AR15 Pistol without the Buffer Tube?

[RocketFoot]

So, I've decided that I want an AR15 Pistol! But I don't want the buffer tube hanging off the back...enter the RRA LAR-PDS! I am totally digging this but I already have a lower. Can I buy a piston upper and put on my lower? Can I build a piston upper like this? Where can I get one affordable? Are there any other manufactures making an upper like this?

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.c...ategory_id=441

Any other way to build a pistol with no buffer tube? I'm all ears!

[knight0334]

Olympic Arms pioneered the buff tubeless AR pistol. I'm not sure if they still make them or not(their site is down), but you might be able to find one of them too if you want a choice.

I've heard though that the bufferless pistol uppers aren't sold separately by those companies that make them.

[DucatiRon]

Yes and the lower is machined different. I have an Oly bufferless pistol. OA-93 if you want to see one on GB. Basically there lower is not cut out where the buffer is normally attached so you would have to develop some type of cap for your current lower if you could even find a seperate upper. I paid about 900 for mine new some yeas ago and have about 4k rounds out of mine without issue. Mine is currently waiting to become an AOW.

Edit: Oly aslo made an OA-98 which was a skeletonized version of the same gun. Those are out of production now.

[RocketFoot]

I was never crazy about the looks of the Oly, but this RRA has my full attention! Nice looking setup!

[DucatiRon]

Ya they are a bit cleaner looking but longer barrel and more expensive. Hey if you got the cash go for it. Fun as hell and nice fireballs at night.

[Captain Tuttle]

So, I've decided that I want an AR15 Pistol! But I don't want the buffer tube hanging off the back...enter the RRA LAR-PDS! I am totally digging this but I already have a lower. Can I buy a piston upper and put on my lower? Can I build a piston upper like this? Where can I get one affordable? Are there any other manufactures making an upper like this?

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.c...ategory_id=441

Any other way to build a pistol with no buffer tube? I'm all ears!

PLR-16.

Half the price of the RRA.

I have one as a range toy. For sale if interested.

[bac0nfat]

SBR it and add a folding stock!

[Asmodeus6]

PLR-16.

Half the price of the RRA.

I have one as a range toy. For sale if interested.

Yup. Way simpler, lighter, and cheaper.

The RRA guns look cool. But you're getting in deep to the proprietary parts and basically guns at that point. While it may RESEMBLE... an AR15. It in truth is no longer one. Which puts anything pistol sized and firing 5.56 in the same category. Short barreled ballistics of 5.56, in comparison to the blast and flash... suck. So my interest level in these is negative 500. If it were chambered in 300 black out. Then... ok, maybe.

[RocketFoot]

Yeah, the PLR16 is nice. Do they take standard AR mags?

I am thinking of going SBR on my lower also, Just not looking forward to jumping through all the hoops. I mainly desire a short barrel since I already have a 16" and 20" AR! But I do want something badass!

[Asmodeus6]

Yeah, the PLR16 is nice. Do they take standard AR mags?

I am thinking of going SBR on my lower also, Just not looking forward to jumping through all the hoops. I mainly desire a short barrel since I already have a 16" and 20" AR! But I do want something badass!

They do use AR mags. If general feel is important to you however though the KT's have always felt a little less substantial due to their construction IMO. I'm not knocking them, it's just an FYI.

I built an AR pistol with the buffer tube. I realize the mystique of not having one, but when you actually go to shoot it... you'll see why having one isn't such a big deal. You can brace it with a sling sure... but... tucking the buffer tube against your cheek sure works a fuck ton better! And it will give you something to give you those warm AR fuzzies for head position and sight alignment. If you're a smaller guy you can almost tuck the tube into your shoulder and the need to SBR the gun diminishes as well. Granted, this is going to put an aluminum tube in close proximity to your collar bone. So, anything with more recoil than 5.56 could make for a VERY bad day doing such a thing. I can imagine taking a charging handle to the nose/under eye area, and a buffer tube to the collar bone would ruin one's shooting outing fairly quickly.

Also, just a side note, in case you haven't partaken of the 10" barrels and down in rifle calibers... a decent FH/brake is worth whatever you pay for it. And by decent I mean something that directs the grenade going off roughly 12-16" from your head, AWAY from you. And in such a way that it doesn't also propagate flash in any major way. My 7.62 7" gun was daytime visible beach ball sized fire balls with no device installed.

Finally, noise. Buckle up. I shoot in a wide open area against the back side of a hill that is ascending from a gully that is descending towards it. It does throw some sound back as it is a tall, wide, hill. (Roughly 80ft above you standing) But being within 3-5yds of the gun being fired is difficult even with plugs in. The concussion near the muzzle is serious business. Such that the 18" 12 gauges being fired nearby with 3" shells begin to uh, seem inconsequential...

Again, if you've gotten this far and you're still all "hell yes". You'll love it.