• New Contest Starting Now! This Target Haunts Me

    Tell us about the one that got away, the flier that ruined your group, the zero that drifted, the shot you still see when you close your eyes. Winner will receive a free scope!

    Join contest

SBR/Pistol help

AngryKoala

Old Salt
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 30, 2020
3,410
3,251
Hello everyone,

I am a new member to this site so I guess this can serve as my introductory.

I am trying to decide on a manufacturer for a 300blk SBR/pistol layout. The intended use is home defense/range fun (300m max). I currently own a DD m4v9 (great rifle) that I am happy with but as I do more digging I feel like I am shelling out more money for the name than the components.

Dd makes the m4 ISR and the 300S SBRs, they also have pistol variants. I looked at Seekins based on some of the posts here and their offering sounds like the better deal component wise.

I would appreciate insight from the knowledgable people here on what their suggestion is.

I would like to keep this platform around 2k. Thank you in advance!
 
Build one, to your own spec, with components you like.

At some point I may do that but for right now I am looking at complete builds. I just like knowing if something is screwed up it was the manufacturer's fault not my own.

I have also only owned 2 AR's in my lifetime so my component exposure is limited.
 
In most things in life, you get what you pay for. Buy once/cry once is pretty good sayn

I totally agree with that, I just need some direction from people who have shot/own sbr/pistol in 300blk.

I haven't heard glowing reviews of the sig rattler or virtus so I tried to steer clear.
 
The thing I like about SBR is I can run a front grip and get a more comfortable stock. Waiting 8 months will suck though.

Some good comments. I think I'll look around for a bit as I'm sure people that panic bought will be selling at a discount.

Appreciate it guys.
 
Mines a PSA lower and Aero upper. Make fun all you want but it works. If you buy a pistol you can run with a brace and apply for a form 1. Mine was approved in 26 days. There’s a thread on form 1’s here and it gets updated regularly on current times.
 
Mines a PSA lower and Aero upper. Make fun all you want but it works. If you buy a pistol you can run with a brace and apply for a form 1. Mine was approved in 26 days. There’s a thread on form 1’s here and it gets updated regularly on current times.

I'm not there yet with building my own. I have a long way to becoming a better shooter before I start building my own so kudos to you for doing it.

Great advice as you can shoot it and then drop the grip/stock onto it once you get approval. Thanks guys, you changed my mind on my approach.
 
Mines a PSA lower and Aero upper. Make fun all you want but it works. If you buy a pistol you can run with a brace and apply for a form 1. Mine was approved in 26 days. There’s a thread on form 1’s here and it gets updated regularly on current times.
if you buy an ar pistol then form 1 it, you can put a real buttstock on it correct? If you take it off and put a brace back on, does it revert back to a pistol? Ie no issues crossing state lines?
 
if you buy an ar pistol then form 1 it, you can put a real buttstock on it correct? If you take it off and put a brace back on, does it revert back to a pistol? Ie no issues crossing state lines?

Once you get the form 1 yes you can put a stock/vertical grip on it etc. I was up on all the NFA stuff not that long ago but honestly don’t remember how the pistol to sbr to pistol thing works. I do believe with a rifle you can remove the items that make it a sbr/NFA item and the rifle reverts back to the original non NFA form.

I live in Michigan and our SBR’s 26” or less in length get registered as pistols. And as such fall under the laws surrounding pistols and ccw in Michigan. Refer to the Michigan State Police Legal Update From 2014 regarding this paragraph if your confused as to what I mean.

When I did my SBR I just decided it would be an SBR and don’t cross state lines with it. For the cost of another pistol lower you could just swap the upper off the SBR onto the pistol lower with brace and carry that across lines.

My pistol (truck gun) is cz Scorpion which can cross state lines.
 
Once you get the form 1 yes you can put a stock/vertical grip on it etc. I was up on all the NFA stuff not that long ago but honestly don’t remember how the pistol to sbr to pistol thing works. I do believe with a rifle you can remove the items that make it a sbr/NFA item and the rifle reverts back to the original non NFA form.

