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Weighing the choices, AR Rifle or Pistol

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dust_101

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Howdy folks, in a bit of a quandary here and hoping THR can lend me some insight/ideas/thoughts.

I am in the process of prepping for an AR-15 5.56/.223 build. I may do an outright purchase of a complete firearm or I may purchase parts. That is still to be decided.

I am trying to figure out what I want to pursue. I had built an AR in 2004, but it was while I lived in NY so it was a very neutered rifle. 16" barrel, fixed stock, 10rnd magazines, no bayonet lug, that sort of setup. I put in a small investment in parts and resold it for a profit, so as of right now I am starting nearly from scratch.

This firearm will be used mostly for target shooting, range fun. I won't be using it for hunting of any sort. It could be used for HD, but that is mostly relegated to my compact 1911. It could, possibly, be used for 3-gun matches if I ever go that route but that is very VERY far from happening, I have nearly no time to even begin looking at that route.

I am very interested in the range fun of having a 7" barrel pistol, but I worry that the appeal may wear off.

If I go with a rifle lower/configuration I can always get a varmint upper, etc. or a 14.5" with a pinned flash hider.

Basically I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of getting either a rifle or a pistol AR, and could use any sort of insights.

Thanks in advance.
 
If you build a pistol make sure you pick up the Sig brace. I built a 10.5" pistol with that and it is awesome.
 
go for the pistol with a spring tube that will accept the short ar plastic stock.
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...s/ar-15-le-entry-tactical-stock-prod9946.aspx

build it with the shorty stock tube and short bbl. build a second upper with a 16 inch bbl setup.
when you want to change to rifle,pop off the shorty upper and slide the shorty stock on and insert screw.2 weapons for the price of 1.

buy the lower stating pistol.
 
Just get the Sig Sauer M400 AR Pistol with 11.5" barrel and the Sig brace and save the stamp money. Then with your HCP, you are legal with basically a rifle for HD, plinking, and range fun.
 
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Ever shoot an AR pistol before? Muzzle blast is going to be impressive, if that matters.
 
@crazysccrmd - If I do go the route of the Pistol I 100% plan to get the SB15 brace, that is one accessory that is a requirement.

@FrankCastleThePunisher - The M400 is impressive. The ONLY thing I don't like as much about it is the delta ring. I really like the look of the Bushmaster XM-15 continuous rail:

91022_XM15_Pistol.png


@Walkalong - From all I've read (never shot an AR pistol) it seems like you get quite the fireball from the 7" barrel, a bit less with the 10.5" option. Adding on a Noveske KX3 is an option... expensive but an option.
 
With a 10.5" barrel the flash is easily noticeable in daylight. I'm sure at night it would be pretty bad. This is with an A2 flash hider and 25gr IMR 8208XBR.

IMG_20140511_133706_zpsicxq5alu.jpg
 
The most practical decision IMO would be between a 14.5" rifle with a permed FH (or 16") vs. a 10.5" pistol with a Sig brace. Shorter than 10.5" runs into both issues with reliability and terminal effectiveness with such low velocity.

A 10.5" pistol with a Sig brace, RDS and light would be a good HD weapon.

I am a patient sort though and just waited for my stamp. You could get an accurate 16" barreled AR now and throw a 1-4 scope on it, and submit the paperwork now. Then, when you get the stamp, get a 10.5" upper and set it up for HD/CQB/range fun. At that point, you would have an all-around 16" upper with low magnification good from 0-500+ yds and the SBR optimized for HD.
 
10" bbl with a stock can be very effective. 7" bbl is a toy.
 
If you build a pistol make sure you pick up the Sig brace. I built a 10.5" pistol with that and it is awesome.
Click to expand...

You guys are not helping me resist the urge to get a 10.5" AR.
 
I've run into the same dilema with a stripped lower I have. Right now I'm in the mindset that I'll build a 300 BLK pistol on it. That way I can get some decent performance with a short barrel (~10.5"). Slap the Sig brace and an Aimpoint on it and call it good.
 
Any pistol/sbr ar is going to be obnoxiously loud. Because of this alone I would not go pistol or sbr. I would build a carbine and have a lot of fun, but I would be looking at things like 50 Beowulf too just to set it apart from the others. A 50 Beowulf pistol does sound fun though.
 
@strambo - "A 10.5" pistol with a Sig brace, RDS and light would be a good HD weapon."

Sadly with my astigmatism a RDS in nearly any form is not an option. So much bloom. I need to get a hold of some other sights before investing in that route.

