AR pistols are a great solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. All that muzzle velocity lost, all that powder wasted.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
L
I've read that in some localities, folks with a concealed carry permit might buy AR pistols for legal reasons. Apparently in some areas at least, having a loaded AR rifle in your car can be a big "no no", but having a loaded AR pistol in your car is ok, if you have a pistol permit. And some cartridges do better than .223/5.56 in short barrels.
Obviously, FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc.
There is always a trade off...
The 556/223 pistol certainly is not as effective as a carbine or rifle, but like it’s longer siblings, it still can defeat 3a+ armor, whereas any standard pistol caliber , in handgun or carbine platforms will not....
Just depends on the perceived threat environment.
That said, I don’t carry an AR pistol, but am concerned about armored threats. So I assume I likely will have a failure to stop, and train accordingly.
The 9mm gains from the longer barrel. The 5.56 suffers from the shorter one. If I have to carry a pistol and a carbine, magazine interchangeability isn’t a big concern, though.