I have fairly long experience of the AR platform as a rifle, but am completely new to ARs in pistol length.
I’ve got 3 ARs in rifle configuration, 2x 5.56 and 1 .22, so I’m thinking about a pistol.
The longest range I expect to engage regularly will be 250 yards.
What am I giving up going with a 7.5 barrel vs a 10.5?
https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/7-5-inch-vs-10-5-inch/122-723691/
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
General consensus, for good reason, is to not drop below 10.3 on a 5.56 AR. Both for terminal effectiveness of the round and function of the weapon. If you want to go under 10.3, get a 300 BLK upper. Otherwise, 10.3-12.5 is a solid range for 5.56 shorties.
From the link above: “LOUD. Even with ballistic shooting glasses, the concussion hurts my eyes.”
That pretty much sums up the disadvantage of a 7.5" 5.56/.223.
Andy
This. You lose ALOT below 10". Get a really nice barrel in that 10.3-12.5" range, shoot it, carry it alot…and you’ll fall in love with it. I did, 11.5"…it can still do most of what a longer barreled gun can do, and ridiculously light and handy.
No kidding about the weight - my 11.3" pistol has a BA Hanson .750 barrel, not a pencil profile, and weighed just under 6 lbs before I added a RDS and light.
Andy
I think 11.5 is a sweet spot for many.
Thanks to all for the suggestions. I went with the 7.5 because that was all they had in stock at my price point.
I didn’t see any point in paying 2.5x the price, for an admittedly higher tier gun, which was the next closest option. They may have been better yin’s in some respects, but not 2.5x better… I could buy two more uppers for that price.
…and I didn’t see any point in waiting to see what they got in.
I’ll play with the 7.5 and possibly buy a 10.5 upper when prices are more reasonable… if they ever are.
Solgw and pressburg discuss barrel lengths
I have two AR pistols. A 5.56 with an 8.5" barrel and a 7.62x39 with an 11" barrel. I will agree that it is preferred to have a longer barrel 10.3+ inch barrel for the 5.56 if you are going to shoot out to 250. I still think that my 8.5" barrel using Black Hills 50-grain TSX and/or 75 grain soft point ammo would be effective in ending a threat 125 yards and in.
Agreed. Little more dwell time and a couple extra fps.
While certainly not technical feedback, this is the wrong time to be spending $$$ on an AR pistol. To be truthful not even 16" AR’s are likely to be safe, but “pistols” are low-hanging fruit and easily picked. YMMV.
To render more technically-related info? As others have said, going below 10.5" is not desirable or optimal, both for ballistics and function.
I would posit they’re ALL in some danger at this point.
What does this mean?
While certainly not technical feedback, this is the wrong time to be spending $$$ on an AR pistol. To be truthful not even 16" AR’s are likely to be safe, but “pistols” are low-hanging fruit and easily picked.
Biden has said he’ll make all semi-automatic rifles Class III weapons.
HE doesn’t understand what he’s talking about, but his handlers do…
^^Agreed^^
I heard being loud a lot before I got my DDM4 10.3" AR Pistol.
It has proven to be a myth. If louder than 16" barrel I can’t tell and zero concussion…
Your experience is different than mine. Neither your experience or mine proves or disproves anything. I cannot tell a real difference between a 16" or 14.5" AR, but my 11.3" has noticeably more concussion.
This article also disagrees with you: http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/barrel-length-studies-in-5-56mm-nato-weapons/
If you have quantifiable proof that the sound level or muzzle pressure is the same with a 10.3" and 16" 5.56, feel free to share the data.
I could also point out the OP and my post are referencing 7.5" barrels.
Andy
Actually it says…
“Actual sound pressure levels varied from 162.5 dB(A) in the 24-inch barrel to 165.1 dB(A) in the 5-inch barrel.” Almost reads like a misprint as I’d have guessed a much greater difference from a 24" to a 5"! 16" to 10" I seriously can not tell the 10" is much louder
Plus the article is dealing with effects on suppressors…Maybe it correlates to unsuppressed…
Anyways…As I said it’s not a very discernible difference and no reason to avoid a shorter barrel. Other factors would be more important IMO.
Cool article! Thanks!
I’m not questioning whether you notice a difference. A 10.3" barrel using the same muzzle device and ammunition as a 16" barrel will be measurably louder. I, like most people on the planet, can detect a difference as well.
FYI - there is a significant difference between 162.5 and 165.1dB, certainly detectable by most people. 2.5 dB is roughly a 25% increase in perceived loudness. Also from the article “the sound measurements are not considered overly accurate due to compliance with the Mil-Std.”
To be clear, the quote I found amusing and provided was, like the OP, referencing a 7.5" 5.56 barrel.
Andy