School me on AR-pistol

[s&w500]

Hey guys and gals. I need your gracious help again please. I want an AR-Pistol. I know an SBR requires special paper work and an extra $200. But I cannot find any info about such requirements for AR pistols. And I want to go and buy with as much knowledge beforehand as possible. Any info on this subject will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Humbly yours, S&W 500
P.S. I apologize if I have erroneously placed this thread in the improper location, given the content and my lack of knowledge on the subject.

 

[Sharkbite]

Buying an AR pisol is no different then buying any pistol (assuming you are not in Ca or some such).

Go into the project understanding that 223 really sufferes out of short barrels and it gets pretty loud and blasty. If you dont care about ballistics, then 7.5” guns are super short. 10.5”-11.5” seems to be about as short as you can go and still have useful velocity, 14.5” is pretty long for a pistol build.

Be careful,about the whole pistol with an arm brace thing. BATFE can flip the switch on those at any time.

 

[kymasabe]

SBA3 is your friend.
And, have you considered .300 blackout instead of 5.56?

 

[darkgael]

I am always curious about the Why of AR pistols. Sure, they are probably fun and wanting one is really all one needs to justify owning one....but i wonder what you are going to do with it.
I have a Mac 9, semi auto, that my son gave to me. It is cool looking. It goes bang every time. I rarely shoot it. Too big to carry. Not particularly accurate. Fun though if all i want is the bang. That is why I ask about the AR pistol....seems like the same kinda thing.

 

[MagnumWill]

It's really not, ever since of the advent of the arm braces. There's lots of articles explaining the merits of current AR pistols.

https://ar15nerd.com/7-reasons-why-owning-an-ar-15-pistol-is-totally-worth-it/

https://www.usacarry.com/top-7-reasons-ar-pistol/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/considering-building-ar-pistol-heres-411/amp/

...and I second the SBA3. I have three of them, and I'm not compelled to use anything else.

The 9mm AR pistol...

The wife's 5.56 piston gun..

...and a little side project...

 

[9x19]

For my uses, the AR pistols have worked well, and yes, much different than the old machine pistol clones. For AR pistols, the SBA3 has spoiled me... (I also have several registered SBR lowers these uppers can work on, so best of both worlds)

.22LR

.22LR

9mm

6.5G

.450BM

 

[s&w500]

Thanks very much for the info. The process went well. Got a Springfield Saint Ar-Pistol. She's a beaut. Darkgael, this is to be my new trail gun, for all my Idaho hiking adventures. I've been hiking many years trying to find the right one for me. and this fits. I've carried 10mm, .45acp, .357 Mag, and .44Mag in the past. I learned to love recoil. This weapon however, meets or exceeds all of those and has far greater capacity. It gives me the greatest effect across the widest range of potential defensive situations (IMO). And lighter than a full-sized AR or shotgun, Quick to deploy and shoots a 3 foot flame An amazing tool.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Quick to deploy and shoots a 3 foot flame

So if you can't hit what you're shooting at, you can roast it on the fly?

 

[Logs]

I would suggest a flaming pig style brake. Helps from keeping the muzzle flash to close to your face while firing.

 

[s&w500]

Here she is.

 

[Skans]

Since I am not the BATFE, I personally consider AR's with 8" barrels or less to be "pistols" and others to be carbines. Just my two cents. It seems, however, that function has taken a back-seat to how BATFE classifies guns for registration purposes.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Fun though if all i want is the bang. That is why I ask about the AR pistol....seems like the same kinda thing

Try one and let us know how it goes . I resisted for quite awhile. Let’s just say that I was thinking about the next one within minutes after firing the first.

 

[dontcatchmany]

Several years ago I looked into the AR pistol.

Was disappointed that every thing seemed to have a buffer tube or required an arm brace which does not say pistol to me.

Then I heard of the Extar 556. Researched it and plopped down the money. Two days later it was at my local FFL. Total of $485.00 with the FFL fee. New Frontier Armory is the only distributor.

So far have approx. 2,000 rds without a hiccup or any type of problem. It is a joy to shoot and very accurate out to 100 yards (have not shot further as yet). Loaded it is less than 5 lbs and can be shot one handed.

Have since added a custom Klashnikov with an 11 inch barrel in 545x39. A little heavy for me but it is a very fine shooter.

 

[Skans]

Then I heard of the Extar 556.

Interesting design. As far as I know, it's the first AR to use polymer fire control parts. I'd like to see that gun torture tested to see how all of that polymer holds up.

 

[ROCK6]

I am always curious about the Why of AR pistols. Sure, they are probably fun and wanting one is really all one needs to justify owning one....but i wonder what you are going to do with it.

