Decisions to make

It all comes down to what you think is worth it to you.

I personally find a 16" AR a very short and handy rifle but I don't practice clearing rooms or getting in and out of vehicles with one. I've never really had a big desire to cut the barrel to 10" or so and lose velocity and gain noise and blast. Cutting it to 14" isn't worth the stamp for me. I can start to understand the desire for SBR if you are going to shoot suppressed and want a manageable length. The shorter your barrel, the more .300 blackout starts to make sense as it doesn't suffer as much as .223 IMO as you reduce barrel length.

I do like SBR ARs in 9mm and 22LR. A .22LR SBR makes sense because if you make the barrel very short - about 4.5", it will keep bulk ammo subsonic which helps when shooting suppressed. 9mm doesn't need a 16" barrel for decent performance so why not make it shorter and handier (especially if using a suppressor).

That said, some people have no interest in a 9mm or .22LR AR-15.

The nice thing about a suppressor is that you can potentially use it on different hosts.

If I could only have one NFA item, it'd be a .30 suppressor. If I could only have two, I'd add a rimfire suppressor. Three...I might start thinking about SBR. I have experience with all the above, these are just my experiences. I'm more of a hunter than anything else but I like shooting as well.

I own suppressors, short barrel AR's and I have also paid the bribe so I can put a stock on my M92 pap AK pistol. All are a lot of fun, I would say an AR receiver as an SBR is the most fun because you can have different short barrel uppers and reconfigure it easily in several different ways. You can even do .300 blackout but .300 blackout is really only worth doing if you're going to suppress it in my opinion.

Just for grins, don't forget about all the other options you have; short barrel shotguns, AOW's, taking virtually any pistol and making it an SBR, etc. Do an image search for short barrel rifle or check out some of the picture threads in different forums.

If I could only have ONE NFA toy, I'd probably go with the SilencerCo Hybrid... maximum versatility with the most beneficial of the NFA devices. SBR's are fun, for sure, but quiet shooting is more fun, especially when you can put it on almost everything you own.

If I was going to do a SBR as my one stamp, it would be on an AR lower as mentioned above. My AR SBR is a .300blk and a .22, and will soon be a 5.56 and 9mm as well, all for one stamp.

When picking suppressors, among other factors consider the weight of them and what your purpose will be. If you're going to put it on a long range rifle with a bipod, doesn't matter really, but if you're going to put it on an SBR and maneuver through rooms/courses/etc. weight makes a difference. Having an extra pound sit on the end of your barrel doesn't seem like much but it slows it down for sure.

Go suppressor. Far and away the most practical application for your $200 stamp. For your first one, it's hard to beat the Silencerco Hybrid. It's a bit heavy on a pistol, but it's a can that can literally be used on handguns and rifles of all calibers up to and including .338 Lapua and .45-70. I wouldn't recommend heavy use on a .22 LR since it's a sealed can, but then, you can stick it on your AR and dump a mag through it afterward to burn & blow the junk out. Full auto rated, and yes, we have used them extensively on post sample machine guns.

It's a can that has the flexibility to be moved from host to host and help you decide which firearms you want to suppress, which you can then later equip with more dedicated suppressors that are lighter, shorter, quieter, etc. No, this thing is not as nice on a handgun as the lightweight Obsidian or Osprey, not as quiet on full power rifles as the $1,200 TBAC Ultra 9, and not as short for carbines as a number of others, but it's one stamp to be able to suppress just about everything you own until you can afford the others which give up that flexibility to gain in other areas.

https://silencerco.com/silencers/hybrid/

Now, SBRs are fun, but check this out:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/sb-tactical-sb-pdw-pistol-stabilizing-brace.html



If these had been around 5 years ago, I never would have done an SBR. Yes, they're expensive, but when you consider that it's saving you the tax stamp, you're actually only paying $40-$50 for it. But the benefits don't stop there; in some places, such as here in CO, handguns can be kept any way you like them in a vehicle or on an OHV, while DOW regs dictate that rifles must have clear chambers, and must be cased on an OHV. More importantly, crossing state lines with NFA items requires an approved form 5320, but handguns are unregulated federally with regards to interstate travel.

IMO, since ATF changed their position on pistol braces touching your shoulder, there is no reason to build an SBR with braces like this out there.