Getting into Pistol AR's

[ezrarobles]

I'm highly interested in trading my AR-15 full size rifle for a pistol AR, but to be honest, don't really know much about them or their reliability and what not. What can people tell me about them? Are they worth getting into?

I was thinking of getting a pistol version because I don't get to go to the range often at all (and lately it's just been pistol shooting anyway) and feel like a pistol AR with a drop in .22 kit would be more fun then a full size rifle with a .22 kit.

[Normlizer]

i have a dpms kitty kat upper 7.5" barrel. Shooting 223 out of it is a blast huge fireball. Now i shoot 22lr out of it with my spikes 22lr conversion. They are fun.

[harold63]

Trade if you want to, but no way am I trading an AR rifle for an AR pistol. If the rifle only shoots .22LR, then I probably would do it, but the .223/5.56 rifle is here to stay. When people were getting 2 grand for $800 AR 15's, I never even talked about selling one of mine. What about a garage sale or something to get some cash?

[mythaeus]

If it's your only AR, I highly recommend AGAINST trading. An AR pistol is a fun range gun, but by all measures impractical. It's uncomfortable to handle, too heavy to be used like a pistol, too awkward to be used like a rifle. I say this as someone who own(ed) and LOVE AR pistols.

That said, unless something was seriously screwed up with the build, AR15 pistols are pretty reliable. You can mitigate discomfort by adding a laser to use it for aiming and shoot from the hip (literally). You can mount a CAA stock saddle to use as a cheek weld for using BUIS or red dot. They are fun as heck to shoot: loud and fiery. Go for one, but in addition to your rifle, not instead.

Al

[hipowr]

I had a spare upper when I bought a piston upper for my SBR, so I build an AR pistol. I really had no idea whether it was going to be worth anything, and frankly didn't think it would be.

I was kind of surprised that it wasn't as useless as I thought. I am a big guy and tend to hunker down real close on my AR's anyway. I usually run a short stock length and am just used to shooting that way. I found using the buffer tube as a stock was completely doable and wasn't really much of a handicap over my SBR.

All that being said, I don't think I would get rid of my AR Carbine and just depend on an AR pistol. It is workable, but just not as comfortable as having a stock. If you really want a short carbine, just go ahead and do an SBR.

AJ

[Edg]

Id rather have something like a Kel Tec plr16 or a Sig 556 pistol. I dont like having a buffer tube on a pistol. Ive shot a plr16 a good bit and love them. If I can ever find one near retail again IM getting it.

[streaker69]

Id rather have something like a Kel Tec plr16 or a Sig 556 pistol. I dont like having a buffer tube on a pistol. Ive shot a plr16 a good bit and love them. If I can ever find one near retail again IM getting it.

If you use the .22lr conversion for it then you don't need the buffer tube, I think that they make a cap to go over where the buffer tube was.

[mythaeus]

Id rather have something like a Kel Tec plr16 or a Sig 556 pistol. I dont like having a buffer tube on a pistol. Ive shot a plr16 a good bit and love them. If I can ever find one near retail again IM getting it.

I have a Sig P556 pistol in addition to my AR15 pistol. I love the way the Sig feels, but when it comes to shooting besides "from the hip", it's a lot easier to have that buffer tube so you can align your sights and roughly rest your cheek for better control/steadying and consistency.

Al

[mythaeus]

If you use the .22lr conversion for it then you don't need the buffer tube, I think that they make a cap to go over where the buffer tube was.

I've seen those caps. Why anyone wants a clunky dedicated 22LR AR pistol (with or without buffer tube) is beyond me, though.

Al

[streaker69]

I've seen those caps. Why anyone wants a clunky dedicated 22LR AR pistol (with or without buffer tube) is beyond me, though.

Al

Just throwing that option out there. I didn't have any issues running my conversion on my pistol, even though the person that sold it to me wasn't sure if it would run right or not.

Definitely a lot of fun.