It’s easy to think of AR pistols as being just for fun, but in reality, they can be purpose-built firearms. After all, AR pistols are compact, portable, easy to maneuver, and highly customizable. Whether you’re looking for one in 9mm or 308 Win, there’s a model for you. A variety of pistol braces, buffer tubes, and configurations are available, too. Hunting, home defense, truck gun…these guns do it all. Check out our top five AR pistols list for ideas on your next addition to your gun collection.
1. Wilson Combat Protector Pistol
The Wilson Combat Protector is a higher-end AR pistol and part of a larger Protector line of guns. It’s chambered in 5.56 NATO and has an 11.3-inch barrel length, so it’s not the tiniest gun on our list. This gun is incredibly high quality. It was designed with fantastic attention to detail and high-performance standards. Features include the company’s own pistol stabilizing brace, Tactical Trigger Unit, and Armor-Tuff finish. It has an M-LOK compatible handguard and Picatinny rail for accessories. If you’re interested in other calibers, Wilson Combat also produces this model in 300 BLK and 300 HAM’R.
MSRP for the Wilson Combat Protector Pistol starts at $2095.00.
2. Sig MCX Rattler PCB
The Sig MCX Rattler PCB is another gun that’s a part of a much larger line. With its 5.5-inch barrel and folding pistol brace, it just might be one of the most compact AR pistols out there, which is great if you need an extremely portable firearm. It’s available in 5.56 NATO or 300 BLK, each of which ships with a 30-round magazine. Features include a folding, pivoting, contoured brace, free-floating M-LOK compatible handguard, and a gas piston operating system. Yes, you’re going to feel the recoil and muzzle rise a bit more with this barrel length, but it’s still negligible and a highly useful design.
MSRP for the Sig MCX Rattler PCB is not listed but the guns sell for around $2600.00 through retailers.
3. CMMG Banshee
The CMMG Banshee is technically available in lots of calibers, but this one’s in 10mm Auto. Basically, this is an awesome way to utilize the 10mm chambering more in accordance with its capabilities. The Banshee in 10mm has an 8-inch barrel, which is a nice length for the caliber, and an empty weight of 5.5 pounds. It’s compatible with Glock magazines, so you can use any 10mm Glock mag which makes capacity wide open (although it’s worth mentioning drum mags do get heavy). There’s a Picatinny rail for accessories, too, so you can drop a red dot on this gun with no problem. Overall, this is a well-made gun that offers some nice pistol caliber ballistics in an AR pistol platform.
MSRP for the CMMG Banshee starts at $1199.95.
4. Q Honey Badger by Q
The Honey Badger made its first appearance around 2014, back when Kevin Brittingham was with AAC. That original gun was basically perfect, but it never went into production. Under the Q name, Brittingham has an updated Honey Badger which is in production rather than being vaporware. The Honey Badger by Q is a 300 BLK chambered AR pistol built to exact specifications. Features include a 7 inch barrel with a 1-in-5 twist rate, a two-position pistol brace, and an M-LOK compatible handguard. This is a cool gun that’s a lot of fun to run and it’s useful, too.
MSRP for the Q Honey Badger is set at $2999.00.
5. Springfield Armory SAINT Victor
We can’t put together an AR pistol list without an AR-10 platform pistol being included. The Springfield Armory SAINT Victor in 308 Winchester is a good example of a nicely designed and built AR pistol, and although the company’s website lists it as discontinued, it’s still widely available. It has a 10.3-inch barrel with a 1-in-10 twist rate, putting it at a fantastic length and rate to stabilize 308 Win without sacrificing overall size. Features include an SA 2-Piece Blast Diverter, an SB Tactical SBA3 brace, and an M-LOK compatible, free-floating handguard. Felt recoil and muzzle rise are not as significant as one might imagine for an AR pistol of this caliber, and it can be used both tactically and for hunting.
MSRP for the Springfield Armory SAINT Victor is not available but the average dealer price is around $1400.00.
Which one’s your favorite? Drop us a comment!
