AR pistol recommendations

[Deaddogwalkin]

I am in the market for an ar pistol, it may turn into a truck gun and used on coyotes around our calf herd. Can anyone give me any advise or direction on the 7" vs 10.5" length barrels? Is there that much velocity lost with the shorter one, can I expect 200 yd accuracy out of either? Any other thoughts, advise, or opinions would be appreciated. Thank you in advance>

 

[Deaddogwalkin]

Just wanted to say, Thanks for all the replies!

 

[BennyPaz]

Howdy,

I've owned both 7.5" and 10.5" inch barrel AR Pistols. Both have advantages and disadvantages. If you want it as a truck gun, 7inch barrel will be more concealable, however, I've had some accuracy issues with my 7" barrel. I recently ordered some iron sights and will try to sight it in this weekend (had a sightmark reflex on it prior, would NOT recommend). I really liked my 10.5 inch barrel with a 10inch keymod rail. I was able to hit 200 with no problem and even made it out to 400 on the right day. At close range, 25yards, I was able to put a magazine center mass on a 75% silhouette steel plate no problem. The 10inch rail was also easier to get a comfortable grip on and felt better in my hands.

I can't speak to velocity changes.

I can say my favorite company to purchase uppers from is Radical Firearms out of Houston TX. They do a majority of their machining in house and reduce costs significantly to bring a quality product at an affordable price. They offer tons of caliber and barrel lengths.

 

[BennyPaz]

Also, forgot to mention, I have Sig Braces on mine. They are nice, but expensive and bulky. If you want a brace, I'd try the new KAK Shockwave SHOCK

 

[throttletony]

Will this be in 223/5.56 or in 300 blackout?

If 223, look at ballisticsbytheinch website to see how much velocity you lose. Plus you gain a lot of flash and concussion. Go with the longest barrel you can live with in 223.

Not to mention reliability concerns -- the shorter the setup, the more potential for problems with cycling correctly

 

[chef1231]

I don't get AR pistols, unless you are going to use it as an SBR they just seem like a pain in the ass. All that being said I have an SBR and while talking about suppressors with a manufacturer they said a 5.56 round will not stabilize in a 7 inch barrel so they will not warranty it until 10 inches. Not sure how you want to look at that but my guess is if you really want it to go 200 yards then 10 inches. If it is 300 blackout then yeah 7 or 8 would be great.

 

[Bfish]

Throttletony is sending you the right direction. I think 10" on your AR pistol will be fine. I wouldn't go below it though, Just a 10 will have tons of report, if you put much of a hardcore break on it the concussion will be physically felt in a negative way. A friend of mine had a PWS break on his and it concussed the head really good. Switched to a dynacomp and it works great, just gives off a huge flash signature.

If you are looking for a good pistol upper I would suggest checking out alpha shooting sports. They are very nice and if you can get one when they run a sell a pretty good deal IMO.

 

[mammynun]

I don't get AR pistols, unless you are going to use it as an SBR they just seem like a pain in the ass. All that being said I have an SBR and while talking about suppressors with a manufacturer they said a 5.56 round will not stabilize in a 7 inch barrel so they will not warranty it until 10 inches. Not sure how you want to look at that but my guess is if you really want it to go 200 yards then 10 inches. If it is 300 blackout then yeah 7 or 8 would be great.

My understanding of the warranty "issue" is that the shorter barrel is much harder on the suppressor (more gas/flame cutting), and has nothing to do with stability. I regularly shoot my 7.5" 5.56x45mm at 200yds with no accuracy issues.

To answer the OP, you'll lose velocity with a shorter barrel, but out to 200yds I don't see a difference with a red dot and my ability and eyesight. Accuracy and velocity are two separate issues. I use a 50/200-ish zero on all my 5.56 red dot equipped AR's and have no problem banging a 100% IPSC piece of steel at 200... At 300 I have to hold over a little with 7.5" and wind becomes more of a factor, but it's still a pretty easy shot. A 10.5" is more likely to run reliably with more types of ammo without swapping springs and/or buffers than a 7.5".

It's a trade-off. Which is more important to you, a slightly shorter barrel or a slightly flatter trajectory?

7.5" Pistol

14", 11.5", and 10.5"

12"