When did AR pistols get so popular?

hminsky

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It seems like every advertisement from a firearms company these days had AR15 pistols. When did these get to be a "thing"? I remember when
I first saw some of them, maybe ten or fifteen years ago, a few people would build them on AR15.com ,but most people seemed to think they were kind
of silly, firing a rifle cartridge out of such a short barrel. Why the surge in popularity?
 
Also.... 15+ years ago....

-Stuff like 300 blackout basically didn't exist.

-The # of sexy, clean minimalist forends was very limited.

-AR9s existed but most implementations were junk or seriously lacking.

-People didn't know/believe you could have a 556 gun with a 11.5-12.5in barrel that still maintained its reliability.

-There are more little optics now than back then. Think Aimpoint Micro T1 etc. Those didn't exist.
 
As others have stated, the ubiquity and viability of braces have made them popular for wallhacking the NFA and creating a pseudo-SBR.
 
Decent firepower in a smaller, easy to handle package, what's not to like? The American version of a Krinkov.
 
There's been a gradual push towards shorter and shorter barrels, where 10.5 to 14.5" is considered the standard now in most militaries. Consumer demand follows military and police trends. Short barrel + brace = fits most consumers' desires without a Form 1.
 
It seems like every advertisement from a firearms company these days had AR15 pistols. When did these get to be a "thing"? I remember when
I first saw some of them, maybe ten or fifteen years ago, a few people would build them on AR15.com ,but most people seemed to think they were kind of silly, firing a rifle cartridge out of such a short barrel. Why the surge in popularity?

People discovered that burning your eyebrows off with muzzle flash is a really fun thing to do. [laugh]
 
In .223 it would be insanely loud and have terrible performance. Maybe in another caliber it would be OK but since Maura says we can't have one, it would be a bit more difficult to get or build one here.
 
In .223 it would be insanely loud and have terrible performance. Maybe in another caliber it would be OK but since Maura says we can't have one, it would be a bit more difficult to get or build one here.
Uncle Sam's fielded 10.3'' and 11.5'' barreled M4 variants. The performance won't be 20'' barrel equivalent, but good enough for putting people down, it seems.

And considering the use case of AR pistols is plinking/defense and not precision rifle shooting at 200 yards, it should suffice.
 
Uncle Sam's fielded 10.3'' and 11.5'' barreled M4 variants. The performance won't be 20'' barrel equivalent, but good enough for putting people down, it seems.

And considering the use case of AR pistols is plinking/defense and not precision rifle shooting at 200 yards, it should suffice.
Even at 200 yards, you’re still POA/POI +/- 2” with a shorty 5.56. Choose a good defensive load like a TSX or the 77 TMK, and the bullet will still perform out to 200. An 11.5/12.5” 5.56 will do a lot.
 
It seems like every advertisement from a firearms company these days had AR15 pistols. When did these get to be a "thing"? I remember when
I first saw some of them, maybe ten or fifteen years ago, a few people would build them on AR15.com ,but most people seemed to think they were kind
of silly, firing a rifle cartridge out of such a short barrel. Why the surge in popularity?
It’s an SBR without the need of a tax stamp. I’ve no real use for them but I understand why some would.
 
In .223 it would be insanely loud and have terrible performance. Maybe in another caliber it would be OK but since Maura says we can't have one, it would be a bit more difficult to get or build one here.
Lots of sf uses 10in barrels

Good enough for them it's definitely good enough for me to defend my mall with
 
In .223 it would be insanely loud and have terrible performance. Maybe in another caliber it would be OK but since Maura says we can't have one, it would be a bit more difficult to get or build one here.

A linear compensator projects the sound forward and it's dramatically noticable. I put one on all of mine.
I'm not concerned about the guy on the next firing point.....they have hearing protection and an AR pistol is no louder than their 30.06 deer rifle or a 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant.

As for performance, they have their limitations ( all guns do ) but within those limitations they are far superior to a pistol caliber in every way. They are actually quite accurate at/within a hundred yards.....which is "my" intended use.
 
A linear compensator projects the sound forward and it's dramatically noticable. I put one on all of mine.
I'm not concerned about the guy on the next firing point.....they have hearing protection and an AR pistol is no louder than their 30.06 deer rifle or a 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant.

As for performance, they have their limitations ( all guns do ) but within those limitations they are far superior to a pistol caliber in every way. They are actually quite accurate at/within a hundred yards.....which is "my" intended use.
Loud is tough to pin down.
223 has a frequency that really stings vs 30-06 or 308 with out muzzle devices.
Its all loud. Now the percussion “wave” from a brake the 223 vs 308 ....highly depends on where your standing
 
I can’t hear “fixed mag lower” without then thinking of Maura Healey which then makes me angry and sick to my stomach. This is why I can’t stand fixed mag lowers.
I agree there are so many more pistol choices money wise than a fixed mag AR.
Fine you got expendable cash go for it but
 
Loud is tough to pin down.
223 has a frequency that really stings vs 30-06 or 308 with out muzzle devices.
Its all loud. Now the percussion “wave” from a brake the 223 vs 308 ....highly depends on where your standing

If you've never fired a 10.5 inch AR with a linear compensator, try one at next opportunity. I was very surprised how well they work, so much so I ordered one for every AR pistol I own and installed them. Best $20 accessory I've purchased in a long time.
 
In .223 it would be insanely loud and have terrible performance. Maybe in another caliber it would be OK but since Maura says we can't have one, it would be a bit more difficult to get or build one here.

Nope. I have two ar-15 pistols. One with 10.5 and one with 7.5 barrel. They run just fine.
 
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