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I enjoy pistol-caliber carbines. I understand the complaints and reasons why others aren’t fans of them. I find them so much fun and cheaper to shoot than my 5.56 and .308 caliber rifles. They tend to be easy to suppress, and I can shoot at most indoor ranges, as well as being able to be fairly close to steel targets when shooting.
What’s my favorite PCC? Currently, it’s the CMMG MkGs Resolute.
There are a few things to unpack there. The MkGs means it takes GLOCK magazines. Resolute means it’s a full-sized rifle. Not a braced AR pistol, but a full-sized AR rifle chambered in 9mm…and it takes GLOCK mags.
For some, that seems silly but for me, it was the perfect platform for a competition rifle. I’ve been shooting a lot of Steel Challenge and Action Steel Matches as of late, and my CMMG MkGs has been my go-to.
The CMMG MkGs Up Close
The CMMG MkGs use the radial delayed blowback system that has made CMMG’s PCCs and braced pistols tough to beat. Most ARs in 9mm are straight blowback-operated weapons, meaning the breech isn’t locked. Instead, it’s held closed by a mixture of a heavy bolt, buffer, and buffer spring. These 9mm carbines aren’t shoulder beaters, but they have more recoil than a 9mm rifle should.
The radial delayed system of the CMMG series is a locked breech system. The bolt is nearly identical to a standard 5.56 bolt. The bolt has teeth, but those teeth are trimmed at an angle, locked into the chamber of the gun. When it’s fired, the bolt spins and unlocks and allows the rifle to cycle. This system means the gun doesn’t need any heavy bolts, buffers, or springs.
The rifle itself features a free-float M-LOK handguard that’s ultra-lightweight. The barrel has the CMMG Zeroed Muzzle Brake. We get an ambidextrous safety with a short throw and an ambi charging handle.
CMMG uses a Texas-sized bolt release along with that Texas-sized charging handle. The magazine release is pressed rearward, so it works with GLOCK mags, and the gun has a last-round bolt hold open device.
The MkGs also comes with CMMG’s rip stock. The rip stock allows for instant deployment from a close position. Just grip and rip. The Ripstop comes with a set screw that allows you to set the stock to the position you prefer.
The MkGs In Competition
In my first-ever match, I used the MkGs and came in third. I took that as an absolute win. When I shot my first Action Steel match, I didn’t even know what the red line around the shooting position meant. I was a bit clueless. Still, taking third is a testament to this rifle’s handling and capabilities.
The first big advantage it gave me over other shooters was its almost complete lack of recoil. Compared to a blowback rifle, the Resolute might as well be shooting rimfire. It doesn’t PEW its pews. The radial delayed blowback system works wonderfully and the brake also likely gives the gun a little help in the recoil department.
Accuracy is also excellent. I topped the gun with a ZeroTech red dot. The lightweight dot compliments the rifle and its purpose really well. At 50 yards with a benched rifle, I can create groups averaging about 1.6 inches. Sure, that’s not 1 MOA, but pistol rounds aren’t exactly the most stable rounds for longer-range shooting.
The trigger is MIL-SPEC-ish. It’s not super light, but there’s no grit or take-up, just a stiff wall before the break.
From a practical perspective, the Resolute shoots straight and does it quickly. It’s very easy to swing from target to target, both big and small, and keeps your rounds flowing down range. Squeezing off a dozen rounds barely moves the gun, so hitting an A-zone twice isn’t much of a challenge.
Reloading and Reliability
Rarely do I ever have to reload in a PCC competition. A 33-round GLOCK mag is often plenty. When I do have to reload or when I practice reloading, the process is super easy.
The fact that the bolt locks open on the last round is nice and not always a feature of PCCs that use GLOCK magazines. The magwell is beveled, and that helps in quickly feeding the rifle. That big bolt release takes a palm nicely and sends the bolt home.
Magazines will seat without a problem on a closed bolt, except for the Magpul D50 9mm drum. It will seat, but needs a firm hand to make it so. It’s much easier to shove into a magwell with an open bolt.
Most of the time, I get a gun, I get the ammo for it, and I set it aside. This way I can track the ammo utilized by the gun during a review. I don’t have that exact information for the MkGs because I’ve shot it an absolute ton. Well over a thousand rounds by now. I clean it…sometimes. It’s not really a maintenance-heavy gun.
I haven’t had a single malfunction with the gun that wasn’t ammo-related. Heck, I haven’t even run into hard primer issues. I had a few rounds with projectiles seated too deeply and one projectile that just separated from the case when it was its turn to empty the chamber. I blame stage fright and the fact that Winchester White Box ain’t what it used to be.
A Resolute Revolution
The CMMG Resolute MkGs is one helluva rifle. My wife and older kiddos really enjoy it. It’s soft-shooting and lightweight. PCCs are optimum for home defense ballistically, but can be optimum ergonomically for a lot of users. For competition shooting, the Resolute is just right. It’s not the cheapest option, but it seems to be the most affordable non-blowback gun.
My only complaint regarding the MkGs is the stock. It doesn’t offer sling points and it pulls on my beard like a beast.
Other systems like gas pistons and roller-delayed blowback guns cost more than the radial delayed systems. This particular model and I will likely be together for quite some time, and it’s going to remain my favorite PCC (until I start losing more and need to blame something besides myself).
Specifications: CMMG Resolute MkGs
Barrel Length – 16.1 inches
Overall Length – 32.5 inches
Weight – 6.4 pounds
Caliber – 9mm
Capacity – 10 to 50
MSRP – 1,799.95 (Street Price $1,650-ish)
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
Accuracy * * * * ½
For a PCC, the MkGs is quite accurate. It does everything it can with the 9mm round. Best of all, it’s fast and accurate.
Ergonomics * * * * *
The CMMG MkGs Resolute is a very easy-to-handle rifle with excellent controls and ergonomics. It’s all laid out really well, and the controls are quite large and easy to use.
Reliability * * * * *
It’s never let me down, either during training and practice or in the middle of a match.
Ease of Use * * * * *
The CMMG Resolute MkGs has so little recoil and muzzle rise that it could be a great home defense weapon for smaller shooters. It’s a very friendly for new and smaller shooters.
Overall * * * * ½
The Resolute MkGs is my personal favorite PCC. It’s a very easy-shooting, accurate, and ergonomic platform that’s reliable to boot. What more could I want?
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