FAXON ION ULTRALIGHT 10.5" 5.56 AR15 PISTOL
FaxonFAXON ION ULTRALIGHT 10.5" 5.56 AR15 PISTOL
The Faxon ION Ultralight 10.5" 5.56 AR15 Pistol is one of the most affordable production ultralight AR15 pistols on the market, weighing in at just 4.93 lbs. Part of Faxon's ION Line, this pistol is purpose-built for personal defense, range training, and suppressed shooting—delivering responsive handling, minimal recoil, and a soft-shooting carbine-gas platform in a package compact enough for home defense, vehicle carry, or pack-in deployment. From the factory, every ION Ultralight Pistol ships with a stack of upgrades that would otherwise require a separate parts list and an afternoon at the bench.
At the heart of this build is the Faxon 10.5" 5.56 NATO Pencil Profile Nitrided Barrel with 1/2x28 threading, paired with the Faxon Ported MuzzLok® Flash Hider for flash and recoil management. The pistol uses a carbine-length gas system, the correct gas length for a 10.5" 5.56 barrel, paired with a multi-position adjustable gas block for fine-tuning suppressed or unsuppressed cycling. The package is finished off with the Faxon Gunner Lightweight M16 BCG with Superfinish and the Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid® for crisp, consistent breaks under speed.
Key Features
- Total weight: 4.93 lbs — one of the most affordable production ultralight AR15 pistols in its class
- 10.5" 5.56 NATO Pencil Profile Nitrided Barrel — 1/2x28 threaded, suppressor-ready, optimized for low overall mass while maintaining accuracy and durability
- Faxon Ported MuzzLok® Flash Hider — flash and recoil management on a 1/2x28 threaded muzzle
- Faxon Enhanced Forged Receiver Set with tensioning screw for a tight upper-to-lower fit
- Faxon Gunner Lightweight M16 BCG with Superfinish for reduced reciprocating mass and smoother cycling
- 10.3" Carbon Fiber M-LOK® Handguard — high strength at a fraction of the weight of comparable aluminum handguards
- Multi-Position Adjustable Gas Block — tune cycling for suppressed or unsuppressed setups
- Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid® — crisp, precise pull for confident shot placement under training and defensive pace
- Ambidextrous Charging Handle
- Ambidextrous Safety Selector
- SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Brace — adjustable brace for stable, repeatable shouldering
- B5 Grip (or similar ergonomic grip)
- Carbine-Length Gas System
- Each pistol is individually test-fired and tuned with factory-new 55gr 5.56 NATO ammunition before shipping
Use Cases
- Home and personal defense: 10.5" 5.56 in a sub-5-lb pistol package delivers excellent maneuverability in tight spaces with full cartridge performance and low felt recoil for fast, accurate follow-up shots
- Suppressed shooting: 1/2x28 threading and the multi-position adjustable gas block make this an ideal compact suppressor host—tune the gas to manage back-pressure and protect the action under suppressed fire
- Training and range use: ultralight handling, soft recoil, and a Faxon-tuned trigger make for fast transitions and confident hits during high round-count days
Who it’s for: shooters who want a compact, lightweight 5.56 AR15 pistol with factory-tuned components—a defensive platform, suppressor host, or short-barrel range gun without paying boutique pricing.
Who it’s not for: long-range precision shooters or those who need extended sight radius and full velocity at distance—10.5" pencil profile barrels are optimized for compactness and weight, not maximum velocity or sustained high-volume duty cycles.
What’s In This Build (Bill of Materials)
- Receiver Set: Faxon Enhanced Forged AR15 Receiver Set w/ Tensioning Screw
- Barrel: Faxon 10.5" 5.56 NATO Pencil Profile Nitrided Barrel, 1/2x28 Threaded
- Muzzle Device: Faxon Ported MuzzLok® Flash Hider, 1/2x28
- Handguard: Faxon 10.3" Carbon Fiber M-LOK® Handguard
- Gas Block: Multi-Position Adjustable Gas Block
- Gas Tube: Carbine-Length Stainless Steel
- BCG: Faxon Gunner Lightweight M16 BCG with Superfinish
- Charging Handle: Ambidextrous Charging Handle
- Safety: Ambidextrous Safety Selector
- Trigger: Faxon Enhanced Match Trigger by Schmid®
- Brace: SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Brace
- Grip: B5 Grip (or similar ergonomic grip)
- Buffer: Carbine buffer system tuned for the ION Ultralight gas profile
Explore Related
Warranty
For full warranty terms, service instructions, and exclusions, please visit:
https://faxonfirearms.com/warranty-privacy-terms/
Resources
Click here for product manuals
FAQs
Why a 10.5" 5.56 AR15 pistol?▾
10.5" is the sweet spot for a compact 5.56 AR15 pistol—short enough for excellent maneuverability in tight spaces, long enough to extract meaningful velocity from the cartridge, and the right length for carbine-gas reliability. Combined with the ION Ultralight's sub-5-lb weight, it delivers a defensive platform that handles fast and shoots soft.
Can I shoot both .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO?▾
Yes. The barrel is chambered in 5.56 NATO, which safely supports both 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington ammunition.
Is this pistol suppressor-ready?▾
Yes. The 1/2x28 threaded muzzle accepts industry-standard 5.56 suppressors and direct-thread mounts. The multi-position adjustable gas block lets you tune cycling for suppressed use to manage back-pressure to the shooter and reduce wear on the action. The Ported MuzzLok® flash hider can also be removed and replaced with the suppressor mount of your choice. Always validate cycling with your specific suppressor and ammunition combination.
Is each pistol test-fired before shipping?▾
Yes. Every ION Ultralight Pistol is individually test-fired and gas-tuned with factory-new 55gr 5.56 NATO ammunition before it leaves our facility.
Where is this pistol made?▾
The ION Ultralight Pistol is machined and assembled in-house at Faxon Firearms in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio.
What warranty applies?▾
All Faxon Firearms products are backed by our Lifetime Guarantee.
For full warranty terms, service instructions, and exclusions, please visit:
https://faxonfirearms.com/warranty-privacy-terms/
- ffl-firearm:
- 1
- Caliber:
- 5.56 NATO
- Rifling Twist Rate:
- 1:8
- Muzzle Thread:
- 1/2x28