I still very much enjoy shooting my QB79s and AR2079s, all of which run on regulated HPA anywhere from 12-24fpe in .177, or from 20 - 35fpe in .22. I've even had the pleasure of shooting Chris's camo Frankenstein QB/AR. It seemed to like the H&N FTTs better than okay, piling 5 of them into a bughole at 30 yards.
Or RWS Supermags, the stuff squirrel and chipmunk nightmares are made of.
Anyway, the functional differences between the QB and AR are pretty minor from my perspective...the AR has a faux 2-stage trigger that I don't find particularly useful. It's just a trigger blade that has a spring-loaded take up. I prefer to take the regular trigger group of the QB and replace the overtravel screw with an M6 spring plunger. But either way, the trigger can be made to be shockingly good for a gun of this price point. Smooth the contact surfaces and install a lighter spring and you're golden.
If you want to focus on open sight shooting like 10m targets, the AR peep sight may be fun to use. For me that's not very appealing, especially when running on HPA. The accuracy potential at greater distances simply demands a scope.
So for the most part I look at the difference being mostly in the stock. The QB's stock is slightly more shapely than a framing stud, though I can't say I find it uncomfortable so much as it simply lacks style. The thicker AR stock does add visual bulk but the weight difference is not noticeable in real life. I find it works great for offhand shooting, and I like picking it up and carrying it from the forestock...the holes on either side let me get a very positive grip with my fingers and thumb. And it just looks way better than the plain QB stock in my opinion so I would give the AR a slight edge on that basis.
