AR pistols offer some significant ergonomic benefits. Today we're looking at the SAR USA 109T, a direct blowback 9mm AR pistol. In the video below, GunStuff TV takes the SAR USA 109T 9mm PCC out to the range. What comes with the complete package and how does it perform? Let's check it out.
Out of the Box
The carbine comes in a hard, lockable case and includes five 32-round magazines. No, you didn't read that wrong, there are five magazines included. Let's stop right here for a moment. When is the last time you heard of a firearm shipping with five magazines? Yeah, me neither. It almost never happens! And here I was, getting excited when my Glock 19X came with three magazines. Last year, I got a very high-end semi-auto rifle that came with one ten-round magazine as standard; you had to purchase 20-round magazines as “extras.” SAR evidently likes to please its customers.
Also included in the case is a lock and cleaning gear, along with an angled foregrip.
Features and Specifications
As mentioned, it's a 9mm blowback design and comes with a pistol buffer tube. A rear sling swivel attachment and sling swivel are on the buffer tube, which makes attaching the included sling a breeze. The trigger guard is curved, which helps when the shooter is using gloves, and the controls are standard AR type, as you'd expect. There is a bolt hold open feature for the last round.
The flip-up front and rear sights are made of steel and appear to be fairly sturdy, too. The narrator states that they are similar in configuration to the MagPul Pro sights. The top of the receiver wears a Picatinny rail and there is a quad rail around the handguard, adding to the versatility of the pistol. For those who are fond of adding lights, lasers, sights, and scopes, there's lots of real estate to attach the goodies.
The barrel length is 8.5 inches and the 109T wears a standard AR-type bird cage flash suppressor. The overall length is 24.5 inches. Weight is 5.5 pounds. You don't need me to point out that this AR pistol is compact and light.
Accuracy
The first group on paper at 100 yards was four inches, with one flyer opening it up to about five inches. For a 9mm pistol at 100 yards, this is impressive. Especially considering that the target was a full-size silhouette without a small aiming point, this pistol can shoot. He uses Sellier & Bellot 115-grain full metal jacket; other ammunition might shoot into even tighter groups.
He then shoots the rifle at 150 yards on steel silhouettes and finally at 200 yards. We don't get to see the groups at 200 yards, but he was getting hits on the silhouette.
Handling During Drills
He runs SAR 109T through some drills at close range using a red dot sight and the little pistol performs well, being as compact as it is. That small size makes it fast to maneuver. One advantage that short-barreled guns enjoy is being able to index on targets very quickly. An 8.5-inch barreled pistol will swing onto a target more quickly than a rifle with a 20-inch barrel. That equals maneuverability, not only out on the range but also when moving through structures or in and around vehicles.
He runs the little AR through all sorts of other drills, including a VTAC board, which forced him to go prone at one point. The straight stick magazine does require him to be slightly higher than if the magazine were curved, as it's a bit longer. Nevertheless, the 109T performs well. It is clearly easily maneuverable at very close quarters.
He also uses a simulated rooftop to fire some rounds, and it does well there too. He appreciates the short barrel because often, with a 16-inch or longer barrel, the muzzle will catch on the rooftop as the operator is climbing the roof. Not so with the 109T, given its short 8.5-inch barrel.
There's no doubt about it, the short AR configuration is a real winner as far as maneuverability is concerned.
A New Animal
For many years, the only way to have a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) was to fill out the forms through the ATF, pay the $200 tax, and wait. But these past several years, we've seen pistol versions of rifles introduced. Many utilize a brace, and they are extremely similar to an SBR. In fact, it's difficult to tell the difference sometimes. This has opened up doors for those in the shooting community. We can now have effective, short firearms without going through all of the ATF rigamarole. Naturally, the ATF has taken notice and our rights are, once again, under threat. This comes as a surprise to no one.
But Wait…There's More!
GunStuff TV decided to see how the 109T would run with a suppressor attached. They use a Black Aces all-steel suppressor and the 109T runs like a champ! Reliability is 100% while using the suppressor. The bulk of the noise is from the sonic crack of the rounds going down range. Aside from that, we could easily hear the impact of the bullets on the steel targets. It would be interesting to see how the combination sounds with subsonic ammunition.
The Final Verdict
Throughout the video, the SAR USA 109T runs without any stoppages. Its ergonomics are outstanding, as was expected. I'm not aware of any other platform that has better ergos than the AR-15; the location of the safety, mag release, and bolt release are simply great.
At the time of this writing, the SAR USA 109T appears to be selling for around $600 or so, give or take, depending on where you look.
Do any of our readers have experience with this AR pistol? We'd love to hear from you!
Read the original article in its entirety at gunmagwarehouse.com.
