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 in stock, right now.
These are semi-auto 300 Blackout pistols you can buy with your credit card, today, and have shipped almost to your door.
We limited the searches to what’s in stock. So if you can see it, you can buy it.
- Euro Optic – B&T, Daniel Defense & custom guns for the connoisseur.
- Primary Arms – Great selection of cheap and custom AR pistols in 300BLK.
- Brownells: 300 Blackout section is solid, but they’re running out of stock.
- Rainier Arms – Lots of 5.56 NATO AR Pistols, 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 buy your gun, 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. The semi-auto 300 BLK AR pistol 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 at close range and rifle accuracy further out. Basically, it’s a rifle in an AR pistol package. That’s hot.
The round is tougher, stronger and flies further than 5.56 NATO. Apart from the cost,
300BLK Rocks With a Suppressor
It’s designed 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 barreled AR pistol.
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 the 300 AAC Blackout route then it’s time to buy your suppressor now and get the full effect of subsonic and supersonic ammunition. It isn’t just the bullet weight. They behave differently too.
Specialist Home Defense Gun and CQB
The best guns here offer sub-MOA accuracy. There are Youtube sensations pounding the crap out of targets at 250 yards with just a basic optic and a semi-auto AR pistol.
You can have a silenced semi-auto weapon of war in your gun safe that won’t blow out your ear drums as well. You will struggle to find a better Close Quarters Combat weapon than these.
Best Pistols of 2020
1. Sig Sauer MCX Canebrake Rattler PCB Pistol
- Price: $2,449
- Caliber: AAC 300
- Barrel Length: 5.5 inch
- Total Length: 29.25 inch
- Weight: 6.5lb
The Sig Sauer MCX Rattler Canebrake PCB pistol is the newest addition to the MCX family. It has knocked the old-school Rattler off the top spot. This is now the best pistol on sale in 2020.
It comes with 5.5″ barrel and an integral suppressor. You can switch it out for a dummy muzzle device while you’re waiting for any NFA paperwork you might need for the Sig Sauer 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 folding brace gives the Sig Sauer MCX Canebrake PCB a more comfortable stance than the Rattler. It’s longer, 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 and you can position your tactical gear more effectively. 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 and some beautiful
2. Daniel Defense DDM4V7P
- Price: $1, 900
- Caliber: AAC 300
- Action: Direct impingement
- Barrel length: 10.3 inch
- Total: 28.5 inch
- Weight: 5.44lb
Just a week ago we had this pistol at $1,350 through Euro Optic, and you can still do that on back order here. You just might be waiting a while.
Euro Optic won’t even reveal the number until you put the gun in the basket. It’s a deal right now so get yours while you can, and get ready to wait a while for delivery. If it’s a SHTF gun, well it’s worth the extra money to get yours now…
Daniel Defense is basically winning at life right now. The DDM4 tactical rifle and semi-auto AR pistol
The Daniel Defense MK18 DDM4V7P is over-engineered for the average consumer. It comes with Mil-spec upper and lower receiver, CNC machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. The finished work then gets a 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 Chrome Moly is Heavy Phosphate coated. A proprietary flash suppressor sits out front, loud and proud.
The Complete Pistol? Probably Yes
The Mk18 DDM4V7P is a complete AR pistol with heavy-hitting 300 AAC Blackout rounds. The pistol features everything you want and nothing you don’t. It’s the near-perfect all-round AR pistol for sale.
A longer 10.3″ barrel turns it into a marksman’s AR pistol, or something you don’t have to get right next to your face. You can also dress this gun with a few different AR-15 parts & accessories, depending on your needs and shooting technique
Where to Buy Cheap 300BLK Ammo
If you’re on the hunt for the best deals on Blackout 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 – AAC 300 Blackout ammo, cheap.
- Brownells – 300BLK ammo with some solid sales and discounts.
- Sportsman’s Guide – Get the best prices on ammunition.
3. Wilson Combat AR-15 Protector Pistol
- Price: $1,995
- Barrel: 11.3 inch
- Total Length: 27.5-30 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
Wilson Combat handguns and rifles are some 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 Sig Canebrake that could give the Wilson Combat the top spot.
