r/canadaguns • u/MacPapRonin • Apr 25 '23

Crusader Arms Crusader 9 Dual Caliber Combo 9mm/5.56mm - Images and 900/500 Round Review

Gallery image — Crusader 9 Sentinel 5.56mm right side

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u/MacPapRonin Apr 25 '23 edited May 01 '23

Crusader 9 Dual Caliber Combo

In 5.56mm “Sentinel” configuration: Burris RT-6 1-6x24 LPVO on Burris PEPR mount, Burris Fast Fire 3 MRDS on TruGlo 45 offset riser mount, Magpul M-LOK Angled Foregrip, Magpul M-LOK QD sling mount, Magpul MBUS iron sights, Magpul ASAP QD ambidextrous sling attachment point (rear plate), Magpul MOE carbine stock, Magpul MOE-K grip, Triggertech AR15 ‘Adaptable’ trigger group, stainless curved lever version

In 9mm “Liberator” configuration: Primary Arms SLx MD-25 with ACSS reticle red dot, Eotech G33 3x magnifier clone version (I will try to replace this with a real steel magnifier when able), Magpul M-LOK aluminum rail section, 7 slot, Magpul AFG (rail version). Pistol grip, stock and rear sling attachment as above (same lower receiver used)

TriggerTech trigger group, pistol grip and carbine stock were part of the upgrade package offered by Crusader Arms at the time of sale.

Current Rounds fired:

.223/5.56mm – 600 rounds total

PMC Bronze 55gr, PMC X-Tac 55gr, Federal American Eagle 55gr, Hornady Frontier 55gr, Sellier & Bellot 55gr, Winchester “White Box” 55gr

9mm – 900 rounds total

PMC Bronze 115gr, Winchester White Box 115gr, Sellier and Bellot 115gr, Fiocchi 124gr

Stoppages:

5.56mm – no stoppages

9mm – one failure to feed*

* a number of extraction issues occurred during initial break-in when firing the 9mm upper, all related to a loose extractor assembly, which was due to either an out-of-spec extractor pin or bolt carrier hole. Entire 9mm bolt carrier was replaced at no cost by Crusader Arms once issue was identified. Since the bolt carrier was replaced, only a single failure to feed has occurred in 880 rounds.

Magazines tested:

5.56mm: Magpul PMAG Gen 3, Hera Arms H3, Cross Industries 10/10 Cross Mag Coupling AR-Pistol, CPD LAR-15 10 round magazine – all magazines inserted, locked, fed and fired without issue

9mm: Glock OEM Gen 4 10 round magazine. SGM Tactical 10/33 magazine – all magazines fed and fired without issue

Maintenance:

One full cleaning of 5.56mm upper after 100 rounds. Cleaned again after 500 additional rounds (600 rounds total)

One full cleaning of 9mm upper after 250 rounds. Cleaned again after 650 additional rounds (900 rounds total)

Several small operation/maintenance issues were encountered while “breaking in” the gun. All issues documented here: https://www.reddit.com/r/canadaguns/comments/10yxu41/crusader_arms_templar_crusader_9_maintenance_tips/

The imgur link below illustrates the state of the bolt carrier, lower and upper receivers after 500 rounds of 5.56mm and 800 rounds of 9mm fired. I intentionally left the parts uncleaned to document how much fouling would occur after that many rounds:

https://imgur.com/a/mswGQif

Impressions:

The rifle feels solid, and by comparison to many other carbines, heavier. It is not cumbersome or awkward to manipulate, however. Felt recoil is light(er) compared to similar 5.56mm/.223 carbines, probably due to the sheer mass of the rifle. Fit and finish is adequate, if not overly impressive. Small machining marks can be seen at various locations, but no burrs or rough surfaces are present. The upper receiver is monolithic and the handguard cannot be swapped out.

An unusual feature of the Crusader 9 Dual Caliber combo is that it is shipped with two upper receivers, the 9mm Liberator and the 5.56mm Sentinel. Both can be removed easily from the common lower receiver with manipulation of two captive takedown pins, the entire swap taking about 2 minutes and the use of a punch or bullet tip.

With the TriggerTech AR15 Adapatable trigger group, trigger pull is easy even on the heaviest (5 lbs) setting, and extremely light at the lowest (2.5 lbs). Break is crisp and clean, and frankly a pleasure to shoot by comparison to many milspec/stock triggers I have used on AR15s, X95s and other semi-autos. I did not test the baseline milspec trigger for comparison.

Being an AR-180 derivative, there is very little combustion gas released into the chamber when firing the 5.56mm upper, so very little cleaning has been necessary. The 9mm upper is a blowback system, so there is a fair amount of gas being vented, and it can be seen and smelled coming out of the rear takedown plate after rapid fire. When firing 9mm, the 9mm upper becomes very fouled, as does the magazine. As I understand it, this is common for blowback-based PCCs.

The supplied standard A2 compensator does not create excessive muzzle blast, but neither does it seem special in any way. The short-stroke gas piston system did not need to be adjusted for any of my firing, and I have not tightened, loosened or replaced any parts of the gas system. The Crusader 9, like the Templar, uses a non-reciprocating H&K slap-style charging handle on the left. It can be moved to the right side of the firearm for improved ambidextrous-compatibility with simple tools. Yes, doing an HK slap is pretty satisfying.

The bolt catch release lever is on the left and the magazine release button is on the right and cannot be relocated or twinned on the opposite side to my knowledge.

The bolt catch release lever can be used to hold the bolt open if pulled down and release the bolt if pushed forward. Right handed shooters can use their right thumb, left handed shooters can use their left index to manipulate it. I quite like it, once I got used to it (vs. standard AR bolt releases).

