Sometimes a firearm comes along and you just have to put it in your hands. The CMMG MkGs Banshee 9mm AR Pistol falls smack dab into that category for me. I came across one recently and with no time to shoot it or extra kidneys to buy it, I had to at least fondle it. So in this TFB Review, we give you a short snapshot, or a lightning review, of the CMMG MkGs Banshee 9mm AR Pistol. We will try to highlight our first impressions, concerns, and areas in which we were impressed.

Since we did not have an opportunity to shoot this firearm, unfortunately, we will outline the specifications of this pistol and then dive straight into our thoughts.

Specifications: cmmg mkgs banshee 9mm 5″ ar pistol

This AR pistol has a lot of similar features and characteristics to their other MkGs firearms (both pistol and rifle), but coming in a smaller package there are a few differences. All of the specifications as presented by CMMG can be read below:

• BARREL: Barrel Sub-Assm, 5″ MT 4140CM SBN, 9mm
• MUZZLE: Thread Protector, Threaded ½-28
• HANDGUARD: CMMG RML4
• FURNITURE: Magpul MOE Pistol Grip, Tailhook MOD 2 Pistol Brace, Ambi Sling Plate, Ambi Selector, Ambi Charging Handle
• RECEIVERS: Billet 7075-T6 AL Lower, Forged 7075-T6 AL Upper
• TRIGGER: CMMG Single Stage Mil-Spec style trigger
• MAGAZINE: Glock 9mm 33 round
• WEIGHT: 4.7lbs
• LENGTH: 20″ (Brace Collapsed)

The CMMG Banshee can be ordered in 11 different, strong Cerakote finishes. The color option that we had the opportunity to handle was Midnight Bronze. In the pictures you will see throughout this article, you may notice that our exact MkGs Banshee has a few scratches in it. This is not representative of how good or bad Cerakote finishes are (or the one that CMMG applies). The firearm we specifically handled was a sample. Moreover, a firearm that is shifted around the country for demo-ing, fondling and general tomfoolery at the range for the public. Simply put, it has been roughly used by possibly thousands of people.

initial thoughts: cmmg mkgs banshee 9mm 5″ ar pistol

Overall, the handling of the MkGs Banshee is great! To utilize this for sport at the range or possibly defense, this would be a very easy firearm for anyone to get trained on with a simple red dot on top. The brace collapses to fit various users and the gun is very light. Something that could be easily carried for extended periods of time and makes for fast movements when engaging targets.

All of the controls are what you would expect from an AR pistol and much of the furniture is intuitive if you have not seen it on other firearms in the industry. Two points of potential concern for me were the pistol brace and the handguard. Since the muzzle barely clears the handguard I would like to see the curled, built-in handstop beefed up a bit to prevent over-reaching with your support hand.

The pistol brace does its job in regards to letting a user shoulder the rifle, but the ability to manipulate its collapsible feature and wrap around a forearm could be improved. The button to collapse the pistol brace is a bit sticky and gritty. This could be due to extended range use as a demo gun; I am not sure. Also, if you want to shoot the AR pistol with your forearm in the brace (which is the Gear Head Works Tailhook Mod 2) it functions as a counter lever (rather than the “wrap around your forearm and velcro in” type).  As you can see, the “brace” (which you can add to any “pistol”) has no problem accommodating my humongous Popeye forearms.

Final thoughts: cmmg mkgs banshee 9mm 5″ ar pistol

With the ability to suppress the MkGs Banshee 9mm, lots of ambidextrous controls, being accepting of Glock-patterned magazines and generally handling well I would love to see this AR pistol again on a day where I can shoot it at a range. In my mind, it has the potential to serve a lot of utility yet being tremendously fun at the range as well. With just this short, snapshot review we were able to provide you guys and gals, what do you think?… At an MSRP of $1,499 and available in your pick of .22 Long Rifle, 9mm, .45 ACP or .300 Blackout would you add one to your arsenal?… Let us know in the comments below!

 

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