I can’t say this without aging myself, but the MP5 started it all for me when I first saw Charlie Sheen’s portrayal of the insubordinate Lt. Dale Hawkins in the 1990 movie Navy SEALs. Nothing in the world seemed cooler at the time than waking up hungover on a beach, jumping out of a moving Jeep off a bridge into the waterway below, crashing through the doorway with a suppressed submachine gun, smoking a few bad guys, heading home to play a round of golf with the boys to the tune of The Boys Are Back in Town, and saving my vehicle from being impounded via a daring bicycle rescue from a moving tow truck.
My taste in movies has improved, slightly, but my affinity for the pistol-caliber carbine (PCC) has not changed. What has changed, despite my contrived yet continued fanboyism for an outdated manual of arms, is my actual preference for a platform that brings the PCC into the 21st century, combining modern amenities with controls familiar to America’s most popular rifle, the AR-15. When I first laid eyes on the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm, I thought they might be on to something, so I didn’t hesitate when given the opportunity to try one out for myself, and after mulling over the options, I decided on the 4.5” with a Griffin Armament Sportsman Ultralight HD silencer tucked under the handguard.
Impressions
The first thing that stuck out to me was the use of Metal Form Colt-pattern 9mm stick magazines. These durable, heat-treated steel P.E.Z. dispensers feature a true double-feed design, mirroring military submachine gun standards and making them easier to load and feed more reliably than single-feed Glock magazines. Another benefit of Colt-pattern magazines is their consistency with last-round bolt hold-open, a feature that is somewhat unreliable with Glock magazines and which some competitors skip altogether. Lastly, metal stick magazines just look better, and if you’re not trying to look cool on the range, then what are we even doing here?
My MK2 9mm came with a pair of 32-round magazines, also available in shorter 10- and 20-round configurations. These magazines aren’t inexpensive and aren’t as easy to find at your local pet store as Glock magazines. They range from $47.95 to $57.95, but then again, they are designed to work in pistol-caliber carbines, and I’ll take function over frugality.
The MK2 9mm magazine interface is meant to improve on Colt’s magazine well insert method, which was held in place with roll pins. Griffin Armament instead designed the lower receiver with a magazine well sized natively for the Colt 9mm magazine without an adaptor. Griffin Armament also designed a proprietary feed ramp tuned to deliver cartridges to the centerline of the chamber. Three Allen screws secure the 17-4 nitrided feed ramp, pulling it down into the receiver for solid engagement. Lastly, the ejector and bolt catch extension are a single component, needing no “adjustment of the ejector” like the original Colt system.
Another aspect of the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm that I appreciate is the forged receiver set. I’ll confess that I don’t really care for billet receivers and have never seen the benefit, unless you’re looking for a space-gun-like aesthetic to distract you from the fact that you bought the wrong firearm. Griffin Armament also designed the forged receiver set to include full ambidextrous controls, just like their MK2 AR-15s. To me, this is the best of both worlds: a mil-spec-like forged receiver set with an ambidextrous bolt catch and release, magazine release, selector, and Griffin’s SN-ACH Gen 2 suppressor-optimized charging handle. As a right-hander, I really like the right-side bolt lever, which is quick and easy to actuate with my trigger finger upward to lock the bolt back or down to release it. This is particularly great if you have to clear malfunctions, which, spoiler alert, won’t be an issue on the MK2 9mm. The lower receiver also comes with a 1/4-28 nylon-tipped tension screw to adjust the fit between the upper and lower, although my MK2 needed no fitting as it was perfectly snug from the factory.
The MK2 9mm also features Griffin Armament’s adjustable Kreiger Milazzo style 2-stage match trigger. These triggers combine a mil-spec 62RC 8620 trigger material and heat-treatment regimen with a 53RC 440C tool-stainless disconnector and a 440C nickel Teflon-coated tool steel lightened speed hammer, and feature adjustable overtravel and disconnector engagement. They are factory-configured for right-out-of-the-box use, and I didn’t mess with mine because the darn thing felt perfect. In fact, it is so nice that I’d say it’s a bit overkill for a PCC. After a short, smooth first-stage take-up, the second stage breaks crisply at a consistent four pounds according to my Wheeler Trigger Pull Scale, with no perceivable overtravel and an immediate reset when letting off the trigger.
