Update: Covid-19 has wrecked the supply chain, as well as the world, and stock is all over the place. So the best solution to the nationwide firearms shortage is to show you what our favorite dealers have right now.
These are semi-auto pistols you can buy with your credit card, today, and have shipped almost to your door.
We limited the searches. So if you can see it, you can buy it.
- Euro Optic – B&T, & custom firearms for the connoisseur.
- Primary Arms – Great selection of cheap and custom CQBs.
- Brownells: Section is solid, but they’re running out of stock.
- Rainier Arms – Lots of 5.56mm NATO, not much 300BLK
- Sportsman’s Guide – The last few pistols, grab them now.
Most of our links are good, we were like up all night doing them.
But if they’re not, and if you just can’t find the one, these links could help stop a drama turning into a crisis.
Now back to the 300BLK show…
The 300 AAC Blackout pistol is basically our favorite addition to the firearms fold in recent years. This is a major step forward for home defense, target shooting and even hunting.
Advanced Armament Corporation pulled out all the stops to give you rifle levels of stopping power and accuracy. That’s hot.
The round is tougher, stronger and flies further than 5.56mm NATO. Apart from the cost,
300BLK Rocks With a Suppressor
It’s made to work with a suppressor, too, in sub-sonic form. That’s the real USP. Well that and the absurd range you can get from the supremely accurate supersonic rounds and a short barrel AR.
Of course a suppressor is an NFA item that takes a $200 tax stamp and about eight months of your life to work through the system.
But if you’re going this route then it’s time to buy your suppressor now and get the full effect of subsonic & supersonic ammunition. It really is two guns in one with a can.
Specialist Home Defense and CQB
You can have a silenced semi-auto weapon of war in your gun safes that won’t blow out your ear drums as well. You will struggle to find a better Close Quarters Combat weapon than these.
Best AAC 300 Blackout Pistols of 2020
1. Daniel Defense DDM4V7P
- Price: $1, 749.99
- Caliber: AAC 300
- Action: Direct impingement
- Barrel length: 10.3 inch
- Total: 28.5 inch
- Weight: 5.44lb
Just a few weeks ago we had this for $1,350. Now it’s $1,729, that’s a back order…
Euro Optic won’t even reveal the number until you put it in your the basket. It’s a deal right now so get yours while you can, and get ready to wait a while for delivery. If you need it now, you’re gonna have to pay the premium.
Daniel Defense is basically winning at life right now. The DDM4 in all its forms
The MK18 DDM4V7P is over-engineered for the average consumer. It comes with the upper and lower receiver, CNC machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. The finished work then gets a matte black Type III Hard Coat Anodized finish.
The 4140 hardened steel block comes with adjustable gas and a Heavy Phosphate Coating.
The cold hammer-forged barrel is produced from Chrome Moly Vanadium Steel. It also gets fully HP/MPI tested and then the outside of that is Heavy Phosphate coated. A proprietary flash suppressor sits out front, loud and proud.
The Complete 300 BLK? Probably Yes
The Mk18 DDM4V7P is a complete AR with heavy-hitting rounds. It features everything you want and nothing you don’t.
A longer 10.3″ barrel turns it into a sniper, or something you don’t have to get right next to your face. You can also dress it with a few different AR-15 parts & accessories, depending on your needs and shooting technique
Where to Buy Cheap 300 BLK Ammo
If you’re on the hunt for the best deals on ammo, well we can save you a little time. Here are direct links to the sales where you can pick up a bargain.
- Sportsman’s Warehouse – Lots of ammo, cheap.
- Brownells – 300BLK ammo with some solid sales and discounts.
- Sportsman’s Guide – Get the best deals on ammunition.
- Natchez Shooter’s Supplies – Bullets, brass ammunition, rifle ammo and more.
2. Wilson Combat AR-15 Protector Pistol
- Price: $1,995
- Caliber: 300 BLK
- Barrel: 11.3 inch
- Total Length: 27.5-30 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
Wilson Combat is one of the best in the business. We really don’t need to push that point too hard. But they’re normally much more expensive than this.
The Wilson Combat AR-15 Protector Pistol isn’t cheap, but it’s hardly a bank breaker either. It’s right in the sweet spot where it can take on the likes of Daniel Defense and Patriot Ordnance Factory.
The longer 11.3″ barrel keeps it out of a straight fight with the Rattler. But we’re a special edition away from an intriguing war with the Canebrake that could give the matte black Wilson Combat the top spot.
