JR stands for Just Right. And boy did I want this pistol caliber carbine to be JR. I wanted so badly for it to be JR. But it wasn’t JR. It was really only POK (pretty OK). But POK Carbine doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like JR Carbine. The JR may not be quite right, but it’s totally salvageable. With some work, I think the boys from Canandaigua could have a truly awesome gun on their hands. Sticking to our newly debuted review guidelines, I’m going to build it up and tear it down . . .
Background
If you are a regular reader, the JR should be stirring a bit of déjà vu in your brain space. Our man Dan did a preview back in December that never made like Red Bull and got wings. Turns out that running the operations of the most popular gun blog in the universe eats into your range time.
So Dan the Man called me up and asked if I’d be willing to give it a go. He had already put a few hundred (or maybe thousand) rounds down the tube, and left it dirty. Without realizing it, Dan had set something in motion and found a platform for me that I needed without knowing that I needed it. A pistol caliber carbine? Genius! A pistol caliber carbine that uses AR furniture and Glock mags? Bloody brilliant!
In its cold, black heart, the JR carbine is a pistol caliber (9mm for this test) carbine loosely built on the general design of the very popular AR platform. However, the JR shucked the gas impingement system for a much more simple blowback design. This allowed the guys at JR to give the gun ambidextrous bolt and ejection options.
In addition, you can swap out barrels and bolt assemblies to switch calibers. And looking at the product specs, you can tell the designers were bitten hard at some point by somebody using proprietary technology. Users can deploy standard AR furniture and trigger components… all while using Glock or 1911 mags. Add that to the threaded barrel that’s suppressor-ready and you have a platform that will actually complement your collection instead of adding another dimension of accessories and headaches.
Overall Appearance & Fit/Finish
The JR is obviously built to a very high standard. I was hard pressed to find any machine marks, defects or mis-alignments in the entire platform. The barrel and receiver finishes were defect free and managed to handle being thrown around the truck without too much fuss. The top rail happily accepted an EOTech sight and the whole rig is without rattles or any of that “cheap” feeling that can sometimes come from new-to-the-market manufacturers.
I’m giving four stars because the bolt internals aren’t chromed and started to look a little dingy as time and cheap 9mm ammo took their toll. Another small item is the use of Phillips head screws on the ejection port blockoff plate. Seriously? Phillips button head screws? Those need to be upgraded to Allen heads ASAP. As you can tell, I’m really looking for things to ding the JR on here.
Ease of Use
I giggled at the bolt lock system when I first saw it because for the first time I’d be able to do that cool bolt-catch slap thing every B movie actor does while running an MP5. Then I shot my first mag and realized that the bolt doesn’t hold open when done. I realize we’re not tacticool mall ninjas. I get that. Really. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have the bolt lock open when a mag’s empty.
I think this is a practical limitation stemming from the fact that the JR was designed to use a few different magazines to achieve compatibility. Even if the JR was standardized on the Glock mags, I doubt it would have the bolt hold open as that would add manufacturing complexity (read: cost) to the design.
The second nit that needs picking is the magazine release. For those familiar with the AR platform, you are going to be sorely disappointed when you try to use your right index finger to drop a mag. No such button exists over there. The mag release is over on the left hand side of the interchangeable magazine well. For us righties, it isn’t the end of the world, but it does mean that quick mag changes aren’t happening. For southpaws, this problem is only amplified as you’ll have to hold the rifle against your shoulder with your support hand and manipulate the magazine release.
In a perfect world, this gun has a bolt hold-open and a much better control layout. But we don’t live in a perfect world, bummer though that may be. In the video above, I bitch about how the Glock mags won’t drop free. I don’t believe this to be JR’s fault. I’m blaming the plastic magazines and a very dirty gun.
Ease of Disassembly
In a word, nope. Not easy at all. Pistol ammo is gross. I rank it right up there with .22 LR for dirtying up a fine firearm lickety split. Especially steel-cased TulAmmo. Keep in mind that I got the gun dirty and continued to run it that way. So when I finally did clean it up in anticipation of its eventual return, I was shocked to discover how involved the field stripping process was.
