Disclaimer

The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. This content is not intended as legal advice and should not be taken as such. Those wishing to obtain more information about the construction of an AR 15 Pistol should contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives directly.

An AR 15 Pistol is a “pistol” based on the AR-15 rifle platform with a barrel shorter than 16”. It uses a pistol brace in place of a rifle stock and can’t have a vertical foregrip. AR-15 parts work on an AR pistol with a few exceptions.

Depending on the caliber of pistol you choose, you may simply need a different barrel and BCG, all the way through to needing a dedicated upper and lower receiver, magazine adapter, buffer tube and so on.

To qualify as a pistol, you must have a barrel length under 16”, no vertical foregrip and a pistol brace is a must. That last two are where AR 15 pistols stick out from the group. If you use a rifle stock or vertical foregrip, you have a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) and those require extra steps with the government in order to own.

AR Pistol Vs. SBR

There is a lot of misinformation out there what an SBR is. So lets break it down. SBR’s, like rifle style pistols, have barrels under 16”; the minimum length set forth by the ATF to be a rifle.