Forged Receivers Keep Costs Down on Entry Level
You get forged receivers, which goes some way to explaining the relatively cheap price. The stainless steel barrel is match-grade. A lot of the parts & accessories are top drawer, down to the polished feed ramps. But they’re
The dressings include a two-stage Tactical Trigger with a simple takedown procedure that means cleaning is a breeze. There’s a Bravo Company Manufacturing grip, a Wilson-Rogers Super-
Even Harder Hitting Ammo on Offer
You can opt for the company’s 300 HAMR, which promises the ballistic performance of a .308 Win round in something more manageable. The company claims it pumps out 40% more energy at 200 yards than standard 300 BLK ammunition. The terminal ballistics sound impressive indeed.
But if you’re going to do that then there are other options and that proprietary ammo could get really expensive or disappear altogether if the math doesn’t stack up. It’s unlikely, but it could happen.
The Most Accurate Here?
So this round would be our choice for the Wilson Combat AR-15 Protector Pistol. This will be a match for anything on this list when it comes to accuracy at the outer limits of the range.
It’s a real 200-300 yard hunter, too, which is sometimes all the range you need in a lightweight and portable package. 300 BLK is a new cartridge, too, in the grand scheme of things. It’s going to get better.
It’s the kind of Close Quarters Combat weapon that even the military would kinda like to have on call.
3. Sig Sauer MCX Canebrake Rattler PCB
- Price: $2,449
- Barrel Length: 5.5 inch
- Total Length: 29.25 inch
- Weight: 6.5lb
The Sig MCX Rattler Canebrake PCB is the newest addition to the MCX family. It knocked the old-school Rattler off the top spot.
This is now the best, but availability means it isn’t the number 1. Buying one is a PITA and has been for too long. When you can get one easily, it might go back to the top slot. Until then, this is what you get for not appearing in any shops…
Muzzle Device For Dummies
It comes with 5.5″ barrel and an integral suppressor. You can switch it out for the dummy muzzle devices while you’re waiting for the NFA paperwork and tax stamp you need for the Sig SIGSRD762 suppressor.
That means you can enjoy your new toy as soon as you buy yours online and pick it up from your local FFL dealer. Well, don’t do it in a built-up area…
This semi-auto gets a flat-blade two-stage match-grade trigger and a Cerakote finished upper and lower receiver set. The folding Pivoting Contour Brace (PCB) offers all the support of a PDW with the convenience of a simple folding brace.
Hand Guard Contains Suppressor
The integral suppressor set-up requires a longer handguard that comes with a contrasting matte black finish. That folding brace gives the Sig MCX Canebrake PCB a more comfortable stance than the Rattler. It’s longer, and you give up the concealed carry element. But that actually works in its favor.
If you run it suppressed or not, that extra real estate means you can adopt a more comfortable shooting technique. You’re not hunched right up on a rapidly exploding chamber. That distance is no bad thing and it means you can focus on your target.
There’s a long Picatinny Rail running down its spine. Hand placement is also much easier with the Canebrake’s SD handguard. And the adjustable gas piston system and internals are all Sig Rattler. So they’re the best basically.
Here is the Rattler assault weapon in full auto mode, with the suppressor. It’s a little bit of fun. So enjoy it for what it is before ordering something, well, legal.
4. Ruger AR-556 300 AAC
- Price: $789.99
- Barrel: 10.5 inch
- Total Length: 27.6 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
The Ruger AR-556 is one of the best cheap AR-15s on the market and this is every bit as good. The Ruger AR-556P 300BLK is a winner at the right cost.
Basic Engineering, Low Budget
The Ruger isn’t made from unobtanium. It isn’t covered in designer furniture and parts. It’s just solid, accurate and reliable.
You get
The bolt is machined from 9130 steel, which is then
Ruger makes a ton of these things, well tons, I don’t even know how many. But the truth is that mass production means Ruger can include the odd premium touch with a low budget RRP.
5. ATI Omni Hybrid MAXX P4 300BLK
- Price: $399.99
- Barrel: 8.5 inch
- Length: 25 inch
- Weight: 4.5lb
This is the plastic AR pistol that you may have been waiting for. Polymer receivers mean this is seriously light and also insane cheap.
Replacing the forged aluminum receivers with fiber reinforced polymer molds over a Zinc insert has potentially shown us the future of the AR-15 industry. We already largely shoot plastic handguns, but the metal AR-15 was sacred, until now.
Now American Tactical Inc feels it has solved the engineering issues that go with the increased force and rate of fire.
It has been torture tested, as you’d expect, but ATI firing 2000 rounds doesn’t really interest me. Online reviews reveal happy owners, which is far more important.
