Today’s AR Options - Help Get Me Up to Speed

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  • illini40

    Sharpshooter
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    1   0   0
    Nov 28, 2010
    573
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    Hello

    I have a basic AR in 223 with 16”
    barrel, mid-length. I have had it for years, and it has served me well. However, in coming back into the market recently, I am a bit lost.

    Im seeing a lot of popularity around AR pistols. I’m seeing shorter barrel lengths. I’m seeing 9mm and 223.

    What do I make of all of this?

    What is the basics on differences, what is best for certain applications, etc?

    Are 18”+ barrels in 223 obsolete?

    I am only interested in sticking with 223 or 9mm.
     

    76Too

    Sharpshooter
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    50   0   0
    Dec 9, 2019
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    Just Passing Through
    the shorter barrels/pistols are becoming popular for truck guns, bug out bags and 'get to your rifle' guns because they can fit in a backpack and offer a lot more firepower than a 9mm pistol, but by no means have they replaced AR's in their traditional form. i'd take a shoulder fired 18" barrel ANY day in a firefight (as long as not in a maze/office/tight quarters situation)...but then again, I'd take an AK over an AR for personal preference...but to make it more confusing, I'd take an AR pistol over an AK pistol (or at least I THINK I would, but i've never actually SHOT either of them, ever).

    personally, I have no use for an AR/AK pistol. When I'm out and about, i'm carrying concealed and I don't wear a backpack/manbag everywhere. That being said, I wouldn't be opposed to getting one for the truck...just to have. I'm actually starting to see the potential value of having 5.56 firepower close at hand if anything should happen while I'm away from my safe.

    I'm interested to see what others will say, but I doubt any of them will say that full size rifles are obsolete...it's likely that there's just more niche markets out there, and they're so cheap/easy to build, why NOT have one of every size for every imaginable place/situation around your house/in your vehicle/on your person?

    In todays world...I'm not discrediting ANYONE'S preparedness tactics...gotta do what works for you and your situation, for sure!
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    Why do you want a .223 and not a 5.56?

    Why do you think you want a 9MM? For what purpose? Range restriction or something?

    AR pistols are to sell. Not many get shot and they are sold because of what people see on movies or the internet.

    But right now, with everything being sucked out of the pipeline, not certain you have many choices.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
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    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
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    SouthEast
    Why do you want a .223 and not a 5.56?

    Why do you think you want a 9MM? For what purpose? Range restriction or something?

    AR pistols are to sell. Not many get shot and they are sold because of what people see on movies or the internet.

    But right now, with everything being sucked out of the pipeline, not certain you have many choices.

    I know I'm the local contrarian... But my ar pistols get worked harder than my carbines. My range rat friends are the same.

    11.5" 5.56 with a 1-6 trijicon, an h3 buffer, a hlx, and a dedicated can, I'm not sure there is a more fun or useful gun in the world. It's a 2.5 minute gun with 55gr at 100 and the easiest gun I have to toss in the car for a range date.

    20200324145253.jpg
     

    76Too

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    50   0   0
    Dec 9, 2019
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    Just Passing Through
    in the spirit of turning this into a discussion...WTF with a 1x6 on a pistol!?!?! I would figure a red dot at best, no? is 'putting your **** in the dirt' the best option with one of these? or find some type of barrier to rest it on? i'm not mocking you, by any means. i'm genuinely curious.
     
    Last edited by a moderator:

    Ggreen

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    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
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    SouthEast
    in the spirit of turning this into a discussion...WTF with a 1x6 on a pistol!?!?! I would figure a red dot at best, no? is 'putting your **** in the dirt' the best option with one of these? or find some type of barrier to rest it on? i'm not mocking you, by any means. i'm genuinely curious.

    It's basically a red dot at 1x. At 6x it was a breeze engaging targets at 300 yards. An lvpo is pretty versatile. I recently did a 1 day training with this pistol and used a bipod on this as well, it has no issue hanging with the long rifles in tactical rapid fire, minute of man, type shooting. Run and gun guys have used lpvo's for a long time.
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
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    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
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    Its all personal preference and what you want to do with the gun.

    I ditched my 18" and 16" guns for pistols. Rocking a 10.5" 5.56 with a 2-7 Leupold and a 5" 9mm that takes Glock mags utilizing a Holosun 510c.

    For everyday life the pistols are so much easier to handle and lets not forget the cool factor. They get around all the NFA SBR laws and your CCW license covers them since they are a "pistol". Real world shooting no diff. The AR is not a long range weapon.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    I know I'm the local contrarian... But my ar pistols get worked harder than my carbines. My range rat friends are the same.

    11.5" 5.56 with a 1-6 trijicon, an h3 buffer, a hlx, and a dedicated can, I'm not sure there is a more fun or useful gun in the world. It's a 2.5 minute gun with 55gr at 100 and the easiest gun I have to toss in the car for a range date.

    20200324145253.jpg

    Yeah, but you were smart and have a dedicated can.
     

    Hohn

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    1   0   0
    Jul 5, 2012
    4,444
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    USA
    I wish someone would make a 1-4 or 1-6 with a massive FOV like some fixed mag options. The hensoldt/zeiss ZO4x30 seems to be in a class of its own in terms of huge FOV.
     

    88E30M50

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    22,748
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    Greenwood, IN
    I’ve become a fan of the AR pistol platform and mine do get shot more than my other ARs. My favorite is a 10.5” DD upper over a quality lower with an Eotech on top. I can ring steel at 200 yards all day long with that combo and it’s easy to keep handy. It’s small enough that when I’m out and about, it tucks nicely right behind the seat of my truck, yet cannot be seen from outside.

    I set up a second AR pistol with a can for home defense. With the available braces now, an AR pistol is a viable platform that gives near SBR capabilities without the paper trail. That said, I am going to file a form 1 for one of them this spring just in case the feds flip flop on the use of the braces on an AR.
     

    Tactically Fat

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    Oct 8, 2014
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    Keep in mind that to get the absolute best ballistics out of 5.56 and/or .223 - you need bullet velocity. When you start getting shorter and shorter barrels, you start to hinder the bullet and what it was designed for. I say that and I have a 12.5" AR pistol in 5.56. I know at least one guy with a 7" 5.56 pistol.

    If it were the *only* thing that I were going to have, then a short AR in .300 BO would probably be the direction I'd go. Adequate "slightly better than 9mm" ballistics out of subsonic ammo, and right decent at super-sonic. I also know that this also throws another variable in the mix with needing to source another (Expensive) caliber.

    And in today's modern world, you don't need to have a 9mm AR pattern gun, either. There are plenty of high quality 9mm carbines and long pistols on the market today. These are mighty handy and way cheaper to feed.
     

    T-DOGG

    I'm Spicy, deal with it.
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    262   1   0
    Feb 4, 2011
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    New Haven
    I wish someone would make a 1-4 or 1-6 with a massive FOV like some fixed mag options. The hensoldt/zeiss ZO4x30 seems to be in a class of its own in terms of huge FOV.
    I'm no optics expert, but my Razor 1-6 seems to have a huge FOV. I believe the PST genII 1-6 is close in FOV to the Razor.
     

    1nderbeard

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    38   0   0
    Apr 3, 2017
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    Figure out what you want it for and then go from there. If you just want a range toy, get a replacement of what you have for less than $750 and go at it.
    But, wait about 6 months.
     
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