Your choice of rifles for home defense

[Kaleva]

You can pick one of the following 5 rifles (all guns listed are legal in most states):

An M-1 Garand with its standard internal magazine capacity of 8 rounds

A semiautomatic M-14 with normal size 20 round magazines

A California legal AR-15 (magazines limited to 10 rounds each)

A legal in most states AR-15 with normal size 20 round magazines

A legal in most states AR-15 with a Slide Fire SSAR-15 stock and whatever capacity magazine you wish to have.

There is no limit to the number of magazines or clips one chooses to have or to the amount of ammo.

Which of the above rifles would you choose then and why?

For those who don't know what a Slide Fire SSAR-15 stock is, here is a video showing a man firing an AR-15 equipped with such a stock. In the article, it says the shooter went thru two magazines before getting the hang of it.

"That is our resident US Army Sniper Ben Becker in the video, and it took him about 2 magazines to get the gun to run as quickly as you see there."

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/slide-fire-solutions-ssar-15-bump-fire-device-ar-15/

My follow up question.

Which rifle do you think a person hell bent on death and destruction would choose and why?

[NYC_SKP]

1. Really, a rifle wouldn't be my first choice except in some post-apocalyptic or martial law situation

I'd have to research these choices.

Rapidity of fire isn't likely to be as important to me as reliability.

For the situations more likely to occur in my home and my life, IMHO, I'd want a clip or drum fed shotgun as my first choice or a pump action extended magazine shotgun.

[Kaleva]

4. What about the follow up question then?

[NYC_SKP]

8. Follow up answer:

The bump-fire stock is an example of many legal accessories that take advantage of the laws of physics to turn a semi-auto into a "virtual" full auto, without actually doing so.

These devices depend upon the recoil of the weapon causing a near immediate re-firing of the weapon at the trigger, rather than by any mechanical alteration to the action.

In practice, these devices only work under ideal conditions and after a LOT of practice.

In any event, a person who wants to do a lot of damage MIGHT choose this technology based on what they think is the most likely to do damage.

If I might, I'll answer a different question that I'm more able to answer (instead of what some unknown person might select):

If the objective is to take our the maximum number of people in a public place like a theater or concert, I would NOT use a weapon that would exhaust the magazine in seconds; instead, I would use a reliable weapon magazine combination and take each shot with aim, minimizing the number of magazine changes and reducing the likelihood that the weapon would jam or overheat or both.

I think any thoughtful shooter would feel much the same, not that murder is a thoughtful thing, but if we take your home defense scenario as the guiding example, my answer would be the same. Semi auto, slow and steady, make every shot count.

[Kaleva]

18. From what I've read about the device I mentioned, it works well and doesn't require alot of practice

Bump firing can be done with most any semi-automatic rifle but if one wants to do more then just spray lead down range, then a great deal of practice is needed. The device makes it much more easier to master bump firing while giving the shooter reasonable control and accuracy while doing it and still have the option to fire single shots, burst fire or seemingly near auto fire.

As for my own choice, as I have no need for a gun for self or home defense (I don't even lock the doors), the M-1 Garand would be fine with me and I'd probably chose it over the others more for its historical significance then anything else.

As for the bad guy, I think the choice would be the last rifle listed.

According to this study done on urban combat during WWII, it was found that the preferred gun was a semi-automatic carbine and submachine gun.

http://www.dupuyinstitute.org/pdf/urbanwar.pdf

[ErikO]

9. Actually

an AR has less chance of over-penetration than a pistol or a shotgun.

45 grain frangables work just fine.

[NYC_SKP]

10. Good point but for stopping power and for those who "need glasses"...

the old pattern of shot versus a single projectile thing could be an advantage.

[ManiacJoe]

12. Shot does not spread like Hollywood suggests.

12 gauge 00 buck shot from an 18 inch barrel only spreads 1 inch per yard on average.

Shotguns still need to be aimed, not pointed.

[NYC_SKP]

13. I don't know from hollywood.

I know from a rural upbringing and use of a wide range of firearms for sport, target, and protection of stock (general use) from early early ages.

