While there are many viable options for home defense, I find it hard to argue with the utility of the semi-automatic rifle. As America’s best-selling rifle, AR-type rifles can be adapted for everything from long-range precision shooting to medium-game hunting. As they are available in various lengths and chamberings, this firearm type can be highly maneuverable while utilizing purpose-built ammunition capable of neutralizing a threat with a lower risk of over-penetration. It is also one of the most-adaptable firearms out there, making it a true “family-friendly” choice that can easily fit everybody in your household. Furthermore, it serves as an excellent base for peripheral gear, with an ever-increasing market for accessories.
If we begin with a look at the platform’s general footprint, even in its carbine-length configuration, it is shorter than most defensive shotguns and only second to a handgun in compactness. Having a collapsible stock helps the user tighten up the package to work around corners, while opening up many smaller storage solutions. This feature also optimizes it for size—it can be retracted for smaller shooters or extended for larger-statured defenders in less than a second. Homeowners looking for an even smaller package are invited to look at some of the many pistol-length options—some with barrels as short as four inches. Models like the CMMG Banshee come to mind, as this product line offers a wide variety of options to help the user meet their specific needs, including brace-equipped models.
Though short on length, the AR-type rifle can easily outperform pistols and shotguns with respect to effective range. While we typically associate home defense with close-quarters shooting, those with acreage often have to consider the possibility of a predator attack, particularly on pets or livestock. Although a shotgun slug can reach 200 yards, your typical AR-15-chambered cartridge will produce better accuracy at that distance with the ability to strike targets more than twice as far. Moreover, the AR better hosts low and mid-power optics, which drastically improves hit probability while ensuring positive target identification. Being able to differentiate between a coyote and somebody’s German Shepherd is going to make you far more popular in the neighborhood should such a situation arise.
Interestingly, the AR complements its impressive, effective range with equally adept short-range capability. The 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington cartridge does not have as much penetrating force as you might think. Testing has shown it penetrates fewer interior walls than much of the shotgun ammunition available today while being on par with most pistol cartridges. This becomes even more true when the defender chooses frangible or hollow-point fodder to deal with an attacker. Although it leaves the muzzle at more than twice the speed of the average pistol or shotgun round, .223 ammo just doesn’t have the weight to carry that energy after it strikes a threat or intermediate barrier. For those who don’t have faith in this cartridge, there are several others that are up to the task. The AAC .300 Blackout was built specifically for close-quarters work, particularly when there is the risk of collateral damage. The same holds true for Hornady’s new 8.6 ARC cartridge. There are also plenty of AR carbines and pistols that run conventional 9 mm Luger or .45 ACP ammo, which also opens them up to shooting ranges that are limited to traditional pistol cartridges.
Using the right ammunition is important, but if your gun runs dry, it doesn’t matter what it is chambered in. A standard AR-15 magazine offers a capacity of 30 rounds, whereas the average pistol magazine only holds roughly half of that. Further, your typical shotgun holds less than a third of what an AR does. Will you need 30 rounds to handle a single threat? Probably not, but home invasions where there are several bad guys happen all the time.
As the Boy Scouts say, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” Just like capacity, the AR-15 offers greater real estate than the other two considerations for mounting accessories. Having a weapon-mounted light is imperative on a defensive firearm, as you can’t always count on the power being intact when an intruder enters your home. Some of the most dangerous times in history were during outages, as darkness supports criminal activity. Lasers are also a helpful implement, particularly when you cannot get your cheek to the stock to use your sights or optics. Today’s AR-type rifles offer MLOK, Keymod and/or Picatinny connectivity, making it a cinch to add features like these to put the outcome in your favor. More importantly, it offers these connecting points in spades, making it easier to hang more than one accessory.
My final point plays back to my first remark about the AR-15 being well-adapted to a plethora of applications. As they can also be used for hunting and competition, it’s fair to reason that the gun will see more daylight than your typical defensive pistol or shorter-barreled shotgun. When we consider recoil and ammunition cost, the AR-15 is going to be substantially less expensive to run while creating less impact on the shooter. These qualities quickly eliminate any excuses to get it out to the range for practice or to the field to harvest meat. The argument can be made that handguns are also inexpensive to practice with, but being able to harness recoil with four contact points is much easier than doing so with just two.
At the end of the day, the AR-type rifle offers more practice activities than shotguns and even, arguably, handguns. So, if nothing else, the platform fosters proficiency, which might be even more important than what is in your hands.