There's history with the pistol versions as the popular (movie-wise) "Commando" M16 variant (or civilian SBR version). There are some detractors such as range, velocity, and muzzle blast, but honestly, inside 150 meters an AR-braced pistol is simply a very effective defensive tool. Shooting inside isn't advised, so many suppress; even outside, a linear compensator/brake is highly recommended. Ballistics of the 5.56mm is still vastly superior at similar ranges and barrel lengths as pistol caliber versions. Plus 300BO just makes that more of an advantage.

Size is helpful. Being a pistol (ala pseudo SBR) makes traveling across state-lines much easier than NFA items. Some states restrict rifles carried in a vehicle, but have no issues with "pistols".

With the arm-brace, you simply have a more stable platform for much more accuracy and faster follow-up shots.

There are advantages and disadvantages between the pistols with braces and registered SBRs; it's a good thing we have choices and many are able to get a taste of why SBRs are so popular. The braces have just made these pistols viable and serious defensive tools rather than novelty plinking guns for the range.

ROCK6

 

[AK103K]

I have a Mac 9, semi auto, that my son gave to me. It is cool looking. It goes bang every time. I rarely shoot it. Too big to carry. Not particularly accurate. Fun though if all i want is the bang. That is why I ask about the AR pistol....seems like the same kinda thing.

Youre comparing two completely different things here, stock or no stock too. Both benefit with a stock too, by the way, and especially the MAC's.

The problem with the MAC's, is the location of the grip. Without a stock, the gun wants to rotate on the grip as the mass of the heavy bolt goes past it, which makes them less controllable and harder to shoot and recover from for the next shot.

I had a full auto MAC and with the stock extended, and proper technique, you can control them well enough to be good with them. Compared to something like an MP5 or one of the full auto 9mm AR's, they are obviously lacking though. That becomes even more apparent when you close the stocks on any of them and then try and shoot them.

My MAC on semi and the stock extended and using its rudimentary sights, would keep rounds roughly COM at 50 yards without too much difficulty. They were on the target, but not in any bragable group.

One of my 10.5" AR "pistols" with a brace, and using a 4moa Aimpoint, will shoot right around 2-3" at 100 yards, and thats the norm, not just a one time thing.

With the brace on the gun, youre realistically talking about shooting a short barreled AR rifle, and not a "pistol".

They also easily surpass any of the "stocked" handguns Ive shot over the years too, like the Inglis High Powers and Mauser Broomhandles with their attached wood stock/holsters, in both handling and accuracy.


QUOTE]Try one and let us know how it goes . I resisted for quite awhile. Let’s just say that I was thinking about the next one within minutes after firing the first.[/QUOTE]
I think youre going to find that this is spot on.

 

[n4aof]

It seems, however, that function has taken a back-seat to how BATFE classifies guns for registration purposes.

THAT, combined with the "brace" is what moved the AR pistol from weird range toy to potentially serious tool.

When first introduced, the only reason for an AR Pistol was "because I can" but that all changed once the brace was developed and the ATF moved off their ridiculous notion that a brace was legal only so long as no one ever let it touch their shoulder.

The AR Pistol is the poor man's (or impatient man's) SBR.

An AR with a brace and a 10" or longer barrel provides nearly all the performance of an AR rifle while being legally regulated as a pistol -- this distinction is significant and may be an advantage or a disadvantage. For example it is an advantage in states that ban having a loaded rifle in a vehicle while allowing a loaded pistol.

 

[Cheapshooter]

Now the project begins. I bought a stripped ATI Milsport lower a few weeks ago with the intention of building a 300 BLK pistol. Just ordered the lower build kit from PSA with the SBA-3 brace, and Enhanced Polished Trigger. My next decision is barrel length for the upper. With possible future addition of a suppressor. But mostly just range use, and maybe some hunting. I have read that when AAC developed the 300 Blackout they decided that 9" was the "sweet spot" for barrel length. I see the uppers listed with barrels from 7" to 15". I'm thinkng the 8 1/2 would be a good choice.

 

[Sharkbite]

with the intention of building a 300 BLK pistol.

My 300blk AR is a 9” AAC SBR. I run a Gemtech GMT300blk screwed on the end 99% of the time. GREAT combo.

Some of the really short barrels are working pretty good in this caliber. Ive shot a 5.5” 300blk and it was a very nice/small package.

 

[darkgael]

Thanks very much for the info. The process went well. Got a Springfield Saint Ar-Pistol. She's a beaut. Darkgael, this is to be my new trail gun, for all my Idaho hiking adventures. I've been hiking many years trying to find the right one for me. and this fits. I've carried 10mm, .45acp, .357 Mag, and .44Mag in the past. I learned to love recoil. This weapon however, meets or exceeds all of those and has far greater capacity. It gives me the greatest effect across the widest range of potential defensive situations (IMO). And lighter than a full-sized AR or shotgun, Quick to deploy and shoots a 3 foot flame An amazing tool.

That works. I wasnt thinking about a trail gun since all I ever see is fellas playing at the range.
Enjoy.
Pete