We had a crank phone and party line and no running drinking water, but we had lots of guns and ammo.

~peace~

[Peregrine]

2. Home defense

HD: AR15 with folding stock. Shortest barrel you can get. Homes have a lot of obstacles which can snag a rifle, so the shorter the better.

Follow-up: If you want to be a sniper, then the M14. But close-in where accuracy isn't a priority and you just want to lay down a field of fire, the AR-15 with a folding stock.

[Reasonable_Argument]

3. If I had to choose a rifle

A SBR version of the AR-15 with a 30round magazine and frangible ammunition. As for your last question, hum.... AK-74 (due to recoil) with the new muzzle break (that vents the gas up) and steel core penetrator rounds. As for why it's easy to use, very low maintenance, low climb, and effective on both armored and unarmored targets.

[Ezlivin]

5. M41-A Pulse Rifle

I wanna introduce you to a personal friend of mine. This is an M41A pulse rifle. Ten millimeter with over-and-under thirty millimeter pump action grenade launcher.

[sarisataka]

6. My choice

For HD would be the AR-15. I would prefer 20 but I could live with 10 rounders.

For causing fear, it depends. Do you want to copycat the CO shooter or DC sniper?


For me, actually, none of the above. I prefer shotgun, pistol and sword for HD.
For mayhem, I have had too much training in causing and preventing to openly state what I think would have the greatest effect.

[ileus]

7. Only recently have I started keeping a rifle bedside.

My choice was a Kel-Tec Sub2000 9mm with 15 round Beretta 92 magazines. Nice and quiet, quad rail with a vertical forgrip and surefire flashlight.

I know, I know.....Kel-Tec will be the death of me, blah, blah, blah....but really it's been 100% reliable. I feel I can trust it with my life, I keep the mags loaded with PDX +P to assure that I can have faith in the rounds also.

Now that being said:

I have also taken out one of my AR's and keep it cased in the closet for shooting coyotes in the back field. It's equiped with a 4-12x50 scope. I keep 20 rounds of Hornady Superfromance varmint in a 20 round Pmag. I also have 4 30 round pmags loaded with FMJ's (just in case)

Of course the AR is a hunting AR so I don't have a quad rail, grip, laser, red dot, or a light.




The slidefire you mention is a cute little gimmick to separate a fool and his money. It basically makes the rifle useless for anything but wasting ammo.


Where is your legal in most states AR with standard 30 round magazines option?

[gejohnston]

11. Beretta Storm

in .45 with mounted light.

[ileus]

14. That would make an excellent choice.

[ManiacJoe]

15. Defense: indoor vs outdoor.

Indoor: AR-15 with 20 round mags. Missed shots go through the fewest walls.

Outdoor: AR-15 with 20 round mags. Visibility will not exceed the AR's range, ease of carry.


hell bent on death and destruction:

Knowledgeable shooter: M-14
no-clue shooter: AR-15 with a Slide Fire SSAR-15 stock (you cannot miss fast enough to win)

[Paladin]

16. .270 Weatherby Magnum w/ 3X10 Leupold Scope.

Doesn't have those bayonet lugs and 30-round magazines that you guys can't seem to live without, but I'll manage.......

[Ashgrey77]

17. AR15 carbine, with standard 30 round mag pmag,

flashlight, and EOtech (or Aimpoint red dot if you prefer) Holosight.

I didn't exactly choose from your list. No offense but I wouldn't use any of the options you listed. I chose what I did because it's a tried and true home defense setup. You have a red dot for quick target acquisition, a flashlight for a dark house, and shortish (16 inch barrel) gun for maneuvering in close quarters. If you could afford a SBR tax stamp I'd recommend a 10.5 inch barreled lightweight AR15 carbine with the same gear on it.

Someone Hellbent on destruction: In a close quarters situation you really couldn't beat a semi auto shotgun and a decent handgun with lots of ammo.

[4th law of robotics]

19. For home defense I'd prefer to go with a shotgun or handgun

for a rifle I dunno, which ever one had the shortest barrel and was easiest to aim from a variety of positions (10-20 round clip ought to be plenty).