I live in Michigan and our SBR’s 26” or less in length get registered as pistols. And as such fall under the laws surrounding pistols and ccw in Michigan. Refer to the Michigan State Police Legal Update From 2014 regarding this paragraph if your confused as to what I mean.

When I did my SBR I just decided it would be an SBR and don’t cross state lines with it. For the cost of another pistol lower you could just swap the upper off the SBR onto the pistol lower with brace and carry that across lines.

My pistol (truck gun) is cz Scorpion which can cross state lines.
Thank you. I’m going to look into this
 
I really do prefer having an AR pistol over an SBR because of the stupid NFA laws. They're a lot of hassle and they're registered to you with the ATF. If you want to cross state lines you can but you have to ask the ATF for permission to do it and some states you're not allowed to have them at all. If it's registered to you as an individual it has to be locked up if you live with someone else and the other person can't have access to the safe.

I just built an AR pistol. AR pistols aren't really all that uncomfortable to shoot if you have the right brace. I have an SBA4 brace and don't find it that much different to shoot from a regular AR. The biggest problem with AR pistols is the ATF changes their mind about them as often as women change their tampons. The ATF and the NFA laws are so stupid that it's not even funny.

As far as building your own AR. It's not hard to do and you don't have to be some great shooter to do it either and it's fun to do. At least for me. Plus you get exactly what you want.
 
If you want a full rifle check out the Seekins too.

Honestly if you are just starting and want to shoot cheap and save money for more for ammo then the route I went was a PSA upper and lower. There is no building. Two pins to pop it together.

Also I would get a pistol with a brace and not an SBR. Too long to wait, more money and paperwork and BS laws with SBR. A vertical foregrip is not worth all that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TACC and stilesg57
A form 1 SBR is very easy to do. Many get scared just by the paper work and tax stamp. It takes 20 mins to fill out online, and a trip to the post office to mail off the prints. Mine was recently approved in 18 days. I did it Just because I can and enjoy a CTR stock, but that said, pistol braces have come a long way. I have a brace for my Scorpion Evo and it’s very comfortable.

Things to consider when doing a Form 1 SBR...

1. Your State law. Is there a restriction on OAL of a rifle? In my State, I cannot go under 10.5” barrel with most stocks and still be State legal.

2. Moving between States, even just for range time requires a Form 20. But, these takes a few minutes to fill out, can be sent via email to the ATF, require no payment and are good for a year (if specified).

3. A misconception is that the lower is yours for life. This isn’t true. You can notify the ATF that you wish to remove it from the registry, and have the engraving removed... then you can sell it as a standard lower.

In the end, it comes down to the cool factor. Pull out an SBR at the range and watch everyone want friend you on facebook.
 
BCM or Sig Rattler if I wanted to bet my life on it. ANR is coming out with a cool belt mounted holster for the Rattler that lets you carry it under your arm under a jacket.

Pistols get around a lot of laws, particularly vehicle transport laws, but it depends on your state.

SBR's let you run real rifle stocks and vertical grips. They are fast to "build" because you only have to click an upper onto a lower once the tax stamp is in hand. The downsides are that you have to *ask permission* to transport the thing across state lines well in advance, and if you ever want to sell the lower receiver you have to wait over a year for the transfer to take place, so they basically are lifetime buys, albeit lower receivers are cheap as dirt and you can do whatever with the rest of it.
 
I like the pistol and then switching to sbr. I have a feeling pistols will eventually get put under the same ATF umbrella anyway. I'll have to check out the new braces, I just remember the old ones did not feel good.
I only shoot in my state, and all of the family is in this state so I can't see us moving. I would probably get a separate small safe as I plan on getting a few complete pistols over the next few years.
 
Get yourself a daniel defense barrel, bcm stripped upper, a quality bcg, and the hand guard that tickles your fancy and youll have just as good of an upper you can buy anywhere in about and hour if you take your time.