HM Defense Users out there?

@Jeffrey77 I haven’t heard of HM Defense, but that doesn’t mean too much there are lots of good builders out there now. Do you have a link or two to reviews of their equipment?

An AR pistol is a fine choice for HD/SD. There are a bunch of members on here with that setup or similar. If it’s your first AR, I’d recommend to stick with 5.56, but there are a few of us running 300Blackout which allows for even shorter barrel length and they are a dream suppressed.

Already considered that. Not worried. Thanks for your input.

Thanks @Harvey. This would be my first AR. I was looking at 5.56 / 223 and did a little research on 300 BLK today and other things like cost of Ammo, Silencer cans, optics, etc. There are several videos on YouTube regarding their pistols. Here is one of them: HM Defense Raider M5 AR Pistol - YouTube. Here’s another: HM Defense 12.5" Monobloc Upper - YouTube

I’m going to send them an email with a list of questions to see how their customer service responds. I’m a little perplexed that there are no long-term reviews and/or recent videos about them (recent being less than a year), but their technology of the Bolt and Gas system seems to quite stellar. But I don’t plan on abusing the Tool, so not sure it’s really necessary to purchase a complete build or just piece together on my own.

The original AR pistol’s could not have a butt stock of any type to be classed as a pistol. If you put any type of a stock on it you had better have a permit for a short barrel rifle because it was totally against the law. Now there must have been some changes to that law to be legal. But to be true to form if it has a stock so that it can be pulled/mounted to your shoulder to shoot it is no longer a pistol. I personally do not care to look up the laws to see what has changed. Still personally as to home defense I would rather have the youth model 410 or the 20 gauge as I have already stated if I wanted something besides a pistol

The law has not changed. As long as the intent of the AR is not to be mounted against the shoulder, it is classified as a Pistol. If you compare closely the Stock or Butt or whatever you want to call it between the two, you will see the Riffle is contoured to fit against the Shoulder, as originally designed. The Pistol is not and is shaped to fit flat against the forearm and or gripped by your support hand. Of course the other requirement is the length of the Barrel.

Everyone’s need and requirements are different. Size of home, cover ability, layout of rooms, etc. A shotgun can be a great choice, but at a distance, I really don’t want to put holes in my furniture and repair walls or cabinets. Of course just the sound could be determinant enough to scatter the mice. To each his own.

If you have ever shot a Keltek PMR-30 in 22 mag , now that is a noise and light show. I think the show will turn any perp. around whether you hit him or not. The fireball is about 2 feet by 1 foot in low light coditions.

Thanks, I’ll take a look at those videos. There may not be a ton of reviews just simply because it’s a very crowded market with AR manufacturers. That said… there are a ton of AR manufacturers out there making good stuff so don’t feel too tied down to any one in particular. You can save a few bucks by putting it together yourself (even just buying a separate lower and upper can save like $50), but there is appeal to just taking it out of the box and “it just works”.

There are many threads in here with helpful info, I’ll go ahead and post a few but check back in if you have any specific questions we can help with.

@Harvey thank you I will look around. It’s like Christmas shopping though…always finding something I want to add to my list.

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I finally got around to watching the HM Defense videos. They seem like good kit. I respect IraqVeteran8888, Sootch00, and MrGunsnGear (his comment is on IraqVeteran8888’s video) opinions and they seem to all give it a :+1:

My own $0.02, they get points for USA made/assembled/sourced and I do think they address potential weak points on the AR platform (the bolt and gas port/block). But those failure points under normal usage is pretty far down the line in round count. Its hard to say how many more rounds you’d get out of the system before failure? 10%? 20%? more? If all else is equal though (cost, availability) those are nice-to-have features.

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I contacted HM this morning and they answered several of my questions. They then gave a contact number of someone near me who is an authorized dealer. After speaking with him, I felt very comfortable about the product. Failures can come at any time, but when you hear someone has multiple AR’s and put 200,000+ rounds through one w/o issues, that speaks volumes to me. That is what I couldn’t find on any review or video - that long-term performance.

USA made and assembled was a big deal to me as well. Long-term durability based on how I plan to use it and my general upkeep with firearms , as well as the price point (not cheap, but not expensive either), sold me. Plus purchasing it from a Veteran-owned, small business is a bonus.

