American Defense Mfg. UIC Lower Receiver - Initial Impressions

Up until a few years ago, I didn't put much of a priority on whether my guns suited 10% of the population.  Fast forward to today where I have a 3-year old son who is left handed.  His handedness is beside the point however.  With the arrival of my daughter last spring, I began to take self-defense with a firearm much more seriously.  This year I increased my total number of formal training classes from one to four, and I'm registered for two more plus a medical class next year.  I've realized that being able to run my guns left handed was not a luxury, but a necessity.  My right hand is likely to be occupied, holding a phone, my kid, groceries, keys, etc.  And cover isn't always going to be to open to my right.  Fighting with a rifle in a home defense or suburban setting requires often shooting from austere positions.  Shooting from the right shoulder might not be possible when contorting for cover behind a vehicle tire or fire hydrant.  So now, 25% of my ammunition is spent left handed with both the pistol and rifle.  My current defensive AR is an SBR with an ambidextrous Aero Precision lower.  Charging handle, safety, mag release, and the PDQ bolt catch/release are accessible left handed.  One issue I have is with the design of the bolt catch.  It's a single piece of steel, heavier than the standard one, and the ejection port door presses down slightly on in.  Both these factors resulted in the bolt not always locking on the last round.  Only after re-profiling the bolt catch and unwinding the port door spring a bit was the issue resolved.

Modified PDQ Bolt Catch

Unfortunately the lever still sticks out away from the receiver and often the bolt will close when I set the gun down on its right side and the port door presses it down.  I also have an annoying issue with the ergonomics when shooting right handed, specifically when locking the bolt to the rear.  A bonus of this bolt catch is using your right hand trigger finger to lock and release the bolt.  However, it's too high to reach without taking my middle finger off the grip.  Despite these shortcomings I haven't found a better option, including the Magpul BAD lever.  Until now.

Yesterday I received the UIC lower receiver from American Defense Manufacturing.  You probably know ADM for their awesome QD optics mounts and they've applied their engineering and machining knowledge to the UIC (Universal Improved Carbine) receiver.  While I've heard grumblings about some milled receivers not being as durable as forged, 7075 aluminum is plenty tough since most of the stress is in the upper receiver.  Even if you plan to hold the rifle by the barrel and swing the stock into a tree, I believe this receiver would fare equally as well as a forged mil-spec.  It arrived with the front takedown pin and bolt catches installed.  The rear takedown pin, detent, and spring are included.  The takedown pins are dimpled to prevent a tool or bullet from slipping and marring the beautiful anodized finish if one is needed to press them out.  The ADM logo is subdued but I would prefer it if the selector markings were a little more pronounced.  While the milled  pockets on the the magwell look cool, I have a long trust name, so I'll need to find another location for my NFA engaving should I choose to SBR it.

ADM UIC - Right

ADM UIC - Left

ADM UIC - Out of the box

The first thing you'll notice on the UIC is the right side bolt release.  It moves up and down, pivoting on a roll pin in the upper fenced portion of the receiver.  It lays flat against the side.  Overtime, it will probably leave a curved mark like the selector of an AK.  The left-side bolt catch has an extension that rests in a groove in the right-side catch.  Both pieces are loosely linked together but there is no rattling as both parts provide sufficient tension whether engaged or at rest.

Ambi Bolt Catch - Down

Ambi Bolt Catch - Up

Ambi Bolt Catch - Down

Both magazine release buttons are nicely protected by tapered shelves.  This is a necessity on the left side because the button is 1/2" closer to your trigger finger when it's resting on the frame.  It pivots on a roll pin inserted through the shelf.  The left side bolt release paddle is over-sized, with a dedicated portion for locking the bolt rearward.

Over-sized Bolt Release & Left Side Mag Release

The trigger guard is enlarged for gloved fingers and integrated into the lower.  Mine was a blem or "Duty" lower.  The blemish was that the logo was engraved slightly off center on the trigger guard.  Totally worth the $10 discount, plus it was in-stock.  There is also a nylon tipped allen screw behind the grip screw hole.  It can be raised to provide just enough tension to eliminate any annoying wobble between the upper and lower receivers.  A nice touch.

Trigger Guard & Tensioning Screw

Upper Receiver Tensioning Screw

The front of the magwell has eight grooves machined into it for a secure magwell grip if you're so inclined.  The magwell itself is slightly larger at the base, allowing for a generous 20 degree bevel.  If you've ever tried to change mags at speed in competition (or in the dark while wearing NVGs) you'll appreciate this feature.

Magwell - Front

Magwell, Off Center Logo, and Left Side Mag Release Roll Pin

20 Degree Beveled Magwell

On the way are a Geissele SD-C Trigger, PWS Enhanced Buffer Tube with ratcheting castle nut, PWS H2 buffer, and JP polished buffer spring.  The remaining required small parts, stock, and grip are all from BCM.  I'll run this lower with one of my pinned 14.5" uppers for now.  I might SBR it but I like the idea of having a rifle I can transport out of state for training classes or hunting without filing ATF paperwork.  I'll make my decision after getting some trigger time and then write up my results.  It's going to be a good winter.

