Niche Pistol Consideration

Guns & Gear
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I’ve got all my bases covered for practical weapons but then I saw the Mossberg Shockwave and it got me reevaluating these “novelty” guns, as well as AR pistols.

My current home defense gun is a Glock 19. However, after seeing Demonstrated Concepts on YouTube, I wonder if perhaps it would be better to have something like an A.R. 15 pistol? I’m just thinking out loud but here’s what os going through my mind.

AR Pistol Pros:

One: parts are readily available, and customization is practically unlimited. I have a spare lower receiver that has never been used, so I could make it myself, possibly.

Two: lots of caliber options, whether 2 to 3, 9 mm, or something else. A 9 mm could utilize Glock magazines, while a 2 to 3 packs a lot of fire power in a small package.

Three: light, handy, and practically no recoil. The quote cheek weld” technique seems to have a lot of merit, which means accuracy would not be difficult to achieve with just a buffer tube (or even without).

But there is another option I keep thinking about, the Mare’s Leg in 357. This, too has a number of advantages for me.

One: I love lever, action, fire arms.

Two: it is not a “scary assault gun” no matter what future bands come down the pike, because if it’s limited magazine, capacity, and archaic design, it would likely not be on any politicians hit list.

Three: I load a lot of 38 special and carry it frequently.

However, this choice has some potential setbacks. First, these are not easy to find anymore, and they are often expensive. Second, aftermarket support would likely be very limited.

I should point out that in my state it is legal to hunt with handguns, so this could potentially be used to harvest dear if I go into thick brush where other fire arms would be too cumbersome.

I have never considered this type of firearm before, so I would be curious to hear other peoples thoughts. What did you choose and why? Do you like it or what would you do differently?

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Oh, I didn’t think of that option before. That’s what’s missing in my… (looks at aLcOhOl ToBaCcO and FiReArMs glossary) arsenal. Great choice!

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Choose the platform that you are the most proficient with and which works the best at home.

In my case - pistol is the way to. I’ve got too many corners that are easiest to be covered by pistol, plus I prefer a flashlight in my other hand.
I hope will never find if this is the best defense… but at least I feel safe because I know how I can handle a home invasion with my pistols.

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Be sure and consider overpenetration risk (your dwelling and your neighbors) and maneuverability (hallways, stairwells, etc.) in your evaluations.

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I’ve heard that using a short barrel will reduce velocity, and I’m waiting on a suppressor. I’ll continue my research.

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In my opinion, there’s little advantage to using an AR pistol v an AR rifle. My AR rifles are fit with a red dot (with back up irons) on one and a low power scope on the other. Plain vanilla stuff that does not compromise the performance of the 223 round and there’s no learning curve on how to shoot them effectively.

Again, in my opinion, AR pistols are on the endangered species list in the political world we inhabit. Some states, like mine (Colorado) or the coastal states, are worse than others. There’s also a likelihood that the ATF will one day sit up and declare that AR pistols are short-barreled rifles, precedent to the contrary be damned.

You can grouse about that reality all you want, but I think that there is a likelihood that AR pistols will eventually be made illegal and owners of such will have some decisions to make. The same can be said of AR rifles, but that’s less likely than a ban of AR pistols. If you think all evil AR-based firearms will be declared illegal, then lever-action rifles or M1 carbines are good substitutes to consider.

As far as handguns go, I bounce through semi-auto and revolver cycles. Right now, I’m in a revolver phase.

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There is another thread on home defense guns somewhere as an FYI.

My go to gun for home defense would be a regular (non-AR) pistol. Why? That’s what I have trained with. I’ve never taken a long gun class and have thousands and thousands of more rounds through my pistols than anything else.

I’m not saying it’s the best home defense setup, but it’s what I do and why.

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get a SBR , pay the stamp. much better than an AR pistol. shotguns are nice, 357 mag can also run 38plus p. ( & better for hunting) as stated use what you want & over penatration is a thing

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