First, you have to remove the shoulder thing that goes up, and then remove three Allen screws to separate the upper from the lower. At that point the bolt, buffer and spring fall out. If you are truly serious about cleaning, you’ll remove those aforementioned Phillips screws on the ejection port cover and scrub everything down. And you’ll need to. The JR will get dirty.
This disassembly process is a little worrisome. From a metallurgy standpoint, using finely threaded Allen screws in an application like retention of the upper has potential for heartache. If you don’t ever clean your gun, disregard this portion of the review.
I’m a neat freak when it comes to my guns. That means I’d be disassembling the upper and lower after every range session and at some point, I’d wear out the threads on those screws (best case) or on the lower (worst case). Not to mention the fact that you have to unscrew the buffer tube for every field strip. JR 2.0 needs to incorporate the pin system that ARs use for long-term reliability.
Handling Characteristics
At 6.5 lbs stripped, the JR is on par with a standard M4 style AR-15. It’s very well balanced and handles like any similarly equipped AR. Other than the aforementioned bolt handle and mag release issues, the ergonomics are very good. The six-position stock will allow you to adjust length of pull to fit smaller shooters or shoot with bulky clothing or armor. The JR is not supplied with sights, but has plenty of rail space to accommodate irons, red dots, and magnifiers.
The trigger is typical milspec. It breaks consistently at 6.5 lbs, but the road to get there is fraught with false breaks and some grit. You can actually see in the video where I let out a little “whoop!” before the shooting starts. I found the first false break and jerked one off to the side. After a thorough cleaning, things got a little better, but if you are considering a JR, consider a trigger kit to match. From what I can glean, the JR will accept standard AR triggers. My Timney is married to my AR so I didn’t test JR’s claim.
Accuracy
What you see here is a five shot group from 50 yards off a solid rest using an EOTech red dot sight. Keep in mind that at the time, the JR was hot, dirty and flinging TulAmmo. So what you see is literally the worst possible scenario for accuracy. My best group managed a maximum spread of two inches. That’s easily within the realm of reason for what this gun is. Better ammo, a clean gun and magnified optics could easily help that number drop closer to one inch.
Reliability
I had absolutely zero issues with reliability using the cheapest ammo possible in arguably the dirtiest gun I’ve ever received for T&E.
Applicability for a Given Situation
This gun would be perfect as a casual plinking gun for those not in love with dropping 5.56 money to shoot at 50 yards or less. For those with Glocks galore, you’ll love the fact that you can use those magazines in the JR. And with a suppressor attached, this would make an excellent platform for teaching new shooters as the muzzle report and recoil are pretty negligible. This gun would also be awfully comfortable as a home defense or trunk/bug out gun.
Available Aftermarket Options
The JR takes AR furniture, Glock magazines and has a gang of 1913 rail space. There’s not much you can’t mount to this gun if you want to. And with the proliferation of 30+ round Glock mags, you can feed the JR with relative ease. Add that to the ludicrously inexpensive ($279) conversion kits to take your JR to another caliber, and you have the makings of an uber-modular gun.
Favorite Feature
It shoots 9mm! How cool is that? Honestly, the ability to take AR parts and Glock mags is absolutely awesome.
Least Favorite Feature
It’s a tie between the lack of bolt hold open and the location of the mag release.
Specifications: JR Carbine
- Semi-automatic pistol-caliber carbine
- Ambidextrous bolt – configurable for left or right-hand ejection
- Converts to other pistol-calibers
- Magazine included – Glock or 1911 depending on model
- 16-1/4″ barrel
- Free-floating quadrail forend
- Picatinny rail machined into top of receiver
- Telescoping 6-position collapsible M-4 style buttstock
- Utilizes standard M-4/AR-15 furniture and trigger components
- Weight: 6.5 lbs.
- Overall length: buttstock extended 33-1/2″, collapsed 30-1/4″
- Made in the USA
- Price: $500-$700 on the open market
Overall Appearance, Fit and Finish * * * *
The build quality here is excellent and shows the mark of some true craftsmen. However, I’d like to see a bit more work on the internals to resist dirty 9 mm ammo. Additionally, standardization on one type and size of screw would be welcome. Phillips screws are for decking.