I like Griffin’s A3 grip, which features a nice yet not overly aggressive texture, although I do wish the right-side selector were shorter and perhaps tapered, as I tend to choke up on the grip, and my hand rides up over the lever in use. This is not the end of the world, but it could be a nice touch for added ergonomics.
Finishing touches within the receiver set include dimpled takedown pins for protecting the finish of your lower if you ever need a tool to push them out, a flared magazine well machined into the receiver, machined shelves around both the left and right side magazine release to keep from accidental ejection (take a moment to have a laugh if you must), and Griffin’s smooth contoured anti-rotation QD end plate.
The brass H2 buffer slows carrier speed and lowers the rate of fire while providing better recoil mitigation. It is also sized to limit carrier travel, preventing small 9mm casings from becoming lodged in the fire control pocket, and is housed in Griffin Armament’s six-position Maritime Receiver Extension. My Griffin Armament MK2 9mm came to me as a pistol with an SBA3 brace, but I went the SBR route on this one because braces, as well as they work and are made these days, scream something to me that I just don’t like to be called.
At the business end of the MK2, you’ll find a Griffin Armament 4.5” 416R Stainless Steel HEDP Barrel threaded in 1/2×36 TPI with a 1:10 twist rate and a 3-lug adapter for quickly mounting and dismounting the Sportsman Ultra Light HD silencer. At first, you might question why a 3-lug adapter is necessary on a firearm with a tucked suppressor, since you likely won’t need to quickly attach and detach it. However, this is a much more secure attachment method, since a direct thread could back off under the handguard without warning and cause a baffle strike.
I have some experience with Griffin’s 416R Stainless Steel HEDP Barrels in their AR15s, and all of those experiences have been positive enough for me to say that this barrel is another point of overkill on a PCC. Just to be clear, that’s not a complaint. I’m just surprised to see it, especially at this price point. Spoiler alert: my experience on the range with this 9mm barrel was quite the same.
The barrel and silencer are neatly tucked into Griffin’s 7.5″ Suppressor Ready SR M-LOK Anti-Rotation Rail System, a 6061-T6 hardcoat anodized handguard with a 2″ external diameter and 1.54″ internal diameter. Griffin Armament makes these in many different lengths for different applications. The handguard features 7-sided M-LOK attachment points with a Picatinny rail running its length up top.
On this particular configuration, I have three full M-LOK slots and a partial one per side. You’ll be limited to the M-LOK slot furthest back toward the receiver because the tucked-in silencer does not leave enough room to mount grips, lights, or lasers any more forward than that. I knew this when I got into it, so I’m not complaining, but it’s worth mentioning. You’ll need gloves, a vertical foregrip, or to grip the magazine well if you’re mag-dumping excessively at the range, because the rail covering the silencer will eventually heat up; otherwise, 9mm isn’t too bad. Lastly, don't run this configuration without the silencer, because you risk grabbing the handguard forward of the muzzle and end up with a well-done flesh mitt.
Griffin Armament recommends the Sportsman Ultra Light HD .36 or the Bushwhacker .36 fitted with a booster housing and 3-Lug interface. I went with the Sportsman Ultra Light HD, at 6.5” length, 1.5” outer diameter, and 15.6 ounces when configured with the 3-lug mount. It is made from high-strength, high-temperature, corrosion-resistant 17-4PH stainless steel and finished in high-temperature Cerakote. It features a tubeless, laser-welded design; Griffin’s patented ECO-FLOW baffle system for reduced gas blowback; and industry-standard 1.375×24 HUB threads, and is full-auto rated for 60 rounds before needing to cool down. MSRP on the Sportsman Ultra Light HD .36 is $589.95, and at the time I’m writing this, it is on sale for $539.95.
