I’m currently building an AR pistol and I have an extra buffer tube handy. It’s milspec by spikes. I was wondering if when I purchase the pistol brace I would be able to use the buffer tube/castle nut combo or is that a no no? Do I have to buy a pistol buffer tube and buffer?
Pistol braces now exist that use a standard mil-spec diameter carbine receiver extension, and one example is SB Tactical’s SBA3.
I haven’t been able to use my SBA3 yet, since I haven’t purchased the short upper yet, but I expect it to work well.
If the brace you choose is designed to use a standard carbine receiver extension, then it should be totally legal to use your existing one.
If using a receiver extension that didn’t come from the manufacturer with the brace is considered modifying the brace, and therefore
illegal, then that illustrates the level of ridiculousness that the BATFE exhibits.
You can use any buffer tube you’d like on an AR pistol.
So if I just purchase the brace without an extension tube I’m GTG?
Also, I should mention this lower was purchased about two years ago from a gun store and is listed as “other” on the paperwork which I still have. The lower was stripped and I since put a LPK with a buffer tube on it.
The SBA3 comes with a standard mil-spec buffer tube to appease the law that it is a pistol buffer/brace system and not a modification to a rifle system. And yes, the SBA3 will fit on a standard mil-spec buffer tube purchased aside from the brace.
To my knowledge, the SBA3 is the only brace that will fit a standard mil-spec buffer tube.
As long as it’s legal then I’d just slide the new brace over my existing buffer tube. That way I don’t have to break off the castle nut and start again.
That’s up to you. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t pretend to play one on TV, so take that FWIW.
Understood. What about ordering the upper online? I’ve ordered 16” uppers before but can I have an 8.3” upper sent to my house or does that go through an FFL? I live in NY.
You can use any RE you want on a pistol. Just don’t use a stock.
I would’ve guessed AR pistols wouldn’t even be legal in NY.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If your a LEO it’s the exception.
Figured I’d give you guys some insight but I just called my trusted LGS. He said it varies from the different police departments in NY but general rule of thumb is when a lower is defined as “other” most NY state PDs won’t allow us to register it as a pistol. Therefore we have to order one defined specifically as a pistol lower.
Update. So I went with the spikes pistol lower with enhanced LPK and the 8.3” 300 black out spikes upper. I would’ve went with BCM but for the price I paid to have a complete upper with BCG and CH I had to. I have a BCM carbine and a Spikes Ar15 and both are clean and crisp shooters so to me it was worth it. All my rifles have chrome lines barrels except this new pistol upper. It’s black nitrate in and out with a 1/8 twist. Anyone have any thoughts on that? I’ve heard mixed things although mainly positive. Also, how would this pistol run suppressed?
Shoot it and don’t worry about the barrel.
Suppressed, it will likely be over gassed and will an adjustable gas block or a Black River Tactical Micro Port to control gas flow.
That black nitride barrel is going to last you forever, and Spikes is always a good choice.
That’s nice to know. Only I know is how to build an AR-15. I searched via google an article similar to what I did and I found this: https://gunnewsdaily.com/how-to-build-an-ar-15/. I hope it can help you get an idea on this. Let me know if it works for you. You can take notes to what you did and it’ll be a useful reference to others. Cheers!
There is no such thing as a “pistol lower” regardless of what is marked on it. Federal law says without an upper to define it, it is an “other”.