Polymer AR-15 Gets Rave Reviews
So far the reviews on all the gunbroker sites seem to be singing the same song. The ATI Omni Hybrid Maxx P4 300BLK is reliable, accurate and there are no weird issues with flex. Indeed as the tech improves then flex could actually be incorporated into certain parts to lower recoil and tune the handling.
Right now the ATI is simply a lightweight AR-15 that is also one of the cheapest here.
It might not turn into a family heirloom firearm, but for this money does it really need to? The weight alone makes it a compelling option and the RRP means you can have several ATI Omni Hybrid Maxx P4 polymers all round the house for the same cost as one big name.
6. F4 Defense F4-15 PDW
- Price: $1, 905.99
- Barrel: 7.5 inch
- Total Length: 23.5 inch
- Weight: 5.79lb
It’s a newcomer here, but it deserves to go right in there with the best of them.
The F4-15 300BLK is billed as a Close Quarters Combat weapon first and foremost. Is it one of the best CQB weapons for sale? Yes, is the simple answer.
Billet Receivers Another Premium Touch
The upper and lower receivers are machined from billet 7075-T6 Aluminum.
The barrel is 416R stainless steel, button-rifled with a 1:7 twist. F4 Defense has also called on some quality outside suppliers.
Fire Control Group contributed its ELF-SE drop-in trigger and there’s a Battle Arms Development BAD short-throw ambidextrous selector.
The brace comes from SB Tactical and it’s a proven unit that will improve your shooting technique by design. The muzzle brake might not be as pretty as some, but the big can is safer and it does look the part here. It’s a cohesive, chunky, tough design that just works.
Ready For Suppressor
Inevitably you can switch out the can for a proper suppressor and then you’ve got a slimline, supported, snag free and sleek firearm.
Running the suppressor, it also has a natural balance in the hands that comes from being designed around the silencer. It’s worth getting the tax stamp for this one.
It’s a newcomer, but it’s awesome. We think you’re going to like this one and it may yet climb the order.
7. BCM Recce-12 MCMR
- Price: $1,492.99
- Barrel: 9 inch
- Total Length: 25 inch
- Weight: 5.4lb
This Bravo Company Manufacturing AR punches above its weight in just about every department. On another day it would have finished higher, but availability came into things.
We like this BCM Recce-12 and we think the Advanced Armament Corporation would approve as well.
BCM: By Soldiers, For Soldiers
Bravo Company Manufacturing makes some of the best AR-15 parts. If you’re doing a high end DIY build, you know them well.
The company also makes bespoke firearms for military, law enforcement and specialist security personnel. So the parts list on this Close Quarters Combat weapon was always going to be impressive.
The BCM KMR-A15 free float handguard is joined by a BMC Trigger guard, a BCMGunfighter Mod 4 charging handle, a BCM QD sling mount, BCM Mod3 pistol grip, BCM QD end plate. The barrel is manganese phosphate coated and the gas key is hardened to USGI spec.
The gas key, Bolt Carrier Group and more are all chromed, hardened and MPI inspected.
When you place your order, you can upgrade yours with a Geissele match-grade two-stage trigger. It’s expensive, but you will feel the difference with every trigger pull.
Get the silencer and the tax stamp, too, and this could be your favorite range toy.
8. Sig Sauer MCX Rattler
- Price: $2,476
- Action: Adjustable Piston
- Barrel : 5.5 inch
- Total Length: 19.3-23 inch
- Weight: 5.1lb
The Sig Sauer MCX Rattler is simply in a different league.
This is military hardware, plain and simple. It was developed specifically for the British SAS. This is basically the replacement for the 9mm HK MP5 that is basically standard equipment for every special forces team around the world to this day.
It has found its way into the hands of military personnel,
300BLK is a Flexible Bullet, Not Like That…
The flexibility of the new cartridge and their hands is a
It’s almost too compact for general plinking and you do have to adapt to it, but this is an absolute thoroughbred of a semi-automatic defensive weapon.
Urban warfare is its natural environment. Putting the Sig MCX Rattler next to almost anything on this list feels like comparing a NASCAR racer to a Porsche 911.
Concealed Carry 300BLK
Most the time, you’d rather drive a Porsche, like you’d probably have more fun shooting a longer gun. But when you really want to go to war, this is light years ahead. I mean it’s basically a concealed carry.
It was built around the cartridge and the Sig RD762 suppressor line. The short barrel that makes room for a suppressor and a compact PDW brace that keeps it short enough to shoot from the hip. If you do that.
