Any thoughts on these .45acp AR's?

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Balog

New member
I've been looking to get a .45acp AR, ideally one that'll take unmodified grease gun mags, and there aren't too many options. Oly Arms which use some funky magazine, some little no-name called Bazooka Brothers, a guy selling incomplete CNC lowers, Cav Arms Mk-II but I have no idea how or where to get one, and the MGI modular lower which can be had in a variety of configuration. I've heard rumours Rock River Arms makes (or did at one point anyway) a .45 version, but I can't find any info on it.

Anyone have any experience with any of these products? I'm leary as they all seem relatively uncommon, and I'm not finding a lot of good reviews (or any reviews, really) about them. I love the idea of the MGI system, and it would save me money if/when I get a AK-mag compatible AR but I've heard some troubling reviews about that company. Nothing recent though.
 
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B

Balog

New member
Got a reply email from a sales drone at RRA, they have no plans to start making .45 lowers again. Too bad...

Also, apparently this is not as interesting a topic as I would have thought. :)
 
D

DBAR

New member
Olympic is probably your best bet, but the .45 AR's are not that popular anymore. You can buy a Krisp for a few more hundred dollars, and have something that performs better. You can also get a Thompson?

I've been down this road before, and I almost bought one of those carbine conversions for a Glock, or 1911. Now, I don't care much for a pistol caliber carbine.

DBAR
 
T

Technosavant

New member
I think the lack of reply has to do with the complete lack of .45ACP ARs out there. They have been made, but I haven't been able to find any current production of them from known good makers (Olympic has a nasty habit of using out of spec lowers). The general lack of .45ACP ammo and its price being close to .223 doesn't help much; if you're going to have something the size of a rifle shooting ammo that's as expensive as rifle ammo, may as well go with the 5.56 chambering since it's raining parts for those.

In theory I'd love a .45ACP AR. In practice I don't know that it would be worth the trouble.
 
C

Crosshair

New member
Part of the problem is that 45 ARs are so expensive vs the alternatives. Anyone that wants one can get a Mech-Tech, a Beretta CX4, or a Feather USA RAV for a fraction of the price.
 
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NWCP

New member
When I decided to get a .45ACP carbine I looked around and found that HK was manufacturing the real deal designed from the ground up as a .45ACP platform. The HK USC is reliable and accurate. I've had mine since 2000 and couldn't be happier. A .45ACP carbine that can handle .45 Super is the only way to go. A pistol caliber carbine has a place in the scheme of things. For close quarters the USC is light weight, compact and squeezes every ounce of power that you can get from a .45. My ARs are both .223s. The only change that I've considered is getting a 6.8 SPC upper half for my RRA.
 
C

Crosshair

New member
Only issue is that the H&K unit makes the ARs seem cheap and you are limited to 10 round mags unless you modify the gun.
 
L

lmccrock

New member
If you find a Cav Arms lower, they can help you fix it up. Unfortunately, they are no longer in the business of making lowers. There may be some out there. AR15.com has a Pistol Caliber Forum which has lots of info.

Lee
 
M

MMcfpd

New member
The .45 ACP ARs I have or have had have used Oly uppers and either a standard lower with Uzi magazines (10 or 16 round) modified with a magwell block welded on (left, below) or a Bazooka Brothers lower that takes 30 round grease gun mags (right, below):
45ARs_Nov_07.jpg


Either setup will work, although the Uzi mags are expensive ($100+) and hard to find. The BAZ45 I have is the original design; current BAZ45 lowers are CNC one piece items. Although I've never used one, I understand the AR45 (from CNCGuns) is comparable to the BAZ45.

Cav Arms' MKII lower with a Hahn Precision mag block was another popular alternative for a lower that could take grease gun mags, but as noted the future of that lower is in limbo now. I haven't heard anything positive about MGI in some time.

I also have an HK USC and I'd have to say that, while it is a quality piece, the ARs are probably a better choice. Oly dominated that portion of the pistol caliber upper market for a long time, but there are now some other options. Bazooka Brothers markets the RMW DI uppers.

I may yet try a Beretta CX4 Storm in .45 ACP.
 
B

Balog

New member
Excellent, finally an actual owner joins us. :)

How do you like the Bazooka Brothers offering? It was what I had my eyes on, but I'm a bit leary of ponying up that much dough when I don't see a lot of user reviews. Same for MGI actually, as neat as the idea is the lack of info seems ominous.
 
Q

qualfang

New member
.45acp AR

probably the next best thing to a 9mm or .40 MP5 variant.

What an excellent close quarter combat carbine. Good luck!
 
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