I went ahead and ordered the Raider M5 Pistol. Hopefully will have it in 5 weeks or so.

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@RustyBucket_TX Luckygunner.com has some Soft-point for sale right now. I just picked up some to have on hand when my Pistol arrives.

Appreciate the link.
They are only showing 55 grain fmj available right now
Added to my links and will check back.
Thanks

Wow, sold out quick. Glad I jumped on it. I’m sure there will be more soon.

Let us know your impressions when you get it in!

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Thought I’d follow up and share my experience. I received the Pistol within about 10 days of ordering. Kudos to HM Defense and my local dealer for getting it out a lot faster than originally indicated. I took it home, broke it down completely to clean it from the manufacturer oils and re-lube with Hoppes. Put the sight on the next morning and went to the range in the afternoon to put 180 rounds through it. By the end, I was picking off nickels at 25 yrds. For a first-time 5.56 owner, I was extremely happy and impressed. I have added some additional components such as a light, ambi-controls, different brace, and a magnifier since the initial shoot. I took it out again yesterday to align the magnifier and I made a few mistakes that resulted in me running out of ammo (only took one mag), so I need to go back again (my mis-understanding of the controls), but this Pistol fires soooo nice. It only has a very slight movement to the left on the recoil and is very easy to put back on target. Next upgrades will be a Suppressor and suppressor-type Charging Handle (Radian) when the ATF stamp comes in. Attached is a photo of this darling.

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Looks great, glad to hear it works well.

Questions!

How do you like the Streamlight? What is the activation method there, press down on button? What is the light pattern like? I have a pistol light on one of my AR pistols instead of a Scout-type light because of size/weight/railspace, and that looks intriguing to me.

What safety is that? did it come with the rifle or you swapped it out?

What grip is that? It looks more vertical than Magpul variants… how do you like it?

Thanks @Harvey.

I really like the light. I was going to get some of the traditional lighting systems, but from an ergonomics standpoint, this one looks streamlined, not like a war fighter pistol/riffle setup. The ergonomics allow it to be placed on top and still allow the sight line to be clean and interference-free.

It is bright and inside the house and the pattern doesn’t spread out too far. I haven’t taken it outside at night, but will do so and post a couple pics.

I bought the model that came with the activation Pad, so I’d have a choice once I decide where it will finally sit. Although with a 12.5" barrel, there really isn’t the need for the Pad. The switch on the light is tactile and works even if you just press on the corner of the switch. I have moved it up one rail so that I can place my thumb either beside the light or just behind the switch without having to press it. It’s more comfortable and gives me another grip option. The only thing I don’t like is the White lettering on the sides

The safety is an Odin Works Ambi 45’/90’ throw. It did not come with the pistol. I wanted to get a Radian, but the two I wanted were on backorder and I didn’t want to wait. I chose the red color because I thought is would just be a subtle change and easy for like an instructor to see - taking que’s from the War Poet.

The grip is the stock one from HM. It is not uncomfortable, but does have some quite aggressive stippling. The angle feels good for me, but I do notice that I have to move my hand more than I thought to put the Safety back to Safe position. I may try another grip, but would like to test some before purchasing.

Are you wanting home defense or other use?

Just my 2¢. A 410 or 20 gauge (or 12 gauge if you are stout enough) tactical shot gun would be better for home defense. The AR pistol for a greater distance.

I recently read an article that suggested that a home defense should include a tactical shot gun, a pistol and a long gun (usually an AR). No judgment, just info…

Look up :point_up_2:t2:

I am using for HD first, but plan on taking it out while on the trails and mountain expeditions for protection. However, will probably get lost in a boating accident before too long.

Thanks for the replies!

Yeah as soon as I saw this light I was intrigued. On a rifle, I love the typical scout-type tubular lights, usually with a switch. But on these shorter AR pistols and carbine-ish setups (like some PCCs) they just take up too much space and weight. So I’ve put a pistol light on mine (posted in another thread), but this looks like a purpose built pistol/carbine light.

For the white lettering, some black permanent marker should fix that right up :smiley:

Good point about having to reach for the safety with a more vertical grip. I’ve heard the vertical is more comfortable on pistols.

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