AR pistol

[Rob454]

Hi
I’m planning on buying a pistol lower. How does a AR pistol need to be configured in Ca. as far as magazine capacity mag release, grip style stock type etc, I plan on using a 16 inch upper I have laying around. I’ve never built a pistol AR and I never really paid attention since 8 never had one
Thanks

[Uncivil Engineer]

Mag locked, featureless isn't an option because the magazine is already outside of the grip.

Buying a pistol lower also has roster problems. There are work around for that. The easiest is to buy a CA7 from Franklin Armory then replace the upper or the gas system to make it semi auto again.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[tradecraft]

Why would you buy a pistol lower to use with a 16" upper??

[bwiese]

Rob454

1. You will have a hard time finding *legit* pistol lowers except used ones
via PPT/consignment ($$$$)

2. An AR pistol can't be 'featureless' since it has a magwell in front of trigger.
So you'll need to have a TRUE FIXED MAGAZINE (*not* the pre-2016
"BulletButton"!!) Yes, you can have a regular pistol grip on it, etc.

3. You cannot have any stock on a pistol. DON'T put an 'arm brace' on either,
as they are problematic in California (i.e., easily regardable as a 'stock', and
the Federal ATF exemptive letters have no bearing on separate CA SBR laws)
unless you NFA AOW'd the gun. I expect to see some Federal attempts at
'brace' regulation anyway in the near future.

4. Why do you want a 16" upper if you have a legit pistol lower? A gun w/
a 16" upper can have a stock and get to min. 30" OAL with no headaches,
so just build a carbine.

[DAZE752]

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1499210

Beware of making it semi auto. Unless you buy it from a ppt and has been dros'd semi auto.

[Rob454]

Rob454

1. You will have a hard time finding *legit* pistol lowers except used ones
via PPT/consignment ($$$$)

2. An AR pistol can't be 'featureless' since it has a magwell in front of trigger.
So you'll need to have a TRUE FIXED MAGAZINE (*not* the pre-2016
"BulletButton"!!) Yes, you can have a regular pistol grip on it, etc.

3. You cannot have any stock on a pistol. DON'T put an 'arm brace' on either,
as they are problematic in California (i.e., easily regardable as a 'stock', and
the Federal ATF exemptive letters have no bearing on separate CA SBR laws)
unless you NFA AOW'd the gun. I expect to see some Federal attempts at
'brace' regulation anyway in the near future.

4. Why do you want a 16" upper if you have a legit pistol lower? A gun w/
a 16" upper can have a stock and get to min. 30" OAL with no headaches,
so just build a carbine.

[bwiese]

Rob454...

You lose muzzle velocity & effective range with shorter bbls. This is why
I never understood the guys making XM177-style carbines with 11.5" bbls
and 5.5+" flash hiders/brakes - or even 14.5" bbls with 1.5+" FH/brakes.

1.5+" of barrel to get to 16" gives some nice extra velocity, courtesy ATF/DOJ.

[Quiet]

Using a 16" or greater length barrel, will cause the firearm to be an other firearm that is not a pistol or a rifle.

CA assault weapons laws for semi-auto firearms that are not pistols or rifles are more strict than those for pistols and rifles.