Piston System Perfectly Contained in AR CCW
The gas piston actuation system in the MCX Rattler is a packaging and ergonomics masterclass. How all this tech got crammed in there, reliably, I’m still not entirely sure. It’s a captured recoil system, rather than a traditional buffer, and it all happens within that upper receiver. It’s clever stuff.
The adjustable gas system means you can instantly switch between suppressed subsonic ammunition to full-bore supersonic monsters with AR-15+ impact.
Rattler isn’t for Novice Shooters
We do concede that it’s so focused and compact that you might have to adjust.
In many ways, this is the absolute pinnacle, the best AR for sale in 2020. But it’s such a specialist operator that it probably shouldn’t be the first one you buy.
Start with a more general tool, before you go to the AR that is so small you could use it as a CCW. It would be weird and your friends might talk, but you could…
9. Aero Precision AR-15
- Price: $687.99
- Barrel: 8 inch
- Total Length: 24 inch
If you have a Shockwave Blade or another stabilizing brace lying round and a handguard, then you can just buy the naked AR-15 from Aero Precision.
The company made its name with precision barrels that are basically an upgrade to most AR-15s on the market.
Aero Precision makes fully clothed guns, too, but we like tis concept as it means you can finish with some custom touches.
It’s not quite a DIY AR-15 build, but it’s kind of a start. You can do this in 5.56mm NATO spec too.
Aero Precision Starts at Mil-Spec
The receivers are Mil-spec 7075-T6 aluminum, the Aero Precision gets an M16 Bolt Carrier Group and it’s all basic, but perfectly functional. That also means its standard.
The actual mechanism is complete, right down to the A2 flash hider at the end of the
10. NEMO Arms Battle Light 300BLK
- Price: $2,422.50
- Barrel: 8 inch
- Total: 26.5 inch
- Weight: 5.6lb
NEMO Arms is a relatively new discovery for us and we kind of know this is a love affair that is going to last as long as they do.
There’s no guarantee that’s going to be forever with boutique companies like this, but we hope we get a steady stream like this for the rest of our days. This is peak engineering, Swiss watch precision and all the other cliches.
Weapons For The Special Forces
NEMO Arms produces firearms specifically for special forces clients through to competition shooters and generally follows a pretty simple recipe of assembling the very best components and doing the absolute precision work itself.
It orders blank 8 inch 4150 CMV Steel barrels from the best suppliers and then cuts the 5R rifling itself.
It shows
Long Guns Are Under-Rated
300BLK is serious rifle ammunition, too, by the way, and we’ll get round to the list of best 300 Blackout rifles before long.
The upper and lower receivers are both machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum, you get a tuned, pistol length gas system with a tuned port. The CMC flat bow trigger gets a 3.5lb pull and looks very much like the POF system…
The BCG is made from 8620 heat-treated steel that is Nickel Boron coated, the M-LOK rail and just about everything else are Cerakote finished. KAK Shockwave braces absolutely do the job as well.
Rails For All Your Gear
A quad rail front guard gives you just about every option when it comes to your accessories and also looks amazing.
The only thing going against it are the financials. You might seriously need to pay monthly. But then this is a rare and beautiful firearm that is limited edition by its very nature.
Most things here are mass market products in comparison and you’re always going to have to pay a premium for boutique firearms.
Custom Gunsmithing But They’re Not Cheap
Exclusivity and beautiful engineering are worth the money to some people. If I had to choose one, I’d take the tech driven beauty of the Rattler in this price bracket, but I can see the attraction in the bespoke and perfectly assembled Nemo Arms Battle Light.
If the Rattler is a racing car, this is a Bentley. It’s perfectly engineered, luxurious and finished like a dream. It’s every bit as good in its own way as the main players, it just so happens that its way is very different. And yes, you can order a 5.56 NATO version.
11. B&T APC300
- Price: $2,899.99
- Barrel: 8.75 inch
- Total Length: 21 inch (without brace)
- Weight: 7lb
- Capacity: 30+1
B&T make some stellar firearms and we’re particularly in love with their 9mm range that are lightweight, minimalist and aimed at the military user. The APC300 is an altogether bulkier semi-automatic.
The B&T APC300 is based on the assault rifle that the Swiss company churns out for SWAT teams and specialist military units around the world.
B&T has built its reputation on its work with the military, especially with its lightweight 9mm SMGs. A lot of them have ditched more famous alternatives to go with B&T firearms.
The Company’s 9mm SMGs Are Legends
Brugger & Thomet is still a relative newcomer on these shores, but the gun reviews speak for themselves. The B&T KH9 is a legend, while the TP9 is a modern day Tec-9 or Uzi made with Swiss engineering.
