I have a thing for pistol caliber carbines and subguns. I’m not sure why.
Maybe it’s the impression Die Hard made on me when I was young with the MP5. Regardless of the reason, I was excited to get the JAKL 9 in hand. I’ve reviewed the JAKL in 5.56 and in .308, but the JAKL 9 excited me more than either of those. When the bosses at AmmoLand asked me to give it a spin, I absolutely couldn’t wait!
Breaking Down the JAKL 9
The JAKL and JAKL-10 are both long-stroke gas piston systems, but the JAKL 9 ditches the long-stroke system for a standard straight blowback design. I don’t think you could create a long-stroke gas piston system that’s reliable enough to work with various 9mm cartridges. Straight blowback isn’t fancy, but it works, and it’s an affordable design that is incredibly reliable.
The new JAKL 9 series comes as pistols, large-format pistols, but pistols nonetheless. Like most PSA products, they come in numerous colors with multiple furniture options. My specific model is the FDE, which comes with a triangle-style brace. The brace attaches to a rear 1913 rail, and much like the original JAKL, there is no receiver extension present.
The barrel is 6.5 inches long and comes fitted with an A2 flash hider. I’d honestly prefer a bare threaded barrel to make it a little easier to attach a suppressor, but it’s no big deal. The JAKL 9 does use a 1/2×28mm thread pitch.
The JAKL 9 is an interesting design. It combines a new upper receiver with an AR-V lower receiver. A 1913 rail system covers the portion of the receiver where you’d attach a receiver extension. This lower is compatible with several AR-15 parts, including triggers, pistol grips, and safeties.
Like the AR-V, the gun utilizes Scorpion-pattern magazines. I prefer these to Glock mags. They don’t have the rear slant; they are true double-feed, double-stack magazines, and they make reloading easy. Additionally, they are more affordable than Glock OEM 33-round magazines.
Rocking and Rolling With the JAKL 9
I tossed on a Primary Arms SLx red dot, did a quick zero, and got down to business. Zeroing is a great time to try to tap into the raw accuracy of a platform. At 25 yards, I used a barrel for support and got a decent position, and fired a five-round group. It’s quite tight and impressive, roughly two inches, and I was using 115-grain Monarch Steel Case ammo.
At 50 yards, I could hit a 33% reduced-sized IPSC target. At 75 yards, I was hitting an IPSC-sized steel target with ease. At 100 yards, I used a Sage Dynamics Thoracic target that’s the size of a piece of printer paper.
I fired seven rounds, aiming to have the majority of them hit from an offhand shooting position. I made six out of seven, so it’s minute-of-bad-guy accurate in the hands of a mediocre shooter. The trigger is nice and crisp. It’s not a match trigger but sits on the good side of MIL-SPEC.
After I busted the rust from slow fire, I started spinning my tires and sending ammo downrange a little faster. I worked Bill Drills, Failure to Stop Drills, transition drills, and simple ready-up drills.
Taming the JAKL
My Bill Drills hovered around 1.6 seconds, and I used a reduced-size A-zone. Failure to stop drills took about 1.25 seconds. I completed ready-up drills in about 0.6 seconds at ten yards. For transitions, I moved between a rack of gongs and various popper targets. Accuracy wasn’t an issue, and neither was control.
The JAKL 9 utilizes a straight blowback system, a design known for its relatively aggressive recoil. It’s not a ton of recoil, but it typically feels like a lot more than a 9mm should. It’s usually akin to a 5.56 rifle. That’s not the case here. The recoil feels pretty light, not roller-delayed MP5 light, but less than something like a Scorpion.
The gun’s quite controllable, and you can put rounds in targets quickly, accurately, and efficiently. The JAKL 9 would undoubtedly be suitable for self-defense or in competitive environments.
Running and Gunning
My biggest problem with the JAKL 9 comes from the bolt release. It’s placed on the magwell, and while the placement is fine, it’s so small. My thumb was slipping off of it when my hands got sweaty. It was much easier to just give the bolt a tug when doing reloads.
For the first few reloads, my brain was reaching for an AR-15-style magazine release, but I couldn’t find that handy little button. The JAKL 9 uses a CZ Scorpion-style magazine release that’s inherently ambidextrous and easy to reach. It took a couple of reloads for me to smooth out my muscle memory, but I arrived at the gate before the plane departed.
The AR safety feels completely natural. It’s easy to manipulate and flies into action. The charging handle sits above the barrel, and like the standard JAKL, is non-reciprocating. It’s very JAKL-like and easy to grab. The recoil spring is substantial, so it requires a dedicated pull, but most adults will handle it just fine.
The big JAKL-style square handguard is great. It sits flat in the hand, resists heat exceptionally well, and gives you enough room to get a grip. There are only a few slots for accessories, but you can fit a light on without a problem.
Live Inventory Price Checker
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PSA JAKL 6.5" 9mm Pistol Without Brace, Black | Palmetto State Armory | $ 899.99 |
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PSA JAKL 6.5" 9mm Pistol, FDE | Palmetto State Armory | $ 999.99 |
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PSA JAKL 6.5" 9mm Pistol Without Brace, FDE | Palmetto State Armory | $ 899.99 |
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PSA JAKL 6.5" 9mm Pistol, FDE w/ F5 Brace | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1049.99 |
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Another Subgun Option
Palmetto State Armory offers the widest variety of PCCs and subguns that I am aware of. From the H&R guns and AK-V to the AR-V and JAKL 9, there is something for everyone. The JAKL 9 does something a little different, at least externally, from most others.
While it may not replicate the JAKL’s long-stroke gas piston system, it does offer the look, feel, and ergonomics of PSA’s platform. It’s a ton of fun, and for PCC/subgun addicts like myself, it fits well in my gun safe.
About Travis Pike
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s instructor.
Just a minor observation. There’s is no such thing as a 1/2″-28 mm thread. Its a UNF Thread. Equivalent metric would be a M12 x 1.75 . Retired 45 year machinist. Great article though !
I bought the 300 Blackout Upper, hated it so much that I returned it. Despite SIX gas settings, it would not cycle subs on the most open gas setting. I called a few people in tech support and they confirmed that it would cycle subs without a can. My MCX has only TWO gas settings and will cycle subs. with or without a can, You would think with SIX gas settings (i.e. plenty to spare), they would have had one setting as open as any ammo might possibly need, but it seems that logic escaped them. Also, they added cute… Read more »
In the article it is stated that the weapon in question is a pistol. YET the pictuires show the “pistol” as held to the shoulder, making it a “short-barreled rifle”- isnt that illegal according to ATF? Asking for a friend… 😉