CMMG or Central Missouri Machine Guns is a family owned and operated firearms manufacturer that began in 2002.  John and Jeff Overstreet got their start making high quality AR parts before finding their niche by creating AR rifles and pistols in non-traditional calibers.  Unlike other gun manufacturers CMMG builds their firearms from the ground up making the gun for the specific caliber rather than making the caliber work with the platform.  By manufacturing firearms this way, they eliminate common problems with ARs in different calibers resulting in extremely reliable and soft shooting designs.  Most notably this can be seen in their radial delayed blow-back designs for their pistol caliber ARs and their revolutionary bolt design in their MK47 7.62x39mm ARs.  If you like AR ergonomics but want a different caliber than your traditional 5.56 or .223 Remington then you should strongly consider a CMMG.

Best CMMG Products

The CMMG MK47 AKA the Mutant

Over the last decade and following the ammo shortage following the COVID-19 pandemic 7.62x39mm remained one of the most affordable and plentiful calibers for self-defense.  Prior to the release of the CMMG MK47 previously known as the Mutant in 2015 AR lovers had a hard time finding a reliable option for that round.  Other designs utilized 5.56mm bolt carriers and thinned it out to accept a 7.62x39mm cartridge.  Another issue was the hard-to-find proprietary magazines designed to accept 7.62x39mm round into a AR magwell.  These solutions to creating an AR in capable of shooting 7.62x39mm did not prove well for reliability.  The MK47 changed that due to CMMGs ground up approach to manufacturing products.  They recreated the bolt carrier group beefing it to make it more durable than using a traditional AR bolt carrier.  They also created a mag well that accepts traditional AK magazines with a proven track record for reliability in multiple conflicts.  The end result is an extremely accurate and reliable AR chambered in 7.62x39mm.  The MK47 took what makes an AR a great weapon with its superior ergonomics and combined that with the reliability of an AK to make one of the most innovative designs of all time.    

The CMMG Banshee Pistol Caliber ARs

Unlike other companies that build ARs chambered in pistol calibers that are prone to a high amount of recoil and malfunctions CMMG reinvented the pistol caliber AR to address those concerns.  Most notably their radial delay blowback system CMMG uses in their firearms make their pistol caliber Ars soft shooting, reliable, and more wear resistant than other traditional blowback Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC).  The radial delay operating system slows the bolt ever so slightly to reduce bolt speed that results in lower felt recoil and less parts wear.  The radial delay engineering feat places CMMG’s  PCCs on par with other great guns like the HK MP5 and Kriss Vector, but with similar AR controls.  If you want a PCC in an AR platform you should strongly consider a CMMG Banshee. 

FAQ

Is CMMG a good brand?

This question comes up a lot in conversations with customers unfamiliar with CMMG.  I believe that the greatest mark a brand can receive is competent instructors and warfighters vetting a brand with their lives.  John Lovell, a former Army Ranger and world-renowned firearms instructor, trusts his life and the lives of his family members with a CMMG AR pistol for his home defense weapon of choice.  When John recommends a product, you can trust that it works.  His livelihood and in this case his life hangs in the balance for recommending this product.  If he can trust his life to it then so could you.