It also gives you options with the semi-automatic and you can trim your weapon and ammo depending on your requirements. That makes these more flexible than the old-school AR-15. That’s all there is to it.
Heavyweight With Heavyweight Pedigree
The APC300 is a heavy piece of engineering at 7lb, and that’s without any form of brace and red dot. The picture is for illustration purposes only. Don’t get hung up on that stock, because that’s a sturdy unit that turns this into an SBR. Then you start getting into trouble with the paperwork.
B&T make precision firearms for the military and this is just one of the semi-automatic civilian SMGs that you can buy. It’s not the prettiest B&T and we prefer some of their other weapons, but it’s still a match for anything here when it comes to functionality.
Everything is Mil-spec, because that’s who this was designed for. So you can expect match-grade precision, bulked up to deal with the rigors of daily abuse.
12. FightLite
- Price: $865.99
- Barrel: 7.25 inch
- Total Length: 20.25 inch
- Weight: 3.9lb
- Capacity: 10+1
This isn’t the best from a military perspective. In fact it’s absurd. This is an AR-15 with a birds head grip for no real reason at all.
There might be a law it gets round, but I don’t know what it is. Instead, I tend to believe that this is clever marketing, simply combining things we know and love to create a new flavor. The FightLite Raider is pretty much Cherry Coke.
It doesn’t serve much of a purpose. But it will be a lot of fun and it’s a serviceable defensive weapon. It is quite clever how the buffer is contained in the grip, and it is super lightweight.
Mainly it’s fun, I think that’s the USP and trying to justify it any other way comes off a bit needy. This isn’t really a tactical solution for anything. It is what it is, it’s hilarious and you will enjoy it.
13. PSA 6 AAC 300BLK
- Price: $599.99
- Barrel: 8.5 inch
- Total: 26.5 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
- Capacity: 30+1
This was either the one you were waiting for or you are slowly shaking your head in disgust. There probably isn’t much middle ground here…
But the truth is that if you have $550 to spend, most companies are going to laugh in your face. Seriously, they’ll be cruel about their rejection.
Get a PSA Parts Kit
So you have got two options. You can build your own. Or you can give Palmetto State Armory $550 and a chance to get it right.
I bet you that in 90% of cases, the Palmetto State Armory would have been the smart option. Or one of these $500 AR-15s.
Palmetto State Armory Spec is Solid
If the receivers were made from nylon this could still be a decent deal. But they’re not, the tech spec of the Palmetto State Armory reads like a seriously good firearm.
It’s a Chrome Moly Vanadium Steel barrel with a 1:8 twist attached to forged 7075 T6 aluminum receivers that get hardcoat anodized for durability. It’s a Mil-spec style trigger, whatever that is, and it’s a single stage trigger that works well.
Right now, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, all these are sold out. They’ll be back soon, we’re sure.
When they return, some of them will feature much higher up the list. Of course…
14. CMMG Banshee Mk4
- Price: $1,379
- Barrel: 8 inches
- Length: 23.8 inch
- Weight: 5.12lb
Any version of the new CMMG Banshee Mk4 is going to be a winner.
CMMG always made solid firearms, but the CMMG Banshee Mk4 has made a real splash.
It’s the short barreled lightweight of the line-up, and arguably the consumer grade offering. But it’s available in almost every bullet, from 300BLK down to 9mm. That’s good.
The CMMG Mk4 PDW has grabbed headlines round the world, but this version of the CMMG Mk4 is just as capable.
15. Patriot Ordnance Factory Renegade Plus
- Price: $2,009.99
- Barrel: 10.5
- Total Length: 28 inch
- Capacity: 30+1 Rounds
- Weight: 5.8lb
POF has taken the simple Eugene Stoner concept to the extreme and employed its legendary extraction tech to create a better AR.
Obvious POF Rival is DDM4
The ‘Plus’ version gets the flat Geissele match grade trigger with a 3.5lb pull, aggressive styling on the M-LOK Renegade handguard and the multi-chamber flash hider. It all works.
POF Renegade+ Tech Highlights
The price has crept up over time and the POF has slipped down the list because of it. It’s a more difficult value proposition to sell these days, even though it’s. The black version is good enough for most mere mortals, though, and it gets a Hard Anodized coating of its own.
The 10.5 inch cold hammer forged barrel is heat treated and Nitride coated.
You get a 9 inch version of the legendary POF Renegade M-LOK rail and a whole host of other goodies. most of all you get that POF seal of approval and you should have that at least once in your life. Even the stippling feels a cut above the rank and file.