Forged Receivers Keep Costs Down on Entry Level Pistol
You get forged receivers, which goes some way to explaining the relatively cheap price tag. The stainless steel barrel is match-grade. A lot of the parts & accessories are top drawer, but they’re
The dressings include Wilson Combat two-stage Tactical Trigger with a simple takedown procedure that means cleaning is a breeze. There’s a Bravo Company Manufacturing pistol grip, a Wilson-Rogers Super-
Even Harder Hitting Ammo on Offer
You can opt for Wilson Combat’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 AR Pistol?
So the Blackout would be our choice for the Wilson Combat AR-15 Protector Pistol and with an
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 a devastating personal defense weapon, the kind of Close Quarters Combat weapon that even the military would kinda like to have on call. It could also be the best AAC 300 Blackout pistol on sale in 2020.
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 the shorter pistol is every bit as good. The Ruger AR-556P 300BLK is a great AR-15 pistol at the right price.
The shorter 10.5 inch barrel pistol is every bit as good as the rifle that continuously stars in our low budget AR-15 comparisons.
Basic Engineering For Budget 300 Blackout Gun
The Ruger AR-15 pistol isn’t made from unobtanium. It isn’t covered in designer furniture and parts. It’s just a solid, accurate and reliable AR pistol that takes the classic M4 Colt clone rifle and turns it into this.
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 budget price tag.
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 that you can get a lightweight pistol that is 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 you find in an AR pistol. It has even given us this more forceful Blackout version, which feels like pushing the envelope of polymer AR pistol technology.
The gun has been torture tested, as you’d expect, but ATI firing 2000 rounds through a gun doesn’t really interest me. Online gun 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 of the rifle to lower recoil and tune the handling.
Right now the ATI is simply a lightweight AR-15 pistol that is also one of the cheapest pistols you can buy.
It might not turn into a family heirloom firearm, but at this price does it really need to? The weight alone makes it a compelling option and the price means you can have several ATI Omni Hybrid Maxx P4 polymer pistols all round the house for the price of one big name gun.
That’s a sobering thought, and it also means you can boost your home security on a budget with an AR pistol at your fingertips, rather than a handgun, in a concealed gun safe or a small gun safe in every room.
6. F4 Defense F4-15 PDW Pistol
- Price: $1, 905.99
- Barrel: 7.5 inch
- Total Length: 23.5 inch
- Weight: 5.79lb
This is a rock solid pistol with a PDW brace that is built from the highest quality parts. It’s a newcomer here, but it deserves to go right in there with the best of them.
If you want something a little different and you still want a competition-spec just about everything, this might be the AAC 300 Blackout pistol you have been waiting for.
The F4 Defense 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 on Premium Pistol
The upper and lower receivers are machined from billet 7075-T6 Aluminum. It’s a proper adjustable gas system, so you can run suppressed for the ultimate stealth CQB pistol. With a reflex up top and a weapons light on the
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 pistol stabilizing brace comes from SB Tactical and it’s a proven unit that will make your gun more stable and 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.
Pistol is 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, the F4 Defense also has a natural balance in the hands that comes from a gun that was designed around the silencer.
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 Blackout Pistol
- Price: $1,492.99
- Barrel: 9 inch
- Total Length: 25 inch
- Weight: 5.4lb
This Bravo Company Manufacturing AR pistol 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 & accessories.
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, BCG and more are all chromed, hardened and MPI inspected. So yeah, this is more brilliant pistol for the money.
When you place your order, you can upgrade your custom pistol with a Geissele match-grade two-stage trigger. It’s pricey, but you will feel the difference with every trigger pull.
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 when it comes to the 300 AAC Blackout round.
Military Grade Firearm Minus Full Auto
This 300 Blackout pistol 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 Blackout 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 home defense 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 slightly larger pistol. But when you really want to go to war, the short barrel Sig is light years ahead. I mean it’s basically a concealed carry gun.
It was built around the Blackout round and the Sig RD762 suppressor line. The short barrel that makes room for a suppressor and a compact PDW pistol brace that keeps the whole gun short enough to shoot from the hip and hide just about anywhere. Even with a red dot on there.
Piston System Perfectly Contained in AR CCW
The gas piston actuation system in the Sig Sauer 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. This really is an equalizer of an AR pistol and the sheer duality of it is hard to beat.
At various times, this gun has featured in our four-gun home defense kit, we like it that much and we think it’s going back in there.
