Finally leaning towards getting an AR pistol. I don’t know much about them other then they are very loud and shoot big fireballs.
Any warnings of what to look for or advice would be greatly appreciated
In general they are just another AR. I would consider just buying an upper and an adjustable brace that can swap onto your rifle lower (w/ an adjustable stock) just to try things out on the cheap. I got the KAC Blade 2.0 (adjustable) after having the KAC Blade (fixed). I found it sufficient but lacked ergonomics. Santa brought me an SB4 (I think) which is a very nice bit of kit. The only downside is you have to keep the Velcro on or it turns into a “stock”. It (they) fit on any milspec 6 position buffer tube and when fully extended keep you just shy of the 14.5" LOP grey area.
I went with a 7.5" tube and a 3.5" Krinkov muzzle can to fit under a 10" free float tube. It’s a bit point heavy but not terribly so and smooths out the “swing” for transitioning to targets.
I was able to do this at 200 yards with a 0X EO TECH on a knee after zeroing at 37 yards
Cheers,
Craig6
Not sure why the thumb nail is so squeezed, click on it for the full pic.
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I agree with @Craig6 on it mostly just being like a regular AR.
Their loudness and ability to fireball increases with it’s shortness, and is exponentially increased with muzzle brakes that lots of folks tend to put on them. An 11 or 12 inch barrel shouldn’t fireball much, and doesn’t seem (to me) unreasonably loud (but definitely louder than a 16"). I had an 11.5" before my horrible boating accident where I lost all my firearms and it is a pretty good length as far as being maneuverable and still being comfortable to shoot.
The shorter barrel also means reduced muzzle velocity. 5.56/.223 ammo may not completely burn by the time the projectile leaves the barrel (this is also the reason for the fireball). This can mean reduced effective range, or you may have to choose different ammunition than you would for a 16 or 20inch barrel. Unless you go extremely short, you should be more than fine out to ~200-250 yards.
Also the short barrel means a shorter gas system, which means sharper and perhaps “more” felt recoil. It’s not a lot more, but it is noticeable.
Common barrel lengths for a pistol would be 12.5", 11.5", 10.5", 10.3". 11.5" is probably the shortest that will generally result in complete powder burn. The ~10" barrels will fireball more often. Shorter than 10" will fireball pretty consistently, and you will start getting significantly reduced muzzle velocity.
Just my humble opinion, but if you want a barrel shorter than 10" because of the fireballs/noise and drastically reduced muzzle velocity you should probably consider another caliber. 300Blackout can be commonly had in 8-10" barrels (I think that 300BO can burn all the powder within 8.5 inches). You might also look at pistol calibers like 9mm, .45ACP, or even 10mm to get barrels in the 5-7" range and still be an AR.
You get a lot for the reduced size though. Obviously, maneuverability is increased due to less overall length and are lighter weight. Some states have different rules regarding a pistol vs a rifle so there may be places you can take an AR pistol that you can’t AR rifle.
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I definitely am going to stay with either standard M193 or M855 ammo. I don’t like buying lots of different calibers. The 300 blackout is definitely on the wish list. What brought this about is I’m going to be traveling alot more than normal and bringing a carbine or rifle is too cumbersome. An SBR is not gonna work due to all the restrictions. I like the idea of just swapping the upper and putting a brace on it.
With the shorter gas system would a different buffer and buffer spring be needed or recommended?
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I’m running a stock straight pistol tube and what for all intents and purposes is a carbine buffer & spring. I think the Krinkov Cone Can mitigates most of the issues as it forces more back pressure. I’m not positive but I think the pistol actually recoils less than the carbine in the above set up.
This is what I built and now they offer it in a assembled upper, go figure.
If I ever try a can on it I may investigate the pigtail gas tube but I see no reason so far.
Cheers,
Craig6
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Well you’ve got me convinced. I’ll find a brace and upper and see what happens. Worst case I’ll learn some new stuff
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Ruger AR 556 300 Blackout pistol you won’t be sorry.
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Check the PewPewTactical link above in the “Legality” section, and double check with other legal sources as IANAL… My Understanding is that to be considered a pistol, the serialized lower must have ALWAYS been a pistol. You cannot take a rifle lower and put a short barrel and pistol brace on it and be OK.
You can make a pistol a rifle, but you cant make a rifle a pistol.
I dont think so? I used a lower parts kit from PSA and it had a carbine buffer and spring. Some people “tune” their buffers, springs, and/or gas settings but that level of customization is over my head. As long as it runs reliably, thats all the matters to me.
You wont have any problems with this ammo. If you choose to get specific defensive ammo, it may require a little extra research but even then most of your typical choices will still be 
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All of my lowers are classified as other in Box 18 on the paper work so I can have it be either or. I’m not going to swapping it out often just wanna try an upper if I’m a fan I’ll build a dedicated lower for it. Good looking out. That’s a very easy detail to miss
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Excellent. Figured I’d mention it as I’d rather you not end up in jail 
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Lol me either. That’s why I’ve stayed away from the pistol/SBR realm. But circumstances are going to be changing. Figured it’s a legal option for me so it’s time to start figuring it out.
I’m certainly NOT trying to circumvent or find a loophole in any law. I just wanna know what the rules are and how people like AR pistols.
I’ve found I can have one for less than a regular handgun so it’s a minor investment but that’s how we’ve all been sucked into this expensive passion.
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@Harvey & @Sheepdog556 I completely spaced that part off 
. ALL of my AR’s are listed as “Multi” or “Other” but I do have a “dedicated Pistol” lower (still listed as Other) that is with my pistol upper. There was a thread here a while back about first AR pistol or some such where I think all the rules got on the table about LOP, OAL, Barrel length and braces that was pretty complete (I think @Spence started it) . I reccomend that in what ever case you transport said pistol in you keep copies of the applicable ATF letters that make it OK for all the parts your particular stick has. It’s real handy to have when you run across a State Trooper or County Mounty who has half the information. The one that says you can “shoulder” a pistol is the one I keep on TOP.
Cheers,
Craig6
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Guilty as charged!
Bcm and geissele sell lower parts kits. They have everything needed to make a functioning lower minus the buffer tube, spring and buffer. I have always bought assembled uppers so not sure where to go for all those parts.
Palmetto State Armory is a good start. Might end up waiting awhile with the panic buys going on.
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True. Luckily I was “panic” buying before it was cool.
I’m in absolutely no rush for any firearm or firearm accessories. Lol
I was looking to snag a couple BCG field repair kits but they’re all sold out. I went snooping to see what else was gone and was actually surprised, triggers, seals, pins, springs, dust covers, all sold out.
I ordered 500 rounds of 5.56 HPBT and 100 rounds of 9mm JHPs right before what i thought was the panic buys, turns out it was in the middle. A whole lot of stuff is way behind right now.
Thank you everyone for the input. On Friday I’ll be placing the orders, I’m gonna go with a PSA 10.5 upper and a KAK 2.0 blade that fits a mil spec buffer tube. If I a pistol set up does fit what I’m looking to do I will certainly look into upgrading something’s. Seeing how this is a trial run I want to keep a sensible budget. I’ll be less than 300 into this set up.
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$250-$350 seems to be about the normal for an AR pistol budget build. That’s been my experience anyways. Have fun putting your adult legos together!
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