The Plus part of the POF Renegade Plus name is significant. It means you get a Geissele match-grade, two stage trigger. A roller cam pin and patented heat sink nut help beat the traditional issues with the direct system: fouling and reliability.
Direct Impingement vs Gas Piston System
Direct systems are largely lighter than the gas-piston operated systems, which is a real advantage in the field. Gas piston systems are largely more reliable, though, thanks to keeping the chamber cleaner. They offer greater adjustment, too, which counts when shooting with a suppressor.
If POF can solve the issues and build on its benefits, which it kind of has, then this could be the one you want. Technically there are better here, but this is a brilliant Close Quarters Combat Weapon, range shooter and it could even serve as a lightweight hunting handgun. Sort of…
16. ZEV Tech Core Elite Forged
- Price: $1,685.99
- Barrel: 8.5 inch
- Total: 25 inch
- Weight: 5.49lb
We know it’s partly the gold barrel, which you can buy off the shelf, but the ZEV Tech Core Elite speaks to us. We want it.
It’s competition grade all the way and deserves a leading red dot up top.
ZEV Tech forged its reputation with aftermarket Glock parts & accessories. Now, after a merger with MEGA Arms, it has become a regular feature on our best AR-15 lists.
300 BLK Comes With Shorter Barrel
This is the shorter barrel version and it’s an absolute beauty, especially with the Direct Thread Warden Blast Diffuser muzzle devices. The user reviews online absolutely love it and pretty much all of them claim this is a match for more expensive hardware.
The upper and lower receiver are forged 7075-T6 aluminum and coated in matte black class 2 hard coat anodize. It’s a fixed low profile gas block and a H3 carbine buffer system, so it’s a simpler weapon than the fancier options at the top of the list. That’s why it’s cheaper.
The fixed block is a compromise setting, but it works well.
The BCG is Mil-spec, chrome-lined and Manganese Phosphate coated. That’s the secret to the ZEV – basic tech that has been executed perfectly.
Shockwave Blade Gives Sharp Look
It’s all finished off with a KAK Shockwave brace. The user reviews all say that the fit and finish is perfect, every part feels perfect and this is a bargain.
17. F-1 Firearms UDR 15
- Price: $2,599
- Barrel: 8.5 inch
- Total Length:
- Weight: 5.6lb
The skeletonized styling from F-1 firearms will either grab you, or it really won’t. There’s no real in-between, but there’s no denying the quality of the construction.
F-1 Firearms made its name with spares, upgrades
Shockwave Blade is Minimalist Too
The plastic matte black Shockwave blade and buffer
The F-1 Firearms BCG gets a
A Dragon Slay muzzle brake sits up front. The all-important low profile gas block joins up with a free floating S7M Super Lite M-LOK rail. An RA Avalanche Mod 2 Charging Handle and RA EMMR mag release show the obsessive attention to detail.
The F-1 Firearms UDR-15 isn’t just a thrown together advert for the company’s parts & spares business. It is the real deal.
Skeletonized AR-15
It depends how you feel about the skeletonized look that F-1 Firearms has adopted as its signature. If you like it, then you probably don’t give a crap what anybody else thinks.
18. Springfield Armory Saint
- Price: $982.99
- Barrel: 7.5 inch
- Total: 26.5 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
- Capacity: 30+1
If this were the best under $1000, the Springfield Armory Saint would be right up there.
Value For Money, But Not the Best…
Inevitably it can’t quite keep pace with these Gods of the Arena, that’s why they cost orders of magnitude more.
It’s a solid piece of kit, though. There are occasional murmurs about reliability on internet forums, but they seem to get countered by user reviews that sing the Springfield Saint’s praises.
Is it a DDM4 or a POF? No it isn’t, that’s why it comes with this price tag.
Springfield Saint a Low Cost Star
The spec makes for encouraging reading when you get down to it and it’s easy to see how Springfield Armory has successfully chased the economies of scale with the Saint AR-15 and now the higher end Springfield Armory Saint Edge line that inevitably shares a number of components.
This is the Springfield Saint in its sexiest form, too. The faux suppressor muzzle device looks the absolute business.
The SB Tactical SBX-K tactical brace is good enough, but the Springfield Saint with a Shockwave is a thing of beauty too. It looks inherently right as a combat weapon, although you’d have to be a soldier in one of those failed states to price shop your duty weapon…
Melonite Coated Barrel on Saint
Still, the 416R barrel is Melonite coated and that should be better than a chrome-lined barrel. A 1:7 twist is fairly standard and the matte black Springfield Armory Saint really isn’t a long-distance sniper. It was never intended to be. It’s a close quarters powerhouse that works with subsonic or supersonic ammunition.
