7 Best AR Pistols: Which AR-15 Should You Buy?

One of the most popular types of firearms is the AR Pistol. The AR-15 comes in all shapes and sizes, and that includes pistols. AR stands for Armalite Rifle, so it’s unusual to say AR pistol, but it’s due to a mix of silly gun laws in the United States. If the gun has a rifled barrel and lacks a stock, then it can be considered a pistol.

One of the main reasons why AR pistols have skyrocketed in popularity is pistol braces. Pistol braces took firearms that were once difficult to handle and somewhat clumsy and turned them into viable platforms. Pistol braces have had their legal issues, but as of this writing, (The ATF rule regarding pistol braces has been vacated by federal courts, which is a significant win for gun owners, though the legal status is still being finalized.)

With that in mind, we are going to tackle the best AR pistols. We’ll cover caliber, use case, and some other categories to keep things interesting.

What is an AR-15 Pistol?

How can a rifle caliber gun be a pistol? It’s all about the world of American gun laws. An AR pistol has a barrel shorter than 16 inches, lacks a stock, has a caliber of or less than .5 of an inch, and has a rifled barrel. They are commonly called large-format pistols.

Why an AR-15 Pistol?

There are several benefits to obtaining an AR pistol. Primarily, they can be very compact and short. This makes them maneuverable, which can make them easier to use for home defense. As a pistol, there are often different state laws that regulate how they can be carried inside a vehicle.

AR pistols can also make a great starter short-barreled rifle. If you want a short-barreled rifle, you can file a Form 1 with the ATF and then turn your AR pistol into a rifle once it’s approved. Until the approval comes, you can still enjoy your AR pistol. AR pistols are a ton of fun, and with that in mind, let’s look at some of the best.

Best AR Pistols

Best Overall Geissele Super Duty MOD1 AR-15 Pistol		See Best Price
Best 5.56 Daniel Defense MK18 Pistol		See Best Price
Best Home Defense Sons of Liberty Gun Works M4-EXO3 11.5 Inch		See Best Price
Best Pistol Caliber CMMG Banshee MkGs		Check It Out
Best Budget DPMS Kitty Kat		See Best Price
Best .300 Blackout Q Honey Badger		See Best Price
Best Retro H&R 733		See Best Price

Best AR Pistol Reviews

Geissele Super Duty MOD1 AR-15 Pistol Review

The Geissele Super Duty series might be some of the best AR-15s on the market. They are extremely well-made, accurate, reliable, and outfitted with all the features one could want in a premium AR. The Super Duty series is available in a wide variety of formats, including the 12.5 pistol we’re looking at today. I’m partial to 12.5 inch barrels being some of the best options for all-around ARs.

Geissele started by making fantastic triggers, then they started making rails, and now they are making complete pistols. To no one’s surprise, their rifles are chock full of Geissele parts. The trigger is the SSA-E X, a two-stage trigger that features the big wide Lightning Bow. It’s smooth and crisp, and well suited for both fast shooting and long-range accuracy.

The rail is the SMR MK16 rail system that’s 11.5 inches long overall. It’s stiff and sturdy, reliable enough to be used with laser aiming systems and maintain zero. There are plenty of M-LOK slots for accessories, and the Geissele Center Tab keeps things on the level.

Geissele produces the cold hammer-forged barrel in-house and throws a HUXWRX mount for easy suppressor usage. The Enhanced Bolt Carrier group promises reliability to a crazy degree, and the barrel and bolt are tested via high-pressure tests and MPI inspection. This is the AR pistol to beat for serious use cases. It’s adequate for any duty, defensive, or even competition role.

Geissele Super Duty Pros and Cons

Daniel Defense MK18 Pistol Review

The Navy’s MK18 was the first ultra-short fighting Stoner-based platform that was proven to be reliable, capable, and a good fighting rifle. Prior to the MK18, ultra-short ARs had been hit or miss in the reliability department. The MK18 fixed that and set a new standard for reliability and shootability in the micro AR world. Daniel Defense produces a MK18 that takes the same concept the Navy used and modernizes it.

