AR builders, especially AR pistol builders, are obsessed with short, small, lightweight builds. But there may be times when you’re not satisfied with the small stature of your ARP even if you started with a small upper like a 5 inch AR pistol upper.
If that’s the case, here are 3 suggestions for making your ARP even shorter, which will make it lighter, easier to conceal, easier to transport, and potentially better in tight quarters.
Shorten the Buffer Tube
One of the best ways to make an ARP shorter, if you already started with a small or even a micro ARP upper, is to shorten the buffer tube.
Some firearms parts specialists have some short buffer tube systems, even 3.5 inch buffer tubes or smaller, which can assist you in creating a truly tiny build.
Alternatively, if you want to backtrack, you can build with a bufferless upper. This will remove the buffer tube entirely, which will considerably shorten (and lighten) the overall ARP.
That would also remove the gas system, which wouldn’t shorten, but which would potentially lighten, the whole AR pistol.
Remove the Pistol Brace
If you shortened your buffer tube but still use a pistol brace for one-handed firing, that is something you might want to rethink.
Pistol braces can be helpful for those that struggle to control the recoil of an AR pistol, but the truth is they also add length and weight.
With the pistol brace on there, the whole ARP is going to be a whole lot longer even if it isn’t that much heavier, and our whole goal here is to keep things as short as possible.
Remove the Muzzle Device
Lastly, there’s a good chance your ARP came with a flash hider. The problem is flash hiders don’t really do very much (especially with an ARP which produces a ridiculous flash anyway).
One thing they are good at is adding weight and length, albeit in the case of a flash hider, not too much length.
You can still improve the build by simply removing the flash hider. This will remove length and weight from the build. Just make sure you install thread protectors on the threads to protect them. If they get damaged you will lose the flexibility to add something onto the barrel at a later point if you so want to, unless you replace the whole barrel.
Start Your Build with a 5 Inch AR Pistol Upper
Hopefully you found these tips both actionable and material, and can use them to help you shave a few inches off your ARP.
If so and the only roadblock is you don’t know where to go to get your build started, check out the assembled uppers online at MCS Gearup.
They carry a wide range of short uppers and other AR pistol parts, along with a wealth of resources in their blog that will give you insights into how to make the whole platform smaller, lighter and overall more discreet.
Visit their website for more information or get in touch with them directly before you buy or build, if you have any questions.