Accuracy seems adequate and in line with most other 5.56mm carbines in this price range. While I have been able to shoot adequately at 100 yds, most of my shooting has been at the 25 yard range and I have not had a chance to methodically document 100 yd shooting. Others have started to better document their groupings and MoA accuracy and estimate it as being somewhere in the 1.25 – 1.75 MoA range [edit] with non-match ammo.

Disassembly, cleaning and maintenance is very easy, a bonus for a new owner like myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGZtDKLFrEQ

Potential For Improvement

The design and positioning of the charging handle on the left side of the foregrip can cause some interference with the mounting of some optics – i.e. the handle cannot clear or be easily grasped with some optic and mount combinations. Care should be taken when selecting and positioning mounts and optics to avoid combinations which have interference with the charging handle. (For example, with my Burris RT-6 on the PEPR mount, I had to be careful about where I placed it to avoid having the optic interfere with charging handle operation).

The magazine release on the right side and bolt release lever on the left side limits the full potential of this rifle for left handed shooters, and I do not currently see any way for the sides to be switched or twinned.

The appearance of the charging handle stop pin as a flathead screw top feels cheap somehow, and might have been better done with a full allen hex bolt

Many early buyers expressed frustrations at delays in shipping and communications with Crusader Arms. While all of my communications with the service team has been acceptable, there is certainly room for improvement. In addition, the Crusader Arms website could be developed considerably.

As shipped, my rifle was simply the cardboard box, the Sentinel 5.56mm upper mounted to the lower and the separate 9mm upper, protective bubble wrap and cardboard inserts, a Hera Arms H2 5.56mm magazine and a Glock OEM Gen 4 9mm magazine. No manual or other parts or accessories were included. While I was expecting a somewhat bare-bones package, the lack of even a manual was little disconcerting. I hope that the Templar is shipped with a manual going forward, or at least with a note indicating that the manual may be downloaded at the CA website.

Conclusion:

While many point to the heavy weight of the firearm as a deal breaker, I have found the Crusader 9 to be a fun to shoot, reliable firearm. It is definitely noticeably heavier than most other firearms in its class and caliber. While certainly not of the same class of quality as the Tavor X95, CZ Bren 2 or B&T APC 223, the rifle provides a .223/5.56mm semi-automatic platform which has so far been dependable and flexible. The Dual Caliber Combo option has provided me with the option to fire either 9mm or 5.56mm and practice firearm manipulation drills and shooting at a much lower cost/round. I enjoy the Crusader 9 and expect that the Templar is very similar in operation and overall feel. If the weight is a dealbreaker, the BCL Siberian SRV2 seems to be a lower mass alternative, but the Crusader 9 and the younger brother Templar may be emerging as among the best of the current AR-180-derived Canadian designs.

Manual (for Templar):

https://www.crusaderarms.ca/manual-download

Specifications (Crusader 9 Dual Caliber Combo)

Sentinel 5.56mm upper

Action: Semi-Automatic

Gas System: Mid-Length

Gas Block Diameter: 0.750"

Barrel: 18.6" (Threaded 1/2"-28)

Barrel Twist: 1:8

Barrel Material: 4140 Chrome Steel

Muzzle compensator: A2 birdcage

Receiver Material: 6061 Aluminum

Handguard Material: 6061 Aluminum

Handguard mounting points: M-LOK side and bottom, Picatinny top.

Trigger Weight: 2.5-5 lbs TriggerTech AR15 Adaptable (this is an factory installed upgrade, I cannot confirm the standard/baseline model milspec trigger pull weights)

Overall Length: 34.75"

Weight 9.2lbs (no magazine, no optics/accessories)

Liberator 9mm upper

Action: Semi Auto Blowback

Barrel Length: 18.6"

Threads: 5/8x24

Receiver Material: 6061 Aluminum

Handguard Material: 6061 Aluminum

Length of Pull: 12.5"-14.75"

Overall Length: 34.75"

Weight: 8.7lb (no magazine, no optics/accessories)

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u/MacPapRonin Apr 26 '23 edited Apr 27 '23

Note: Many of the features are functionally identical between the Sentinel and the Templar (I believe the uppers may be interchangeable, but not confirmed) so most of what I say about the Crusader 9 will likely be true for the Templar, with the exception of information concerning compatible magazines, as the magwell and the area surrounding the mag release was redesigned between the Crusader 9 Sentinel and the Templar. According to information received by a user below, the trigger pin setup and selector switch may be different as well. Otherwise it appears most of the differences are cosmetic, but I have not had an opportunity to carefully examine a Templar and a Crusader 9 side by side (I did see them both at TACCOM 2022).

1

u/MacPapRonin May 03 '23 edited May 16 '23

A couple of small addendum/corrections:

In additional to the upper receiver change-out, swapping between 9mm and 5.56mm also requires the changing out of the 9mm magwell adapter, which is screwed/unscrewed with a 5/32" allen key. This is a very simple process and is included in the 2 minute time requirement above.

The bolt release lever can be manipulated with the left index finger by left handed shooters, so the bolt release is ambidextrous and the charging handle can be swapped for left handed shooters. The mag release and the safety remain right-handed focused, although the safety could be manipulated by the left index by left-handed shooters in a pinch.

Added to Potential for Improvment Section:

About a half-dozen small and fixable issues were encountered in the first 500 rounds (see link above), many of which may have been avoided with better QC or design. Room for improvement there.

Crusader Arms Crusader 9 Dual Caliber Combo 9mm/5.56mm - Images and 900/500 Round Review

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