AR pistols

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qwert65

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Im thinking of getting an AR pistol, who makes a good reliable one?
I’m not sure if I want it in 300 BO or 223
Also do they use standard iron sights(ie can I use the ones off my colt 6920?
Thanks in advance
 
Any rifle caliber AR pistol will use any standard AR-15 part only real difference is the barrel length and handguard length. As far as caliber choice goes the 300blk was purpose built for short barrels, the 5.56 wasn't.
 
A guys 223 pistol was hard on my ears yesterday at the range. :confused: Even when double plugged. Needs a suppressor.

My m16 with a 14.5 bbl never seemed that loud.
 
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I have a couple of PSA kit builds. Mine are all 10.5" guns in 223. Mostly due to my suppressor.

My kids have 7.5 and 8.5" guns in 223. They are a good bit more obnoxious than the 10.5 guns when youre close to them while being shot. While behind any of them, Ive never really noticed a difference. I just wear earplugs when I shoot.

My son also has a 10.5" 300BO. If you want something really quiet, suppressing one of those is the way to go.

If youre the least bit handy, putting one together is pretty easy. Especially if you go with a ready-built upper. Moneywise, it will be your best bet. Ive got a lot of rounds through a couple of mine now, and they have been 100% reliable and seem to be as accurate as my 16" and 20" guns at 100 yards.

Putting the lowers together is simple enough, especially after you get one under your belt. Just be aware, they are very addictive, and I seriously doubt youre going to be able to stop at just one once you start. :)

Regardless of how you do it, Id highly suggest getting one. I think youll find, they are a very handy and versatile gun, and one thats a lot of fun to shoot.
 
A 5.56 10.5" is sinus-clearingly concussive, and so loud you'll wonder what just went wrong. You won't shoot it twice inside. . .
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A .300BO 10.5" is much more civilized.

I have experience with several kits by PSA and Bear Creek, and I like them a lot. They fit my idea of a <150 yard defensive weapon very well.
 
I'm seeing (and hearing) an increasing number of these AR "hand guns" in .223 at the range each week. Their muzzle blast is fearsome & nothing I would want to shoot without ear protection.
Aside from the 'fun" factor I can't see what advantage they provide over a short barreled AR rifle with a folding stock.
 
. . . I can't see what advantage they provide over a short barreled AR rifle with a folding stock.
A few:
1. AR folding stocks are still very expensive, and disable the weapon when folded.
2. A 10.5" bbl is significantly shorter in the hands than a 16". . . It's a noticeable ergonomic difference.
3. With a short barrel and no stock, the whole package is arm-length, and disappears easily. . . I've seen them fit in a diaper bag.
 
A 5.56 10.5" is sinus-clearingly concussive, and so loud you'll wonder what just went wrong. You won't shoot it twice inside. . .
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A .300BO 10.5" is much more civilized.

I have experience with several kits by PSA and Bear Creek, and I like them a lot. They fit my idea of a <150 yard defensive weapon very well.
Well theres your problem! You have an "enhancer" on the end of your barrel there! :D

You need an AAC "Blackout" flash suppressor. You wont have all that. :thumbup:

Something like this....
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As far as the folders go......

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The folders have good and bad points.

They are expensive, and really to expensive for what they are.

They do work, and you can still fire the round in the chamber, although its not really recommended. They unfold quickly and easily without having to push any buttons or releases, and they lock open solidly.

Takedown is still pretty easy, but there are still extra things to do.

They do make the whole package a lot thicker when folded. Its smaller in overall length, but its about twice the thickness when it is folded.

The biggest annoyance to me is, the hinge is in a bad spot if youre a right-handed shooter. It would be better if they had it on the right side of the gun. If youre not careful when shouldering and shooting, youll get a mouthful of that hinge and it hurts when you catch your teeth. This is especially so, if youre a "nose to the charging handle" shooter. You need to keep your head back.

I had some leftover money when I was putting my pistol together and thats when I got mine. I wouldn't bother now, unless they reversed the hinge.

Even without folding, I can still get the guns into fairly small packages. And you can always separate the halves too, if you want it smaller, and arent in a total panic to get it out and running. They still go together quick when apart.
 
Thanks for the heads up, AK103K, I was considering getting the Law folder, but since I am a 'nose to the charging handle guy', I'll pass on it.

A guys 223 pistol was hard on my ears yesterday at the range. :confused: Even when double plugged. Needs a suppressor.

My m16 with a 14.5 bbl never seemed that loud.
That would be an M4. I take it that's not you in your avatar.....;)
 
Well there's your problem! You have an "enhancer" on the end of your barrel there!
That's a flash diverter. Without the diverter the concussion is much worse, but the flash is so large out the sides that I feared for my cell phone's safety and didn't film it.

