I have come to the conclusion that I am just not an AR guy.....

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rantingredneck

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I've tried to be. I've shot several AR's owned by friends and while neat and fun, I just don't really get the attraction other than having one just because. I've come close to buying one myself several times. Offered trades here and at other boards for them. Sold several weapons with the intent of using the funds raised to buy an AR, but alas still haven't. I did buy a Keltec PLR-16 a couple weeks ago because I've always found them interesting. Once I got it home I realized I had a case of buyers remorse. This was after investing a little over 700.00 in the gun, keltec tacticool accessories, mags, and ammo. So what am I doing with the Keltec? Trading it for another 870, plus some of course....

Yep, that's right, I've come to the undeniable conclusion that when it comes to HD or SHTF weapons I am a shotgun guy. I've known this intuitively for some time. I've never been in the military so AR's and other black rifle type weapons aren't that familiar feeling or "second nature" to me. I've hunted almost all my life though, so put a pump action shotgun, bolt gun, or lever gun in my hands and I feel well taken care of weapon wise. I'm also a handgunner too so I'm set in that dept.

For those of you who are into AR's and AK's and FAL's and the like, God bless you and keep you and may the politicians keep their hands out of your gunsafes. Unfortunately I cannot be one of you because they just don't do it for me and I just don't do it as well with them. I'll stick with the shotguns. Yes some of them will have the extended magazines, folding stocks and other features that will continue to PO the anti's and I'll do my part to continue to fight the fight. But I'm shotgunner at heart and I suppose I always will be.

:uhoh:
 
I own two AR's and I view them as toys to be played with at the range. Used to send as much lead down range as I can afford as quickly as possible. Shoot 'em until they're smoking like a steam locomotive and the handguards are too hot to touch. I don't care about barrel damage or accuracy -- barrels can be easily replaced and if I can hit a man size target at 200yds that's all the accuracy I need. Just dump rounds as fast as I can pull the trigger. That's my idea of fun. :) If I could afford FA, I'd get one. But I can't, so semi-auto mag dumps will just have to do.

For home defense, I prefer handguns and shotguns. Those are what I'm most comfortable with.

For serious target shooting, I use a Rem 700 VSSF and I'm very careful not to overheat the barrel on that puppy.
 
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You got off pretty light. I had to go through a Keltec SU-16 and a Bushmaster Carbon 15 M4 before I figured out they weren't the guns for me. I stick to SKS/AK for my TEOTWAWKI needs.
 
Yeah the AK's don't do much for me either. I've had a couple SKS's but ended up trading them both away. May own another of those some day just because, but it would be just because.
 
AR guys

I just shot one, along with about 100 other folks, in four matches over the weekend of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Texas State Rifle Association Service Rifle Championship. We were at Camp Swift between Elgin and Bastrop.

I haven't owned any firearm- and I have owned several, that I have gotten more enjoyment out of than shooting my AR15 in NRA/CMP Highpower Rifle Matches. It shoots well at 200 yards standing, it's amazing in rapid fire strings at 200 and 300 yards, and it's mind-blowingly accurate at 600 yard prone slow fire. I shot my whole life but never really learned ANYTHING about shooting until I bought an AR15 and started in competition. It's not just my favorite rifle, it's the most important firearm I have ever even imagined. Shooting my AR has illuminated shooting every OTHER firearm for me.

My team won both team events on Friday- the 4-man Bullseye event and Infantry Trophy. (I had a sixteen year old girl on my bullseye team who shot a 287X7 out of 300 with her AR.) I was second in the TSRA Service Rifle Championship and had the pleasure of watching a good friend win it. I took a couple of 12 year olds with me and one of them is going to learn everything I know about an AR and shooting one in competition.

God bless Gene Stoner and God bless the AR15.
 
I'm exactly the opposite.

Becoming an AR guy is something I consciously resist.

I've been shooting for years and years and years and years, and I consider myself to be a Range Rat, but only with handguns.

Nevertheless, the rifle range nearby continues to sing it's sweet siren's song to me each week.

But......despite the fact that my wallet trembles at the thought of a tricked out AR......I know I can't serve two masters.

Not yet drawn into the Dark Side.
 
I'm in the same boat with the OP. I have a friend who has a Bushmaster, bought it brand new about 4 years back, together we've put about 1k rounds downrange. He's offered to sell it to me a couple of times, but I just couldn't do it. It's nice and all, but....I like my lever guns. Well, and my Saiga 12 now :) I want my next rifle to be assault-style, detachable high-cap mag, and something I could use hunting - well, there goes .223. Yes, there's the AR-10, but hell, for that price I could buy 3 Saiga .308! So I can sympathize; they're nice guns, but I'll stick to what calls me. And at the end of the day, that's what matters: what fits you, not what other people think/say/feel.
 
Nothing wrong with a shotgun for home protection if the range is close and under the right conditions it can be devastating.

If there is a risk of someone holding loved ones at gunpoint using them as a hostage or human shield then a rifle or pistol is the only firearm I would want and not an alley sweeper.

A shotguns pattern is different from shot to shot its not consistent and spreads as distance increases.
For an experiment get a roll of 36" butcher paper set up or draw or superimpose life size targets facing both frontwards and then sideways onto the paper set them up at 7 15 25 35 and 50 yards.

Do this a couple of times at the different ranges with the same brand of buckshot.

