AR-based PDWs are all the rage these days. How much can we shrink Eugene Stoner’s rifle? Well, according to Blecher Arms, a lot. Not only do the Blecher Arms Mongoose uppers make your weapon shorter and smaller, but they also make it a whole lot lighter.
What is the Blecher Arms Mongoose?
The Mongoose does more than pack a small barrel; it converts your gun from a direct impingement rifle to a long-stroke gas piston, much like an AK-type rifle. The benefit of this is twofold: First, it’s a lot less sensitive than an uber-short gas piston system with a Stoner-style D.I. design.
Ditching the Receiver Extension
Second, the long-stroke gas piston makes it easy to ditch the receiver extension. For many, this means adding a folding stock that doesn’t require an expensive adapter and BCG setup to fire while closed. Blecher Arms had a different idea: a wire-type collapsing brace that sits nearly flush with the rear of the gun.
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This makes it an extremely small platform. The Mongoose barrels are also incredibly short, at 7.5 or 5.5 inches. These would be best in .300 Blackout, especially with a can. However, they make a 5.56 version for those who desire an uber-shorty “flash-bang thrower.” In terms of overall length, these things are incredibly compact.
The Mongoose: Dimensions and Specs
With the brace collapsed, the 5.5-inch model’s overall length is 14.9 inches. That’s a teeny-tiny bag gun. The 7.5-inch barrel model measures 17.48 inches overall. The smallest gun weighs only 4.25 pounds total.
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The Mongoose is an upper and can combine with any MIL-SPEC lower. The longer version has a left-side, non-reciprocating charging handle. The shorter model has a right-side reciprocating charging handle. The guns come with short M-LOK handguards and optics rails.
A Unique Bracing System
The brace system is unique. It uses isometric tension to brace the gun against your forearm. You use your wrist to apply pressure to your forearm; with two hands on the pistol, you can get great tension and secure the gun well against your forearm. This is more than enough to aim the gun and seemingly control recoil.
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The Blecher Arms Mongoose forms a very compact bag gun for personal defense. The compact design lends itself well to home defense; while a 7.5-inch 5.56 isn’t going to give you carbine-like ballistics, it still beats any handgun round from a short barrel, and you get it in an SMG-sized package.
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