The .300 BO sounds like a loud pistol. . . the 5.56 sounds like a barrel-splitting kaboom failure, and it's worse without a forward-facing muzzle device.
 
I went Aero complete upper (5.56) and built on an stripped Aero lower. 7 1/2” barrel with a flash forwarding device and no regrets. I is loud to the sides but reasonable for the shooter, just like shooting beside a compensated AR. Next one will be a 10 1/2” because I don’t have one of those yet.

A8C59F98-3513-47DA-836E-2DC379315F39.jpeg
 
The M16A1 (There was no carbine version; there was the XM177E2, which had a 10" barrel and a 4 1/2" flash hider on the end) had a 20" barrel.
 
Thanks for the heads up, AK103K, I was considering getting the Law folder, but since I am a 'nose to the charging handle guy', I'll pass on it.
They are a cool idea, but stuff like that usually gets used little and generally tends to suck to actually shoot with. Its not the only one like that. My son got something similar for his Mossberg Shockwave, and its even scarier with the same issue.

That's a flash diverter. Without the diverter the concussion is much worse, but the flash is so large out the sides that I feared for my cell phone's safety and didn't film it.

The .300 BO sounds like a loud pistol. . . the 5.56 sounds like a barrel-splitting kaboom failure, and it's worse without a forward-facing muzzle device.
The flash hider you use makes a major difference. There is virtually no flash at all (in any direction) with he AAC flash hider. There was a video floating around YouTube showing which ones worked the best, and both of the AAC's were in the top 3.

The one in the pic above is the "mount" version. You can get the same thing without the mount, for about half the price. Works the same.

Compared to the 7 and 8" barreled guns, the 10.5" is pleasant. Ive been next to both 223 and 300BO guns and really didnt notice much difference.

Then again, Im already half deaf and maybe thats why. :D
 
The flash hider you use makes a major difference. There is virtually no flash at all (in any direction) with he AAC flash hider.
To be clear, I'm sure a flash hider would reduce flash, and good flash is very effective. My comments are specific to concussion, and the diverter reduces it at the users ears/sinuses.

The flame show is just a fun byproduct of concussion reduction. It's possible a Noveske Flaming Pig (2 chamber diverter) would accomplish the same with less flash, but I ain't made of money and I don't need the backpressure.
 
Have you considered one in 9mm? PSA has complete pistols pretty cheap and they work very well. I have about 4000 rounds through mine and no problems I didn’t cause.
 

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I just assembled and shot my first AR pistol and was expecting my ears to ache but in all I didnt find the concussion and report to be all that different from a standard carbine. I was expecting much worse.
I fired about 160 rounds through my PSA 10.5 with KAK flash can and it really wasnt too bad. I did notice however that when I was shooting under the covered portion of the range I did feel the need to double up on ear pro...
 
Well, my wife wanted to go to a gun show today, so I went just to check out some- but I brought cash with me- There was a local dealer there who builds his own - I wound up buying a 10.5 inch 300BO ‍♂️
So we will see. Thanks for the replies and info
I appreciate it
 
I never even considered an AR pistol until I realized my wife really seemed to struggle and strain to hold up my AR. I'm pretty sure with its aluminum Mlok rail and pencil bbl it is about as light as a standard carbine length AR can get. Enter the AR pistol. It's perfect for her tiny frame.

I never gave much thought to these pistols but after getting this one together for her and ripping through a few mags with it these last few days I totally see their appeal. They are awesome. IMG_20190812_192102.jpg
 
Well theres your problem! You have an "enhancer" on the end of your barrel there! :D

You need an AAC "Blackout" flash suppressor. You wont have all that. :thumbup:

Something like this....
View attachment 854023

As far as the folders go......

View attachment 854020
View attachment 854021
View attachment 854022

The folders have good and bad points.

They are expensive, and really to expensive for what they are.

They do work, and you can still fire the round in the chamber, although its not really recommended. They unfold quickly and easily without having to push any buttons or releases, and they lock open solidly.

Takedown is still pretty easy, but there are still extra things to do.

They do make the whole package a lot thicker when folded. Its smaller in overall length, but its about twice the thickness when it is folded.

The biggest annoyance to me is, the hinge is in a bad spot if youre a right-handed shooter. It would be better if they had it on the right side of the gun. If youre not careful when shouldering and shooting, youll get a mouthful of that hinge and it hurts when you catch your teeth. This is especially so, if youre a "nose to the charging handle" shooter. You need to keep your head back.

I had some leftover money when I was putting my pistol together and thats when I got mine. I wouldn't bother now, unless they reversed the hinge.

Even without folding, I can still get the guns into fairly small packages. And you can always separate the halves too, if you want it smaller, and arent in a total panic to get it out and running. They still go together quick when apart.


Sheeesh....what'd P-diddy ever do to you?
 
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