We do concede that it’s so focused and compact that you might have to adjust to the gun, rather than the other way round.
Rattler isn’t a Starter Pistol for Novice Shooters
So, this probably isn’t the ideal starter AR pistol. It’s a semi-automatic assault weapon and the absolute best of the best.
The payoff for that is you get a
In many ways, this is the absolute pinnacle, the best AR pistol 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 pistol that is so small you could almost use it as a CCW. It would be weird and your friends might talk, but you could…
Can You Conceal Carry an AR Pistol? Yes..
You can carry concealed, under a John Wick style bulletproof suit jacket or in a simple bag. The Rattler is an absolute smash hit with private security teams. Sig’s compact warrior works for military units that need rifle-style firepower in confined spaces.
This is a miniature weapon with an ambidextrous and full-size safety, charging handle and mag release. It’s designed for simplicity, devastating impact and it’s frickin’ tiny. In some ways it has gone too far. In other ways the MCX Rattler is the best pistol for sale by a mile.
9. Aero Precision AR-15 OEM Pistol
- Price: $687.99
- Caliber: 300BLK
- Barrel: 8 inch
- Total Length: 24 inch
If you have a Shockwave Blade or another solid pistol stabilizing brace lying round and a handguard, then you can just buy the guts of a gun with a naked AR-15 pistol 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 pistols and AR-15 rifles for sale too, but we like the naked AR pistol concept as it means you can finish your gun with some custom touches.
It’s not quite a DIY AR pistol build, but it’s kind of a start. You can do this in Blackout or 5.56mm NATO spec too.
Aero Precision Starts at Mil-Spec
The receivers are Mil-spec 7075-T6 aluminum, the Aero Precision AR pistol 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 of guns like this for the rest of our days. This is more than personal defense. It’s 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 Chrome Moly Vanadium Steel barrels from the best suppliers and then cuts the 5R rifling itself.
It shows
Blackout Rifles Are Under-Rated
300BLK is great 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 carrier group is made from 8620 heat-treated steel that is Nickel Boron coated, the M-LOK rail and just about everything else are Cerakote finished and the KAK Shockwave stabilizing brace absolutely does the job.
Rails For All Your Tactical Gear
A quad rail front guard gives you just about every option when it comes to your tactical gear and this AR-15 pistol for sale also looks amazing.
The only thing going against it is the price, but the this is a rare and beautiful firearm that is limited edition by its very nature. Most thigns here are mass market products in comparison and you’re always going to have to pay a premium for boutique pistols and rifles.
Custom Gunsmith With Custom Price Tags
The companies simply cannot achieve the same economies of scale. They don’t have the purchasing power and they also have a disproportionately high R&D and marketing bill that you all need to pay. It’s just the way it is and you know that on the way in with the Blackout or 5.56mm NATO pistol.
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 Sig Sauer Rattler in this price bracket, but I can see the attraction in the bespoke and perfectly assembled Nemo Arms Battle Light.
If the Sig 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 a gun in its own way as the main players, it just so happens that its way is very different.
11. B&T APC300
- Price: $2,899.99
- Caliber: AAC 300 Blackout ammo
- Barrel: 8.75 inch
- Total Length: 21 inch (without brace)
- Weight: 7lb
- Capacity: 30+1
B&T make some steallar firearms and we’re particularly in love with their 9mm range of AR-style pistols that are lightweight, minimalist and aimed at the military user. The APC300 pistol is an altogether bulkier proposition.
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.
The APC300 was designed to handle AAC Blackout and 300 Whisper ammunition, which gives military units the chance to run suppressed in stealth mode.
It also gives you options with the semi-automatic and you can trim your weapon and ammo depending on your requirements. That makes these guns more flexible than the old-school AR-15. That’s all there is to it.
Heavyweight AR Pistol 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 awesome pistol 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 gun 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 300 AAC pistol in the world from a military perspective. In fact it’s absurd. This is an AR-15 pistol with a birds head grip for no real reason at all.
There might be a gun 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 home defense weapon. It is quite clever how the recoil spring is contained in the grip, and the gun 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, or a concealed carry 300 Blackout handgun. 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 and you want a pistol, most companies are going to laugh in your face. Seriously, they’ll be cruel about their rejection.
