There are plenty of reasons to be interested in AR pistol build kits. They’re light, compact, and easy to conceal, making them perfect for defensive applications, or as a truck gun. Many AR15 pistol uppers are also made in rifle calibers, so you get full firepower in a much more compact platform. Lastly, AR pistols, which are designed to be fired one-handed, skirt the red tape and prohibitive regulations that bind short barrel rifles, or SBRs.
On that note, if you’re attracted to the prospect of building your own AR pistol, you’re likely preoccupied with the main feature that makes it so appealing in the first place - its size.
With that said, here are 3 big things you can do to make your AR pistol even smaller and more compact.
Start with a Micro AR Pistol Upper
The first - and single best - way to make your AR pistol shorter is to start with a micro AR pistol upper (or build kit).
This is not rocket science. Micro AR pistol uppers are basically just super short AR pistol uppers. Many are made with barrels shorter than 7.5”. In fact, a very popular size is a 5 inch AR pistol upper.
If you build with a 5 inch AR pistol upper, or even something shorter, you’ll be making the smallest possible AR pistol out there. Just be aware of the tradeoffs. They will shoot dirty, be very loud, and will not offer the same muzzle velocities capable with a longer barrel. Recoil will also be significantly worse.
But that’s a small price to pay for a much smaller and more compact pistol platform that’s even easier to conceal and which offers better handling in tight quarters.
Ditch the Muzzle Device
The vast majority of AR pistol uppers are made with threaded barrels and come with flash hiders pre-installed. If making your AR pistol even more compact is a priority of yours, then take off the flash hider when you get the build.
This will shorten the build by an inch or more, which, if you’re starting with a 5 inch AR pistol upper, is quite considerable. There’s just one thing. Don’t fire or otherwise carry the gun with the muzzle device removed and the threads exposed.
Barrel threads are very fragile and liable to be damaged if they are left exposed. So if you do follow this advice to ditch the muzzle device, get another muzzle device called a thread protector and install that.
A thread protector will cover the muzzle threads and protect them in case you ever want to install another muzzle device.
Or, alternatively, you can do something even more straightforward and just replace the barrel entirely. This is another way to shorten the build. Get a shorter barrel without muzzle threads and install that.
Build with a Short Buffer Tube (Or Go Bufferless)
Now that we’ve talked about the barrel, let’s get to the back of the build - the buffer system. Most AR pistol build kits come with short buffer systems, but this is one system you should also put under the microscope because the buffer tube sticking off the back of the build is one of the main things that adds length, weight, and expands the overall profile. This is something you’ll want to slash if your goal is to make a smaller build.
Get a short buffer system, specifically a micro buffer tube, which is shorter and more compact than standard buffer tubes and which can cut a bit of length and weight from the overall platform.
Another alternative is to skip the short buffer tube system entirely. There are completely bufferless AR pistol builds that use blowback action and not a buffer spring to cycle the action.
No buffer is invariably shorter than even a super-compact micro buffer system, but there is one catch. The majority of bufferless AR pistol uppers are chambered in pistol calibers, not rifle calibers. That then begs the question if an AR pistol is even worth it when you could just carry a handgun.
If the answer is still yes, then by all means build with a bufferless AR pistol upper and make your micro AR pistol as compact as the limits of firearms engineering allow.
Explore Micro AR Pistol Uppers and Parts
MCS Gearup carries a wide range of AR parts, including complete 5 inch uppers, short buffer tubes, and muzzle devices (including thread protectors). Whether you’re here for an assembled upper or AR parts such as a gas system or bolt carrier group or buffer tube kit, we have your build covered. Shop our full collection and get in touch with us at Sales@MCSGearup.com if you have questions about parts, compatibility, or need advice for other ways to make your AR pistol even more compact than the suggestions we’ve offered here will allow.