AR Pistol??

Gunny you're a very sick man (said with the utmost respect and admiration)

I've never understood the appeal of AR pistols but if you basically get one "free" from parts laying around then I see it as a great chance to spend some fun time putting together another AR.

It also keeps some of us inspired. I planned on ordering all of the remaining parts and tools to build my upper. I'll be home Sunday so will see how the budget is. If it's too tight I'll get 1/2 them and then do the rest in a few weeks.

In any case know your keep some of us motivated to build fun toys!

That's a cool little spare parts blaster!

Cant have pistol ars out here, never really cared but now i kinda wish we could......

GunnyUSMC said:

To tell the truth, I have never cared for pistol ARs. But I've been giving some thought to an AR for the truck, a get home gun. I have an SBR for home defense, but don't want to be taking it every where I go. A pistol AR could fit the bill for that SHTF get home roll. It's not the gun for looking for a fight, but more to keep the fight from coming to you.
Shooting from a vehicle is not fun. Your space is restricted and the bigger the gun, the less maneuverability you have. A handgun is great, a rifle to long, but an AR pistol may fit the need.
I'm going to pick up a blade arm brace for it and see if I like it.

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I wouldn't use a SBR for HD. I went through too much trouble getting that dumb stamp, and having it available for HD= unsecured . From a performance standpoint, there is no difference between an AR pistol or the 10" barrel MK18 I used in the mil (if there is a difference, correct me). As a contractor overseas, the AR type weapon with a 10" barrel was undoubtedly the way to go, as we spent a lot of time working in and out of vehicles (SUV's and Toyota pickups). I did see some of the "special" guys carrying the MP-7 suppressed, but not us. The most significant difference is $200 and a bunch of hoops to jump through. As far as braces go, the blade is hands down the best out there.

I wouldn't mind having one. As near as I can tell, it would be legal to keep one locked and loaded in a vehicle. For that matter, you could carry it around in a backpack even. In my state, the only restriction on carry pistols is they be .45 cal or under, no restriction on energy, capacity, etc. So if you have a CCW in my state you can treat it just like a sidearm.

GunnyUSMC said:

Not much trouble to get the tax stamp. Set up a trust, filled out the the paperwork, paid the $200 and waited 9 months. The SBR is set up a little different. It's locked up during the day when I'm away from home, but comes out at night.
I'm not sure if I will keep the 10.5" barrel on the pistol. I may go to a 7.5" or 8". But first I need to head to my buddy's and do some drills shooting from a vehicle. Nice having friends that are firearms instructors and have their own range.

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I wouldn't go shorter than 10". For the 2- 2.5" reduction you have to go to a pistol gas tube, and then they can get real finicky on cycling different rounds. I built one that was only reliable with green tip.

GunnyUSMC said:

I have an SBR for home defense,

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1. I'd have to second the SBR for home defense warning. If the bad guys do come knocking, and you prevail, you can expect your SBR to be locked away in a police evidence room for an indeterminate amount of time; IF you've done everything right, the local DA doesn't charge you, and your police department is fairly friendly. And, even then, you're going to have to notify ATF of the new storage location. If you do get charged, you may never see your SBR again.

2. Darn nice pistol build. This tread is going to cost me money. lol

.300 Blackout.

Darn this thread!

I had never really considered building an AR Pistol, but after reading this thread and seeing the result of your clean up the shop parts on hand pistol build, my outlook has changed. Looks like I may have to start reading my daily Palmetto State Armory deal-of-the-day e-mails again.

If you have to defend yourself, even if it's the best shoot in the history of good shoots, losing the firearm in question is the absolute least of your worries. I mean, seriously, you've just shot someone, you've got crime scene cleanup in your living room steam cleaning brain matter off your ceiling, and you're seriously going to suggest that losing an SBR to evidence is even a concern at that point???

I may well buy or build an AR pistol, to use as a "rule-book" handgun, for traveling in the places a loaded handgun is legal, but a rifle or shotgun must be kept unloaded. One of us can use the AR pistol, while the other loads the AR rifle(s). The same spare magazines can serve the rifle(s) and the pistol. Obviously, the "primary" handgun, on the belt, is more important than a AR pistol, which is probably in a case, unless slung.

Yes, it would be a niche weapon, but a niche weapon is more important than a range toy, and there is nothing wrong with having a range toy, for that matter.