Ease of Use * * *
That lack of bolt hold open and easily accessible magazine release mean that this gun is forever relegated to plinking range toy duty instead of a competition gun or even home defense weapon. Even though the controls aren’t laid out nicely, though, they do work well.
Ease of Disassembly * *
Easily, the worst aspect of this gun is breaking it down for cleaning. Field stripping requires the removal of the entire buttstock and the lower is held to the upper with three finely threaded Allen screws. In my opinion, this is a recipe for disaster.
Handling * * *
From a comfort standpoint, the JR is quite nice. I have small hands so the front handguard was a touch too big for me. The three star rating comes from the rough and gritty trigger. After some cleaning it got less gritty, but it’s still pretty bad. Definitely consider upgrading this if you are buying one.
Accuracy * * * *
I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy I saw out of the JR. I consider our test conditions to be the least ideal for getting a good feel for accuracy. We shot the JR hot, dirty, used cheap ammo and without a magnified optic. All that, and it still managed a 5 shot grouping with a 2 inch max spread. Sub inch and it would have gotten 5 stars. I’m mean like that.
Reliability * * * *
I had zero issues, but did not get the opportunity to burn thousands of rounds so I’ll go with a conservative 4 star rating.
Available Aftermarket Options * * * * *
The JR is standardized on two of the most popular gun platforms around, the AR and Glock pistols. Between the two, you should be able to customize the JR to your heart’s desire. Add the ability to convert calibers for less than $300 and you have a five star winner on your hands.
Nice review! I agree, if they fixed those issues I would definitely be in the market for one. Especially since I just sent off the money for a 9mm silencer…
Id go with one of the thureon defense rigs.
i see the pistol caliber carbine as a viable replacement for the shotgun in a home defense situation. for some of us, i’m developing arthritis as i age, a lightweight low recoil carbine would be a boon. new and small framed shooters might benefit from this system as well. and 9 mm is about the cheapest center fire there is to practice with. maybe by the time i can leave ca. they’ll have the fairly minor bugs worked out of the system and i can get one. would like to see some chrome lining and easier field stripping.
I switched to a pistol caliber carbine for home defense. The low recoil facilitates rapid follow-up shots and even my 12 year old daughter can handle it. There is another significant advantage as well — blast. After firing a few rounds out of a handgun or even worse a shotgun in your hallway, you will have trouble hearing the home invader/s, your family, or law enforcement who arrive on scene. A carbine on the other hand generates significantly less report than a handgun in the same caliber much less a 12 gauge shotgun.
Plus the longer barrel of a carbine means more ballistic energy. My .40 S&W carbine launches bullets with comparable velocity and energy to a .357 Magnum handgun with a 4 inch barrel. For example it will launch a 135 grain bullet at something like 1650 fps and 815 ft-lbs. Or if you like heavier bullets for added penetration, it will launch a 180 grain bullet at something like 1200 fps.
Of course a pistol caliber carbine has less “stopping power” than a shotgun or rifle. It also has significantly less recoil and report which is good. Throw in the fact that I can use 15, 22, or even 30 round magazines and I shudder to think of a scenario where I would be under gunned.
Now if someone would just make a semi-auto 10 mm or better yet .357 Magnum carbine with options for 20 or 30 round magazines!
For a gun that you found some flaws on but liked it overall you really bashed it. BHO not being there does suck though, Honestly DDLES makes an AR Glock lower that retains more standardized features.
> BHO not being there does suck though,
For some reason, my mind parsed “BHO” as “Barack Hussein Obama” instead of “bolt hold open” for a few seconds.
I had great hopes. I’ll be watching them closely to see what they do in future revisions. The quality of the work they put forth is top notch.
Nice review Tyler. As a point of clarification, the standard HK MP5 does not hold open on an empty bolt either.
You would know…
Having bought five full auto ones and all…
“…the standard HK MP5 does not hold open on an empty bolt either.”
