Brigade Manufacturing is an AR platform manufacturing company that is well known for its 9mm implements. They have a wide reputation through years of service to the community, delivering higher end products to customers. They also sell apparel, as well as parts for the AR platform.
About Brigade Manufacturing
Brigade is one of those companies with a long standing in the gun community. They are well known for their AR platform firearms, most notably their 9mm AR. In their about us page, we are able to ascertain that the company is based in Miami, Florida. They are an all American manufacturer, also claiming that all the parts for their firearms are made right here in the USA.
Although the about us page gives us an idea of what the company has to offer potential customers, there unfortunately is not a lot of personal information about the company, its workers, or even the history of how it came to be. When a company makes an effort to be transparent with its customers on its founding, expansion, and development, there is typically little question about anything else. We see with Brigade, however, a lack of storytelling along with a series of generic comments about what they can do for their customers and the “industry.”
Brigade Manufacturing 9mm
Already from the community appeal of the Brigade 9mm, ordering one leaves a lot of anticipation. These 9mm Brigades are often used in competition gun shoots because they are typically famed for their accuracy, handling, and overall quality. That is no surprise as Brigade specializes in the 9mm AR platform.
The 9mm Brigade with a 16” upper comes from an AR-15 lower receiver blank that has been machined to accept Glock magazines. Considering most people own Glocks nowadays, and the aftermarket especially makes use of them, this is a welcome addition as opposed to a magazine that would fit the standard AR-15 magazine well.
The performance is as expected: Amazing! It really is a good build, machined almost to perfection. While it does perform pretty well, the parts on it do seem pretty standard, so there is nothing by way of uniqueness that really sets it apart from the rest of the additions in the industry. What this gun does though, it does well.
Brigade Manufacturing Trigger
Brigade has a knack for manufacturing triggers for the AR-15 platform. Their triggers work great, but the main thing about them is that they utilize the drop-in function. The drop-in function is characterized by its ability to simply be “dropped in” to the trigger cavity and fastened with a couple of pins in order to be fully functioning.
The Brigade triggers offer a decent weight of pull, as well as a single stage function that works immensely well with most builds out there. The great thing about these triggers is that they are not expensive and not gimmicky. They do not offer much more than trigger performance that works decently well, with a level of reliability that is reassuring compared to other drop in triggers.
Brigade Manufacturing BM9
The Brigade BM9 is a pistol AR chambered for the 9mm. It utilizes the SB Tactical SB 3 Brace with the Brigade Manufacturing upper and lower set. Fortunately, despite the upper lower and handguard looking quite common compared to what’s already available on the market, they are totally manufactured by Brigade. That means everything from the forging to the finish is done by their machinists.
When it comes to the 9mm cartridge itself, the round is typically available at much cheaper prices as compared to the standard AR-15 cartridge, .223/5.56. While the Brigade BM9 is not a cheap firearm, it may just turn out a little cheaper in the long run, considering the ammo is cheaper and Glock mags are plentiful.
The BM9 is a blowback operated system, much like what is commonly found in most handguns shooting the 9mm cartridge. This design feature is great because it allows the minimal barrel length available on the AR platform. Where it would be less optimal to run a barrel less than 7 inches at least on a standard AR-15, the BM-9 handles barrel inches as low as 4 inches like a champ.
The Finish on the build is very well done. Especially with the Magpul FDE variant, the coating is strong and resilient against abrasive forces. The Brigade BM-9 comes with its own unique design for a magazine release on the right side of the gun, however is not ambidextrous.
Brigade BM-9 features and specs
- Lowers are CNC machined from 7075-T6 aluminum forging
- Uppers are CNC machined from 7075-T6 aluminum forging
- 9mm 9″ barrel 1:10 twist nitride finish
- BM U-Rail series one piece free float 8″ rail
- 9mm BCG
- BM Minican 1/2-36 threading
- Mil-Spec Trigger
- KAK M2 Brace
- 6 oz heavy buffer
- Milspec charging handle
- 1 Glock OEM 33 rd mag
- Semi-Auto
- Cerakote Finish
Specifications
| Model | BM-9 |
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Action | Semi-Auto |
| Barrel Length | 4”-10” |
| Handguard | Free Float Keymod |
| Capacity Standard | 33 rounds |
Brigade Manufacturing 3.5lb drop-in flat bow trigger
The Brigade claim to fame is its 3.5lb drop in trigger. This is one of the better drop in triggers on the market, known for its reliability and ease of installation. The Brigade drop in trigger, is a straight faced trigger that features the single stage function. The single stage function of a trigger means that the trigger can simply be pulled to the firing of the bullet. In a double stage trigger, the pull will stop just before the firing of the bullet, where the finger is able to rest until a precise shot can be made.
