Recover Tactical offers a range of accessories for popular pistols such as the 1911, Beretta 92 series and Browning High Powers. Most notable is the Stabilizer Kit for Smith and Glock duty pistols. Recover Tactical’s latest pistol conversion, called the P-IX platform, has gone a step further.
Glock with the Recover Tactical P-IX Modular Ar Platform
This popular setup bolts to your pistol without any permanent modifications. The P-IX does not clamp onto your gun. Instead, you can drop your gun into the clamshell. It converts your pistol to a bullpup platform, mimicking AR controls and handling.
Why Convert Your Pistol
Here’s a question that I see a lot with the various Pistol Caliber Carbine conversions for pistols: Why bother? It’s the same pistol underneath but it’s larger. There are many reasons for this, but it is not something everyone will want. It’s okay to not want one.
A kit like the P-IX has more surface area and points for contact when you are shooting. If you have the P-IX kit, you can use your support hand for the forend grip or the angled grip. If your pistol is SBR’d, you may also use a shoulderstock.
Even if you don’t have the stock, the option to add a brace provides at least another point of contact with your cheek weld or allows for occasional shouldering of the weapon.
Next, you can add optics of different types and other AR modular accessories such as pistol grips and buffer tubes, stocks and flip up sites, lights and lasers. A kit like the P-IX allows you to upgrade a stock gun without having to modify it, especially if it isn’t optics-ready.
They’re also a lot fun. The P-IX kit gives boring pistols a subgun-like vibe and makes them fun to shoot. You don’t have to take everything seriously. It’s okay to have things just for fun.
What do you get with the P-IX?
The basic P-IX-B is available in black or tan. It is made up of a polymer shell that locks around your pistol, and a charging handle that bolts onto the slide of your pistol. It’s currently designed for 9mm/.40 Glocks. But, I’ll be able to make it work for other Glocks.
The basic shell includes AR fire controls and a Picatinny rail top-mounted. Recover Tactical AR Pattern Ergonomic Grip is included, even though their website shows a standard A2 grip. The basic kit costs $199.95.
You get the PX-IX-MG housing, a MG9 angled mag pouch that acts as an angled grip and a pair SR20 siderails if you choose the P-IX. You’ll receive a Recover Tactical TBS Compact commercial spec buttstock if you add the stock selection to either MG or B.
Before adding the stock, make sure you are familiar with your laws. To use the stock in the United States, you must first have your pistol registered as Short Barrel Rifle. The MG kit costs $239.95, and you can add the stock to either of the kits for an additional $35.00.
Assembling the Recover Tactical P-IX Modular Ar Platform
It’s easy to put your P-IX together. You get instructions that look like Ikea. The instructions are mostly illustrated and show you how to put together the P-IX. Recover Tactical also offers a short video that shows how to assemble the kit.
I have a few screws that I don’t know what they are, but I do still have them. The FAQs and videos online are very helpful. There are many issues that are not covered in the basic instruction sheet.
Next came the search for the right donor gun. It will fit any full-sized Glock in 9mm or.40. Think Gen 3 and 4, Glock 17 or 19, frames or their equivalents, or some Gen 5 variants.
It can also take licensed airsoft guns. I found that quite interesting. Recover Tactical recommends that you use a stock gun. Factory sights, trigger, mag release.
I own a few Glocks. However, most of them have optics or Fiber Optic sights. These were not compatible with the Recover Tactical charging handles. The charging handle attaches to your slide using two screws and is located over the rear sight.
Only one slide from mine worked was an aftermarket slide with factory sights. My Glock 17 frame had an aftermarket trigger, mag release, and they worked fine.
Once the charging handle has been installed, you can simply release the three clips at the clamshell’s top, bottom and front. Once the clips are released, lift one side of the shell up and insert your Glock with its charging handle attached. You’re done!
Adding the MG Kit
The MG kit can be used to attach the angled mag carrier and side rails. With the correct paperwork, you can also add the stock or a buffer tube with brace. All of the accessories were included in my test kit, including the stock. I did not have an SBR’d Glock so I switched the stock for a brace.
I discovered that the buffer tube that came along with the gun was a civilian-sized tube. I honestly didn’t know anyone still used it. I had to switch to a MilSpec buffer tub and then added a KAK Industries brace. For testing purposes, I added a Streamlight TLR-1 on the left side rail, and a Bushnell TRS-26 to the right.
How to handle the P-IX
You will have a compact, sleek package once everything is assembled. It’s larger than the Glock, but it’s still useful for a PCC/Subgun platform. The ergonomics are excellent, with a comfortable grip as well as the familiar AR-type rotating safety handle. The side charging handle and the left-side mounted magazine release are easy to use. They engage the mag release underneath the shell.
Bullpup triggers can be a problem, and the Recover Tactical P-IX does not help. The trigger pulls back quickly with lots of take-up, play and push. It’s reminiscent of the plastic disk guns from the 1970s if you’re older than me. It’s fine if you’re not that old.
However, the pull weight is not too bad. This will depend on how the donor pistol pulls. My gun has a decent aftermarket trigger. A 17 with an NY2 trigger will result in a heavy PXX pull. Trigger reset is relatively quick. Although there is still some take-up, the quality of follow-up shots should be greatly improved.
Time Range
Although it is fun to move the P-IX around my house, the real test comes on the range. I set out with a friend on a sunny day to give the P-IX another go. Because I was most interested in the handling and function of the P-IX, we kept things casual.
I used two old Belgian steel military helmets as targets. They were placed on the berm at 25 meters. I decided that if we could hit helmets steadily, then that was enough to start testing. Helmets are also fun to shoot.
The Bushnell red dot was the first thing we sighted. We had some trouble at first, and I discovered that the Picatinny rail was a bit loose above the P-IX ejection port. I moved the sight back a few inches, as the rail seemed to be more rigid, and we were quickly able to dial in the sight. It was simple to roll the helmets around on the berm, even in rapid fire, once that was done.
It was interesting to see how it would react in live fire. Although it’s not going to be a match trigger we forgot about it once the shooting began. We were able to take quick follow-up shots and do mag dumps with no adverse effects from the bullpup trigger.
It was second nature
The controls on the P-IX were second to none after decades spent behind ARs and M16s. Although the mag release was different, it was still positive and simple to use. If you’re right-handed, you could use your support thumb to operate it. Or you could use your index or middle fingers to operate it.
Reloads were quick since the mags had dropped free and you could access your spare magazine from the mag holder located forward of the magazine well.
Overall, the session was enjoyable, productive, and uneventful. The P-IX worked well. I found one issue with the P-IX. In the event of a malfunction, the slide cannot be locked to the rear. To lock the slide, you will need to either manually hold the charging handle at the rear or leave the mag empty. This is not a major issue for me but it is something to keep in mind.
Final Thoughts
The Recover Tactical P-IX is a great option if you have a spare Glock and want to make it more versatile or fun. It’s much cheaper than buying a new PCC, and you can add sights, lights, and a stock (with proper paperwork).
Recover Tactical offers a lifetime warranty and a guarantee of a full refund within 90 days.
RecoverTactical.com has more information.
Recover Tactical PXIX Modular AR Platform Features
AR ErgonomicsUses standard AR accessoriesCompatible with multiple Glock modelsAR Safety selectorAdjustable triggerMultiple Picatinny railsOptional collapsible buttstockMade with glass-reinforced polymerLifetime Warranty90-Day Money Back GuaranteeMade in IsraelMSRP: $199.95 – $274.95
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Personal Defense World published the post TESTED – Recover Tactical P-IX MODular AR Platform for Glock Pistols.