The Daniel Defense Mk18 keeps the classic 10.3-inch barrel for extreme maneuverability and to provide a compact package even when used with a suppressor. The 10.3-inch barrel is cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined for a mix of excellent accuracy and durability. You’ll notice the lack of a front sight base, which allows for a much longer rail.

That rail system is the new RIS III quad rail that also allows for a free-floating barrel, which leads to enhanced accuracy. The quad rail design is a little heavy, but it’s manageable and does allow for a rock-solid mounting system for accessories. The charging handle is the Grip and Rip design, which is ambidextrous; another ambi feature is the safety.

The overall package takes the GWOT era MK18 and brings it into the modern era. It’s tougher, more accurate, more ergonomic, but still offers the fantastic maneuverability and performance of the Mk18.

Daniel Defense MK18 Pistol Pros and Cons

Sons of Liberty Gun Works M4-EXO3 Review

For me, the key to finding a competent home defense platform is finding one that’s reliable, easy to use indoors, and isn’t priced out of this world. If I use the gun in a defensive encounter, it’s likely going to be confiscated, so as good as the Super Duty is, I don’t want my 3k rifle confiscated. I want the level of reliability and durability, but at half the price, the SOLGW M4-EXO3 fits the bill.

SOLGW puts a lot of pride into their quality control and their tight tolerances and obsession with reliability. Those are all things I want in a home defense rifle. The M4-EXO3 features an 11.5-inch barrel with an SBA3 stock setting everything off. This makes the AR pistol plenty maneuverable indoors.

SOLGW allows you to pick from several muzzle devices that are designed to function with suppressors. This includes HUXWRX, SilencerCo, NOX, Surefire, and more. The M4-EXO3 is well suited for a suppressor, and even with a can, the gun remains easily maneuverable. SOLGW ensures the small things—the things you are less likely to notice—are taken care of.

Things like an appropriately sized gas port, a proper buffer, and a gas system are in place. The combination of a high-quality bolt carrier group and barrel makes for a reliable and accurate rifle. You can train heavily with this platform and never worry about it breaking or falling apart. It’s not cheap, but it’s an affordable rifle in the premium grade category.

Sons of Liberty Gun Works M4-EXO3 Pros and Cons

CMMG Banshee Review

The CMMG Banshee series is quite broad and does encapsulate calibers outside of pistols. However, the real claim to fame is the ultra-short and ultra-low recoiling AR pistols. CMMG uses a patented radial delayed system that gets rid of the typical straight blowback design we associate with pistol caliber ARs. The Banshee series are available in 9mm, .45 ACP, and 10mm.

The radial delayed system is ingenious and reduces recoil to nearly nothing. It’s incredibly light and solid shooting. The low recoil makes the gun extremely easy to handle. Even in 10mm, the Banshee series are real kittens. The short and lightweight design of these guns make them excellent home defense guns, and the radial delayed system works well with suppressors.

The CMMG Banshee typically uses Glock magazines, but not always. The MK17 uses SIG P320 magazines. The rest of the gun is standard AR and compatible with most AR controls and internals.

The trigger, safety, charging handle, and external furniture is all AR compatible, making upgrades easy. The RipBrace design allows you to select your favorite position, set a stopper, and then pull it open to one position with one tug.

These are reliable, fun shooting, lightweight, and compact platforms. If you’re somewhat recoil adverse, or find the AR too heavy to easily handle, the Banshee might be for you. It has incredibly low recoil and offers you a very maneuverable platform.

CMMG Banshee Pros and Cons

DPMS Kitty Kat Review

If you don’t want to spend a ton of money, but want a fun AR pistol, the DPMS Kitty Kat is for you. The DPMS Kitty Kat goes way back to the era of early SWAT Teams who were looking for an incredibly compact entry weapon. In the modern era of braced AR pistols, the Kitty Kat is back in both retro and modern configurations.

With a barrel length of 7.5 inches, you won’t get the same range and ballistics of a longer barrel AR, but for home defense ranges, it’s more than enough. The big downside of the 7.5-inch barrel is the incredibly flash and concussion the gun emits. Indoors, it’s a flash bang dispenser. The other upside is how light the gun is, and how easy it handles indoors.

The retro version of the Kitty Kat uses a carry handle upper and a tubular handguard. The more modern version has a flat-top upper receiver and a quad rail for attaching accessories. Both come with PSA’s HAR-15 brace, which provides a retro-inspired look. I’m partial to the retro version, but the modern variant would be the better option for defensive use.

At around $600ish dollars, the DPMS Kitty Kat won’t break the bank and gives you both an affordable option and an old school cool design. Just be warned, it doesn’t purr—it barks. Loudly.

DPMS Kitty Kat  Pros and Cons

Q Honey Badger Review

The Honey Badger by Q is the reason .300 Blackout exists, and it comes from the creator of .300 Blackout. The .300 Blackout cartridge was designed to replace the 9mm SMG, specifically the MP5SD. Elite forces wanted a gun as small and compact as the MP5SD, and just as quiet, while offering the same sound suppression as a subsonic 9mm. The Honey Badger was the platform designed to do just that.

The Q Honey Badger is incredibly compact with a short seven-inch stainless steel barrel. On the opposite end, we have a PDW style brace that makes the gun incredibly short overall. It’s 25 inches with the brace extended, and if you add the Q suppressor designed for the Honey Badger, it’s only 29 inches long. This super small platform is SMG-sized, but rifle-powered.

Q takes the time to ensure you get a smooth shooting experience. Even without a suppressor, I was impressed by how smooth the rifle shot. It handles very well and with the right can, avoids being too gassy. I’m more of a fan of the flow-through cans.

The Honey Badger comes with a flat-faced 2-stage match trigger that’s super crisp and well suited for fast shooting. The ambidextrous 70-degree safety has a certain satisfaction to it that can’t be understated. The setup of the Honey Badger is fantastic. It’s accurate, ergonomic, quiet, and very capable. It meets the mission of being SMG-sized, but rifle-capable. It’s also expensive—super expensive—which is a big detraction.

Q Honey Badger Pros and Cons

H&R 733 Review

If you Google H&R 733, you’ll likely see an old .32 S&W Long revolver. That’s not the pistol we are talking about. Today’s AR-pistol comes from the H&R brand that’s now owned by Palmetto State Armory and producing retro-style rifles. This particular one is a clone of the Colt 733; it was just a weird coincidence that the old H&R produced a 733 revolver.

This is the best retro because I’m biased and love a film called Heat. In Heat, the rifle of choice for the end bank robbery was the Colt 733. It was also the carbine used by Delta Force in the film Black Hawk Down. The classic Colt 733 was a short carbine with an 11.5-inch barrel. The H&R 733 is a large-format pistol with an 11.5-inch barrel and a HAR-15 brace.

The H&R 733 is a near-perfect replicate of the gun from Heat and Black Hawk Down. The brace is a brace and not a stock, but the brace is designed to give the appearance of the CAR-15, and it completes the look. The H&R 733 features a carry handle upper receiver and fixed sight base with simple and classic Colt handguards.

It’s not exactly fancy, or feature-filled. It’s a basic AR with basic features, but that’s the charm. It is incredibly light and handy. It’s fun to shoot, and combined with the Kommando Store Heat vest, it’s perfect for larping as the Heat crew at the range.

H&R 733 Pros and Cons

The World of AR Pistols

AR pistols are one of the most popular firearms on the market. The mix of their short, and lightweight nature makes them excellent for home defense, they’re fun at the range, and potentially an excellent candidate to create an SBR. What’s your favorite pistol?