AR type rifles in deffensive situations...where are they?

[jonboynumba1]

OK question. Many here can list several strong points and reasons why a deffesive carbine is hard to beat in comparrison to say a handgun or shotgun...more traditional home defense tools. So where are the situation accounts of them actually being used with success or failure in that role? I've personally heard a couple where they had been "brought to bear" so to speak but none in which they had actually been used. Is this because HG and SG are so much more prolific? Because nobody wants to be on the 10 o'clock news? Or perhaps because at the end of the day most of us really just grab a HG or have one on us when we need it? What say yeah? I'd like to hear some first or second hand accounts of a deffensive carbine used successfully by law abiding citizens.

I guess you really could expand this from just AR's to include all popular semi carbines (AR,AK,Mini,HK ect)

 

[Zach S]

I've personally heard a couple where they had been "brought to bear" so to speak but none in which they had actually been used.

I've brought mine to bear a few times, yet never had to fire a shot. BGs ran off, my family was safe, and I didnt need a lawyer. IMO it was actually used, and effectively.

 

[jesse485]

I think that the use of shotguns and handguns simply trounces the use of a carbine for most people. For really close quarters, a carbine just does not make sense for some. While I like my AK and SKS, my 500 would incapacitate much better due to a larger wound. A rifle's main advantage is penetration; something that can be a liability at extreme close range.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I have never grabbed my AR in a home defense situation. I feel more comfortable with a handgun or shotgun.

One of the reasons I don't use the AR is noise. Have you ever shot a .223 indoors without earplugs? It isn't very pleasant.

 

[Zach S]

One of the reasons I don't use the AR is noise. Have you ever shot a .223 indoors without earplugs? It isn't very pleasant.

Yes, I have, and I know.

Instant dialtone. Someone speaking in a normal voice was muffled, like I was was underwater, but I could still understand them. The rifle was a 16" AR15, the round was 75 grain TAP.

The shotgun blast was worse. I heard a dialtone and that was it. The shotgun was a 20" 590, the round was federal LE132 or H132 00 buck (both 9 pellet, low recoil, probably the same shells in a different box)

 

[spiroxlii]

Since I routinely carry my handgun, it's always loaded and always ready. I practice the most with my carry weapon, so it makes sense to reach for it first if I need to defend myself or my home.

I shoot just fine with my SKS, but I don't keep it loaded and ready for home defense for a couple of reasons.

1. I can maneuver in my small home better with a handgun than I can with my SKS carbine.

2. My handgun has a higher ammo capacity than my SKS. I know this is not an issue with the AR, but still... my two 9mm handguns hold 14 and 17 rounds. Even if I had an AR with a 30rd mag, how many times do I intend to miss my target?

3. I'm less worried about overpenetration in a suburban environment with my 9mm handgun than I am with my 7.62x39 carbine. I know that a bullet fired from a 9x19mm cartridge will still penetrate home building materials, but it's less likely to kill the neighbor sleeping next door than 7.62x39 is. I can't speak for the AR in 5.56NATO.

I also can't comment on the use of a shotgun for HD, since I don't own one yet. I am purchasing a 12ga Mossberg 500A police trade-in soon, though.