I am leaning more and more towards getting the 10.5" pistol, but I am still very VERY tempted to just get a full on M4 styled carbine. I also have a very nice M9 bayonet that would be perfect for a carbine.

@Robert - I'm not to worried about the volume, I've been at the range enough times and heard that sudden "WHAT WAS THAT" of a very loud firearm. :)
 
dprice3844444 said:
strambo , why give up the extra inch or so of velocity w/14.5 and welded f/h? then you cannot add a suppressor later
Click to expand...
It makes for the shortest, lightest gun possible w/o going NFA. The velocity loss is negligible. Pinned muzzle devices are easy to remove, the Phantom on my 14.5" was only $19, so no loss to re-pin a new one for a can later. Not that I can afford a can...
 
dprice3844444 said:
go for the pistol with a spring tube that will accept the short ar plastic stock.
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...s/ar-15-le-entry-tactical-stock-prod9946.aspx

build it with the shorty stock tube and short bbl. build a second upper with a 16 inch bbl setup.
when you want to change to rifle,pop off the shorty upper and slide the shorty stock on and insert screw.2 weapons for the price of 1.

buy the lower stating pistol.
Click to expand...
Putting that buttstock on a pistol lower would get you into serious legal trouble as the buttstock would make your pistol an unregistered SBR.

If you stay the pistol lower route, make sure you use a pistol buffer tube. The Sig brace is an excellent add-on for a pistol build and enjoys ATF approval status.

An SBR is extremely effective and fun to shoot. The blast is impressive though, so keep that in mind. My SBRs are all 10.5 or 14.5" barrels. One down side is that traveling with a SBR is not as easy as a rifle due to the forms required from ATF.

The rifle is the most effective and useful platform of them all in any barrel length 16" to 20" with irons or optics.
 
dust_101 said:
@strambo - "A 10.5" pistol with a Sig brace, RDS and light would be a good HD weapon."

Sadly with my astigmatism a RDS in nearly any form is not an option. So much bloom. I need to get a hold of some other sights before investing in that route.

I am leaning more and more towards getting the 10.5" pistol, but I am still very VERY tempted to just get a full on M4 styled carbine. I also have a very nice M9 bayonet that would be perfect for a carbine.

@Robert - I'm not to worried about the volume, I've been at the range enough times and heard that sudden "WHAT WAS THAT" of a very loud firearm. :)
Click to expand...
If you go the carbine route and want to use your bayonet, you'll need to get a 14.5" barrel with a pinned or welded flashider that is MILSPEC in OD in order to get the bayonet to mount properly.

On a 16" barrel with the carbine gas system, the bayonet barrel ring will end up behind the flash hider.
 
If you go the carbine route and want to use your bayonet, you'll need to get a 14.5" barrel with a pinned or welded flashider that is MILSPEC in OD in order to get the bayonet to mount properly.

On a 16" barrel with the carbine gas system, the bayonet barrel ring will end up behind the flash hider.
Click to expand...

If you want a bayonet and less than 20" rifle the mid-length 16" is what you want. I get a lot more fun out of my 7" 5.56 SBR than from mounting a bayonet.
 
If its going to be a .300 blackout, I'd say 11.5". At least with the .300 blackout you aren't losing velocity as compared to a rifle.
Any other caliber "pistol ar-15" appeals little to none to me, even as a range toy.
 
I went through this same debate with myself a few months back, I have an AR-15 in .223, but was wanting another as a range toy. I really wanted something cheaper to shoot than .223, so I settled on a CMMG 9mm AR, and it's hands down the most fun I have ever had with an AR! It's cheap to shoot, easy to reload for, and a hoot to plink with out to 100yds or so. If I were doing a pistol I would consider the 9mm, much quieter than a .223, and does not lose the velocity that makes the .223 effective to begin with. Just an idea for you to think about, as a range toy, or even HD use the 9mm fits the bill nicely.
 
@wally - "If you want a bayonet"

Not really something I want/need, I just have a few bayonets already and may want to use one, depending on which route I go.

@silicosys4 - Wasn't planning on looking at the 300 blackout, probably just sticking to a normal 5.56/.223 setup. If I decide on a non-standard caliber I would end up just getting a rifle in .50 Beowulf.... just because :)

@gunsablazin - The 9mm is always an interesting option, but I eliminated that just due to my overall plan of slimming down caliber choices in my collection. Sold my last 9mm a few months ago, so for now I'm down to 12ga, 45acp, 22LR, and one .38 Special that I cannot sell.


Overall this thread has been giving me some good ideas and advice, and I really appreciate the suggestions.
 
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