New For 2023: Bear Creek Arsenal Bufferless 9 mm Semi-Autos

by
posted on November 1, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Bear Creek Bufferless 01
Images courtesy of Bear Creek Arsenal.

North Carolina-based Bear Creek Arsenal has become a firearms innovator, from modern sporting rifles chambered in belted magnum cartridges to the company's own striker-fired handgun design. Its latest offerings are AR-15-style rifles and handguns chambered in 9 mm Luger using a patent-pending design that dispenses with the traditional AR receiver extension and buffer system.

Right side of Bear Creek Arsenal's bufferless 9mm pistol-caliber carbine.Bear Creek’s bufferless 9 mm firearms have many of the features of the company’s conventional AR-15s, yet use an innovative action design.

Bear Creek’s bufferless 9 mm firearms share many features of the company’s traditional pistol-caliber models. Handguards are free-floating and have Picatinny rail sections on the top and M-Lok slots on the sides and bottom. Barrels are an M4 contour with a 1:10" twist. The action is blowback-operated, and upper and lower receivers are machined from billet. Magazine wells are compatible with Glock-pattern 9 mm pistol magazines.

Stock attachment point of Bear Creek Arsenal's bufferless 9mm carbine design.The bufferless design allows for a compact overall size and the ability to attach a folding stock to the rifle.

Where the design steps away from the traditional AR-15 form is that the recoil spring is contained within the bolt-carrier group inside the receiver. This allows for a more compact design and, in the case of rifles, a folding stock can be used. The bufferless design has a Picatinny rail section machined into the rear of the lower receiver for attaching accessories.  

Left side of Bear Creek Arsenal's bufferless 9mm AR-style design.Bufferless 9 mm pistols will be offered in three different barrel lengths. The 10.5" model is pictured.

Handguns will be offered with 4.5", 7.5" and 10.5" barrels and use Bear Creek’s Gen 2 reciprocating right-side charging-handle system. Sixteen-inch barreled rifles have a reciprocating left-side charging handle and are supplied without a stock so that the customer can use the design of their choice.

The Bear Creek bufferless 9 mm rifle has a MSRP of $516, and the 10.5" pistol version is $469. For more information, visit bearcreekarsenal.com.

Latest

Trend Monitoring
Trend Monitoring

4 Helpful Online Tools to Track Ammunition Prices

For those seeking the best possible prices on ammunition, a number of new tools have emerged to give firearm enthusiasts an edge up when it comes to feeding their guns on a budget.

Book Review: 2026 Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States

Newly updated for 2026, the 30th edition of the “Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States” is a must-have resource for those who travel often and therefore must navigate the patchwork maze of laws imposed in various localities.

5 Must-Have Ruger Mini-14 Accessories

In production since 1973, the Ruger Mini-14 has spawned a rather healthy aftermarket of parts and accessories. Here are five that you really can't live without if you're a true Mini-14 fan.

New For 2026: U.S. Palm Eye of the Storm (EOS) Suppressors

Earlier this year, U.S. Palm promised to offer its own line of firearms and suppressors. Now, its line of suppressors, the Eye of the Storm (EOS) series, is finally here.

Gun of the Week: Taylor's & Co. TC73

The Taylor's Firearms TC73 has classic lines and a classic appearance, but unlike other lever-actions, this one has a few unique features.

The Armed Citizen® June 26, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.