AR Pistols Aren’t An SBR Replacement…

AR pistols are not an SBR replacement… And that is a very good thing.

JTT AR Pistol 1

The hubbub surrounding the ATF’s opinions on shouldering the Sig SB15 Pistol Stabilizing Brace seems to have thrown a bucket of cold water on last year’s fever pitch AR pistol excitement. Now more than ever, it is clear that AR pistols are not the SBR analog that people want them to be and they never will be as long as the ATF says you shouldn’t shoulder them. I have owned my AR pistol(s) for quite a while now. I continue to enjoy training with it and shooting it. I won’t be giving it up anytime soon.

JTT AR Pistol 2

Certainly, the way owners shoot AR pistols may change based on the opinion letters, but I think many of the downers are being short sighted in writing them off completely. They can still do things some useful things that an SBR can’t…

  1. Pistols can usually be carried loaded in a vehicle under the owner’s CCW permit. This is not the case with rifles in all jurisdictions.
  2. Pistols can be carried across state lines without having to notify the ATF (via form 5320-20). This is especially nice if you, like me, live near state borders.
  3. The obvious one is that you don’t have a tax stamp and $200 tax tied up in it like you would an in SBR.
  4. Finally, there are still states and jurisdictions that do not allow residents to own SBRs.

To be clear, I am not saying AR pistols are better than SBRs because they aren’t – they’re different. It is probably better to think of AR pistols as an entirely different animal than an SBR, rather than a replacement. They offer different capabilities and have different strengths. When I stop looking at what I’ve been told I can’t do with an AR pistol and start looking at what I can, I wonder why everyone who has more than a couple AR-15s don’t have an AR pistol at their disposal.

JTT AR Pistol 3

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7 Responses to AR Pistols Aren’t An SBR Replacement…

  1. ARluv June 5, 2015 at 12:11 #

    You can also legally cheek weld them!

  2. Cymond June 6, 2015 at 03:44 #

    Just a fair warning, ATF has stated that the Thordsen Custom tube cover is legal as long as you don’t shoulder it. If you do, it falls into the same problem as the SB-15.
    http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_122/665498_Interesting_news_regarding_install_of_Thordsen_Custom_Saddle_Kit__WELL_WRITTEN_RESPONSE_.html

    • ARluv June 8, 2015 at 08:19 #

      Absolutely Cymond…they’ve also stated that even using the buffer tube as a stock falls under the same January ruling. Makes absolutely no sense at all. The distance between my shoulder and the Brace or the buffer tube of my AR Pistol when firing is so small that it would be easy enough for me to shoulder it simply though the minimal recoil.

  3. DV June 6, 2015 at 11:12 #

    The red dot from pic 1 is in a different spot in pic 3.

    • Matt June 6, 2015 at 12:07 #

      That is two different red dots (Aimpoint T1 and Primary Arms) on two different uppers (11.5″ and 7.5″). Am I missing something important about their perceived difference in position?

  4. Jeff S June 6, 2015 at 23:25 #

    While I love my sbr, just like my AR rifle, I do miss my AR pistol and kind of regret selling it… Guess that means I just have to build another 😉

    • Matt June 6, 2015 at 23:36 #

      There is always another AR-15 to build. Always.

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