To SBR or not, that is the question.

[Patrick Scott]

I have had a USPSA PCC gun since before it was a thing. I built it for fun and the ability to have an AR that could run my Production reloads. Its a 16" gun. I shot some USPSA practice setups with it, shot a few USPSA stages post match before the division came to be and now that the division is real I have shot 3 matches with it. I have never felt that the 16" barrel is a hindrance
(even on a shoot house stage). I have the ATF forms in hand, but I am hesitant to go the SBR route. $200 bones for the stamp, engraving fees, filling out paperwork for interstate travel, SBR unfriendly states, ATF notification if I move, selling the gun,blah blah blah. If you have run PCC with a 16" gun and a SBR, did you find that the SBR was that much of an advantage?

Or this may be an excuse to build another one, one SBR, one not. 

[Les Snyder]

Patrick... probably not an answer to your question... I have a registered 10.3 MK18 SBR (5.56), and a 9.5" .22 upper for it... I shoot them in an informal run and gun match at a local club, naturally most of the time with the .22 conversion  ...my PCC is a   Glock lower, and is a dedicated game gun, not intended for close interpersonal social confrontations...my suggestion would be that if you are going to submit the ATF paperwork for only one lower, that lower would be capable of shooting 5.56 or .300BLK... if you are shooting a PCC with a removagle magazine block then go ahead and add whatever upper you want...

Edited October 26, 2016 by Les Snyder

[lucas]

 

My club runs a monthly PCC multi gun match ,where I have used SBR's for many years. Recently, with all the PCC mania going on, I started to wonder if a longer and heavier upper or complete rifle would provide faster splits than my 7.5".It has been driving me crazy researching all the new options with barrels, receivers, BCG, buffers, springs, until this last Sunday's match when I payed careful attention and saw no benefit with the shooters tricked out race guns over those of us with tricked out SBR's. If your buffer and spring are correct for your ammunition it's a wash between the two. SBR's are cool and portable and you can always add a longer upper later, if you fill the need IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dannybot]

I think SBR's work better on USPSA stages with walls and ports.  I have been running a 10.5" SBR for a couple years in 3gun matches.  My registered lower is now a converted host to my PCC. My only complaint is the weight of the PCC operating system: it's much heavier than the .223 set up.

[trevoro]

I struggled with this too before buying a GMR-13.  I have an SBR already and had been thinking about setting up a PCC on top of that.  After playing around with my existing SBR though, I found that I prefer the handling of a longer gun for a bunch of reasons.  Those reasons combined are more important to me than the split second I might pick up with an SBR once or twice a match when I might have to enter and leave a port.  Even with an SBR, the gun is going to come off my shoulder doing that.

The GMR-13 I picked up has a 14.5" barrel with pinned comp for a total length of 16".  The hand guard is something like 14", and that is as short as I'd want it.  Any shorter and I have to think pretty hard about not grabbing the end of the barrel when coming on and off the gun with my support hand.  Others might not have this problem, but it was the factor I ended up making my decision on.

I still think SBRs are super cool, but for me they are most useful when I make them longer with a suppressor...which I can't do in PCC.  Haha.

[steviesterno]

i second the idea of registering a normal AR lower. shorty 9mm AR builds look great, but if you're going to go with that time and expense it makes sense to go with a platform designed for it. if they were shooting PCC near me, I would build an SBR scorpion or MPX. Otherwise get a normal AR lower, that way you can shoot 223/300 for social work applications and bay matches, use a 22 upper for practice, and a 9 upper to run and gun. 

a short barrel once you're used to it can be really handy. My game gun is about 20" with the comp, and the light 10.5 I have is the one I grab for a bump in the night. much faster pointing, much faster swinging corners and stuff, just not as great at 200+ yards. 

[Bob Hostetter]

I much prefer the shorter barrels SBR's for PCC. Much easier to work around the walls and ports, and quicker target to target. Right now playing with a 10.5" with a 2" comp.