You know what does? The Beretta CX4. And accurate as anything I’ve ever heard of. Take-down & cleaning is a snap. Chrome-lined innards. Fully ambidextrous. Covered in picatinny rails, and it costs about the same as a JR.
I have somewhere around 30000 rounds thru my CX4. Only problem I ever had was after 500 rounds of filthy surplus. And it was dirty before I started shooting that day. Everyone that I have ever let shoot it loves it. One of my teen goddaughters is bugging her dad for one of her own.
Because of your comment, I went and looked at the breakdown video on JR’s site, and then took a look at the CX4. The JR requires a bunch of tools, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc, and looks pretty complicated to takedown. By comparison, the CX4 has a single pin or wedge that once removed allows the breakdown of the weapon for cleaning–no tools at all. The simplicity of the Beretta leaves the complexity of the JR in the dust. For the same price point, the Baretta wins hands down. How a bout a comparison, Nick? Oh that’s right, Baretta won’t send you guys any guns….
“…Baretta won’t send you guys any guns….”
Strange. Give the pitch battle for market share of pistol caliber carbines (Mech-Tech, Kel-Tec, KRISS, JR, High-Point, etc.), you’d think Beretta would ‘roger-up’ a T&E for them.
They did for Hickok.
There is a history out there mentioned a few times in these parts–apparently Beretta was “upset” that TTAG was a little too honest in its review of a particular shotgun…
Of the available pistol caliber carbines on the market, I believe I’d rather have the Kel Tec Sub 2000. It’s a more established company, has outstanding reviews, plus it has the benefit of folding down to fit in a bugout bag. Plus it is available in versions compatible with more handguns.
I think it’s cheaper, too—if you can find one.
I’m assuming they don’t make them any more – I was quite keen to get one, but could not find one anywhere.
I want one of each, but Ket-Tec 1991 / Berretta 1526 !
Tyler,
I think you’ve grown to accustomed to the AR platform! An MP5 does not lock back on the last round. That cool guy slap thing occurs on an MP5 because it’s quick and the motion of the slap gets your hand towards the grip pretty fast. The bolt lock back thing is a non issue.
The mag release is kind of awkward I’ll agree. They should have put it in a similar location the the MP5/AK if they didn’t want to put the push button in an index finger friendly location. At least you could perform the sweep/clear with a live mag before reloading in that case instead of wasting time pushing the button and pulling out the empty.
I have a JR Carbine that I bought in .40S&W. I also bought the 9mm conversion kit. On mine, the stock retention nut was on way too tight. I mean, bend the conversion kit tool out of shape tight. The barrel nut was similarly too tight–put on the tool and hit it with a 1lb sledge tight. I had to get a new stock retention nut as it was bunged up pretty good, but thankfully they sent it right out and I got it in a few days and they didn’t charge me anything for it.
I have a SWR Trident-9 silencer. The JR has a threaded barrel. It however will not run reliably with subsonic ammo–a big negative. At least 5 FTEs in a 33rd Glock magazine. I am going to investigate the cause and see if anything can be done–I’m thinking a lighter buffer would solve the issue.
Oh, I wanted to clarify that I just bought the JR Carbine recently. The problems I’ve had could easily be cleared up, I just don’t know yet. They fixed the issue I had with the one retaining nut after just filling out the contact form on their site, so I think they’ll make things right if I can’t figure it out on my own.
Not that JR wants to hear ir , BUT I sell an aluminum bump fire stock for the AR-15 and other models. It works well on the JR’s, just my 2 cents
Which stock is this? The DefendAR-15 is the only one I can think of that is aluminum and designed for AR-15 type furniture.
Not being an owner of an AR type weapon, I don’t see the big deal about the location of the mag release. If, as you say, Glock mags don’t drop free, then right handed shooters will be using their left hand to remove them, which puts their hand in exactly the right position to operate the release and remove the mag.
A couple of other things. Aside from telling us that you used junk ammo, you did not give the bullet weights or muzzle velocities. I for one would like to know. It seems to me that this is one rifle, assuming it can handle the pressure, would be comfortable shooting 147 gr +P or hotter. Not that it matters much; without a pinned flash suppressor or a nonthreaded barrel, I don’t think I’ll be seeing any of these in California any time soon.
man brings up a point. what type of ammo did you use. did it function well with hollow points? good to know in a self defense weapon.
