AR style pistol

[Wolffman]

I'm thinking about getting an AR style pistol, either 9mm, or 300AAC blackout. The use would be for home/individual protection. I already have several 9mm weapons, so the common ammo is readily available to me. I'm not sure why I'm considering a 300AAC blackout version. I don't have any 300AAC ammo, so that would mean starting a whole new stash of ammo.
Any opinions? Would there be an advantage to 300AAC?

 

[Route 45]

300 BLK is quite a bit more powerful with supersonic ammo than 9mm out of equal length barrels. It's about the same ballistics as .45 ACP with subsonic ammo and suppresses really well. But nothing wrong with a 9mm AR pistol for home defense. If it's a financial decision, probably stick with 9mm and a good AR pistol that takes Glock mags.

That said, I've got both. If I was going into hostilities on purpose, I'd take my 300 BLK over my 9mm. But I have plenty of good defensive 300 BLK ammo and only had to buy the upper, as I already had a 5.56 AR pistol lower.

 

[Lost Californian]

I have a Freedom Ordnance FX-9 that I use for those purposes. Check them out.

 

[Ark]

300 supers don't do anything 5.56 can't do. 300 subs don't do anything 45ACP can't do.

One thing 300 can do? Blow up guns.

 

[Scott58]

I 2nd the FX-9. Well made and 9mm is plentiful.

 

[Route 45]

300 supers don't do anything 5.56 can't do. 300 subs don't do anything 45ACP can't do.

Nah.

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www.firearmsnews.com

"If you want an AR pistol or SBR with a barrel length shorter than 10 inches, chances are you’re far better off choosing 300 AAC Blackout than any other cartridge, especially 5.56x45mm, which loses speed drastically in any barrel length shorter than 11.5. Supersonic Blackout ammo was optimized for use in short-barreled ARs and in just about every way crushes the caliber competition when your barrel length reaches single digits. Out of a 5.5-inch barrel, a 110-grain 300 BLK has the same velocity as a 55-grain 5.56 NATO. And if you’re interested in being very, very quiet, a suppressed AR firing subsonic 300 BLK ammunition is as quiet as quiet semi-auto gets, while offering the familiarity of AR controls."

One thing 300 can do? Blow up guns.

Correct, if one owns both 5.56 uppers and 300 BLK uppers, it is advisable to mark mags or use different mags for each caliber.
If you are prone to loading the wrong ammo into your chambers, it's best to stick to one caliber.
Or maybe pay attention to what you are doing.

 

[glank09]

I have both, and thoroughly enjoy both. I got the 300blk with a 10.5" barrel primarily for deer back before rifles became legal. I have since gotten a 9mm pistol which turned into an SBR. For home defense, I wouldnt definitely go with 9mm with a 4"-5" barrel.

From a shooting standpoint, they are both so much fun, but the 9mm is cheaper to feed. Also, both suppress very well if wanted.

 

[bwframe]

For self defense, you already have 9mm handguns sprinkled all around. There is no advantage to a 9mm AR pistol. Actually unless you train with the AR pistol specifically, it's a disadvantage.

9mm AR pistol is a great training tool for the range, mimicking your real rifle. 300 BLK was designed for self defense in your AR. Chances are the gas operated 300 BLK will be a more reliable weapon than your 9mm AR, that was not designed to operate as a blowback gun. A lotta stuff had to be changed and adapted internally in that 9mm AR to make it kinda work like it should.

You'd be much better off to throw a light and red dot on your 9mm pistol and wear it around the house. Train with it, dry fire, be used to it on your belt. You never know when that AR is just a little too far out of reach? You're gonna need that pistol caliber pistol holstered on your belt to get to your AR anyway.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

Nah.

Oops... It looks like there was an error with that link.

Oops... It looks like there was an error with that link.

www.firearmsnews.com

"If you want an AR pistol or SBR with a barrel length shorter than 10 inches, chances are you’re far better off choosing 300 AAC Blackout than any other cartridge, especially 5.56x45mm, which loses speed drastically in any barrel length shorter than 11.5. Supersonic Blackout ammo was optimized for use in short-barreled ARs and in just about every way crushes the caliber competition when your barrel length reaches single digits. Out of a 5.5-inch barrel, a 110-grain 300 BLK has the same velocity as a 55-grain 5.56 NATO. And if you’re interested in being very, very quiet, a suppressed AR firing subsonic 300 BLK ammunition is as quiet as quiet semi-auto gets, while offering the familiarity of AR controls."


