Since its inception in 2003, Stag Arms has been manufacturing quality, mil-spec modern sporting rifles at an attractive price point. When I learned that I was going to be able to spend some quality time with Stag’s innovative and market-ready, 9mm carbine, the Model 9, I shouldn’t need to describe my excitement and anticipation to see how this thing would fire.
The Stag Arms Model 9 is a 9mm carbine that at first impression, appears to be a standard AR-15 type rifle. It uses a true AR-15 upper and lower receiver with 7075-T6 forging. The Carbines are machined in-house at Stag, and then hard-coat anodized to the proper mil-spec Type III standard. Out of the box, the Model 9 weighs a mere 6.8 Pounds, and measures 32.5″ collapsed and 35.75″ extended. So not only is this rifle compact and light weight, but also easy to conceal when carried on a mission or trip to the range.
The Model 9 wears a carbine-length barrel with Diamondhead VRS Drop-In Modular Handguard, which are both cool looking and comfortable. Another plus is that they’re made by Diamondhead USA – America.
The receiver holds the dimensions of a true AR-15 upper and lower, so you can swap out parts like the trigger and furniture to truly customize it for any AR-15 made part on the market.
On the inside, the Model 9 is like every other AR in Stag’s catalog, which gives you the added confidence that you’re getting a quality product! The barrel is a 4140 steel tube, button-rifled to a twist of 1:10—which stabilized my 9mm 147gr competition, 124gr NATO Full Metal Jacket, 115gr ball and 124gr hollow point defense, when I tested the rifle at the Fort Lewis – Range 43. All in all, 500 rounds were fired in total, and not one was left to disappoint through this incredible machine.
Stag altered the mag-well of the lower, machining it specifically for a 9mm mag—a seemingly common sense step, but not one that goes unnoticed. At the rear of the mag-well is a fixed-blade ejector to eject the spent brass to the side.
The bolt on a 9mm AR is different from a 5.56 because as a semi-automatic blowback design, there’s no need for a rotating bolt. This means that the rifle is recoil operated, so the recoil is a tad rougher than that of a gas operated AR. While it’s only a 9mm, you don’t have any of the recoil reduction of a gas system to help you. Not a deal breaker if you know how to find a different load or position to handle the recoil bounce.
With a standard Mil-Spec charging handle, and small (.154”) trigger pin, the 32 round magazine cycles without issue.
Accuracy is simply brilliant. My PCC was very reliable, had zero malfunctions and shot every round I put through it.
The best part about Stag’s Model 9, is range accessibility. As many of you who shoot longer range targets know, indoor ranges aren’t the biggest fans of rifles, understandably so. But if you got to an indoor range, and can shoot a handgun, you can shoot a Stag Arms Model 9!
The Stag Arms Model 9 had a long list of pleasant surprises while shooting – and let’s not forget that because it’s a Stag, it’s also available in a left-hand version!
The Model 9 is fun to shoot, economical (thank you ammo Gods) accurate and able to accept all the normal accessories for an AR.
Knowing it came from the hands of the folks at Stag, with their history of innovation and market research, I knew I was in for a treat with this gun. The company has relied on the end-user feedback to ensure they are producing market-relevant products, and this was no exception to that standard.
About Stag Arms:
Stag Arms has a rich history filled with innovation, pioneering the left-handed modern sporting rifle. Although Stag Arms started out with a focus on mil-spec rifles, Stag is moving forward and evolving with the ever-changing trends in the market. Stag continues to work on new product development with their most recent releases being the Stag-10 which is offered in .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor for both the right and left-handed shooter.
Jeremiah Futch is the Head Combat Marksmanship Instructor for 1st Special Forces Groups (A) Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Committee. He is a professionally sponsored shooter competing in USPSA, Multi-gun and 3 Gun competitions. Futch consistently places in the top 50 at multiple National Championships, and is currently the USPSA Washington State Champion in Carry Optics Division. His title sponsors include Grey Ghost Precision, Blade-tech, Vortex Optics and Rainier Ballistics.