The Griffin Armament MK 2 9mm in this particular configuration has an overall collapsed length of 26” or 29” with the brace extended, and weighs 5 pounds 13.4 ounces unloaded without any optics or accessories. As shown in this article, my MK2 weighs 8 pounds 6.4 ounces with an empty magazine.
The pistol version that mine started out as comes with an MSRP of $1,499.95, and as I’m writing this, Griffin Armament is running a sale, which they do periodically, for $1,249.95. The MK2 is neither expensive nor inexpensive for a quality direct blowback PCC, and don’t forget: if you want one in this configuration, you’ll also need to pick up a silencer. Good thing tax stamps are free.
Value is everything, and so far the MK2 9mm doesn’t disappoint: it seems solid, built with premium in-house components, and the factory quality control is tight. I looked forward to seeing how it performs at the range.
The Setup
I went back and forth on this one several times. Rail space looks decent, but it is limited in practice because, as I mentioned, the suppressor turns all the forward M-LOK slots into cooling slots, with only the rear-most slots available to mount anything. The only thing I might mount back there is a QD sling attachment, so I had to figure out my light and laser setup because shooting at night is freaking fun.
Ultimately, I mounted my SureFire Mini Scout Light Pro to the Picatinny rail in front of the handguard, rotating it to the side thanks to the handy hinge design. Right behind that, I mounted a pressure pad attached to my SMS Laser Trinity laser. I don’t really mind this setup because, as much as Griffin Armament’s handguard is solid, I prefer running the laser off the receiver when possible.
To clear my hand when engaging the pressure switch, I used a Unity Tactical riser I had on hand to raise the laser and cantilever it forward. Lastly, I went native on the optic setup and ran Griffin’s T2 Footprint Red Dot Sight on their 1.93” QD mount. Lastly, I ran Griffin Armament’s M2 backup iron sights, excellent low-profile sights that I run on several of my rifles.
On the Range
My first order of business was to zero the iron sights and optic, then zero my laser parallel with the bore’s vertical offset. Once everything was set, I shot a few 5-shot groups from a bench at 50 yards to test mechanical accuracy. I didn’t have space for a magnifier, but results were excellent nonetheless.
Starting with Hornady Custom 124gr XTP, my best group measured 0.69” with an average velocity of 1,170.5 fps and a standard deviation of 7.3. The Griffin Armament Sportsman Ultra Light HD .36 silencer performed well, and although this load cracked the sound barrier, it was manageable for my ears. I still recommend hearing protection if you are not shooting suppressed subsonic rounds, but this was not bad at all.
Next I moved to Hornady Custom 147gr XTP. My best group size measured 0.75” with an average velocity of 1,032.8 fps and a standard deviation of 12.9, followed by Federal American Eagle 147gr FMJ with an identical group size of 0.75” at an average of 1,088.8 fps and a standard deviation of 6.4.
The big difference, obviously, was the sound performance with the 147gr subsonic loads. Both were very pleasant to shoot without hearing protection. The Griffin Armament MK2 9mm and Sportsman Ultra Light HD .36 silencer were a great match, and the blowback system cycled reliably with the reduced pressure of subsonic ammunition, which can be an issue on some platforms, causing short-cycling and failures to eject. The MK2 didn’t exhibit any of this behavior, suggesting the buffer weight and spring rate were well thought out and calibrated from the factory.
Without an adjustable gas mechanism to tune, the system is mechanically simple and tolerates pressure variations between ammunition types without any cycling complications. I really appreciate a system like this, as I would rather not have to remember to change gas settings with ammunition. Griffin Armament did an excellent job here.
Speaking of gas, I’ve heard that wrong-handed individuals might get some back into the face with this configuration; however, I didn’t experience that as a right-hander. I will say that the Sportsman Ultra Light HD .36 silencer seems to prioritize sound suppression over forward flow; however, I found it well balanced and not overly gassy, while doing a great job protecting my ears.