They make state-compliant versions.
http://www.justrightcarbines.com/JR_Carbine_Products.html
I’m just NOT impressed
And I don’t have the time to list this unit’s faults
Working for a competing company, are we? LOL
When you do, send us an email @ guntruth@me.com. We’re always interested to hear whats up out there.
Some people are calling them “Issues” I think they are more so “Features” and with those features this firearm would cost nearly twice as much.
If you were truly a “neat freak” about your firearms, you wouldn’t be feeding them third-world crap ammo.
i assume you’re speaking of craptastic commie surplus ammo. the only time i use that stuff is in my craptastic commie guns. i’ve always heard that the steel cased ammo is hard on extractors. whether that’s true or not i prefer to run it in my mak and mostly nasty only. the parts are cheap and easy to swap out,even for a klutz like me.
The .45 is a piece of crap. I haven’t been able to get through a whole magazine yet. JR has been no help as their solutions don’t work. I have heard the 9mm works better.
Yes the Just Right Carbine in 45acp is junk. Did this ,did that ,folow this, thay blemed glock, blamed ammo, blamed rapid fire, blame blame. JR carbine is accurate when it shots but that is far and in between. Thay need to drop the carbine and make a single shot Lol…. After all i went through on my JR Carbine iam very thankfull for all my other guns that shot “everytime i pull the trigger, yes any brand mag, yes any brand ammo and yes as fast as i can pull the trigger” because Just Right is Just Junk.
Yes the Just Right Carbine in 45acp is junk. Did this ,did that ,folow this, thay blemed glock, blamed ammo, blamed rapid fire, blame blame. JR carbine is accurate when it shots but that is far and ifew n between. Thay need to drop the carbine and make a single shot Lol…. After all i went through on my JR Carbine iam very thankfull for all my other guns that shot “everytime i pull the trigger, yes any brand mag, yes any brand ammo and yes as fast as i can pull the trigger” because Just Right is Just Junk.
The JC is dead to me. It’s a $700 carbine that can’t handle 9mm +P loads. What’s they point of having a rifle that takes the same mags and ammo as my pistol, if my pistol ammo will blow up my rifle?
I think I prefer Kel-Tec’s SUB-2000.
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I own both the .40 & 9mm JR rifles. Love them both. I have found that the aftermarket extended mags don’t feed correctly and jam. I have never had that issue with true Glock mags. HP & FMJ both work well with no feeding issues. Both the .40 & 9mm have very little recoil and are very quiet when firing. You can shoot inexpensivley and not have a sore shoulder at the end of the day. A suppressor is a cool idea but not really necessary unless you are trying to be stealth, which I am not.
I think the best thing about the JR concept is the ability to take pistol mags. I don’t have to worry about grabbing the wrong mag in the dark during a home defense situation. Grab a handful of mags from my nightstand, my pistol, & my JR and I have a full arsenal ready to go in a flash.
I am not a gumsmith or a gun expert, just an enthusist. I have never torn apart an AR, but the JR isn’t really that complicated. I watched the video on JR’s website as my guide the first time and it was super easy. The barrel nut was over tightened from the factory, like someone else stated, but it came off without damage. I wouldn’t read too much into others thoughts about how difficult this gun is to take apart, because it really isn’t.
I own both the .40 & 9mm JR rifles. Love them both. I have found that the aftermarket extended mags don’t feed correctly and jam. I have never had that issue with true Glock mags. HP & FMJ both work well with no feeding issues. Both the .40 & 9mm have very little recoil and are very quiet when firing. You can shoot inexpensivley and not have a sore shoulder at the end of the day. A suppressor is a cool idea but not really necessary unless you are trying to be stealth, which I am not.
I think the best thing about the JR concept is the ability to take pistol mags. I don’t have to worry about grabbing the wrong mag in the dark during a home defense situation. Grab a handful of mags from my nightstand, my pistol, & my JR and I have a full arsenal ready to go in a flash.