Correct, if one owns both 5.56 uppers and 300 BLK uppers, it is advisable to mark mags or use different mags for each caliber.
If you are prone to loading the wrong ammo into your chambers, it's best to stick to one caliber.
Or maybe pay attention to what you are doing.

Not only that, but 300 BLK is a lot less temperamental than 5.56 in a short barrel from a gas tuning point of view. I've heard plenty of anecdotes about 5.56 AR pistols having failure to feeds and such, especially from local gunsmiths.

My favorite was a video a few years ago of some thug ambushing two deputies during a traffic stop with an AR pistol with a 40 P-Mag. After around 5 shots, the pistol had an obvious FTF or double feed jam in the video. Now while I don't regret another thug being taken off the street, from an unbiased tactical point of view, those officers were under gunned and would probably be worse off than one having their Achilles tendon blown apart if that weapon didn't jam.

 

[Ark]

Nah.

Oops... It looks like there was an error with that link.

Oops... It looks like there was an error with that link.

www.firearmsnews.com

"If you want an AR pistol or SBR with a barrel length shorter than 10 inches, chances are you’re far better off choosing 300 AAC Blackout than any other cartridge, especially 5.56x45mm, which loses speed drastically in any barrel length shorter than 11.5. Supersonic Blackout ammo was optimized for use in short-barreled ARs and in just about every way crushes the caliber competition when your barrel length reaches single digits. Out of a 5.5-inch barrel, a 110-grain 300 BLK has the same velocity as a 55-grain 5.56 NATO. And if you’re interested in being very, very quiet, a suppressed AR firing subsonic 300 BLK ammunition is as quiet as quiet semi-auto gets, while offering the familiarity of AR controls."


Correct, if one owns both 5.56 uppers and 300 BLK uppers, it is advisable to mark mags or use different mags for each caliber.
If you are prone to loading the wrong ammo into your chambers, it's best to stick to one caliber.
Or maybe pay attention to what you are doing.

I don't particularly care what the performance out of a 5.5" barrel is. That's a meme gun in either caliber. No reason for either rifle to be shorter than 11.5" for supersonic use, and at least until two years ago there was no reason to shoot a supersonic intermediate 30 cal cartridge that wasn't 7.62x39.

In my personal observation, changing between subs and supers just doesn't work in the real world. Wild zeroing issues aside, the gassing between the two loads is completely different and the guns don't work reliably with both.

Subsonic 300 is just 45ACP with extra steps. It's the OG of heavyweight subsonic suppressed shooting for a reason, and is a beneficiary of modern expanding hollow point technology. .45 HST is a great thing to hit a target with when you're velocity limited.

I'll grant this on the subsonic suppressed side: There is a dearth of quality locked breach .45 PCCs with sub 8" barrels on the market right now, whereas any AR DI or piston system will run 300 subs assuming the gas port is hogged out enough to run it, and those are generally quieter and more enjoyable to shoot than blowback .45s.

I wish we had really good sales statistics available. I would bet money that 80% of 300blk uppers sold have 16" barrels, and I would bet money that BCA alone has a 60% market share on 300blk uppers. That tells you what you need to know about 300blk and the people who buy it: There's the people who need fewer meme calibers, another case of 5.56, and a basic carbine class.

 

[Quickfoot11]

I feel like 300blk will be more reliable than an AR9, but that's just from reading and not first hand experience. 300blk offers way more options in load power though. 110 grain supers are beasts.

 

[jd4320t]

I have two 5.5” 9mm pistols. One Colt mag and the other Glock. They’re fun but if I could go back in time I’d only have the one that uses Colt mags. There are simply better options out there in the 9mm subgun, pistol, sbr category.

I also have a 8.2” 300blk SBR. It’s fun, good quality parts, shoots supers and subs just fine. I’ve never really trained with it and it’s one of the last AR’s I’d grab if needed.

The truth is I have one spare SBR and three spare pistols I wish I would’ve just built as rifles.

I think your next step is a rifle. Don’t let the pistol/sbr temptation get the best of you. A 16” barrel works just fine clearing your house.

 

[Route 45]

I don't particularly care what the performance out of a 5.5" barrel is. That's a meme gun in either caliber. No reason for either rifle to be shorter than 11.5" for supersonic use, and at least until two years ago there was no reason to shoot a supersonic intermediate 30 cal cartridge that wasn't 7.62x39.

In my personal observation, changing between subs and supers just doesn't work in the real world. Wild zeroing issues aside, the gassing between the two loads is completely different and the guns don't work reliably with both.

Subsonic 300 is just 45ACP with extra steps. It's the OG of heavyweight subsonic suppressed shooting for a reason, and is a beneficiary of modern expanding hollow point technology. .45 HST is a great thing to hit a target with when you're velocity limited.

