If you are looking into buying your first AR-15 pistol, congratulations! They are cool, fun, and great for self-defense. This is also a rocky time for the future of stabilizing braces because the ATF has been after them again. There will be a mountain of challenges in court if they do place restrictions on pistol braces, so keep an eye on that. Until then, AR-15 pistol braces (also known as stabilizing braces) are legal. Let’s look at what they are and how they differ from a rifle stock before we get into the best ones available.
What is a pistol stabilizing brace?
If you are not familiar with a pistol brace, it all leads back to the NFA (National Firearms Act). Under ATF regulations, any rifle that has a barrel length of less than 16” is considered a short barrel rifle or SBR. To own an SBR you must register the weapon and pay a $200 one-time tax. If you shoot an AR style pistol against the shoulder, it becomes a rifle (by NFT regulations). Because of this, you have to shoot the AR-15 pistol like you would any other handgun.
The only problem is that AR-style pistols are heavier and hard to balance in one hand. The stabilizing brace was originally made to help veterans with an amputation fire AR-15-style pistols with one hand. The stabilizing brace is made to fit over the forearm for better stability while shooting. Fast forward through time and several back-and-forth opinions by the ATF, and you have a weird rule. The AR pistol can be fired temporarily from the shoulder with a stabilizing brace. Temporary is the key would though. If you plan to fire the AR pistol from the shoulder, it becomes illegal because you are using it as a rifle.
To sum it up, an AR-style pistol is the same as an AR-style rifle. The only difference is it has a shorter barrel and a stabilizing brace instead of a stock. If you pull the stabilizing brace off and replace it with a stock, you have created an SBR. And SBRs are illegal unless registered. Now if that doesn’t make sense to you, join the club. A lot of things don’t make sense under the ATF’s rules. For info on NFA-related news check back often as others are covering that topic in detail.
Top 5 AR-Pistol stabilizing braces
1. SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Stabilizing Brace
SB Tactical is one of the best manufacturers out there for pistol stabilizing braces. Designed by military veterans, they function just like a standard adjustable stock on an AR-15 but with the ability to stabilize the arm. The SBA3 has five adjustable positions and will fit on a mill-spec buffer tube. It also has a QD attachment on both sides of the brace making it easy to attach any QD-compatible sling. Starting at around $130.00, it is worth the money.
2. SB Tactical SBA4 Pistol Stabilizing Brace
This brace is like the SBA3 mentioned above but with a few modifications. The SBA4 uses thicker sides (the area that goes over the arm) making it less flimsy. When temporarily braced against the shoulder it also provides more support (but don’t forget you should not plan on using an arm brace as a shoulder braced weapon). The SBA4 also has an A-frame style brace to help with stability. I prefer this brace over the SBA3, but it can be hard to find in stock, so it is number two on my list.
3. SB Tactical SBPDW Pistol Stabilizing Brace
Next on the list is the PDW brace. The PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) is more compact and takes up less room than the A3 and A4 braces. It uses telescoping rods that slide on either side of the gun. A push of the lever releases the brace, and it can then be pulled out. A QD attachment is located on the back of the brace mount allowing it to work from either side.
The PDW style of brace is awesome but at $239.99, they are much more expensive. They do not work with a mill-spec buffer tube and come with their own tube and spring. This does mean the existing buffer tube will need to be removed before the PDW can be installed.
4. Maxim Defense CQB Gen-6 PDW Pistol Brace
This model is the king of them all. The Maxim Defense CQB brace is like the SB Tactical PDW brace but has improvements worth noting. The brace is much shorter. When collapsed all the way it is only five and a half inches from the back of the AR. When extended it is nine and a half, giving it a good range for shooters.
Another improvement they made with the CQB is the QD mounts are on each side of the brace frame making it easy to reach and keeping the sling from getting in the way of the brace when extended. The downside to the Maxim Defense Brace, however, is the price. It averages $350-$400 and is often out of stock. While I love this brace, I’m not sure it is worth spending that much money on. This earns it the number four spot.
5. MFT Battlelink Stabilizing Blade
This is not my favorite type of stabilizing brace, but the MFT Battlelink Minimalist brace is cheap and serves the purpose. Unlike other arm braces, the MFT uses a hard plastic blade as the brace with slots cut for Velcro to be run through the sides and around the arm. The gun can also be held at a slight slant, allowing the weight of the gun to push against the forearm. The MFT can work on standard mil-spec buffer tubes, but they do make some that use proprietary tubes, so watch out for that when purchasing. It has QD attachments on both sides of the blade and sells for as little as $35.
Summary
SB Tactical dominates the stabilizing brace market and there is good reason why they do. Regardless of which style you want, there are plenty of stabilizing braces to pick from. Price may be a factor, or a certain style may appeal to you. Arm braces are great for fun on the range, and home defense, and they can easily be kept in vehicles. If you have or plan on purchasing an AR-style pistol, a stabilizing brace is the way to go. They work great for 5.56, 300 Blackout, and PCCs (pistol calibers like 9mm).
