'best' AR pistol lower receiver?

**JG007** · 06-15-14, 16:10

Looks smart to do one while I wait for my sbr form 1's to process ,and then keep it for travel

Is there a high quality pistol forged lower? Do people use billet and have them mark it as "pistol"?

* does the sig brace work fine with the vltor a5?

**DWood** · 06-15-14, 17:03

Originally Posted by JG007

Looks smart to do one while I wait for my sbr form 1's to process ,and then keep it for travel

Is there a high quality pistol forged lower? Do people use billet and have them mark it as "pistol"?

* does the sig brace work fine with the vltor a5?

Just buy the lower you want. Any virgin lower can be built into an AR pistol.

**Voodoo_Man** · 06-15-14, 17:06

Originally Posted by DWood

Just buy the lower you want. Any virgin lower can be built into an AR pistol.

+1

no reason to get a super premium lower for a pistol build, they are all pretty much the same. I used a spikes for mine.

**JG007** · 06-15-14, 17:19

It seems like it would really help prevent confusion if it was a marked 'pistol' lower

**JulyAZ** · 06-15-14, 18:31

If it were a for a SBR, the last thing I would want is a lower marked "pistol"

Buy a BCM lower from Grant, and it takes all the guessing and surprises out of it.

Your lower would be in spec and ready to go the first time, remember a Form 1 is gonna have your name engraved, you'll be married to it for life...you want it right the first time.

**sparkman** · 06-15-14, 19:35

I used the Spikes pistol lower (complete-) also..GTG...

**DWood** · 06-15-14, 20:24

Originally Posted by JG007

It seems like it would really help prevent confusion if it was a marked 'pistol' lower

Then you don't really understand how the process works.

**JG007** · 06-15-14, 22:17

Actually it seems very obvious , when you are potentially questioned about your normally illegal sbr, and you have to explain that it is actually a pistol, it will be extremely helpful to have the receiver labeled as a pistol

**DWood** · 06-16-14, 08:47

You assume that anyone who might question you actually knows the law. Having "pistol" on the lower doesn't define what it is.

If you buy a complete pistol, it is recorded as a pistol on the 4473. A stripped lower receiver, or a lower receiver assebly, is transferred as "other" on the 4473 as it is neither a pistol or a rifle. Unless you have a state registry requiring lowers to be registered as pistols ( I am told that some states do), it will not be recorded anywhere as a rifle or pistol.

You may build it as either and how you build it defines it. Build it out as a rifle first, and it is illegal to ever put a barrel less than 16" on it without going the SBR route. Build it as a pistol first, and you may go between pistol and rifle configuration (including a stock and > 16' barrel) at will. The laws make no sense, but they are laws.

By all means mark your lower up with "pistol" if you think it will help.