-Carry On

Jagerwerx Glock RMR Cut and Cerakote Review

I've become a huge fan of red dots on handguns especially on my CCWs.  I've mounted a Trijicon RM07 on both an MOS slide and then a Unity Atom slide, both for Glock 19's.  While the Atom slide better than the MOS, there were a few minor issues aside from the major ones I had to fix.  One was how the trigger doesn't feel as smooth with the Atom slide as the factory one.  Maybe the trigger bar rubs it, or the striker channel is rougher, but it definitely "hitches" more in the draw stroke.  The slide chamfer starts too early and results is less than the full width of the slide supporting the RMR and its sealing plate.  The mounting plate relies solely on the screws to hold-zero and due to being made of aluminum, you have to be very careful not to strip the threads.  It also means the RMR is mounted a little higher than if it was on a machined slide.  The main reason I went with the Atom was because I had a Sage Dynamics defensive handgun class approaching and I didn't have time to send my slide out.  Fast forward a few months and I have found myself grabbing my Glock 26 to carry when I'm in a hurry and wearing a s'medium t-shirt.  I have a thin build so it prints less in non CCW optimized clothes with a 12 round magazine. While it doesn't have a light, I only grab it for short daytime errands like popping into a corner store for milk.  I do prefer it's short length if I'm spending a lot of time driving.  In the appendix position, it doesn't dig into me while seated.  I can comfortably drive a 6 hour stretch without removing the holster, something I could never do with the 19.  I use the 26 often enough that I purchased a 2nd RM07 and inquired about places to send it for milling.  ATEI of course comes highly recommended but another that came up a few times was JagerWerx.  Their turn-around time is quoted to under three weeks and their prices are very reasonable,  In fact, I was a little weary of them when I saw their price of $125 for an RMR cut,  Good, fast, and cheap...Pick Two, is a popular maxim and for good reason.  They do require sending in your RMR so they can cut the slide to fit it perfectly.  A few fellow shooters who I hold in high regard told me JagerWerx was good to go so I went ahead and placed an order.  I shipped them my stripped slide with barrel and recoil spring assembly, RMR, and Ameriglo suppressor sights in a USPS Flat Rate small box.  For $195.00, JagerWerx cut my slide for the RMR, cut a new dovetail for the rear sight, and bead blasted and refinished the slide with Tungsten gray Cerakote.  A new striker channel liner is included and installed with the refinish, but if you opt to skip the Cerakote, the slide will still come back bead-blasted and ready to accept the finish of your choice. They also installed the sights,and then laser aligned both the sights and RMR.  It also looks like JagerWerx used copper paste, similar to what comes on Glocks from the factory, to lubricate the rear sight for installation.

While I had the RMR off I examined the slide cut.  The machine work and finishing are impeccable.  It will be a shame to mar the beautiful dark grey finish, but I specifically chose this color for it's ability to wear gracefully.

It's worth noting that JagerWerx received my slide on a Thursday and completed the work on Saturday.  Including shipping both ways my slide was only out of my hands for 8 days.  It was so quick that I was only half-way finished with my frame stipple job.  I'm sure it would have taken a few days longer if I had opted for one of their more exotic slide cut packages, but I'm a man of simple tastes.

Unlike the Atom slide, the cut utilizes the full width of the slide to support the bottom of the RMR.  However, the slide still isn't wide enough and the o-ring squirts out between the rear serrations.  A sealing plate is still required.

I  headed to the range and shot a 5 round zeroing group at 25 yards.  I only needed 3 clicks up on the RMR to get zeroed.  I removed the RMR to add two pieces of electrical tape under the battery as insurance to keep the dot from flickering.

I added a drop of blue loctite to each screw and reinstalled the RMR.  The RMR slots into its recess snuggly with almost zero movement before tightening the screws down.  It almost "snaps" into place.  Another 5 shot group confirmed a perfect return to zero.  Compared to my Glock 19/Atom, the RMR'd Glock 26 is quicker from the holster and faster on target.  Shot back to back, I actually prefer the recoil characteristics of the G26.  It's snappier, but the muzzle settles down quicker.  It may have something to do with the balance shift and added weight of the RMR.  It's a shame I can't mount a light on the 26, but then I might as well chop the 19 grip.  Using just the irons sights does highlight both the drawbacks and advantages of such a short sight radius.  With the rear sight moved two inches forward, you trade a accuracy for speed.  The sights align fast, like Colt single action revolver fast.  It looks rock steady, but when you turn the dot back on you can see how much movement is masked by the 3" sight radius.  Also, the front post only takes up about half of the rear notch.  Keeping equal light between the spaces is challenging.  That's not to say you can't get headshots at 25 yards, you just have to be extra mindful of keeping a perfect sight picture.

RMR - 25 yards, Supported

Irons - 25 Yards, Supported

Still, I prefer the rear sight forward of the RMR for several reasons.  The rear sight cannot block the dot in the window and doesn't fight for your eyes attention when picking up the dot.  It also provides a little protection for the RMR window and is less likely to snag on clothing.  With the RMR mounted to the rear, it sits a little further away from ejecting shells and sits further away from the metal corner of my belt buckle, an Ares Gear Aegis.

I'm extremely happy with the work JagerWerx performed on my Glock 26.  I don't think I can ever again recommend the Atom slide for anyone wanting to run a red dot.  My next Sage Dynamics class will be the 2-day Vehicle Defense course.  With the G26 being my preferred vehicle carry pistol, it will be in attendance with the G19 as a backup.

-Carry On

Update: I think I might know why I prefer the way the G26 shoots over the G19.  The G26 RMR is mounted further to the rear than on the Atom slide.  This is because the Atom slide is designed to host not just mini red dot sights, but also larger optics like the Aimpoint Micro series.  I think the weight shift to the rear from both the lighter muzzle on the G26, as well as having the RMR further back, balances the weight in hand better for me.  Also, the RMR is mounted slightly lower on the slide, closer to the bore.  Finally, the iron sight radius ends up nearly the same for both guns.  I really prefer the milled slide for the RMR.  I get a lower mount, more available iron sight radius, and a little more distance for the RMR from the ejection port.

G26 milled above vs G19 Atom below

Nearly identical iron sight radius

Slightly lower profile on G26