The single stage trigger works great in their models as this function is more suitable for defense at close range. Firing is much quicker in a single stage, and therefore the fire rate using this already light trigger will be that much faster. Double stage triggers are generally more useful for marksmans as they are able to sit on the trigger without worrying about firing. The double stage trigger was created early on in the development of the sniper program in the military.
During performance, the trigger works great. The reset is clean and there is no drag on the next pull because of how light the trigger pull is. 3.5lbs is however something that is safer used with experienced shooters. This is not as suitable for beginners as the weight is too low.
| Color | Black |
| Shape | Straight or curved |
| Trigger Pull Weight (lbs) | 3.5 |
| Make | AR-15 |
| Model | AR-9 |
| Type | Pistol or Rifle |
| Finish | Black Anodize |
Brigade Manufacturing 9mm Lower
The Brigade 9mm lower is something special despite its outward features looking very similar to the typical AR-15. In this lower receiver, there is no need for a conversion kit, because it is already machined for Glock magazines. Brigade also went to work designing a new magazine release, one that works efficiently for the Brigade BM-9 specifically. This is one feature that common AR-9s lack due to the AR-9 itself being mainly an aftermarket build.
When it comes to the finish of the lower, it is a decent coating. The cerakote finish of the Brigade manufacturing team is one of the highest quality in the industry. It is done in-house, so there are no qualms usually when it comes to blemished products. The lower follows the DPMS style of AR lowers making it compatible with many aftermarket parts and accessories. However, the build of the BM manufacturing is quality enough that there is likely no need to upgrade the internals of the lower.
Customer Service
Customer service is decent when it comes to the Brigade support team. They reply within a reasonable amount of time and offer a wide array of solutions to help with common problems. As opposed to simply sending customers to a faq page, they do have a team of actual people who respond to emails.
One of the downsides to the customer service would be the phone service which is hit or miss. They may answer the phone or they may not, as is the case with at least a few of Brigades customers after having searched some relatable online reviews. This experience is far and few between though, and the team will likely be there to help as soon as the previous caller has been helped.
Shipping Times
The customer service is not lacking with Brigade Manufacturing. Typically within three business days of an order, the company will have an order out for shipment. Tracking numbers are always accessible at the time of shipment. They are very good about staying consistent with their support during this time as well
Shipping times take around 3-4 business days, and they primarily use UPS as a carrier. While the shipping rates from UPS are not always the best, they get the job done nicely and on time. USPS is also one of their carriers. When it comes to FFL transfers, they have a database of FFLs with whom they are in contact, so the transfer process is almost always smoothly executed.
Overall Conclusion
Brigade Manufacturing is a decent company. While they do not sell anything truly spectacular, they offer a decent amount of quality that is fair with the prices they list their products for. That being said, they stand by their products in a way even many of the top gun brands don’t. They make use of a lifetime warranty with all of their products and parts so customers can feel a sense of security when they push their Brigade firearms to the limits.
The community has relied on Brigade Manufacturing for at least a decade, and while there are a few pesky reviews saying otherwise, they have a good reputation in the community. Shipping times and consistency is up to par with bigger companies, and customers can feel assured in the transfer process, as daunting as it can be. The phones are not always available, but the Brigade support team is almost always reachable via email.
The performance of their two best sellers, the drop in trigger, and the Brigade BM-9 are of very high quality. With a high performance history in the gun community, being used in many professional settings, they have been the main products that have taken Brigade to the top of the 9mm AR model for firearms. These are great for beginners, as well as for advanced shooters who want to shoot generally cheaper ammunition. These are also great self defense tools, as the pistol BM-9 is capable of the minimal barrel lengths making it more than sufficient for close quarters combat. Brigade Manufacturing is one of the best companies to buy 9mm specific parts and firearms.
Also Read: Anderson 80% Lower Review
.){kind=link}