AR Pistols Advice

Krusty

Krusty

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That upper ought to work fine. My main centerfire AR is a PSA 10.5” SBR. That caliber works well as a pistol.

I’d either put a linear comp or a flash can…neither are expensive. But I’d shoot it with the included flash hider first just to see what you think.
 
I have several builds using PSA parts, never had any issues with them. For budget builds, I usually look at PSA and Aero first.
 
Flashpoint said:
I wouldn't want an AR pistol in 5.56. All that round has going for it is velocity and it looses that rapidly as you decrease barrel length, along with wicked muzzle blast. 300 Blackout or even 9mm for me.
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This is true. If you already have .223 rifles there is some benefit in an AR pistol in that you don't need to buy a new caliber. They are not a terrible choice, and aside from the lost velocity and muzzle blast, are perfectly serviceable firearms. From a purely ballistic standpoint, .300 BLK is the way to go, especially if you reload or want to suppress it.

You may also want to consider the legal status of short, rifle caliber pistols. There is no guarantee that an AR pistol will not be regulated into an illegal SBR at the whim of the ATF. I'm not saying that you shouldn't purchase one, but you should be aware of this potential issue.

Good luck!

Edit: To address your specific link, PSA makes a decent AR pistol and is a budget friendly way to get into the platform.
 
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The 10.5in with fixed A2 front sight gas block I got from PSA has always ran well.

You have many, many good options Id say....

Definitely dont want to go TOO short with the 5.56 though.... my Brother has a 7.5 in one that is insane on the sound scale.
 
My primary AR(s) is/are 10.3” 5.56/.223. I like the length enough to have both an SBR and a pistol, both the exact same guns other than one is braced and one is stocked. They are loud but not terrible. They run like a sewing machines.

A buddy just bought a Springfield Saint 5.56/.223 PDW with a 5.5” barrel. It is significantly louder, too loud for me.
 
charliedeltajuliet said:
My primary AR(s) is/are 10.3” 5.56/.223. I like the length enough to have both an SBR and a pistol, both the exact same guns other than one is braced and one is stocked. They are loud but not terrible. They run like a sewing machines.

A buddy just bought a Springfield Saint 5.56/.223 PDW with a 5.5” barrel. It is significantly louder, too loud for me.
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Hehehehe....


Just reading "5.5in barrel" made my tinnitus kick up 😆
 
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Krusty said:
The 9.6" is as short as I am willing to go.
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9-11 is the sweet spot I think. You're losing about 400-500 fps to a standard 16," but the barrel is long enough to be practical, and short enough to make up for the loss in velocity.

What do you want one for? Home defense? Range toy? Hunting? Plinking? Or do you just want one because you want one and don't need a reason? The only reason I ask is that a 9mm PCC could check some of those boxes as well (everything but hunting and "for the hell of it"), and would be cheaper to feed.
 
Krusty said:
This is what I would like to avoid, getting into another caliber.
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That's why I went Bren 805 a few years ago. I like the piston reliability in short bbl. 5.56 setups. LOOKING to get a Bren MS2 next, so I can have the same compact package, that weighs 10lbs LESS!!!! 😳
 
I pile on with the “go for it” crowd. I’ve assembled a few PSA rifles and pistols and they all performed fine. Fine meaning “have gone bang every time I have needed it to”.

Also, 5.56 pistols are fun…yeah they may lose some velocity and all that jive, but they will still ruin someone’s day.

Now, I >would< recommend .300 blackout, but with ammo prices and availability I can’t. I put one together a bit before the coronacrunch and now replacing ammo in its a pain.


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I made up my mind to get that upper. Just went on the PSA site and it's oos. Did the notify me thing so...

Stopped by the lgs today and they have a Saint with the 9.6" barrel. I like it but it's $859.99 + tax. Are they that much better than PSA or just more expensive?
 
Infamous1 said:
Being a "Shock and Awe" guy I went with a 7.5 .556 upper with a cookie cutter brake and a binary trigger. LoL It is ridiculous, I wear double ear pro when I play with it. It runs great.
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Shouldn't that be registered as a DD? 🤔
 
B00ger said:
I pile on with the “go for it” crowd. I’ve assembled a few PSA rifles and pistols and they all performed fine. Fine meaning “have gone bang every time I have needed it to”.

Also, 5.56 pistols are fun…yeah they may lose some velocity and all that jive, but they will still ruin someone’s day.

Now, I >would< recommend .300 blackout, but with ammo prices and availability I can’t. I put one together a bit before the coronacrunch and now replacing ammo in its a pain.


Sent
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Krusty said:
I made up my mind to get that upper. Just went on the PSA site and it's oos. Did the notify me thing so...

Stopped by the lgs today and they have a Saint with the 9.6" barrel. I like it but it's $859.99 + tax. Are they that much better than PSA or just more expensive?
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Just more expensive IMO. That upper, or a full pistol will be back on sale soon.

Do you know what lower you want? I would suggest hitting your local shop and shouldering a few "braces" to see what you like, because its not quite the same as a rifle stock. SBA4 is pretty close to a normal stock, SBA3 is slimmer but still pretty usable. Then there are folding models...

Here is a 10.5 with an SBA3:


This and the 9.5 model are frequently on sale for around this price.
 
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I have one in a 7.5” barrel. Entirely too load and now has a Kaw Valley linear brake. Did help with sound a bit but that is still too short. 10.5” should be fine for a barrel and a porn star.
 
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