AutoWerkes HRSC Upper
This unique design is built on an MPA side-cocking upper, and features AutoWerkes'
signature HK MP-5 front & rear sights on elevated risers, with a full-length optics rail running between.
Rear drum sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, while the fixed front sight features a protective ring.
The MPA upper is constructed of heavier gauge metal than the stock upper, and the addition of the sights and rail
increase its weight even more. However, the weight increase does not result in an ungainly weapon; rather, it
serves to improve the gun's balance and helps moderate muzzle climb. With the stock upper, the M-11/9 feels like
something of a toy; the HRSC upper gives it a more solid feel, not unlike a Mini-Uzi or MP-5K. Welds on the sight blocks a
re good, with relatively smooth seams. Finish is a gray/green parkerizing which is applied after fabrication. By special
order, my HRSC upper came with a 1/2x28 threaded muzzle (to allow mounting of a flash suppressor, muzzle brake or can)
and the top of the front sight hood was been machined off for a less-obstructed sight picture when using red-dot optics.
My initial test-fire of the M-11/9 was conducted with the HRSC upper installed. Fit with the lower receiver was snug,
but the HRSC upper installed without incident. The side-cocker is a welcome improvement over the standard top-cocking
design; not only does it free up the top of the receiver for an optics rail, but the handle itself does not reciprocate
with the bolt. This eliminates stress fractures in the cocking handle, which can cause it to snap off in mid-cycle and
come flying back at the shooter's face - a commonplace problem with stock MACs. HK sights were well-regulated at about
30 feet, and required no adjustments. I found I prefer the large #2 aperture for most full-auto applications; the open
notch is too open, and the smaller #3 and #4 apertures are too small to allow fast acquisition and unobstructed
target view at close ranges (but might do well for semi-auto fire on farther targets). In short, the HRSC upper is
expertly conceived and well-built, and is an easy way to vastly improve the functionality of the M-11/9.
AutoWerkes CAR-OPT Upper
The CAR-OPT is essentially a stretched version of the HRSC upper. Like the HRSC, it is built on an MPA side-cocking
receiver, and features AW's hi-rise HK sighting system. The front end is built around a 10" carbine barrel enclosed in a
Cobray barrel shroud. The shroud is vented for heat dissipation, and incorporates a vertical foregrip on the bottom.
Along the top of the shroud is attached an elongated riser, bearing the HK front sight. The end result is a clean,
uniform appearance; the riser, optics rail and HK sights all flow together into a virtually continuous assembly.
As with the HRSC upper, I special-ordered the muzzle threaded to 1/2x28, and the front sight hood cut to allow a less
cluttered sight picture with optics.
Shooting the CAR-OPT upper is pure joy! The added mass of the
longer barrel and shroud increases overall weight and puts the balance point well forward, but this translates directly
into less recoil and more controllability on full-auto. The accuracy boost from the longer sight radius and 10" barrel
is noticeable, as well. Though a longer barrel will increase a gun's full-auto cyclic rate, when you're already beating
the heck out of 1200 RPM, the increase isn't going to be noticeable. The vertical foregrip is comfortable and rigid,
and provides additional leverage to keep the muzzle down during long bursts. In this configuration, the M-11/9 compares
favorably to a full-size UZI with a kicked-up rate of fire. The CAR-OPT has quickly become my favorite of the two
AutoWerkes uppers, especially when wearing the SPOT MkIII red-dot sight.
AutoWerkes Vertical Grip
The K2 vertical grip (pictured here with the HRSC upper) attaches at the base of the M-11/9's barrel, and provides
a forward point of control far superior to the stock "strap hanger" and most other aftermarket vertical grip designs.
The mount and grip are machined from aluminum and wear the same parkerized finish as the AW uppers. Installation is a
breeze; the grip locks down with a single cross-bolt and is VERY solid, with no tendency to wiggle or rotate during use.
Additionally, the low-profile mount leaves the coarse threads at the base of the barrel exposed, allowing use of a
Sionics or Bowers-style suppressor, or a barrel extension. The round cross-section of the grip itself is hand-filling and
quite comfortable, and the built-in hand stop is a nice safety feature. The hand stop also has a hole on the left side,
for attaching an HK-style snap hook sling.
