FIT. But… it’d actually be on the short side. No worries, that would be easier to solve than it being too long.

So I ordered the JP SCS for the Maxim, it comes, and IT FITS! I have to add 4 or 5 quarters to get it to the right length, but no worries there. I removed the weight out of the back of the CMMG bcg, which is required for the rod of the JP setup to travel into the rear of the BCG. And then I tested it.

It went boom. Every. Damn. Time. I tried it with my 4.5” upper. Boom. I tried it with my 8.5” upper. Boom. Not only did it go boom, but it ran super smooth with almost no muzzle rise even with mag dumps. I was so happy. I eventually found a nylon washer (of which I had to order 100 off Amazon, but only at $7) to replace the quarters, because you know, ounces equal pounds! To confirm, 1” washers WILL NOT FIT unless you plan on trimming them.

Even better, with my 4.5” upper, the gun is under 18” fully collapsed. That’s more #winning than Charlie Sheen circa 2011. I love the way it turned out.

20171024_184705.jpg

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TL;DR version

If you’d like to run the LWRC Ultra Compact Stock Kit on an AR9 with a JP Silent Captured Setup, here is what you’ll need:
  • LWRC Ultra Compact Stock Kit: UPC 859890005851, can be had for under $100 shipped. I used BuckSniper.com and made an offer of I believe $90 which they accepted, so it was like $98 shipped.

  • JP Silent Capture Setup for the Maxim CQB Stock, 9mm variant: UPC 8523976120, I found it cheapest at Lanbos, about $152 at the time of this posting. It should read: “MAXIM CQB BUFFER JP SCS-SX GEN2 9MM”
  • Either a few quarters or nylon spacers to drop into the back of the receiver extension/buffer tube to space the JP SCS appropriately and keep it from sliding back and forth. I ordered a pack from Amazon called “Uxcell a15061900ux0377 Nylon Flat Insulating Washers Gasket 24 mm x 12 mm x 2 mm 50 Piece Beige, 0.47" Width, 0.94" Length” for like $9
  • A 9MM BCG that has a removable rear weight like the CMMG, Faxon, Brownells, etc.
I will update this thread with some additional pictures this week. Hope this helps some of you all if you're thinking of building a ultra compact 9mm or just like the LWRC UC setup.
 
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Neat!

Thanks for the write up!!
 
you are the man! My 9mm and 300BO have been sharing a lower. I've been holding off building out another SBR lower (already stamped) while I decided on what super short stock setup would work for me. This is great info!
 
I like it, but can you help me understand the desire for a full size magwell?
 
I like it, but can you help me understand the desire for a full size magwell?

My guess is he wants the Stamped lower to also work with 5.56/300blk/458 etc etc.

^ This was my reasoning. One of my SBRs is a "normal" lower with a removable 9mm mag block. So I have flexibility down the road. I've never had an issue with the mag block inserts. I've had Hahn, PSA and KAK versions at various times.
 
I like it, but can you help me understand the desire for a full size magwell?
Sorry, I should have been more clear. The decision for me was PURELY aesthetics. The CMMG lower I bought is a dedicated 9mm with the extra metal in the 5.56 magwell. Now, per @Slacker and @Tim 's comments, I do plan on SBR'ing a few regular AR15 lowers and at that point, I could use a drop in magwell adapter to run the 9MM uppers on them. The beauty of that as well is if I run a JP SCS setup on the 5.56 SBR lower, it should work just fine with the 9mm uppers due to the extra travel distance and needing the JP to likely be a bit heavier for the short barreled 5.56 anyway.
 
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That all makes sense to me, thanks.
 
You have built what I have been thinking of doing. I know very little about building a rifle of any type. Can you put together a complete parts list for replicating what you have done? The only thing I would do different is , I would do a long version first so I could shoot while getting the stamps to SBR it and add a suppressor to it! Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
 
I want to bump this because I had a chance yesterday to run another 200 rounds or so through my AR9 with this setup. I used my 4.5" upper, my 8.5" upper, and my 16" upper. All ran flawlessly as long as the feedramp was cleaned. I had not cleaned the lower in quite some time and after the first 100 rounds or so I was having some feeding issues. Pulled lower, cleaned the ramp, and another 100 rounds went through with ease. This buffer setup really is incredible.
 
You have built what I have been thinking of doing. I know very little about building a rifle of any type. Can you put together a complete parts list for replicating what you have done? The only thing I would do different is , I would do a long version first so I could shoot while getting the stamps to SBR it and add a suppressor to it! Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
@72 AMC Javelin AMX Not sure how I missed your post. The parts setup for the recoil/buffer system is in the first post. PM me and we can discuss the differences you desire and we can come up with a plan.
 
Want to bump this because almost 4 years later this is still such a fun setup. It runs strong. Now the CMMG lower does have issues with some more flat nosed bullets, like certain 147gr 9MM. However 115 and 124s with the more rounded noses are great. Also, I bought a trilug for the 4.5 and 8.5" barrel and running it with the Omega 9K or Octane is awesome, even with supersonic ammo.

I bought the CMMG conversion kit for the MK9 lower to make it compatible with their RDB uppers. So likely what I'll be doing is running this lower, converted, with the a 5" CMMG RDB upper. Then I'd move my 8.5" upper to one of my SBR 5.56 lowers and run with endomag conversions I bought.

The JP Silent Capture Setup has been a real win so far though. Worth the coin, from my perspective.

Pics and range reports to come when I have some time to retool.
 
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