I'll grant this on the subsonic suppressed side: There is a dearth of quality locked breach .45 PCCs with sub 8" barrels on the market right now, whereas any AR DI or piston system will run 300 subs assuming the gas port is hogged out enough to run it, and those are generally quieter and more enjoyable to shoot than blowback .45s.

I wish we had really good sales statistics available. I would bet money that 80% of 300blk uppers sold have 16" barrels, and I would bet money that BCA alone has a 60% market share on 300blk uppers. That tells you what you need to know about 300blk and the people who buy it: There's the people who need fewer meme calibers, another case of 5.56, and a basic carbine class.

Meme this.

Sig's Rattler Will Be U.S. Special Operators' New Tiny Rifle

Introducing the Rattler chambered in .300 Blackout gives SOF troops a good combination of rifle and round for covert missions in tight spots.

www.twz.com

By the way, this thread is about AR pistols, in case you missed it.

 

[Ark]

Meme this.

Sig's Rattler Will Be U.S. Special Operators' New Tiny Rifle

Introducing the Rattler chambered in .300 Blackout gives SOF troops a good combination of rifle and round for covert missions in tight spots.

www.twz.com

By the way, this thread is about AR pistols, in case you missed it.

The military also bought the P320 and the XM7, a gun that fires when you drop it and an overpowered battle rifle with mule kick recoil just in time for the resurgence in trench raiding.

"The military did it" is not a good reason to spend your money on anything. All that really indicates to me is that Sig, once again, successfully lobbied and sold something.

Although I guess if you buy 10 or more, there's a chance a Sig rep will comp a night out at the strip club for you.

 

[Route 45]

The military also bought the P320 and the XM7, a gun that fires when you drop it and an overpowered battle rifle with mule kick recoil just in time for the resurgence in trench raiding.

"The military did it" is not a good reason to spend your money on anything. All that really indicates to me is that Sig, once again, successfully lobbied and sold something.

Although I guess if you buy 10 or more, there's a chance a Sig rep will comp a night out at the strip club for you.

The M17 and M18 are working just fine. Much like the 300 BLK, the P320 model without a thumb safety is not for idiots who don't pay attention to what they are doing. I'm seeing a pattern here.

 

[Ark]

The M17 and M18 are working just fine. Much like the 300 BLK, the P320 model without a thumb safety is not for idiots who don't pay attention to what they are doing. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Relying on customers to train around dangerous flaws and beta test their products for them is also on brand for Sig

 

[Route 45]

Relying on customers to train around dangerous flaws and beta test their products for them is also on brand for Sig

I sometimes forget that I am arguing with the generation that has to be told not to drink the contents of their car's battery. Blaming a gun for going off when the trigger is pulled is peak millenial.

 

[Mgderf]

I sometimes forget that I am arguing with the generation that has to be told not to drink the contents of their car's battery. Blaming a gun for going off when the trigger is pulled is peak millenial.

IKR?
Tide pods are NOT for lunch!

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Ballistically, the BO (subsonic) offers a little more punch. Also, it offers the option to use supersonic rounds that offers a LOT more punch. There is less recoil than with most 9mm blowback guns as they have real heavy bolts.

That said, the .300 BO is way, WAY, WAY... more expensive than 9mm... so creating a sufficient stash for the future isn't gonna be an easy task. Especially starting from scratch. The muzzle blast from those .300 supers is just about on par with a 5.56, so if it's for a HD gun... you'll need a can, or just stay with the subs, meaning your gains are gonna be minimal.

It's for this reason that I forgot about trying to build up a stash of .300 and just went with 9mm. (of course I already had an 11.5" 5.56 SBR and a goodly stash of that ammo. (and a can) I also went with a CMMG Banshee with it's radial delay blowback design that lessons recoil. (got it here on INGO.)






Was out shooting it this weekend at a friends farm. Wonderful little thing. Federal 147 HST is quiet, (with a can) and a good terminal performer.





Having it in the AR format (VS a standard handgun) makes it much easier, controllable, and more accurate to get good hits with.

Same ammo, same mags, better accuracy, not MORE powerful... but still powerful enough to do the job.

 

[G19G26]

I'm thinking about getting an AR style pistol, either 9mm, or 300AAC blackout. The use would be for home/individual protection. I already have several 9mm weapons, so the common ammo is readily available to me. I'm not sure why I'm considering a 300AAC blackout version. I don't have any 300AAC ammo, so that would mean starting a whole new stash of ammo.
Any opinions? Would there be an advantage to 300AAC?