In the market for another AR in 9mm and am not interested in building one. Narrowed my choice to one of the two. Any opinions greatly appreciated…it would be merry christmas to me if you know what I mean !
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Don’t know anything about either model but I can’t see how you can compare anything RR against a Colt…and I ain’t a Colt fan!
Hmmm…I’d go with the Colt…
But maybe it’s just me…
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Got no horse in this race, and I’m pretty skeptical of any claims that Colt is a step above other top tier brands… but versus RRA, I’d pick Colt every time.
I’ve got a Colt 6450; good rifle, but it’s got the fixed A1 carrying handle.
I also have a Colt 6450 and am happy with its performance using metalform magazines and a cleaning/greasing every 1000 rounds
The consideration for a flat-top upper is the only reason why I’m weighing both of the manufacturers. If not for that reason, I would buy a Colt. What of the RRA LAR9. I only know what I’ve read from their website. Any issues with reliability ? Will the bolt hold open on an empty RRA mag? Thanks for the input, I can’t wait to get my hands on another AR, this time in a pistol caliber ! Help me decide, thanks again.
I have both. I’ve had the RR for years and bought the 6450 recently.
My RR is very heavy, mainly because I screwed up and ordered it with a midlength YHM quad rail and railed gas block. No matter what, the barrel is a thicker contour than the Colt, so it will be heavier overall. My choice of parts is very much a “If only I knew then what I know now” situation. It has eaten every type of ammo I’ve fed it from Metalform, converted Uzi, and CProducts mags. I bought it as an overgrown 10/22, but it is too heavy and still has more recoil than I initially expected. My wife likes to shoot, and she wants nothing to do with a gun this heavy. I don’t know the actual weight, but I bet it’s over 8 pounds. I had a buffer problem when I bought it, and RR customer service was very helpful.
After about 700 rounds, I like the weight of my 6450. Besides the 9mm specific parts, it uses mil-spec parts. I could see changing the A1 upper to a flattop in the future, but for now I’m plenty accurate enough with the open sights. It has been less than stellar with HP ammo and any brand of mag, but getting better as it gets broken in. The mag block is pinned in place, so there is no adjusting the feed ramp position like you can with the RR. At some point if the HP feed issue really bothers me, I may try a RR block to see if that cures the problem. I need to take some comparative measurements between the two guns.
I will be selling my RR. I was going to make it lighter, but I got the 6450 for a good price ($1015) off Gunbroker.
You are probably aware of this, but the newer 6450s come with a ramped bolt, M16 hammer, and a spacer in the receiver extension to account for the shorter cartridge.
Go colt. If you don’t like the a1, flat top uppers aren’t expensive.
After your latest message, buy the Colt. If you have or know someone who builds ARs, you can make a 6450 a flat-top for the cost of an upper receiver (RR, CMT, or Les Baer). The RR is a copy of the Colt system, and will hold the bolt open with Metalform and CProducts mags. Some people have problems with CProducts mags, but I haven’t. Right now, CDNN has Metalform mags at prices that should make you avoid CProducts mags. The 20 rounders are new but have some finish wear, but if you are going to use them anyway they are great mags
I wouldn’t buy CProducts anything if they were made from solid gold and selling for less than half the price of the raw material in weight. Shitty products, half-assed company.
Toonces has a couple of great posts above. I, too, had both and I sold the Colt and kept the RRA. Why? the RRA was attached to a registered SBR lower and the Colt was easier to sell as a package. What I wish I had done was SBR’d the Colt, cut the barrel to 10.5" (the length of my RRA) and install a flattop upper. More expensive n the long run but at least it would be what I wanted instead of what I’m stuck with. I’m still considering sending the RRA barrel out to be turned down to a more civilized profile.
Also, as mentioned, the 9mm AR tends to recoil more than the 5.56, which surprises many people at first. If you don’t have experience with them, or an actual application for them, IMHO they are a complete waste of money. I bought mine to shoot at the local private indoor range I belong to, and at the local steel matches. Guess how many times I’ve done either? That’s right, none. and the best part is that I have a can to go with it too, under the category of throwing good money after bad!
I bought my 6450 for the same reason I buy most guns these days: I wanted to try something different. I wouldn’t be my first choice for work or home defense (I’d take my BCM4 to war though) but it’s fun to shoot at the range. BTW, $1,015 is a great price.
I’ve got C-Products and Metalform mags in both 20 and 32 round versions. For me, the 20 round Metalforms are my hands-down favorite.
Colt 6450, hands down.
I agree with the first sentence of your comment, I already have a 5.56 M4 but am looking for something different. I’ve looked at a couple of IMI manufactured UZI’s in 9mm and they too have sparked an interest in me. Don’t know too much about them yet to hammer down a decision but if I go the pistol caliber route in an AR setup, it will probably be the Colt.
Okay folks, I sipped the KoolAid and opted for the Colt. Always wanted a Colt anyway I suppose. Layed down the money on a 6450 and hope to have it in 2 to 3 weeks. Merrrrrry Christmas to me, I figured I work hard enough…why not. Anyway, pics to follow once its in. Thanks for the responses, be safe!
Congrats, man. Should be fun and cheap(ish) to shoot. 
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I wouldn’t call that “sipping the KoolAid”…I’d call that drinking out of the glass that didn’t have a bunch of “debris” floating around in it!
Good luck with it!
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Roger that ! I have had previous experience with Colt AR’s and sometime ago I regrettably sold an HBAR I had due to urgent need of cash. Have since bought another AR of a different brand, but never had experience with an AR in a pistol caliber and wanted to be sure of my investment. Thanks for the luck and my best to all !
I wouldnt buy a RRA if there were no other AR manufacturers left in the world.
I’m late to the party, but I have two 6450s and love them both. One has an “old skool” 3X Colt scope on the A1 handle (used) and the other has a Colt Scout C-More red dot forward of the handle (new). I share a trio of 32-round Colt mags between them. Waiting for my tax stamp to be processed (hopefully next month) so I can install a Gemtech Multimount suppressor on the red dot gun. Reliable, reliable, reliable.
My only complaint about the 6540 is that if the bolt is back and the chamber is open, I can smack the telescoping butt with my hand or some other surface and the action slams shut - it’s cocked and locked. My M&P pistols will do the same thing if you slam a mag in hard enough. It’s a uh…feature.