Rexster said:

I may well buy or build an AR pistol, to use as a "rule-book" handgun, for traveling in the places a loaded handgun is legal, but a rifle or shotgun must be kept unloaded. One of us can use the AR pistol, while the other loads the AR rifle(s). The same spare magazines can serve the rifle(s) and the pistol. Obviously, the "primary" handgun, on the belt, is more important than a AR pistol, which is probably in a case, unless slung.

Yes, it would be a niche weapon, but a niche weapon is more important than a range toy, and there is nothing wrong with having a range toy, for that matter.

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You're probably aware of this already, but I think there are states with laws specific to rifle caliber pistols, so they might not be universally treated as a pistol under state law everywhere you go.

GunnyUSMC said:

Blasphemy !!!!!!
I have never taken cotton to the 300 Blackout. I've done four 300 Blk builds, three carbines and one pistol, for friends. Now if I were going to go suppressed, a 300 Blakeout would be at the top of the list.

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Gunny, what's the length of the build? This thread is SOOO going to cost me money. lol

grampajack said:

If you have to defend yourself, even if it's the best shoot in the history of good shoots, losing the firearm in question is the absolute least of your worries. I mean, seriously, you've just shot someone, you've got crime scene cleanup in your living room steam cleaning brain matter off your ceiling, and you're seriously going to suggest that losing an SBR to evidence is even a concern at that point???

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Depends on your perspective I suppose; I've seen the elephant a time or two. If you're in my home, uninvited, at O'Dark Thirty, and you've forced me to shoot you to protect me and mine, I have a different perspective on how badly I should feel. Sad that you made the choice? Surely. But a life altering change of my feels forever? Sorry, nope. You made the rules.

Crime scene cleanup? Not even a concern.

Pardon me while I get back to my life.

Let's hope Zach Peters has borne no lasting effects.

grampajack said:

If you have to defend yourself, even if it's the best shoot in the history of good shoots, losing the firearm in question is the absolute least of your worries. I mean, seriously, you've just shot someone, you've got crime scene cleanup in your living room steam cleaning brain matter off your ceiling, and you're seriously going to suggest that losing an SBR to evidence is even a concern at that point???

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True, but since I'm not currently in the act of shooting someone in my living room RIGHT NOW, losing my SBR (or my Barnes Precision, or one of my Larues, or my scattergun tech 870) is the MOST of my worries. So, I have a Del-Ton and a H&R partner that work just fine available.

Jack19 said:

Depends on your perspective I suppose; I've seen the elephant a time or two. If you're in my home, uninvited, at O'Dark Thirty, and you've forced me to shoot you to protect me and mine, I have a different perspective on how badly I should feel. Sad that you made the choice? Surely. But a life altering change of my feels forever? Sorry, nope. You made the rules.

Crime scene cleanup? Not even a concern.

Pardon me while I get back to my life.

Let's hope Zach Peters has borne no lasting effects.

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I didn't say you should feel bad, although that seems to be the normal reaction for most people, if not all of them. But even if you are so mentally hardened that shooting a person doesn't disturb you, you've still got major stress to look forward to, not to mention you had better hope your wife and kids are as mentally tough as you are, because most would be pretty shaken up afterwards. At the very least, you have to hire a lawyer to be present when you make your statement, if you're smart anyways. Then there will be the looming threat of the scumbag's family suing you, and even if you win you still lose. All I'm saying is that if you have to shoot someone, no matter how justified, and the worst thing that happens is you lose your SBR to evidence, then you are one lucky individual. When choosing a gun for home defense, the prospect of losing it to evidence doesn't even factor into that decision.

GunnyUSMC said:

Maybe a 7.5 pistol in 45 Auto? That might be fun

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Oh, yeah, that would probably be too much fun

My latest AR Pistol - which is an old indian word for "SBR waiting for paperwork" - is a 6.8SPCII. I wanted something to serve as a short range, home & ranch PDW, a "truck gun," and also as a deer, coyote, and hog rifle, capable of 0-400yrds, or more (shorter on deer than coyotes). A 10.5" 6.8SPCII fit my bill, since I already have other 6.8's, and because I need a little more thumping power at range for game hunting.

Once the paper work is in hand, this lower will also double as my NRA-HP/CMP Service rifle, with a 20" upper on top, and replacing the KAK with a UBR Gen II.