It won’t make that transition quite as well as some here. But you get what you pay for and that really is the nth degree of engineering.
Awesome AR
Of course it’s a direct impingement set-up and comes with a buffer tube. The 7075-T6 forged receivers are Type III Hard Coat Anodized.
The trigger is an in-house job and it comes with a Nickel Boron treatment that means it should stand the test of time. There is more Melonite on the Enhanced M16 BCG and you get a Carbine H heavy tungsten buffer.
It’s good, but it’s not quite enough in this exalted company and the Ruger still wins the low budget war.
19. Barrett REC7 DI
- Price: $1,769
- Barrel: 10.25 inch
- Total: 30.5 inch
- Weight: 5.5lb
Barrett is known for the M107 50 BMG that has taken out everything from enemy helicopters and boats through to actual people in the hands of America’s elite fighting forces.
But here we are, looking at the Barrett REC7 DI. It’s part of an aggressive expansion into the AR-15 market.
Consumer Sales Drive With Military Weapons
Barrett really isn’t that big on consumer sales and really tends to focus on the military. We guess that means that somewhere there are troops using a fully automatic version.
Alternatively, Barrett is trying to use its military credibility to put a fairly average gun on to the open market.
So which is it?
It’s the former, we think. The company has a military reputation and clientele and won’t sacrifice that to send tired junk on to the market. This has to be good really.
Classic Eugene Stoner
It’s a Eugene Stoner Direct Impingement forged from 7075-T6 aluminum treated with an anodized hardcoat. You get a Cerakote finish, too, ranging from fashionable black through to Flat Dark Earth.
It’s simple, durable tech that is finished well and the engineering tolerances are more important to Barrett than a visually pleasing finish.
You get an ALG Defense Advanced Combat Trigger and a flared Magwell, together with a solid brace. It’s good, and you should bear it in mind. It just doesn’t stand out like it could.
It’s a workhorse, then.
Is that enough? Maybe. It’s reliable, it’s super accurate, it does the job you need and Law Enforcement and military personnel can probably get a great deal on a solid weapon that doesn’t have the fancy bells and whistles.
20. Windham Weaponry RP9SFS-7-300
- Price: $1,160
- Barrel: 9 inch
- Total: 24.75 inches
- Weight: 5.5lb
Windham Weaponry has established a reputation for supremely good 5.56mm NATO firearms at a solid price.
That price started out as budget, but the company has moved to the mid-range pretty quickly. That’s OK, it can hang with that crowd, but why the hell did they give it this name?
Aside from the alphabetti spaghetti nonsense for a title, this is a solid 300BLK.
Windham Weaponry hasn’t reinvented the genre. It hasn’t tried. But this is a very decent AR that will get the job done.
21. Q Honeybadger
- Price: $2,599.99
- Barrel: 7 inch
- Total Length: 20-26 inch
- Weight: 4.8lb
The story of the Q Sugar Weasel, and the Honeybadger pistol, is just too long and winding to get into here. Suffice to say we waited years for a pistol that has now supposedly shown up, together with a cheaper sibling.
Now you can buy the The Fix by Q Sniper rifle in 308 Win. The Honeybadger has gone into a higher price bracket altogether and now Q has unveiled the Sugar Weasel.
I don’t even know anymore… Whatever happens, happens…
Have You Bought a Honeybadger?
Reviews are out there. But the easiest way to buy a Honeybadger by Q is to buy a Noveske Gen 4 N4, also called the Noveske Ghetto Blaster.
Why? We really don’t know anymore. It has got weird, that’s all we can say for sure.
Where Can You Buy a Honeybadger?
It was made for the special forces in real life, when a US team approached 300 AAC Blackout inventor Kevin Brittingham and the team at AAC. Like the SAS, they wanted a replacement for the 9mm semi-automatic HK MP5. The Honeybadger was born.
Then it crossed the virtual divide and became an icon in games like Call of Duty. That’s where it stayed, for years, but it’s here now. Kind of…
This is from the Advanced Armament Corps people, the people that actually invented AAC Blackout ammunition.
A 7″ barrel means the whole thing collapses to 20 inches. When you need it, that PDW brace extends to create a more manageable and accurate 26 inch platform too.
The Noveske, in this trim, is an SBR. That’s worth thinking about, because you’ll need a tax stamp to take it outside, officially.