The first time out with the K2, the bolt holding the grip
and hand stop to the clamp assembly loosened, allowing the grip to rotate around its axis. I put a bit of Loctite
on the threads and torqued the bolt down again, and that seemed to fix the problem. The clamp itself has not loosened in
the several hundred rounds fired since its installation. Ergonomics of the grip are quite good, although shooters with
large hands may find it somewhat short (like the MP5-K grip after which it was modeled).
AutoWerkes RRD-2 Rate Reducer
The RRD-2 consists of a sheet metal body with stabilizing
tabs and a spring-loaded arm (actually a modified M-16 hammer), and is designed to fit into the MAC lower receiver behind
the magazine well with no alterations to the weapon. The spring-loaded arm places additonal drag on the bolt as it
travels rearward, thus reducing the gun's cyclic rate.
I installed the RRD-2 per the illustrated instruction sheet,
making sure to dry-cycle the gun several times with the RRD-2 in place. Initially the gun would not even re-cock for the
second shot, so I removed the RRD-2, lubricated the arm and flexed it repeatedly before reinstalling. Subsequent runs
showed better functioning, and the cyclic rate was definitely reduced - it was possible to get off single shots in
full-auto mode, which is nearly impossible with the stock gun except for shooters with exceptionally disciplined trigger
fingers! However, the trade-off came in the form of a delayed trigger response, which would sometimes result in an
additonal shot or two at the end of a burst after letting off the trigger! Erik at AutoWerkes advised that the RRD-2 may
take a couple hundred rounds to break in and begin operating reliably, but this was such a serious safety issue that
I did not feel comfortable giving it the chance to do so. With less than 100 rounds fired, I sold the RRD-2 for exactly
what I had paid for it. I have decided to pursue a TASK-style slowfire conversion instead, which is a more involved but
ultimately better solution to the rate reduction issue, IMHO (more on this later). It is to be noted that I have
not gotten any complaints from the buyer of the RRD-2, so maybe a little break-in was all it needed to get running
properly. I hope that is the case!
AR Stock Adapters
One of the most useful upgrades for the M-11/9 is replacing the
wireform stock with something more solid that offers better durability and cheek weld. There are many replacement stocks
on the market, from the fixed Cobray carbine stock to Uzi-, AK- and MP5-style side folders, to the Assault and Tactical
stocks available from AutoWerkes. One of the most verstatile options is the AR stock adapter, which allows you to mount
any AR-15 stock assembly. Possibilities include the A1, A2, 4-position CAR, 6-position M4, VLTOR, MagPul CTR, ACE
skeletonized, Boom Tube, SOCOM adjustable and others. Several manufacturers offer AR stock adapters; I evaluated those
from AutoWerkes and Tactical Innovations (both of which are out of production as of 2009).
The Tactical Innovations
adapter, designed by Craig Wheatley, consists of two pieces held together by hex screws. Is very well constructed and
finished, but is a bit heavy and verges on over-engineered. It installs into the back of the gun in the same manner as
the wire stock, and is held in place by a locking bar and hex bolt that replace the standard stock latching equipment.
The vertical body of the adapter is tall, and features a roughly oval cutout that should mate with the detent
on the CAR stock locking plate (but did not, with my RRA 6-position stock). The threaded portion of the adapter is an
open ring, and is sufficiently deep to allow the buffer tube several turns before it hits the rear of the receiver,
providing a secure mount. My problem with the Tactical Innovations adapter is that it was intended for use with optics,
and places the stock (and the shooter's eye) far too high to access the gun's iron sights (even the hi-rise HK type).
No mention of this incompatibility is made on the TI web site, nor in any documentation accompanying the adapter.
The AutoWerkes adapter is lighter and smaller than the TI product, and is welded rather than bolted together.
It installs in the same manner as the TI adapter, but can either be secured with the bottom bolt, or used with the
factory stock latching mechanism for a quick-detach feature. The threaded portion of the adapter is a shallow ring
with a closed back. This allows the buffer tube fewer turns when mounting, but the attachment does not seem any
less secure. The backplate is drilled to accommodate the operating rod used in the TASK-style "slow-fire" conversions.
The main advantage of the AutoWerkes adapter is that it positions the stock much lower, and is designed specifically
to allow use of AW's raised HK iron sights. Because of this lower positioning, the adapter cannot engage the detent
on the CAR stock locking plate; the buffer tube needs to be secured using only the castle nut and Loctite, and can
potentially move or rotate if sufficient pressure is applied.