I am not a gumsmith or a gun expert, just an enthusist. I have never torn apart an AR, but the JR isn’t really that complicated. I watched the video on JR’s website as my guide the first time and it was super easy. The barrel nut was over tightened from the factory, like someone else stated, but it came off without damage. I wouldn’t read too much into others thoughts about how difficult this gun is to take apart, because it really isn’t.
I have recently seen Just Right Carbines advertising a “Gen 2″ version .. anybody know what has been changed ?
I find interesting this gun… However I will surely buy one when it will be available in 44 magnum caliber… Then, it will make a wonderful hunting rifle for intermediate ranges from 50 to 150 meters. I don’t think this caliber would be so difficult to implement around the same basic technical concepts.
I purchased the 9mm version and followed the recommended cleaning before operation and found it not that difficult to breakdown. However it does require more tools. Not a big problem. Overall this in my opinion is an awesome rifle. I would buy another one if I had to do it all over again.
Have had the JR Carbine in 9mm for several months and through a few range trips and cleanings, ~600 rounds. It’s really easy to shoot, and at the 5o yard range will mash out a big center hole. Total blast at the plastic bottle range at 40 yards.
Indeed – I used the same Federal-Eagle and Winchester and Federal JHP that I use for handgun, and a lot of pistol powder blows back into the bolt with a 16-inch barrell compared to thr 3.5 and 5.5 inch on compact and full size 9mm handguns.
I like the platform, especially with a Glock-17 in the bag for “cowboy logistics”. I’m going to experiment with some custom loads for JRC 9mm… Maybe try some 115gr bullets and slower-burning rifle powder.
Yes – compared to a quality AR-15 or AR-10 .308 – the blowback-bolt feels like chalk. I believe it has to be light to operate, but I wish it has some kind of coating because it’s just rough carbon steel finish.
All in all – I’m happy I own this gun. I’m not turning in my Zombie Stopper AR-15 in 300AAC Blackout, but JRC definitely fits a niche in a solid collection.
This is a very solid gun and I would highly recommend it to any type of shooter. I live in CA so I have to have the CA compliant version, the only disadvantage to that is that it requires a small pin to be inserted into the mag release to get the mag out, and I can only have a 10 rd. mag. The article also makes a very true point about the gun getting dirty quickly, because after about 250 rds. I noticed significant build up of gunk throughout the gun. This weapon has very little recoil and can be handled by the most beginner shooters. If your looking to buy and you live in SoCal the price tag is going to be around 800-900 dollars.
I just purchased the JRC 9mm. At first glance, I was particularly impressed with the quality of the machining on the unit. First range day was today – ran 600 rounds thru it with zero issues. For what it’s worth, I think the review was spot-on in all respects and echoed my findings. I can live with no bolt hold open, but I’m going to fabricate a trigger finger mag release. I’ve already modified my Glock mags with small steel plate counterweights so they drop free easily. Slapping that bolt home is just awesome (any John Ringo fans out there? Think: numerous scenes of Ghost. “Silly terrorist, water is for Seals”).
From what I’ve been reading around on forums they have fixed all the issues with this gun. Thier newer production runs have a different barrel (cylindrical no shaved sides) and different bolt and some other internal parts.
The gen 2 has a heavier buffer too for all the +p guys, I read that it makes subsonic cycle less reliably but haven’t actually shot one yet. For the people that want AR lower qualities on the JR, it didn’t happen because of Canadas rediculous gun laws. The JR carbine is non-restricted, we can take it in the woods and keep it in the back of our trucks and closets with no worries. AR lowers are restricted, firearms that use an AR lower can only be shot at recognized ranges and can only be transported back and forth to them and they’re pretty harsh on people who break those rules (jail time, pull your licence, take your guns). It does suck that the mag release is so different but it helped us Canadians out a bunch
Problems chambering… Casing lodging into the barrel… Failure to eject … Super accurate … Fun too shoot… Annoying to clean… To sum it up I’m 50/50 on my carbine… I just said screw it and hung it up I’m willing to sell it for 400 with 500 rounds of hollow tip.. This gun was brand new and nothing but problems..