The price of .223 Rem and 5.56 has come down a bit. It’s getting a little cheaper, dropping a few cents per round from a high of .50 cents per round. That’s great, but it’s still expensive. We want to keep our skills sharp, but not break the bank. One way to do it, with a limited range, is to look at a 9mm AR. Like .223 and 5.56, 9mm ammo is dropping in price and is an affordable alternative with some caveats.
Namely, you can’t train beyond 100 yards or so. When we get back to 100 yards, the 9mm can be a little less stable and won’t provide the same accuracy or consistency as 5.56. Anything beyond 100 yards, and you get into a realm where 9mm begins to suck even more. What’s great is that you can easily train within home defense ranges.
Training with a 9mm AR
What About .22LR?
Training with .22LR is the true way to shoot cheaply. .22LR costs pennies, and kits from CMMG can make for a solid training platform. Just drop the conversion bolt in, use the provided magazine, and you’re off to the races.
The downside is reliability. The kits mostly work, but they have some quirks. Second, the bolt doesn’t lock open on the last round, and that sucks. Finally, the .22LR has no recoil, so your training is not going to be all that realistic.
I still shoot a lot of .22LR, and it’s fun, cheap, and has training benefits, but I think a 9mm AR is a better option all around.
What You Need to Train With a 9mm AR
The proper setup for training with a 9mm AR can vary. The good news is that the best system is the most common and cheapest. A straight blowback AR has about the same recoil, or even worse recoil, which is better for training purposes.
A direct blowback 9mm AR with a last round bolt hold open device. This allows you to better simulate reloads. Those are the must-haves, but there are a few other things you can do to make it a more beneficial system.
First, avoid Glock magazines if you can. Glock mags are great, but their size, shape, and slant mean they don’t replicate an AR-15’s. It’s not mandatory, but to maximize training, let’s try our best.
Colt SMGs are slightly better, but still the wrong shape. They are straighter and handle more like an AR magazine, but still aren’t perfect. The best thing to do is get two Gen 2 PMAGs and the ENDO kits that swap their guts to feed 9mm. These mags are 5.56 mags with new guts and have a last-round bolt hold open.
They best replicate your AR magazine, fit in your pouches, and give you the best training potential. Plus, you can easily build a 9mm AR with a multi-cal lower and these magazines.
You can find 9mm uppers that easily match your 5.56 upper enough. They come in all sizes with all manner of different handguards.
If your AR has an LPVO, then you might get a budget LPVO, something super cheap that replicates your optic enough to work. If it has a red dot, well, you have tons of cheap red dot options.
Training with a 9mm AR
You train with a 9mm AR the same way you’d train with a rifle. Shoot the same drills, strings of fire, work cover, and all those fun things, but with 9mm, which is often half the price of 5.56. Run and gun and focus on those same basics.
If you want to work on your long-range skills, the best thing you can do is get small targets. Using 3×5 cards as A-zones, reduced-sized targets, and similar. This won’t replicate long-range shooting and skills, but can help supplement your skills in accurate shooting, which can translate to longer-range shooting.
It’s simple, just cheaper, while replicating the feeling of a fighting rifle. The 9mm round is easy to suppress, reliable, and common. A big benefit to using the cartridge is the ability to shoot at basically any range. Indoor ranges, in particular, are 9mm rifle-friendly.
Additionally, it’s easier to find matches that use PCCs. You can get some run-and-gun training in with your PCC that’s harder to get with 5.56 rifles.
Get Training
I shoot a lot, and I love it. Anyone who shoots a lot certainly pays attention to that price per round. A 9mm AR works well to simulate the look and feel of a 5.56 rifle with roughly the same recoil. It makes for an excellent training tool to keep skills sharp when money’s tight. Do it smart and you’ll be set up for success.
