Conceal Rifle Caliber Pistol

JoeSixpack

New member
Ok I suspect NO one does this but thought it might make for a interesting topic.

I ran into a man a few years back at a rally, He had a AR15 pistol in a home made drop leg holster.

A few of us stopped and chatted, It was quite nicely done and looked professional.. The guy could probably have went into business making them.

Anyway He did not carry it normally it was just for show.. not even loaded he said, He had a Sig in his jacket.

Anyway Legally in Ohio AK and AR pistols are still pistols and could be carried concealed (assuming you could do so in the first place)

I was wondering if anyone does or has carried a rifle caliber pistol concealed?
Since I suspect almost no one has feel free to discuss the merits of such a choice, how you would go about it, practicality, etc :D



Just off the top of my head Im thinking single point sling, off to the side, heavy jacket.
I'd probably go for a Keltec PLR16 over a ar15 due to the buffer tube.

Strap would probably be visible though, but not might not draw attention.
Forget racking the shotgun.. Letting loose with one of those monsters would have the BG's leaving brown streaks as they fled.
 
I can see carrying it in a tennis racket bag or other sports bag. Any tactical looking bag would be a bit too suspicious. It might fit into a Thule Snowboard backpack, of which I have. It's longer than average and it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

It's doubtful that I would carry one on my person. Having it in my car in a bag next to me would be more realistic. It's how I have seen some people conceal their Shockwave Shotgun firearm.


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A book bag or laptop bag may work, however I backed away from this proposition for several reasons:

Flip flopping by the atf on stabilizing brace just puts these weapons into too much of a grey area for me to justify. Even if "allowed" I don't want my rights at another's discretion.

Concussion: I tried several short barreled AK variants and would not want one going off in close quarters without hearing protection. They seriously make 357s sound like indigestion.

Slow deployment: the fight could be over before one could get one of things into play. Pistol draw to shoot may be 4 seconds for the average trained ccw. Now think about spinning a bag around for access, unzipping and possibly assembling in the case of some AR pistols.
 
The current FN Five seveN model available is the MKII. The
front sight is huge, so you either have to find a holster to fit,
or change to combat sights. But the rig weighs 1.6 pounds
loaded. You forget you're wearing it, after a while.
 
The hearing issue is a TREMENDOUS problem (As mentioned)

Have you ever shot your rifle at a range next to a person shooting an unsuppressed rifle SBR?

With earplugs AND hearing muffs..... it still hurts my ears
(AND makes me jump out of my skin)

I usually move to another lane away from SBR guy........


THIS SOUND IS MUCH MUCH MUCH louder than a 44 magnum........

In fact...... I love my fellow man...... BUT I HATE "MR unsuppressed SBR guy".... at the range

My prediction....... permanant hearing loss if you shoot the SBR indoors.

Get a suppressor asap
 
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I have a 10.5" AR pistol with a Law Tactical side folder on it. It works as advertised, and could be fairly easily concealed under a coat when folded.

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Its quickly and easily deployed, and you can fire "one" round in a pinch while its folded. It does need to be open to function properly though.



I also have two somewhat "discrete" cases for them that work well too. One is a tennis racquet looking case, the other, a UTG discrete carry rifle case sized for the pistols.

This is the UTG case. I dont have any pics of mine right now, but this is the exact one. You can carry two guns in it, or a gun and a chest bag, mag pouches, etc. There are also other pockets for what ever else you might want to fill them with. I keep a rifle and a chest bag, along with a Glock 17, holster, and a couple of mags and pouch for the 17. Keep in mind, even though its somewhat compact, stuff gets heavy pretty fast.

UTG-Covert-Rifle-Bag.jpg




I also have one of the Blackhawk "tennis racquet" cases. It has a divider in it, but Im not really seeing two guns in there. I did see one video on them where the guy had a full size gun broke down in it though. (I would think that breaking down a 16" gun into the UTG would work as well)

I can just get the gun, a chest bag, and (dismounted) suppressor in mine.

It works OK. Throw it on the backseat with a couple of cans of balls, and I doubt anyone would ever be the wiser. Ive been looking for a sports/brand name sticker to put on it. A "real" labeled case would probably be better yet, Im just not sure as to the sizing, padding, etc.

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The hearing issue is a TREMENDOUS problem (As mentioned)

Have you ever shot your rifle at a range next to a person shooting an unsuppressed rifle SBR?
As far as sound...I go deaf at just one round of unsuppressed .22LR. I wear ear protection at work and ALWAYS have soft ear plugs in my pocket. Most all my rifles have a set of plugs on the sling, just as a back up.

The pistols are loud, but for me its a moot point.
 