Get a PSA Pistol Kit
So you have got two options. You can build your own AR pistol and that is absolutely an option. Or you can give Palmetto State Armory $550 and a chance to get it right.
I bet you that in 90% of cases, the PSA 300 BLK would have been the smart option.
You get a proper SBA3 pistol brace and buffer tube. Try getting that as part of a $500 DIY AR-15 pistol build. Go on, try…
PSA Pistol 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 AR pistol 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.
You can build up the PSA pistol over time with stronger components and a variety of AR-15 pistol parts and accessories. Or you can just use this great little gun, fire it and enjoy it.
Right now, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, all these pistols below are sold out and are here for novelty purposes only. 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
- Pistol Length: 23.8 inch
- Weight: 5.12lb
Any version of the new CMMG Banshee Mk4 is a great gun.
CMMG always made solid firearms, but the CMMG Banshee Mk4 has made a real splash.
It’s the short barreled lightweight pistol of the line-up, so arguably the consumer grade gun. But it’s available in almost every bullet you’d put in a pistol, 300 Blackout through to 9mm and 45 ACP. That’s good.
The CMMG Mk4 PDW has grabbed headlines round the world, but this version of the CMMG Mk4 is just as capable a gun.
15. Patriot Ordnance Factory Renegade Plus
- Price: $2,009.99
- Barrel Length: 10.5
- Total Length: 28 inch
- Capacity: 30+1 Rounds
- Weight: 5.8lb
POF has taken the simple Eugene Stoner design to the extreme and employed its legendary extraction tech to create a better AR. And yes, this is basically a short barreled version of the company’s rifle.
Obvious POF Rival is DDM4 Pistol
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 gun 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 on the pistol grip feels a cut above the rank and file AR pistols of this world.
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 impingement 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 of direct impingement and build on its benefits, which it kind of has, then this could be the 300 AAC pistol you want. Technically there are better guns here, but this is a great Close Quarters Combat Weapon, range shooter and it could even serve as a lightweight hunting rifle, of a fashion.
It’s a versatile gun, and a long pistol that could be worth paying top dollar for.
16. ZEV Tech Core Elite Forged Pistol 300BLK
- Price: $1,685.99
- Caliber: 300 BLK
- 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 Pistol 300BL speaks to us. We want it.
If you’re prepared to take a gamble on a relative newcomer to the AR pistol world with a proven pedigree in handgun parts and accessories, then this pistol might just be the best out there when you focus on value for money.
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 with two lines of forged and billet AR-15 Core rifles and pistols that are both chambered for 5.56 NATO or AAC 300 Blackout ammo.
300BLK Comes With Shorter Barrel
This is the shorter barrel version and it’s an absolute beauty of a gun, especially with the Direct Thread Warden Blast Diffuser muzzle device. The user reviews online absolutely love it and pretty much all of them claim this gun is a match for AR pistols that cost significantly more.
The upper and lower receiver are forged 7075-T6 aluminum and coated in class 2 hard coat anodize. It’s a fixed 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 significantly cheaper.
It’s a great AR pistol, although it might not be quite as effective as the Sig or POF with the suppressor. The fixed block is a compromise setting, but it works well.
The Bolt Carrier Group 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 pistol brace, which might actually be my favorite aftermarket pistol brace at the moment. The user reviews all say that the fit and finish is perfect, every part feels perfect and the pistol is a bargain.
It’s our budget pick if you’re looking for a pistol chambered for 300 Blackout ammo that will break the sound barrier, but won’t break the bank. If we knew this sale price was going to last, it would be snapping on the heels of the MCX Rattler thanks to that stunning gun sale price.
17. F-1 Firearms UDR 15 Pistol
- Price: $2,599
- Barrel: 8.5 inch
- Total Length:
- Weight: 5.6lb
The skeletonized AR pistol styling of this premium pistol from F-1 firearms will either grab you, or it really won’t. There’s no real in-between when it comes to the styling, 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 Shockwave blade and buffer tube
The F-1 Firearms BCG gets a
A Dragon Slay muzzle brake sits up front. The all-important gas block is low profile and surrounded by 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 a premium product and a top class pistol on sale. It’s a custom gun, basically, and definitely pure gunporn.
