CAA has recently expanded their RONI line with a new non-NFA option for those that want a proper stock but refuse to file a stamp. Recently I reviewed the Lock, Stock, and Barrel carbine conversion and found it lacking in a few areas, based on a cursory look at the RONI chassis I feel like this might feel more like a rifle for those looking to turn their pistol into a rifle.

Pulling the stock out of the box a quick read of the instructions shows how to open the clam shell of the conversion up. There are two HK style captive pins that need to be pushed out in order to slide the forearm and rear portion out of the way. The kit does include an Austrian made 16″ barrel that is not pictured.

Once the stock is opened up it is as simple as fitting the included 16″ barrel into the slide, replacing the stock recoil spring, and sliding the charging handle over the rear of the slide. The charging handle has a convenient cutout for the rear sight so even if you have suppressor height sights the handle will fit. Some adjustable target style sights may not fit requiring modification.

Now slide the barrel and gun into the stock and locate the rail slot with the stud molded into the stock. Close the clamshell, tighten the two thumbscrews and push the two parts of the stock closed so that you can reinsert the captive pins. The entire conversion takes only a couple of minutes from start to finish, the Glock 17 Gen4 that I borrowed from my friend for the test looks a little ridiculous but whatever.  

Even though the Glock has no manual safety CAA felt it a necessity and included a crude trigger block on the RONI. You can see the thumb screw just forward of the trigger block. They also include an adjustable forward grip that you can position at 90 degrees, 45 degrees or flat against the stock depending on your preference. 

I found the mechanics as to how they made a Glock work inside of a rifle stock rather interesting. The charging handle pokes through the stock allowing it to reciprocate with every round fired. I was a bit concerned with the moving part so close to my face but quickly saw that I was in no danger of being struck. The thumb screw just below the charging handle was a real bear to tighten by hand and required a screwdriver to get to finish tightening it up. 

I decided to mount my spare Aimpoint M4 on the rifle, I think I would have preferred a smaller red dot to the large M4. The M4 was the perfect height for the RONI, on the other optics I tried to mount I found that the stock was far too in line to go with anything shorter.

Getting the RONI out on the range was more of a treat than I ever expected. I sort of questioned the existence of the carbine conversion trying to figure out what role it would fill. After an afternoon where I burnt through about 600 rounds I think I have identified the role that it is most at home in. Fun at the range. Unlike the other conversion kit I recently tested I found that the Roni was more than reliable with every kind of ammo that I put into it. Everything from the cheapest steel case 9mm to the ultra hot +P+ 124 grain 9mm I had with me, the RONI ate it all.

My only recommendation is that if you plan to buy a GLOCK for the RONI or have a choice, use a Gen4 gun so that you can swap the mag button to the left handed side. The same problem that I found with the Lock, Stock, and Barrel was presant on the RONI as far as fast mag changes. 

Shooting at the same 25 yards that I did with the other carbine converion I got a bit better group when shooting unsupported. I refused to make adjustments to the Aimpoint since it normally lives on one of my AR-15s and really didnt want to hassle with rezeroing. I was pleased with the level of accuricy that I was able to squeese out of the RONI when shooting at steel targets on the 100 yard rifle range. Reliable hits when compensating for the dot being a bit off was quite simple. 

Should you give the RONI a try? Hell yes. It was one of the most fun things I have been able to test for the blog thus far. I can see the RONI fitting into several different roles from a low-cost training tool for new shooters all the way to home defense. It wouldn’t be my first choice for self-defense because, well, AR-15. But if you were looking for a 9mm long gun on the cheap I wouldn’t count it out.

The MSRP of $592 is a bit stiff, but if you already own the Glock the stock is only about 1/3 the cost of an actual pistol caliber carbine. You can learn more about the CAA RONI Pistol Carbine Conversion C-G2 on the CAA website HERE.