First Look: Brownells BRN-9 Upper

A short-recoil pistol-caliber upper for your large format pistol.

by
posted on May 14, 2023
Brownells Brn 9 Upper

Brownells has just released the blowback operated BRN-9 complete upper receiver which comes with a 5.5-inch-long barrel chambered in 9mm. The BRN-9 upper is designed to drop in seamlessly into any standard AR-15 pattern lower receiver or Brownells BRN-180 lower receiver. The BRN-9’s design also uses no buffer assemblies or systems, so it will easily work with any type of AR-15 folding stock, although NFA rules still apply for SBR purposes. Besides the compatibility with standard pattern AR-15 lowers, the BRN-9 also fits 9mm specific lowers with any type of 9mm magwell. This means that the upper can be fed from Colt, Glock, Sig, CZ Skorpion or HK MP5 magazines. If a lower has a bolt catch, the upper keeps its last round bolt hold open capability. The BRN-9 also sports a non-reciprocating charging handle that can be set up on either side of the receiver.

The nitride-finished, 5.5-inch-long barrel is made from strong 4150 ordnance steel that is also cut and threaded at the muzzle for industry standard ½ x 28 tpi threads. Both the handguard and the receiver itself are machined from a solid billet of 6061 Aluminum which gives it the look and feel of a “monolithic” upper receiver. The BRN-9 also has a fully continuous section of Picatinny rail on the 12 o'clock position to make adding optics a breeze.

Brownells BRN-9 Upper Receiver Features:

  • Machined from- billet 6061 T6 aluminum, black hardcoat anodized
  • Nitrided 4140 steel bolt
  • Lightweight Nitrided 4150 steel barrel with 1:10-inch rifling & ½-28 tpi muzzle threads
  • Continuous M1913 Picatinny top rail
  • M-Lok slots on bottom & sides of handguard
  • Compatible with 9mm Glock, Colt 32-rd SMG, CZ Scorpion, Heckler & Koch MP5, Mean Arms EndoMags & SIG Sauer P320 magazines
  • Self-contained blowback operating system, no buffer tube needed
  • Non-reciprocating steel charging handle
  • Compatible with standard mil-spec AR-15 or BRN-180 lower receivers
  • Works with last-round-bolt-hold-open lower receivers
  • Preserves function of bolt catch
  • Tapered multi material 4-piece trunnion system to maintain mechanical accuracy & longevity
  • Rear recoil buffer is 3D-printed from flexible material optimized to absorb recoil impulse
  • Over-buffer-tower design maximizes rail space
  • BRN-style brass deflector
  • Easy, tool-less takedown

Please visit Brownells.com for more information on this product or other items from Brownells.

Latest

Armed Citizen response
Armed Citizen response

Study Finds Armed Civilians More Effective at Stopping Active Shooters than LE

A dispersed response works very well against a dispersed threat.

First Look: Silencer Central Banish 30-V2 Suppressor

Now available with the HUB mount for greater flexibility.

First Look: CZ Shadow 2 Carry

A variant of the classic CZ-75 that's meant to go with you wherever you go.

Rifles: Stretch Yourself

While it’s unlikely you’ll ever need to take a defensive shot at 100 yards or farther, being able to make those hits means closer-range targets will seem easy.

First Look: Aguila 30 Round 5.56 NATO Ammo Packs

30 round magazine, 30 round packaging. Makes sense.

Skills Check: Near and Far

For us, “Drill Practice” is isolating an individual part of a skill and focusing intently on improving or mastering said skill. The goal with good drill practice is to maximize overall improvement while minimizing overall effort. Success equals consistency over time.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.