Monday, December 8, 2025

3 Effective Ways to Shorten and Lighten Your Micro ARP

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If you’re looking for creative ways to make an even shorter, lighter, easier handling micro ARP that is ideal for concealment or use in very tight quarters, you are in the right place. 

Here are three effective ways you can lighten and shorten your micro ARP, yielding an extremely compact overall footprint that takes ARP optimization to the next level. 

Choose a Micro AR15 Pistol Upper

Starting with a short AR15 pistol upper is the first and best way to shorten the overall build, but forget whatever you were thinking about 10” and even 7.5” pistol uppers.

These are short, but they leave a whole lot of potential on the table when it comes to shaving off not just size, but weight. 

Remember, a longer barrel doesn’t just increase the overall size and footprint of the ARP; barrels are among the heaviest components; they are steel, whereas the receivers are aluminum. 

That is to say, the shorter you can make the barrel, the more weight you can take off the whole thing. 

Anyway, the point is, there are some extremely short 5” pistol uppers out there that can make it possible for you to make an extremely compact ARP. 

Choose a Bufferless Upper 

Conventional wisdom is to lighten the buffer weights, and technically that would lower the overall weight of the ARP, but ARPs tend to use heavy buffer weights, and don’t perform reliably with lighter weights. 

Which makes it seem as though you’re basically stuck with heavier buffer weights, but that’s not the case. 

Building with a bufferless ARP upper is a great way not just to shave off weight, but to significantly shorten the overall size and length of the build. 

Remember, pistol buffer weights typically range from 5 to as heavy as 8.5 ounces, in some cases even heavier. Eliminating these can take a half pound or more off the build. 

But, on top of that, eliminating the buffer tube entirely will remove a few inches from the build as well, let alone the weight. 

So, building with a bufferless AR15 pistol upper is probably the single best thing you can do, all things considered, to lower the weight of the build, and produce a much more compact footprint. 

Skip the Muzzle Device 

Lastly, skip the muzzle device. Most AR15 pistol uppers that come with a muzzle device come with a flash hider. That’s not much good for anything. 

Flash hiders do little to nothing to reduce recoil or muzzle flip, and in an ARP, hardly obstruct the muzzle flash anyway. 

It’s dead weight on the front of the pistol, and adds inches, too. Removing it can remove not only a couple of inches, but also a few ounces. 

Also, removing a flash hider will have minimal impact on handling and recoil, resulting in a smaller, more compact ARP. 

Now, you also have the option to add a compensator or a suppressor, which will reduce recoil and in the case of the latter will reduce muzzle flash, too, but remember, adding a muzzle device will add length and weight, which we are trying to remove here. 

Where to Get the AR15 Pistol Uppers and Parts to Pull This Off

Whether you are looking for an ultra-compact micro AR15 pistol upper, a bufferless ARP upper, or a variety of muzzle devices, you can find what you’re looking for online at MCS Gearup. 

They carry a wide range of AR and AR pistol parts, including complete, assembled uppers. Visit their website to check out their catalog and see if you can find what you’re looking for today. 

For more information about Mck and Glock Kits Please visit : MCS Gearup

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