There will be some targets hit solid with allot of pellets on others a few pellets and on some occasions as the range increases maybe no pellets in any vital area!:eek:

One stray single OO buckshot pellet is a risk that can ruin ones day or another's life.:fire:

Pick the right tool for your own needs get to thoroughly know what your firearm is capable of in your own hands.;)

Not trying to rain on anyones parade but each projectile fired that misses is an accident waiting for and often finding an opportunity.

Lets not give the anti's any more ammunition to use against us.:cuss:

Be careful choose wisely and stay safe out there.
 
ebr buyer's remorse? hah.

i've owned just about every commercially available EBR in the U.S. at some point. only held onto a few as prices shot up on some of the import models.

strangely, i've held onto the AR platform in my collection.

my rationale? they are ubiquitous here, replacement parts are plentiful and easy to obtain (but darn those newfangled gas-piston uppers, now i gotta restock lol). and, i can shoot them reasonably well for defensive purposes. plus, i won't feel so bad if i blow one up at a training course where you're putting a few thousand rounds through it.

i have a few 870's, 1100's, and others that are safe queens. they get dug out when i feel a hankering for trap or the occasional shotgun hunt.

to each their own.
 
I'm in a similar situation, except I bought an AR. I've shot it a few times....and it definitely has the "cool" factor going, but it just doesn't "wow" me.

My AK's, on the other hand, are a different story. I really like that platform. I have two AK's in 7.62x39, plus a Saiga 12 shotgun converted to AK configuration. I don't plan on entering them at Camp Perry or anything, but I like shooting them and I like working on them.

I've been tempted to sell off the AR (it's sat in the safe for 5 months, only been to the range twice) but there's a part of me that says I'll regret it later. So for now it's just taking up space. Still, I could get a Saiga .308 and another 7.62x39 and thousands of rounds of ammo for what I paid for that AR!

Jim
 
Yep, that's right, I've come to the undeniable conclusion that when it comes to HD or SHTF weapons I am a shotgun guy.
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While I like ARs quite a bit, I don't think there's any flaws in your personal defense strategy. ;)
 
And if you need to fight beyond the limitations of your shotgun? What then?
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My current Rem 870 throws Brenneke KO's with devastating accuracy to 100yds. If I have to go beyond that I'd prefer a scoped bolt action rifle of which I have a couple of Rem 700's to fill the bill.

If there is a risk of someone holding loved ones at gunpoint using them as a hostage or human shield then a rifle or pistol is the only firearm I would want and not an alley sweeper.

A shotguns pattern is different from shot to shot its not consistent and spreads as distance increases.
For an experiment get a roll of 36" butcher paper set up or draw or superimpose life size targets facing both frontwards and then sideways onto the paper set them up at 7 15 25 35 and 50 yards.
Click to expand...

I'm very familiar with my shotgun's pattern and the patterning board. Check some of my previous threads and posts on shotgun patterning, I've put in the work with my current 870, and with my Mossberg 835, and every other shotgun I own or have owned, and will do the same with the new 870 I've got coming and any other shotgun I buy in the future as all shotguns are different even if they are the same make and model and of sequential serial numbers. I'm also confident in my abilities with slugs at short range and keep some handy for tactical switchouts for that unlikely, but definitely worst case scenario of a hostage situation.

And when you think about it, in a hostage situation when you've got to hit the "off switch" just right to avoid any last minute muscle twitching of a trigger finger on the badguy's part, what better than an approximately .70 caliber slug to do the job. IMO, More forgiving than a .223 caliber slug. My current 870 wears a rifle sighted smoothbore slug barrel for this reason, and I put in my range time with it and the Brenneke's and with my favored buckshot load and know what each does to their effective ranges.

I can also stack 9 rounds of .45 ACP on top of each other at 15 yds from either of my 3 Rugers so I feel confident in my abilities to handle said scenario should it (God forbid) ever arise. That is what range time and ammo is for and why I pay for a lot of both. :)

I'm not saying the AR isn't an effective weapon. I'm just saying that although I've tried, I can't make me fit it or it fit me.
 
That's why God (and Mr. Garand) invented the M-14
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Now there's a platform I could come to love. I like the .308 round and have fired a few rounds from the Springfield M1A Scout. I do likey. Unfortunately my wallet doesn't, yet.
 
I just buy/shoot what I want and don't worry about 'who' it makes me.

Would I buy an Ar-15? Absolutely, after a bunch of other guns.
 
Yeah,I'm not an AR guy myself. I've shot quite a few and owned one but I just don't feel the love, I guess.
DMK said:
Light weight, high accuracy, low recoil, fast follow up shots, great sights, modularity.
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All valid points, and the AR is a fine weapon. Just not for me. Kinda like Sig handguns...they're great pistols,I just like other stuff better.
 
Yo, Redneck- I am gonna whisper a sweet something in your ear- CMP service grade M1 garand. Just do it. $595, and 30.06 ammo .26 a round. Trust me on this, I can feel the vibes. (and if you don't like it, there will be 700, 857 guys waiting in line to buy it from you.)
 
Yo, Redneck- I am gonna whisper a sweet something in your ear- CMP service grade M1 garand. Just do it. $595, and 30.06 ammo .26 a round. Trust me on this, I can feel the vibes. (and if you don't like it, there will be 700, 857 guys waiting in line to buy it from you.)
Click to expand...

He's absolutely right. Once you hear the ping of that enbloc ejecting after your 8th round, you'll think you've gone to gun porn heaven....

If given the choice, I'd still go with an M1A, but for the bread you're going to get out of the Kel-Tec, you can get yourself a Garand and fall in lust....
 
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