Not Just a Gaming Legend
It’s an absolute weapon of war and relies on a simple direct impingement system and a proprietary trigger that give the special forces a competitive advantage.
The truth is, the Q Honeybadger would sell out. It’s a limited edition firearm, it’s a part of pop culture and gamers around the country will fight in real time to get hold of one.
If they ever have the opportunity…
So we got all kinds of pistols, handguns, rifles, shotguns, rifle ammo and more. But we don’t have a Honeybadger for you, unless it’s a Noveske.
Some Other Posts For You…
These are great, but you might need to buy more. If you need a bolt action rifle, a tactical shotgun or more, we can help….
Have a look at these posts:
- Cheap rifle action – A bolt action rifle or a cheap MSR
- The Best AR-15s, 9mm, 5.56mm NATO, AK.
- Pistols, handguns, rifles, shotguns, pistol braces, scopes, optics, accessories ammo and more.
Where to buy AAC Blackout Ammo
AAC Blackout ammo is an art and science, but mainly its subsonic ammunition or supersonic.
The AAC Blackout subsonic ammo is really meant for a silenced gun and the general impression is that you end up with roughly 45 ACP ammo stopping power. Plus a bit more.
That’s good for home defense indoors, and can help avoid overpenetration. While the AAC Blackout supersonic ammo turns it into a genuine 250-300-yard sniper.
Open tip special ammo is basically a next gen full metal jacket hollow point that creates next level wound cavities.
That’s what makes full metal jacket Blackout ammo so impressive.
Blackout Subsonic and Blackout Supersonic Ammo Bulk
Now AAC Blackout is an expensive round, whichever way you look at it. But the costs are slowly coming down.
It is finding favor as rifle ammo and the hardware is starting to evolve to meet the growing demand for this AR15+ You can buy a bolt action rifle or a sniper with up to 500 yards reach.
Look out for Hornady Black and Federal Premium blackout AAC 300 ammo. The usual suspects, then, to be honest. Shop new arrivals and you might come up with the more unusual Honeybadger from
Ammo Deals On The Way
Cheap ammo cans are coming through, then, and you can find deals on AAC Blackout subsonic ammo and AAC Blackout supersonic. As this rifle ammo finds its feet and mass acceptance, the price should continue to fall for hollow point ammo and specialist hunting gear.
Rifle ammo, shotgun ammo and handgun ammo was all expensive, once. Now you can pick up handgun ammo by the barrel and even the likes of 45 ACP ammo is cheap now. Check this post for shotgun ammo, handgun ammo and more, cheap.
We’ll keep checking for AAC Blackout subsonic and supersonic ammo that breaks the cost and performance barriers. Open tip bullets, hollow point alternatives, full metals jacket brass bullets, we got all the BLK ammo. So sign up in the top bar to keep up with the latest info and deals.
Other Calibers to Look Out For
If you have a Blackout pistol, maybe consider adding a mag fed shotgun complete with vicious 12 gauge ammo to your arsenal.
Special ammo can include proper buckshot, or the new breed of slugs that turn these new arrivals shotguns into beasts.
The terminal ballistics can be downright ugly up close and there is some insane 12 gauge ammo out there. Check this open tip hollowpoint shotgun ammo here.
12 gauge ammo has come a long way…
Those two together would seriously make a difference and a sidearm with decent 9mm ammo is all you really need to complete the defensive set.
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I was wondering what your thoughts were on the PWS MK111 or MK109 when it comes to .300 Blackout.
You guys have a price typo on that ZEV Tech Core Elite Forged Pistol 300BLK
You have the price listed as “Price: $16825.99” seems a little steep huh lol. Just thought id let you know.
Thanks, I’ll check it, although it’s sold out now anyway you’re right 🙂 It’s not quite that much!
Great review! One of the best out there. Question, what do you think of the salt water arms “Cobia”,300 BLKout pistol? My concern is that, the upper lacks a forward assist! Otherwise, I would have jumped on it for less than $1000. Thanks,
Dominic
You know I don’t have personal experience with it and so I’m just going to leave this here and hope someone else has got something useful for you. I think there are options for less than $1000, though, especially now, and you might do better to shop around the sales and see what jumps out.
If I’m not mistaken, I believe Springfield’s AR’s are rebadged BCM pistols and rifles
I’m not sure if I am 100% honest. I know the Edge had a hell of a lot of BCM parts. But just calling it a rebadged gun might get me an angry letter from Springfield Armory and might not be 100% true. If it is, there are plenty worse people to farm your production out to. If not, Springfield Armory make some nice stuff too. Good political response there…