Which one for HD?

[Kenshin]

This is just a poll for fun.

 

[mustanger98]

At this point, it's needless to say, but I voted M1 Carbine. I'd have a 15rd mag locked and two more in the GI pouch on the stock. I know we're talking home defense here, but I'd rather have 'em than not. I might feel like stepping off the back porch and busting a few cans or claybirds or a swinging steel plate target... assuming I live where I can. The M1 Carbine has always struck me as much as a fun shooter as an effective defensive tool.

 

[slzy]

i voted m1 also cause i may feel the need to butt stroke somebody.

 

[justsurvivingincalifornia]

Reason for the AR15
1. Ammo is more available
2. Ammo is more lethal AP. SP, ballistic tip etc..
3. Magazine and parts more available.
4. More range 200 meters with longer barrels
5. Looks of AR will scare that Sht out of anyone that see it in your hands

 

[Balddragn]

AR-15 'cause it just feels so right.

 

[45Guy]

M1 Carbine. .30 hole, plus less penetration, wooden stock for aforementioned buttstroke. Very handy, light package. Just my .02

 

[CZguy]

Remington 870, cause I might live near you.

I don't think either rifle is as good for home defense as a shotgun.

 

[mp510]

I voted AR. Depending on one's needs, he can have the AR in any number of barrel lengths or calibers, including the .30 Carbine round, .223, 10mm, 9mm, .45, 7.62x39, .40 S&W, .50 Beaowulf, 6.8 SPC, and while not a good choice for home defense, you can stick a .50 BMG upper on there too.

. With the M-1, you have the choice of .30 carbine or a one time conversion to some handload only round .

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Whichever rifle you have the most training with is the one to use...

 

[Lone_Gunman]

M1 Carbine. .30 hole, plus less penetration

I am not so sure the 30 carbine will penetrate any less.

I think either is good for home defense!

 

[mustanger98]

At the short ranges involved in home defense, I don't think any arguement against the .30Carbine round as "underpowered" is going to be an issue. However, nobody has just straight up said .30Carbine was underpowered in this thread... yet.

My Grandpa had a Carbine during the war and he always spoke highly of it. Grandpa was a truck driver... I found out recently he and his outfit operated out of Antwerp, Belgium between November 1944 and January 1945 and they had to fight there way to the outfits they were resupplying during the Battle of the Bulge.

2. Ammo is more lethal AP. SP, ballistic tip etc..

I don't know about you, but I'm not volunteering to get shot with any of it, 5.56 or .30Carbine. My Grandpa, whom I just told a little about, said they trained to kill a man at 400yds with the Carbine and he also didn't understand why Alabama didn't make .30Carbine legal to deer hunt. However, that may have more to do with the FMJ bullets whereas deer hunting generally requires an expanding bullet. To my understand though, all a projectile from BB size up to a semi-truck needs to be potentially lethal is 300fps.

4. More range 200 meters with longer barrels

This thread's topic puts the AR-15 and M-1 Carbine in the context of home defense. If you want to shoot an AR-15 to 200m, by all means do so, but to the best of my understanding, home defense distances are usually within 20'.

i voted m1 also cause i may feel the need to butt stroke somebody.

Not a bad idea. And this is just my observation, but some M1 Carbines have the bayonet lug too, but unless you've trained to fight that way... well, I think most home defense scenarios won't require it or offer time to fix bayonets and the DA's probably going to question motive and/or judgement on that one.

But let's remember, Kenshin did say "This is just a poll for fun."