Recon Ordnance Steel Magazines
One of the weakest links in the M-11/9 system is the
factory Zytel magazine. These mags are constructed entirely of polymer, as opposed to metal-reinforced polymer like Glock
mags. Under the rapid cycling of the bolt and the heat of full-auto fire, the feed lips tend to wear rather quickly,
causing various types of malfunctions. There are also reports of the seams splitting, and other structural failures.
Enter Jerry Prasser of Recon Ordnance, who offers what is arguably the best magazine available for the M-11/9. These
double-stack/single-feed mags are constructed of heavy-gauge steel with welded seams and a parkerized finish. They start
life as magazines for the Argentine PAM-2 9mm subgun, then are professionally converted by Jerry to fit the M-11/9.
These mags fit in the M-11/9 magwell with no rattle or binding, lock up tight and release cleanly. Feed reliability is
excellent for a single-feed design, though the feed lips may require some minor fitting or reshaping to work reliably in
some guns. Of the 12 magazines I initially bought, I had a four "problem children" that would not run 100%. Instead of sending
them back to Jerry for replacement, I sent them off to Mike Sessa (known on the gun boards as "Bust Off" and had them
cut down and rewelded into two extra-long 55-round "X-Mags" for competition use. They work.
A couple other notes: 1) Because the Recon mags are thicker than the Zytel, they will not lock into the
magwell with the wireform stock in the retracted position. No biggie, since you'll probably want to replace that stock
with something better, anyway... or just deploy the stock before you insert the mag. 2) With the Recon mag loaded to full
capacity (30), it will not lock into the magwell when the gun's bolt is closed. Since one should ALWAYS load an
open-bolt SMG from a closed-bolt condition, it is necessary to download the mags by 1 or 2 rounds to facilitate
insertion.
Note: Kurt Wala of KKF was killed in a motorcycle accident in March 2009. He was a
real innovator, and his presence in the marketplace will be missed.
KKF A3-L Flash Hider
This design from Kurt's Kustom Firearms is essentially an extended copy of the USGI M-16A2 "birdcage" flash hider.
It was originally intended for permanent installation on a 14.5" M4 barrel, to bring it to a legal (non-NFA) 16" length.
I figured a little extra length would be a good thing on the M-11/9's short barrel, to keep the shooter's off hand farther
from the muzzle opening. I requested a custom version of the A3-L in 9mm and threaded 1/2"x28. Machining on the flash
hider is very smooth and professional, in contrast to my earlier A3 Tac Brake which is
somewhat crude and shows pronounced toolmarks around its circumference. KKF has invested in better machines and has
refined his processes over the years, to the point that his work now is second to none. The A3-L ships with a crush
washer for indexing on the barrel so the slots are in the proper positions. Flash suppression is good; shooting mil-spec
South African (PMP) ammo out of the HRSC upper's 5" barrel eliminates any muzzle flash from the shooter's point of view.
Instead of a fireball, only a few small sparks are visible to bystanders, and are of roughly the same brightness and
quantity as the flash signature from the ejection port (see pic).
Smith Enterprises Muzzle Brake
This design from
Smith Enterprises is arguably one of the most effective muzzle brakes on the
market. It features three large ports on either side, with two forward-angled jets and six small vertical ports on top,
and a solid bottom. It is available in several styles and thread patterns for AR-15s and M-1As. Mine was for the 9mm
AR-15, but I ordered it custom-threaded to 1/2x28 for installation on the CAR-OPT upper. It performs very well on the
slowfire-converted M-11/9, reducing muzzle climb to almost zero on short full-auto bursts. It does, however, increase
the amount of blowback, which leads to the gun getting dirty more quickly.
Lage Mfg. Inc. Wraparound Grips
This grip,
designed by Richard Lage, is constructed of a semi-rigid plastic and consists
of a front/side component which wraps around the MAC's grip (mag well) and is held in place by a separate backstrap. The
frontstrap incorporates coarse checkering and a single finger groove, and the side panels are stippled to prevent
slippage. The backstrap features a more pronounced "hump" at the bottom, as well as a generous beavertail where the grip
meets the gun's lower receiver. The result is a grip that feels less like a 2x4 and more like a real firearm, while
allowing repeatable, ergonomic hand positioning. The Lage grip is available for standard M-11/9s as well as those that
have been converted to take STEN magazines. A version is also available for the MAC-10 .45 and MAC-10/9.
More reviews will be added as appropriate.
Stay tuned!
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AutoWerkes HRSC Upper