AR-15 Pistol/SBR Case

Our team independently chooses and evaluates products. If you make a purchase using links from our website, we might receive a commission, which assists in funding our product testing.

When it comes to AR-15 pistol cases, there are several good cases to choose from. No matter if you are carrying your AR-15 pistol to the range or just keeping it safely stored at home, you’ll need a high-quality case to store and transport it.

It’s important to choose the right case for your AR-15 pistol for many reasons. Namely, you are spending your hard-earned money, and you want the best bang for your buck.

With the uncertainty in the AR pistol brace market, people may be looking to SBR their AR-15 pistol. Our AR-15 pistol case guide works for both SBRs and AR15 pistols.

Gun forums are filled with questions about AR-15 gun cases, so we will do our best to answer as many questions about carrying cases as we can.

Discreet vs. Tactical

Choosing between a discreet case and a tactical case is typically a pretty easy decision.

AR-15 Gun Case

Tactical carrying cases have a particular look; often, molle webbing and color are big factors.

Some other nomenclature on a case gives it away as tactical, including pockets, bungee cord, and obvious color sets like tan often give away what’s in your bag. Many people don’t care if people know what’s in their bag.

Often people even want their bag to look tactical, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But for those that want to fly under the radar, there are discreet rifle bags.

Discreet AR 15 Pistol Carry Case

Discreet AR-15 pistol cases are becoming a new normal. Because of the common use of pistol stabling braces, AR-15 pistol carrying cases have become more popular. AR-15 pistols are now offered by nearly every AR company in the firearms industry.

There are many reasons to build an AR-15 pistol, but that’s not what this article is about. Many people build a smaller, more compact rifle to conceal it better, and the entire premise of concealment is discreet.

So we built The Bureau, an AR 15 pistol carry case, so a discreet case was purpose-built for an AR-15 pistol. I currently use the Bureau for my Battle Arms Development AR-15 pistol build.

These bags are great for anyone who doesn’t want to draw attention to their AR pistol. However, some of the custom features in tactical cases may be given up if you go for a discreet rifle case.

Regular AR-15 Case vs. AR-15 Pistol Carry Case

So why wouldn’t you buy a full 36″ or 42″ regular rifle case for your AR 15 pistol? Well, you can, there’s absolutely nothing worth with that, and at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference.

But if you spent all that time researching, building, or buying your AR 15 Pistol, wouldn’t you want a purpose-built carry case for it? Some people will use a tennis racket case or a tool bag to carry their AR pistol. Why do that when there are much better options?

I would. Like we have stated before, there are tons of options, but we recommend carrying your AR 15 pistol in a discreet rifle case.

Soft AR-15 Pistol Case

If you want a soft-sided AR pistol case, Lynx Defense is your go-to. We make our soft AR pistol cases with 500D Cordura. It’s rock-solid and some much even call it bulletproof! (It’s not so, please don’t shoot it!)

We also use heavy-duty metal zippers and high-quality thread, so your investment is well protected. You can read more about how our Bureau AR-15 Pistol carry case is made on the product page.

Dimensions of Your AR-15 Gun Case

It’s important to get the right size case no matter if you’re running a full-size AR-15 or an AR-15 pistol.

First, you’ll want to measure the overall length of your AR-15 pistol. Make sure you measure your rifle the way you plan to carry it in the bag.

A safe rule of thumb is to get a case that’s at least 2 inches longer than the overall length of the rifle.

The height of your AR-15 is also important, once again make sure you have it equipped the way you plan to carry your AR-15 pistol.

Many times buyers forget to measure the height of their gun when they are measuring for their AR-15 pistol case.

AR 15 Pistol Carry Case Measurements

What Size AR-15 Pistol Carry Case?

Determining the right size case you need to buy is critical. We built our Bureau rifle case around a 10.5″ AR Pistol or SBR. That allows for guns with overall lengths up to 29″ to fit into the Bureau case.

If you have a short AR-15, or what is often called a sub-gun, you may be able to downsize your case making it even easy to blend.

Typically, sub-guns have a 7.5″ or less length barrel and an overall length less than 22″. There is no legal definition of a sub-gun, only a loose industry categorization.

If you have a sub-gun consider a case such as The Byte – Submachine gun case.

AR-15 Pistol with Law Folder Case

If your AR-15 pistol has a law tactical folder then your choices for your AR-15 gun case have opened up a good bit.

At Lynx Defense, you can choose between the Byte or the Bureau. The Bureau is a longer gun bag but the Byte is nice and compact.

If you are trying to decide which ar-15 pistol case is best for your law tactical folder then you shouldn’t need to look any further than our discreet line.

But if you want a short tactical style case I’d recommend the Savior American Classic Short Barrel Rifle Case.

Should I use a Backpack?

EDC Backpacks are a great option if your AR-15 pistol has a law tactical folder or is an extremely small package. Some people even separate the upper and lower from each other to put into a backpack. All of these methods are perfectly acceptable.

backpack carry gun

It really comes down to what is the best solution for you. Do you want it to deploy quickly? Do you need to conceal the fact you are carrying a rifle/AR pistol? These, and more, are questions you need to ask yourself and answer before settling on your carry case purchase.

Backpack Gun Insert

We developed a nice, small, and useful paddling insert that specifically holds your gun in a position that makes it easy to grab and use.

The Policy was the result of the headache of solving carrying a subgun.

policy top down

If you are looking for a pistol bag or other range bag, be sure to check out the Ultimate Guide to Gun Bags.

Michael Savage
Michael Savage

Michael is the President of Lynx Defense and an avid gun owner and outdoors man. He's passionate about helping find the best bang for your buck and helping others learn about firearms and the industry as a whole.

Articles: 262

Not a Bobcat Podcast

Monthly Podcast on Guns, Bags, and Industry


Concealed Carry Insurance

Protect yourself and all those who carry concealed in your house.

Read More

6 Comments

  1. This is the answer for fortifying you schools, No one ever needs to know who or what you are carrying Just have the trained people in plain site

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *