Alright, I would not be able to have a handguard. Would it be possible to weld some perforated metal onto the gas block to make something that shields the gas system without counting as a handguard/barrel shroud?

>>107317
That's horrifying!
Here's a Professional Ordnance P20/Carbon 15 .223 Remington pistol.
$995 (excuse me??)
https://www.gunsamerica.com/960085673/Professional-Ordnance-P20-Carbon-15-223-Pistol.htm

Professional Ordnance Mdl Carbon-15 Cal 5.56mmSN:C06076, Semi auto AR style pistol made in Lake Havasu, AZ., top accessory rail with aperture rear sight, 7" barrel and missing the hand guard. http://www.icollector.com/Professional-Ordnance-Mdl-Carbon-15-Cal-5-56mmSN-C06076-Semi-auto-AR-style-pistol-made-in-Lake-Hav_i14348132

Or how about a .223 pistol that isn't hideous?
Such as this Thompson Contender 223?
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action single-shot pistol (or in some cases, rifle) that was introduced in 1967 by Thompson/Center Arms. It can be chambered in calibers from .22 Long Rifle to .45-70 Government. The most unusual feature of the Contender is how the barrel is attached to the frame. By removing the fore-end, a large hinge pin is exposed; by pushing this hinge pin out, the barrel can be removed. Since the sights and extractor remain attached to the barrel in the Contender design, the frame itself contains no cartridge-specific features. A barrel of another caliber or length can be installed and pinned in place, the fore-end replaced, and the pistol is ready to shoot with a different barrel and pre-aligned sights. This allowed easy changes of calibers, sights, and barrel lengths, with only a flat screwdriver being required for this change. This example is chambered in .223 REM and features a blued finish and hardwood grips. http://www.egunner.com/thompson-contender-223,name,6037606,auction_id,auction_details

These rifle caliber target pistols are pretty fun and I have known people who hunt with them.

Remington XP-100 223 bolt action pistol. Pistol has 14.5" barrel, comes with new Simmons 2-6 scope, weaver rings.
https://www.gunsamerica.com/966829969/Remington-XP-100-bolt-action-223-pistol.htm

But for a pocket .223 pistol, there's the Heizer Defense PAR1 Pocket AR.
The PAR1 Pocket AR Pistol has had an unbelievable response from the industry. The PAR1 will be a small IPhone-sized pistol chambered in .223 and use the same reliable stainless steel frame as the PS1 Pocket Shotgun Pistol. We use only certified American stainless steel with a radiussed grip that is ergonomically designed. That is a key reason our pistols are comfortable to shoot and can handle the .223 cartridge. The PAR1 is just one more step in our product extensions and planned new product launches for this year. We’ll be adding more calibers and other new firearms shortly. https://heizerdefense.com/category/products/guns/par1-guns/

And their ported barrel version.

WTS Bushmaster ARM Pistol SMG $12.75K

This is a factory original Bushmaster ARM Pistol SMG by Guinn Firearms. A rather scarce SMG in 5.56mm (.223) caliber. Uses all standard M16 type magazines. It is extremely compact (less than 24 inches overall).

US Kel-Tec PLR-16 .223 pistol - uses AR mags.

US Pachmayr Dominator .223 on a Colt M1911 frame

German SiG-Sauer P220 Combat pistol with a SiG 556 5.56mm NATO carbine.

Magnum Research Lone Eagle, .222 Hornet on up to .30-06, .358 Winchester and .444 Marlin. Single-shot, with a breech more closely related to a naval gun's screw breechblock than anything else, with a separate cocking lever on the front of the "stock". Supposedly an extremely strong action, to the point where cases will weld themselves to the chamber before the action fails.

>>107338

>>107322
You can do some truly crazy things with the TC Contender and Encore action, like this .577 Nitro Express cannon-styled barrel by Match Grade Machine.

>>107340
And then there's the Lil Deuce, by Stolzer & Sons Gunsmithing. A 3300gr 2-bore/1.3" cast lead ball over 100gr of black powder, for absolutely no logical reason whatsoever.

  >>107341
"Double Deuce" 2-Bore Rifle: A Gunsmithing Spectacle https://youtu.be/OYlDgwo52tI
Sold for:
Double Deuce rifle: $6,900
Lil' Deuce pistol: $4,313

The largest sporting rifles ever actually used in the field as more than an exhibition were 4-bore stopping rifles, firing roughly 1" in diameter (25mm) projectiles. These were intended to not simply kill a dangerous animal, but to stop it immediately in a charge, which might require shooting through thick bone or horn protection. For that purpose, the 4-bore could have some value - assuming you had an assistant to carry it when danger was not imminent!

However, there have been a number of gunsmiths who have built 2-bore rifles, like this example named "Double Deuce" by its maker, Stolzer & Son of Kansas. At 44 pounds, this behemoth is definitely too heavy for practical use, but it sure is an impressively huge piece of work! It fires a 1.33" (33.8mm) ball weighing 3500gr (227g) at about 1250fps (380 m/s)...if you can hold it on target long enough to get an accurate shot.

As it turns out, any pistol with a magazine outside the grip is an assault weapon.

This state sucks.

>>107344
Seriously?

- German Bergmann Model 1896 No. 2 5-shot pistol in 5mm Bergmann.

>>107345
yep. Also any pistol with a barrel shroud/handguard

>>107368
High capacity like a motherfuck!
- Bergmann Simplex 1901 in 8mm Simplex with 8-round special magazine.