Review of the Olympic Arms K9-GL

Review of the Olympic Arms K9-GL The original 9mm AR that uses glock mags My first impressions were wow, its looks just like a regular AR-15. This was my first time encountering a pistol cal AR-15. In all the web forums they look much smaller, I guess it’s because SBR's seem to be the rage for pistol cal ARs. I looked inside and saw this weird looking wire wrapped around a post in the middle of the upper with a tail hanging off of it.

I actually audibly WTFed. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention on the boards, but the more I inspected the weapon, the more I noticed the operating system wasn’t regular old AR-15 with a larger bolt. Fit and Finish, hmm, I’m a veteran so most of the rifles I've come across literally shake and rattle, but still rock and roll. No complaint there, but as soon as my ergo grip and ambi safety arrived I removed the stock grip (still not sure where it went.) Both items were pretty easy to change out, but I was a little upset I need a different Allen wrench for every part I installed or removed. I also added a Model 1
carrying handle co-witness mount, an Aimpoint clone, a flashlight kit (included a Surefire handheld light) from some online company, that won’t be around by the time the batteries go dead, and an a pressure switch. OK, Range time, I show up at the 25M indoor range with 250 rounds of remanufactured 9mm fodder, 3 32 round Glock mags, and my trusty old finger saving mag loader. First anatomically correct target, 30 rounds as fast as I could find the front sight, and I get one flyer outside the 10 ring. Moved a pair of 5 inches targets to 15M and shot a fist size holes 2 inches low. After 250 rounds without a complaint and a face full of gas and dirt, I headed home. This is when things went south. I break down the rifle and start cleaning. First the bolt doesn’t come out the carrier;

I start messing with the cam but couldn’t get it out of the bolt. I’m like ok, must be like Mini 14 I had a couple years ago, don’t need to fuss with the bolt. I finished the scrub down and I started to reassemble, when I noticed the “firing pin retaining pin”, I always called it a cotter pin, won’t retain the compressed firing pin. The cotter pin looked a little bent so I grabbed another one. I couldn’t even fit it in the hole (I don’t usually have this problem, lol) I lined the two next to each other and the second one look about 1/3 larger than the one supplied. I called OLY and asked if I needed a special pin and they said a standard one should work fine, while I had them on the phone I asked why I didn’t get instructions specific to the firearm I received, they told me they would have some instruction on the website in a couple months. Wow! So I take a file the cotter pin and get in the hole, I had to use some force to get it in the last little bit. But I’m still having the problems keeping the compressed pin retained. I call OLY and ask about it, the guy starts talking about vices, and specialized tools to get it to stay or to take it to a qualified gunsmith, or send it back for reassembly. We talked more about the bolt, how they suggest you don’t break it down unless you a trained gunsmith, and he said something about the cam. I half heard him but after I got off the phone, I remembered and started fooling around with the cam pin. Something happened, don’t ask me to repeat it, but the firing pin drop a couple of mms and I was able to set it. I have nothing personal against the OLY, I shot their 223s and I’ve had no problems. And I’m not blaming the GL model as all the OLY 9mm uppers are all the same.

I just didn’t know this firearm required a tool shed for simple maintenance. I really enjoyed shooting the rifle and I was planning on SBRing and suppressing it in the future. But bottom line if I bug out, I need a rifle that I can maintain with a standard cleaning kit and small parts kit. I’ll shoot it again and try again, maybe it’s a break-in period, I’ll learn a little more about the rifle and holla back at you guys, hey I got 60 days right.

That was three years ago and I got to say I was ass for doubting the design. I've put at least 3500 rounds thru this carbine and I've never had a problem. This carbine eats any 9mm I can find, even discard rounds with hard primers my friends hand me. It took a couple of session to master the bolt break down but that was me being impatient. I'm still able to keep my groups under 2.5 inches at 50 yards if I do my part. Couple of changes/suggestions Get the flat top if you can find it Ergo grips are cheap and make the carbine into a sweet heart use factory glock mags

Anyone else love pistol caliber carbines? Let us know in the comments.

Cheers