The Griffin Armament MK2 9mm didn’t seem to mind any of the ammunition I threw at it. In fact, it performed well across the board. Groups remained pleasantly consistent regardless of the load, and 9mm recoil, which isn’t much to talk about out of a PCC, even with a direct blowback gas system, was manageable to the extent that the MK2 stayed on target for double taps and Bill Drills. As I suspected, magazine feeding was reliable, as was ejection with every round fired.
Given that direct blowback systems tend to get pretty messy inside the receiver after a decent number of rounds, especially suppressed, I am happy to report this didn’t affect the MK2 9mm at all. I ran it dirty and never cleaned it throughout this review because I’m old enough to have lost the fondness for doing that. I have around 600 assorted rounds through the MK2 now, and it doesn’t seem to matter. Look, don’t be like me. Clean your guns. I just want you to know that if you don’t, this 9mm PCC has you covered.
I’m going to go back to the controls for a second to say that the Griffin MK2 lowers are my favorite ambidextrous lowers on the market, and I mean that for their 5.56mm and 300BLK rifles as well as the MK2 9mm. Everything is right where it needs to be, quick to access, protected from accidental actuation, and all built into a forged receiver. I also really like the flared magazine well machined into the lower, which really helps speed up mag changes. The magazine well is a precise fit, so you won’t get any wobbling with your Colt-pattern stick mags, but it is also precise in that magazines drop free upon ejection.
Lastly, I stand by my previous statement that Griffin Armament’s 2-stage adjustable trigger is overkill on a PCC, but the company seems hell-bent on providing the most value possible to customers, so I’ll take it. It is the type of trigger I would love to find on a MK12 or any other precision AR platform. Aside from being a very crisp 2-stage system, which is my preference, its adjustability can really help you dial in the speed. Go very small on the adjustments, however, as you don’t need much for a noticeable difference, and going too far will cause the trigger not to work properly. Regardless, it is easy to adjust, and when dialed in for my taste, I can run this system extremely fast, which, when compounded with accuracy, controls, and reliability, rounds out the overall performance of the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm.
Final Thoughts
Recently, I spoke with someone who was thinning out most of their rifle-caliber firearms for 9mm PCCs and ammunition, and I had to ask why while scratching my head and wondering what this person had been ingesting. Then he put it to me as simply as he could. He wanted more time on the range, more training, and more rounds downrange, and this was as practical a response as I could think of. How could I argue with that? I’ll admit that I have become a big 300BLK advocate when it comes to quiet subguns, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, but there is no way to make that endeavor anywhere as affordable as training with 9mm. My hat is off to you, my fellow Tacswapper.
Additionally, a 9mm PCC adds stability for those who aren’t great with a handgun yet, as it adds points of contact. My wife can limp-wrist any automatic handgun into a malfunction, and her idea that the solution is a .357 Magnum revolver is not very realistic, as recoil is an issue and she can’t hit the broadside of a barn. However, she can jam on a suppressed rifle platform, and the lack of a loud bang makes her comfortable and gives her the confidence to handle the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm in a home defense scenario. That way, in case of emergency, she can back me up as I clear the house with an RPG...
All kidding aside, this one sits at my bedside, not hers. I must admit I have a history with Griffin Armament, from their AR-15s to this 9mm PCC to their silencers, mounts, and even their budget-friendly optics that have punched way above their weight class. I’m currently reviewing one of their 300BLK rifles and experiencing much of the same.
That being said, I’m going to close with the value proposition here. The Griffin Armament MK2 9mm, especially in this configuration with a silencer, won't be your cheapest option for a decent PCC, but it will cost you far less money than many high-end sub guns out there, which frankly, this gun outperforms in a number of ways. So, when you ask yourself whether you want a MK2 9mm in your life, reflect on whether you’re the type who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. This is a firearm I would trust for duty and home defense, and not just some range toy. Given what I have access to, that is saying a lot, and in my humble opinion, that makes the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm an outstanding value.
For more information on Griffin Armament firearms, silencers, parts, and accessories, please visit www.GriffinArmament.com
