Okay, I've done about as much video watching and reading as I can. I just want some real life experience answers from the many of you who have already traveled this path. Primary purpose is simply a fun gun. Shoot at the range, plink bottles and steel. Secondary use: in-state travel pistol, hotel, seedy RV parks. Lastly, backup in case a hunting rifle went down. The only two things I rifle hunt are NE OK white tail and hogs when I get the chance.

Lower: I'm pretty set on getting one of the PSA lowers with the the SB Tactical braces. They have both the PDW and the SBA3. I'm leaning toward getting the SBA3, or maybe both since they are on a great sale.

Uppers: Here is where I can't decide. I plan to get the 5.56 PSA upper with the FN CHF 10.5 barrel and the DD 9" rail. This will take care of the primary purpose of just having fun. It could serve in both of the other roles, but I'm just not a huge fan of the 5.56 round for hunting or defensive purposes. Besides, why only have one upper?

So MY pros and cons of various cartridges to fill roles 2 and 3; but I'd like to be able to have a little range fun in these rounds as well.

7.62x39 = I have about a thousand rounds of it and not a single rifle to shoot it from. I had a 16" that ran fine with CProduct magazines, but have read of many issues with a pistol length setup. I think this would serve my second role well, and could be okay for the #3. if it runs...

300BK = I got out of this cartridge a few years ago, have no ammo for it at present, have no place to reload for a while. However, it is pretty much what the AR pistol was built for. I just don't know if I want to get into another cartridge with limited space.

6.5G = I have an 18" carbine and I keep ammo. But I only keep premium ammo. I've never tried any of the plinking rounds. I'm really not sure if a 10.5" barrel has anything to do with what this round was designed to do. Maybe a waste of good ammo?

Go with the 5.56 10.5” and get different ammos for different purposes. Plinking just use the 55gr fmj for Defense or Hunting look at the Gold Dot ammo. There are some videos of it online with gel test showing what it’ll do out of a short barrel.

I just went through this and did exactly what I said above except went with Aero Texas Edition upper/lower and rail. It’s the same size as the Scorpion 9mm with a lot more punch. I went with the SBA3 as well, the PDW seems cool but just don’t know if I’d like the cheek weld on it. And if it’s thr SBPDW it’s no shorter than the regular brace because it uses same buffer, spring, and tube. So no real benefit besides looks.


I already have a SBR in 300BLK 8” it’s my thermal hog gun. So if you wanted to do the 300BLK I’d go shorter than 10.5”. Make it small as possible but still perform well.



(ATF DISCLAIMER, I no longer have the foregrip on the pistol because you changed the working of what constitutes overall length of a firearm)

If primarily for plinking or defense I would get the .223 in 10.5". If you are going to hunt with it with any frequency I would go 300 BO in 8.5" as .223 is a poor choice for hogs and deer. For 300 BO get Chad's ammo...his 125 grain SST is good stuff.

Thanks guys and I think Doc and KR make perfect sense. I'll have a multi-purpose .223 and a specific purpose 300BO. I can get great ammo shipped from Chad.

A thought that occurred to me is that I am not able to reload now, but that won't always be the situation. My gear is stored and will be setup within the next year or two. With 300BO, I won't have to worry about collecting brass like I do with 6.5G. I will always have some .223 brass available.

I just built one of the $300 PSA kits in 223. It is one of the 10.5” uppers with the A2 sight and handguard, and the shockwave brace. My uses are about the same as yours; mine lives in the bedroom corner or under the backseat of the pickup. I put a rear carry handle on it, and decided to leave the large peep up. At 50 yards I can hit clay pigeons offhand pretty easy. I may eventually put a dot on it, but that’ll be down the road a ways.

I’m kind of wondering if I should have gone with the BO for the pistol, but that makes the cost (and headache or handloads) increase a lot. With the 223 I buy $5/box steel case stuff at academy; if I’m handloading im gonna be chasing reasonable groups, and that’s not the point of this gun for me.

TC, I like that little pistol. KISS.

I decided to start off with the linked 5.56 upper and lower.

5.56 Pistol Upper

Pistol Lower

I noticed the lower now shows out of stock, I hope my order got through as it was over the weekend. If not, they have others that I like as well. I'm going to top it off with a Romeo5 I have sitting in a box and possibly a VTAC sling.

What twist rate do y’all prefer on a 10.5” 5.56 pistol?

Apparently I prefer a 1/7, because that’s what I have. In rifles I like a 1/9, but those aren’t cool anymore because everyone wants to shoot heavy bullets. I’d be just fine if my pistol was 1/9.