It one point I had a SKS with a folding stock. Had a nice bag,
with a shoulder strap. Only carried it for a couple days. It was just
too darn heavy, and very slow to deploy. Doable, feasible, but
simply not practical.
 
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I met a guy about a month back at the range who was shooting a AR pistol in 223. I forget the brand but it was a pistol specific receiver where the buffer spring(s) were inside the upper, above the BCG. He said it was the shortest AR pistol on the market and claimed he carried it during the winter.
 
@AK103K
Wow you put a lot of thought into it, Thanks for sharing that.

I met a guy about a month back at the range who was shooting a AR pistol in 223. I forget the brand but it was a pistol specific receiver where the buffer spring(s) were inside the upper, above the BCG. He said it was the shortest AR pistol on the market and claimed he carried it during the winter.
Kel-tec PLR16 maybe?
It looks like a ar15 but it's not.. takes AR mags, no buffer tube..
I'd pick it over a standard AR15 receiver in pistol config.

https://www.keltecweapons.com/pistols/plr-16
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While I don't carry an AR pistol, gun laws are a little bit more friendly toward pistols in a vehicle compared to rifles. I like that aspect if I feel I need to throw a gun in the trunk. While I wouldn't leave one in the chamber I can have a fully loaded mag inserted into the magwell. Rifle laws are a bit trickier.
 
If you google extar exp-556, that was the pistol he had. It was quite possibly the most obnoxious gun I have ever heard, I couldn't imagine letting loose with that inside a building. Admittedly we did not spend too much time focusing on the pistol, I was more interested in his 458socom.
 
I dont, and normally wouldnt carry an AR around, but if I go anywhere away from home, I usually throw the UTG case in the trunk with a small "get home" bag I keep in there.

One advantage to the pistols, even with a brace, is that they can be slung, more or less ready to go, under just a light shirt, and for the most part, be pretty well concealed. At least to the casual glance. Something like the ChiCom chest bags will allow you to carry three to four mags and they sit flat to your chest, and there is very little bulk. They too can be worn under a shirt.


I had a couple of KelTecs over the years, including an SU16. KelTec has some neat ideas, but my experiences have been, they always seem to come up short in the execution. For something thats going to sit in your car or truck, and not get used a lot, they are probably OK. I wouldnt consider them for any serious kind of use though.

The buffer tube on the AR's may seem like a detriment, but it makes shooting them a lot easier, and once you learn to "scrunch" up a little, you can shoulder them reasonably well too. The downside to them is they do add length, but that can be worked around with something like the LT folder if you feel like ponying up the $$.

I had a few bucks left over when I was doing a couple of builds and saw someone post about theirs and figured d give it a try. Like anything else, they have their pluses and minuses.

Cost is the main minus. They are well made, but they are a bit salty. Another is you need to watch your lips and teeth when you shoulder quickly and shoot. The hinge is on the left side of the gun and if youre used to a "nose to the charging handle" cheek weld, it puts it in a not so great place. Once you get that figured out, its normally not a problem.

The fact that you can fold an AR, and still have it pretty much instantly ready to go, is a major plus from the storage/concealment standpoint.


As far as sound and being obnoxious, they do have a bark. My son has an AR with a 7.5" barrel, and it sucks being next to him when he shoots. The 10.5" isnt nearly as bad. With the suppressor mounted on the 10.5", I can shoot it without ear protection and it doesnt bother me, and my ears are pretty sensitive too.
 
JoeSixpack said:
I was wondering if anyone does or has carried a rifle caliber pistol concealed?
Since I suspect almost no one has feel free to discuss the merits of such a choice, how you would go about it, practicality, etc



Just off the top of my head Im thinking single point sling, off to the side, heavy jacket.

I too was thinking about how someone would conceal carry an AR type pistol. I'd say a 30 round mag might be a little much... Shoulder holster :)
 
Not sure about one in 5.56, but a pistol in this configuration with a 7.5" to 10.5" barrel could send 9mm or .40S&W rounds downrange with considerable energy compared to a 4" pistol.....

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I too was thinking about how someone would conceal carry an AR type pistol. I'd say a 30 round mag might be a little much... Shoulder holster
I think a lot depends on what you mean by "concealed".

If youre thinking along the lines of a normal handgun, probably not so much, although with the right holster, weather and cover garment, it is still doable.

If youre looking to more or less get by, and not worry too much about close scrutiny, one of the slung pistols with a brace is pretty easily done with just a basically unbuttoned summer shirt. Depending on barrel length, there might be a little of the barrel poking out, but thats easily dealt with, and the gun is pretty much instantly ready for use.

Unless someone was looking closely (most dont pay that much attention), I doubt you'd draw much attention. If youre just walking along, carrying something (that would aide with hiding the protruding barrel) and minding your own business, I doubt anyone would give you a second look.
 
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