 

[chopinbloc]

okay, i'll come out and say it: the .30 carbine doesn't offer as much power. or rather fmj .30 carbine doesn't tend to cause as much tissue damage as fmj 5.56mm. there is a genuine shortage of decent jhp, jsp, ballistic tip, etc. for the .30 carbine. it is also more dificult (though not impossible) to mount a light or an optic. while there is some debate over the need for the latter, i think everyone can agree that a light is mandatory for an home defense rifle. an ar with a collapsing stock can be more compact and manueverable. while the ar may TEND to weigh more, it doesn't have to. the ar also has a bayonet lug and there is no reason you can't buttstroke a person with an ar, though i'd prefer to do it with a fixed a2, a1 or shorty stock than a collapsible one. matter of fact i learned bayonet fighting with an m16 so i imagine it is an activity still endorsed by the army and the department of defense. although i can't say for sure my FEELING is that fmj .30 carbine is more likely to overpenetrate a human target than fmj 5.56mm.

bottom line? i think the ar is a slightly better suited weapon for home defense but mainly due to bullet design of the .30 carbine. if good defense loads were commonly available i think it would be much closer.

 

[Balddragn]

Check out http://www.theboxotruth.com/ . The 30 carbine has great penetration, at times even better than 223-5.62 due to the 5.62's tendency to tumble after hitting sheetrock (that is the heavier, boattail bullets), while the 30 carbine ball tends to stay on track, presenting a smaller, smoother surface on impact.

Most of the information I've seen leads me to believe that the 5.62 will impart more energy to whatever gets in it's way. Not to mention that the AR just feel so right

 

[mustanger98]

The .223 metric is 5.56mm, not "5.62".

 

[Balddragn]

Yup my goof

 

[db_tanker]

The poodle-shooter would be better for defending the casa...the Carbine would be for keeping yourself happy, knowing you have a piece of history and somthing that, even with a maligned and somtimes unwarranted reputation, helped to win America a World War.



Just MTCW
D

 

[grizz]

Out of the two, I'm with the AR folks. They both would be effective, but 30 round mags are much better.

However, I don't even keep my AR loaded. I'm 100% confident that Mr. 870 (7+1) will do the job if someone should be so foolish as to break into my house.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have both. My choice would be one of the ARs in the safe, but frankly, you are not 'under gunned' with an M1 Carbine. The Inland Carbine I keep ready has a 30 round mag loaded, and two 15 round mags in the butt stock carrier. I load JSP for HD use.

 

[chopinbloc]

i don't own an m1 carbine so i don't actually look for ammunition for it but when i'm shopping for other ammo i usually don't see many offerings in .30 carbine. just out of curiosity, do you have any trouble finding your jacketed soft point ammo, Mannlicher?

 

[Diomed]

M1 carbine sounds good to me. More power than a pistol caliber carbine, less than a full rifle. Handy. Even handier if you get a M1A1 folder. There does seem to be a shortage of SP and HP though, at least at the places I've looked.

There's a rumor that an "updated" defensive load will be offered in the next year or so - slightly faster with a new bullet design. Can't recall any more details at the moment, and it probably won't come to pass anyway (sadly).

 

[backlash]

Out of the two, I'm with the AR folks. They both would be effective, but 30 round mags are much better.

However, I don't even keep my AR loaded. I'm 100% confident that Mr. 870 (7+1) will do the job if someone should be so foolish as to break into my house.

I agree. Except in my case, replace Mr. 870 with Mr. Nova Tactical

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

AR-15

More capacity, controls fall readily to hand, creates very nasty wounds at HD ranges, and will penetrate light armor or most home construction used for concealement. Two coupled 30 rounders will take care of any conceivable threat with room to spare. The fact that the .223 round tumbles upon resistance will stop it from going too far though. Neither has any real recoil to speak of. Ergonomics and aesthetics are probably a toss up too. In summary, I wouldn't feel undergunned with either , but trigger time dictates I would use the AR(probably my AR-pistol with red-dot zeroed at 25 yds for the added,"flash bang" effect )...Still 2 Many Choices!?

 

[chopinbloc]

both rounds will penetrate multiple sheets of drywall. neither can be relied upon not to seriously injure or kill family members or neighbors.

 

[American By Blood]

Neither. I live in a rowhouse.

Penetration is serious business.