Skeletonized AR Pistol
It depends how you feel about the skeletonized AR pistols that F-1 Firearms has adopted as its signature line. If you like it, then you probably don’t give a crap what anybody else thinks.
This is a great pistol, one of the best 300BLK pistols for sale in 2020, and it’s also functional art.
18. Springfield Armory Saint Pistol 300BLK
- Price: $982.99
- Barrel: 7.5 inch
- Total: 26.5 inch
- Weight: 5.8lb
- Capacity: 30+1
If this were the best pistol under $1000, the Springfield Armory Saint would be right up there.
Great 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. If you’re on a budget, though, the Springfield Armory is a great, reasonably cheap pistol chambered for 300 Blackout ammo.
It’s a solid piece of kit, too. 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. The Springfield Armory Saint Edge is coming with a much higher price tag to take on those juggernauts and the gun looks stunning. When it arrives, there’s a good chance it could make an impression on the sharp end of this list.
Springfield Saint a Low Cost Star
The Springfield Saint is a relatively entry-level weapon, the budget Blackout firearm. The world needs those too and the most popular gunbroker searches are always for affordable AR-15s, low cost AR pistols and cheap 300BLK pistols. So yeah, this is it.
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 rifle is decent looking, this snubnose pistol with the faux suppressor muzzle device and tactical brace hanging off the buffer tube 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 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 the Sig Rattler, or the POF. But you get what you pay for and that really is the nth degree of engineering.
With a red dot up top, this will handle your home security duties better than almost anything that hasn’t beaten it here, on this list. It’s small enough to hang on a sling as part of a multi-gun kit and if yours is reliable then you will absolutely love it.
Great Personal Defense AR-Pistol
Of course it’s a direct impingement set-up and comes with a buffer tube. The pistol length gas system comes with a low-profile gas pinned block. You get 7075-T6 forged receivers that are then Type III Hard Coat Anoodized.
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 Bolt Carrier Group 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 AR pistol war.
19. Barrett REC7 DI
- Price: $1,769
- Barrel: 10.25 inch
- Total: 30.5 inch
- Weight: 5.5lb
Barrett is known for its incredible big capacity rifles like 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. It really isn’t known for its AR pistols.
But here we are, looking at the Barrett REC7 DI AR pistol in 300 BLK. It’s part of an aggressive expansion into the AR-15 market and we the gun is supposedly targeted at military and consumer users.
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, probably special forces, that are using a fully automatic version. Alternatively, Barrett is trying to use its military credibility to put a fairly average 300 BLK pistol on to the open market.
So which is it?
It’s the former, we think. The company has a military reputation and clientele, won’t sacrifice that to send tired junk on to the market and this is a 300BLK AR pistol that you could put up against the best of them.
Classic Eugene Stoner Design AR Pistol
It’s a Eugene Stoner Direct Impingement design 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 design.
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.
The only issue is that it finishes with a designer AR pistol price tag, without a real tech USP or a clever design. It’s just a really good pistol.
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.
With a good deal on guns for sale, the Barrett AR-15 and 300 AAC Blackout pistol for sale could easily find a home with those in the know. For the rest of us? I’m not so sure.
20. Q Honey Badger/Noveske Gen 4 Ghetto Blaster
- Price: $2,149
- Barrel: 7 inch
- Total Length: 20-26 inch
- Weight: 4.8lb
Including the Q Honeybadger pistol at all feels like an act of generosity at this point. I mean you can still get one, but you have to buy a Noveske instead. It’s confusing…
A few months ago, more than that in fact, the 300BLK Rifle
Have You Bought a Honeybadger Pistol?
If you can
Reviews are out there and the guns have slowly made their way to the real world via Hollywood. 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 Pistol
It was designed 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 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 a gun from the Advanced Armament Corps people, the people that actually invented AAC Blackout ammunition.
A 7″ barrel means the whole gun collapses to 20 inches. So you can hide it if you need to and carry concealed with a 30+1 round AR pistol capable of unleashing Hell’s fury on just about anything. When you need it, that PDW pistol-stabilizing brace extends to create a more manageable and accurate 26 inch platform too.
The Noveske, in this trim, is an SBR.
Not Just a Gaming Legend
It’s an absolute weapon of war and relies on a simple direct impingement system, a pistol length gas system and a proprietary trigger and gas block 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…
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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…