I want an AR 15 Pistol

Redbean · Sep 11, 2020

I want to buy an AR 15 Pistol and need buying advice. Since Maryland banned most AR 15's, these look like a good option. I don't know anything about them, but would like to add one to the collection. Am I nuts? So, who owns them and what do y'all think? I would like to use it for recreational shooting and home defense. I was looking at the Springfield Armory models. Thanks, Red

Boats · Sep 11, 2020

You will need an HQL.

Redbean · Sep 11, 2020

Thanks. I'm retired AF, so I'm good there.

outrider58 · Sep 11, 2020

Buy a complete AR lower. Then buy a complete pistol upper. No HQL required. Easy peasy... :shrug:

teratos · Sep 11, 2020

Redbean said:
Thanks. I'm retired AF, so I'm good there.

That just exempts you from the training. You can build one from an 80%.

Pinnacle · Sep 11, 2020

They are regulated. You will need a HQL and the AR pistol will have to be on the roster. I was up Guntry today and they had a few up there. I think Molly's over in Kennedyville had a few ATI AR pistols too. As mentioned you could also just buy a lower and then look around for your own upper to throw on it. You have options.

glueru · Sep 11, 2020

what gets right past the pistol classification? Collapsible stock, etc

shadow116 · Sep 11, 2020

teratos said:
That just exempts you from the training. You can build one from an 80%.

Nope....Retired military does not need a HQL.

teratos · Sep 11, 2020

shadow116 said:
Nope....Retired military does not need a HQL.

I stand corrected! :thumbsup:

outrider58 · Sep 11, 2020

glueru said:
what gets right past the pistol classification? Collapsible stock, etc

If you buy a rifle or carbine, you can't convert it to a pistol. Anything transfered to you as a rifle has to stay a rifle. You can convert it to an SBR, but that is NFA and requires a tax stamp.

Redbean · Sep 11, 2020

I looked at the MD Handgun Roster and saw various Springfield Armory Models are approved. These got good reviews too. I want to buy one, not build one. The crazy thing for me is that they banned most of the AR 15 rifles, but these AR 15 pistols are good to go! Makes no sense? But then again, we in MD!

Bullfrog · Sep 11, 2020

teratos said:
I stand corrected!

It can be confusing.

ID card holder (Active, reserve, retired) = exempt from HQL.

Prior military service but not an ID holder = exempt from training only.

duckduckgoose · Sep 11, 2020

That's MD for ya!

I've got a lower on the way for a pistol build and I know you don't need an HQL for the transfer. I've got my HQL but what if you didn't have an HQL and you built a transferred stripped lower in to an AR pistol? Does someone need an HQL to do that?

Applehd · Sep 11, 2020

Umm... don't you need a HQL to purchase a stripped lower that is NOT an 80%...?
Because there is a 4473 and a 7 day wait.

Jed195 · Sep 11, 2020

If you buy a stripped lower you can make it into a pistol or a rifle. No hql unless you're buying a complete handgun...which must be on the roster. If you make it a pistol first then you can make it into a rifle and go back to a pistol anytime you wish. Rifle first means rifle only. I've not gotten the HQL and won't be so building a handgun or more to a point assembling a handgun is my only option.
I'm looking to get in on the 80% glock builds. Not a glock person...but I don't see any other 80 builds besides 1911s and they are more work it seems. A shockwave is on my build list too...just need the donor pistol grip only mossberg.

duckduckgoose · Sep 11, 2020

Applehd said:
Umm... don't you need a HQL to purchase a stripped lower that is NOT an 80%...?
Because there is a 4473 and a 7 day wait.

I have heard that some FFLs require them but legally not required, as far as I know.

Applehd · Sep 11, 2020

I just saw in another thread that there is a drop down box somewhere on the form that you can pick "lower receiver"... I didn't see it... No matter... will pick up my M&M lower at Tylers next Friday.

IX-3 · Sep 11, 2020

Jed195 said:
I'm looking to get in on the 80% glock builds. Not a glock person...but I don't see any other 80 builds besides 1911s and they are more work it seems. A shockwave is on my build list too...just need the donor pistol grip only mossberg.

There are 80% Sig P320 builds available. They require a little more work than the 80% Glock builds but nowhere near what the 80% 1911's require.

Ammo Jon · Sep 11, 2020

outrider58 said:
Buy a complete AR lower. Then buy a complete pistol upper. No HQL required. Easy peasy...

?

spoon059 · Sep 11, 2020

What is your intent with an AR pistol? My research suggested that for a .223/5.56 round you want to be 11.5" or longer for better accuracy at distance (if you care about distance). Then you also have to worry about the noise from the pistol. Apparently they are a good amount more obnoxious than a rifle length. I ended up going with a .300 pistol because they maintain accuracy better in a shorter barrel and they are more conducive to being suppressed with subsonic ammo.

If you are just buying it for fun and shooting at 50 to 100 yards, you probably won't care about accuracy in a .223 and apparently they make blast diverters to push sound forward instead of sideways. If you're buying for home defense and concerned about blowing your eardrums out after the first shot, perhaps a suppressed .300 is a better option. 9mm is also a good option for shorter range AR pistols, but I'm fairly certain they aren't interchangeable like the AR15 platform is.

My suggestion is to buy a striped lower and build it yourself. It isn't very difficult to do and you learn more about how your gun works if you assembled it. PSA sells a kit with the SBA3 brace and their EPT trigger for about $200, I'm sure it will go on sale when demand eventually backs down. Then you have a completed lower and can either assemble your own upper or buy a completed upper. Its really not that hard and I found it to be pretty fun to do. Good luck!

I want an AR 15 Pistol

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