A loaded rifle is illegal to carry in your vehicle as I have read. I do carry my pistol in a holster on my hip everyday.
What I am looking for is a higher capacity AR type pistol to keep in the car with me. Current events have me feeling a bit under gunned.
What am I looking for? What should I avoid? Any manufacturers better than others?

I have an AR pistol that I put together from various pieces and parts. The lower is all PSA, but the upper is a mix of whatever was on sale combined with whatever I had laying around. It has run flawlessly. For a car/truck gun. I would do a PSA lower and build kit. That should give you a pretty good value for a decent “pistol”

If I were you, I would first decide what overall length you are looking for.

If 556 I have heard stay over 10 inches for reliability. You loose a lot of velocity as well.

I forgot to mention, I would not go shorter than 10.5” in a .223/5.56. If you want shorter, look at 300 Blackout.

My only recommendation is to shoot some pistol-length ARs in 5.56 and .300BO before buying or building. Then remove your hearing protection to see how they will sound when you pull it out of your car for self-defense. Make fun of me if you want, but I admit my shooting performance degrades with any pistol-length AR without hearing protection. (I only did it once and got all the data I needed in a few shots. You don't learn anything by getting kicked by a mule the second time.)

I'm not suggesting you not get one, I'm just suggesting you try them out first so you'll know what to expect should you ever need to use them for the stated purpose. You won't have time to put on hearing protection.

That said, I've had good luck building on Aero lowers.

quote:

I'm not suggesting you not get one, I'm just suggesting you try them out first so you'll know what to expect should you ever need to use them for the stated purpose. You won't have time to put on hearing protection.

If your in the position of needing to use that AR pistol, one of your least concerns will be any damage to your hearing. (if any at all)

quote:

Originally posted by Delta-3:

quote:

I'm not suggesting you not get one, I'm just suggesting you try them out first so you'll know what to expect should you ever need to use them for the stated purpose. You won't have time to put on hearing protection.

If your in the position of needing to use that AR pistol, one of your least concerns will be any damage to your hearing. (if any at all)

True, but you misunderstood what I was attempting to convey. What is your ability to put rounds on target with a short-barrelled AR with no hearing protection? To simply assume you're going to be just as good without hearing protection is akin to carrying a new gun without actually shooting it first.

"A man's got to know his limitations." I know mine. I'm simply recommending the OP know his before spending the time and money on a product he hasn't tried in the intended working conditions.

Don't leave a gun in an unattended vehicle for any extended length of time. It's theft bait. The chances of it being stolen, and used for criminal purposes are VASTLY higher than it ever being used for any proper defensive purpose.

In addition, there are very few realistic situation where you'd need the car/truck gun, where you could get to your vehicle, retrieve the gun, and use it, were you couldn't just get in the vehicle and drive away from the situation. In the aftermath, any legal case that comes out of such use would very likely hinge on this fact.

If you feel you need a gun on you, carry it on your hip. Vehicle stored guns are a hugely bad idea.

Tailhook, no offense- but IMO that is very poor advice.

I would never, EVER, fire an AR pistol without hearing protection unless I thought my life depended on it. That goes for any other gun as well as a matter of fact- but especially an AR pistol. There's no need to destroy your hearing just to see what it's like.

I agree with BBMW re: not leaving an AR pistol or any other gun in your vehicle. I love my AR pistols but I don't want to have to concern myself with moving, storing, or otherwise handling them in my vehicle.

PSA has some great deals. One of mine is built using a PSA 10.5" upper and a lower I put together myself. It operates very reliably.

Tailhook answered questions that weren't asked. The questions not asked weren't pertinent to the thread.

As for the questions asked and what I can honestly contribute to the OP's quest for knowledge: 10.5" is apparently the magical barrel length where you get the best compromise of muzzle velocity and bullet stabilization. A barrel that short has a ton of muzzle blast and a forward compensator isn't a bad idea. Add a padded tube or a simple brace and you've got something that'll tuck between your right knee and the center console in a car, which is altogether not an unpleasant proposition.

I looked at a few things today at the LGS which I am now comparing to the grocery store. Jesus.
I also looked at a CZ Scorpion which piqued my interest a bit. I've seen them before but never handled one.
I didn't purchase anything yet though and I'm still deciding on which route to go. Build or buy.
Thanks for all the info.

PSA is definitely a good place to shop for both variety and keeping costs manageable. As far as quality, I have yet to have any issues with any of their AR related products.

A 9mm AR is certainly an acceptable low recoil, low noise signature choice that allows you to attain a little extra performance from a shortish barrel as opposed to 5.56. The latter is at its best at full velocity where it can fragment and hopefully end fights quicker. I imagine it would still suck getting shot with one at any velocity regardless. Good quality 9mm ammo out of an 8-10" barrel gains a good bit of authority over standard pistol lengths.

When I think AR pistol, I think AR9 (9mm).
There are two types.
Glock pattern
Colt pattern

Angstadt Arms makes one of the premier Glock pattern AR9's
Quarter Circle 10 makes one of the premier Colt pattern AR9's

Foxtrot Mike and Palmetto State Armory make two of the best budget AR9's (Glock patterns)

Very easy to put a lot of accurate rounds downrange in a hurry with one of these.
And as long as you have a ATF-approved "brace", you can run a 6-7-8 inch barrel without a SBR stamp.
SBA3 or SBA4 would be two of the most popular, approved braces.

https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-ar-15-pistols/

I bought a PSA. the price was right!

I can see the attraction of a 5.56mm... so much ammo... so many choices, etc. And I happen to love PC types, my favorite has a 9" barrel and uses Glock mags... .357 SIG.

But if I really wanted to have a short AR and I wanted it for "serious social uses" which can include shooting through barriers like car doors, etc... I really think the "sweet spot" for a 10.5" AR barrel is.... 6.8 SPC II. The cartridge is remarkably flexible in short barrels. You lose less velocity than with a 5.56, and you get to use a bullet that is larger in diameter and heavier in weight. I load my 6.8 with some of the solid copper bullets. The lightweight Speer bullets are great for practice ammo but for the serious hunting or "other" type ammo... I use the Barnes TAC-TX, TSX, TTSX... these bullets can do some amazing things.

https://68forums.com/forums/forum.php

I don't happen to agree with a bunch of the negative comments on this thread. I think in many parts of the country carrying a rifle in you car is called for and carrying a braced AR pistol is substantially the same thing and has (in many States) some legal advantages. I'm not an advocate perhaps of leaving a gun in my car in the downtown area of any major metropolis, but its a reasonable risk in most of the rest of the rural US. I am not willing to go deaf shooting except in unusual cases so I have a set of hearing protection right there in the center console. BBMW's comments on theft versus defensive use applies anywhere including your home, so its not a vehicle thing and its seriously not relevant. I've often needed something other than the pistol caliber pistol I carry on my person. Wildlife is my normal issue, but it doesn't matter I have no ideal the OP reasons.
In terms of the original OP what I have found the best compromise is a braced pistol with a folder (I use the law tactical) in the 10-12" barrel range. In this specific area I buy uppers that are known quantities rather than build them so I have used COLT, Daniel Defense, and Geissle all without issue.