Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Home defense input please

A guy at the range few weeks ago had an ar pistol in 7.62x39 holee ph uck. He started shooting, I had to go get ear plugs put then in then put my ear muffs gd that thing was loud. If someone shoots an ar pistol in a house they wont be hearing anyone scream, they will just hear ringing in there ears..

Droolers enjoy the dumbest fhuqking schit there is.(grin)

Bless their hearts.

Hint..............

If you have a rifle (like an AR) in a rifle caliber (like 5.56) and you're using a pistol, why are you doing that?

I have plenty of pistols around the ranch configured like yours (except in 9mm because there is no demonstrated difference in lethality, and I get 2-3 more rounds), but the bedroom is a last-stand, and I have a rifle there.

The AR is easier to operate, easier to make hits with, more capacity, more lethal than a pistol or pistol caliber AR or other carbine.

If you’re worried about over penetration, use frangible 5.56 ammo, with some heavy (75 BTHP, etc.) near the bottom of the mag in case things remain sporty.

Shrapnel is on the right track. I put together a 14.7 barrel AR with pinned flash hider to make it 16 inches. Then I put on this stock from Magpul. Total length is just under 33".
https://www.magpul.com/products/moe-fixed-carbine-stock-mil-spec?ProductColor=VO343

The op has only made the one post with no details other than home defense. He doesn’t say where he lives, rural, suburb or city. We don’t know if he means a nightstand firearm (handgun) for a burglary in the middle of the night or are we repelling borders from multiple attackers overwhelming his house. And what size house are we talking? Since he mentioned over penetration I am guessing he means shooting inside, and Dan’s response makes the most sense. My shack is 40 by 24 in a subdivision and a round from an AR with non-frangible bullets will penetrate several houses. A shotgun round of birdshot will for all practical purposes act like a slug inside my dwelling and by the time it reaches a neighbor not have enough energy to cause much grief. No other round or weapon short of a handgun (that the wife can’t shoot well) with Glasers or some other frangible bullet will work in this situation.

A 20 gauge shotgun loaded with 7/8ths of an once of shot will work if his situation is similar to mine. She still needs to learn proficiency and a shotgun that fits her might make the most sense.

No, it won't.

In reality, the rounds will tumble and also exterior walls are full of stuff like studs, wiring, exterior finishes, etc. So, no, never will it go through several houses, unless and until you line up a bunch or windows that are open.

This is the type of reasoning that leads to the conclusion that you reached. Do you have five walls stacked inches apart?

You do not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0qgQoej5zE

Dave I think your video proved my point completely. While you are correct I wouldn’t have 10 sheets of Sheetrock instead one sheet then thin plywood then vinyl siding then out. None of the house here have fiberglass insulation, most just the foam between the plywood and the siding. I wouldn’t bet on the bullet tumbling and the next house in line is built the same way. I also wouldn’t bet on hitting a stud or something metallic. I don’t have that kind of luck.

Dave I have read your posts and know you have a lot of firearms/military experience but most stick built homes just are not thick enough and in the subdivisions I am familiar with in Connecticut are to close.

Wall penetration, be it interior, exterior or a mix of the two is a very complex event and I'll be the first to acknowledge the likelihood of injury to innocent bystanders outside a home is very low. It is however not a possibility to ignore, in my opinion. More to the point is what may happen inside in context of adjacent rooms. There is much latitude to avoid such disasters, ie. just don't take the shot at that moment. Don't let an intruder call the play.

I have to smile a little about the assertion that shotguns are awkward to reload. Maybe for some, but I was raised shooting scatterguns and I'm not of the same opinion. About 20 years back or so I was walking GA creek bottom country and came across a band of hogs. The gun I learned to shoot with was in my hands, a H&R Topper Mod. 88 chambered for the deadly .410. Buckshot loads were not readily available at the time and I carried slugs. I had one in the chamber and 4 in my left hand when I jerked the trigger first time. Before the survivors scurried away two were down, one was seriously wounded and I credit myself with 2 misses. Figure out how long it takes a wad of porkers to leave the scene and you'll have an idea about how long it took to reload my SS break action shotgun, aim and shoot 4 more times. The last one I shot splattered blood all over my jeans and shoes. Maybe he was of Japanese heritage, I dunno.

I have a fair population of shotguns at present, 20, 16 and 12 ga. pumps, autos, O/U and SxS. Can I shoot 30 rounds as fast as a M4? Don't be silly, but there aren't any protracted moments of silence between shots if I'm so disposed.

As stated previously, pick your tool, know how to use it and kick ass if circumstances require such action. How you judge affairs and defend yourself is more important than my opinion. How effective you are is up to you.

Dave, can you hear me? The 45ACP is not as ear damaging at the 5.56 indoors... and while it might bounce off it will leave a mark.

Jimmy,

If you lose the gunfight by using an inferior round and inferior operating system, it won’t matter if you might have had better hearing had you lived.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t use what you have if it was all that was available. I’m saying it’s not my first choice. Nor is a shotgun.

David, we can agree to disagree. Most folks have a 9mm pistol, 45ACP, 380, 38 special sitting in the house as a home defense weapon, others have a shotgun, some have a 10.5 or 11.5 or 7 inch braced ar pistol for use in the home, but for my uses a 10.5 inch 5.56 AR pistol weapon while it may be more handy and yes its more powerful than a 9mm, 45ACP etc but its just not what I would use. A 16 inch Colt 6920 with a streamlight and an aimpoint maybe yes, but not a short pistol type ar.

Jimmy,

I think the10.5 inch with a can is the solution to a problem I hope I never have.

That said, never been in a gunfight in my home, so I may be way off base......

Certain 5.56 rounds will go through very little dry wall--if you hit your meaty target first: https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/ar-home-defense-clay-drywall-raw-meat-myth-busted/

I shot countless weapons/rounds in the USMC without hearing protection. I'm sure that it did not help my hearing, which is below average, but not too bad.

I once stupidly forgot to reinstall my hearing protection before firing my .375 Wby indoors. I don't think it did much, and I still could hear what was going on around me. If my home was being invaded, the last thing I would worry about would be the noise of a 5.56 or 7.62 AR pelting out rounds at some armed invader(s). The noise in front of the barrel is much greater, which (if there were multiple intruders) likely, alone, would lead the ones that weren't hit with the first shot(s) to flee.

I know you all have heard/read it before, but I am a follower of the concept that: "It's good to have a handgun … so I can get to my rifle."

This is my first option/choice if I can get to it (7.62):



As far as pistol caliber carbines go, I would not feel under-gunned with my 10mm carbine, which produces almost the same muzzle energy of 5.56/.223:



It takes the same mags as my G40 10mm.

But I first would go to my 7.62/.308 20" DPMS GII Hunter.

That 10mm PCC looks cool!

Tell us more!

It's a TNW ASR.

A lot of interestingly comments and opinions. A lot depends on your definition of "home." Home to some is a 650 sq ft apartment with a common wall that has 2" of air space between the sheets of drywall. Home to others might be a 3,000 sq ft residence with a large yard on an acre or two - with closest neighbor waaay down the road. "Home Defense" to some might mean stopping the intruder at the front door or the burglar in the bedroom, while to others it might mean stopping the threat at the gate to your driveway, which is 80 yards from your front door.

At the end of the day, in all likelihood what you have within reach is what you will probably use. With that said, we have 9mm, .45ACP, and .380 pistols strategically located in the house (wife's .380 carry pistol & my .45 carry pistol + a 9mm thrown in for good measure). We also have an AR 300 blackout pistol loaded with subsonics but with a handy mag of supers (and with a can in jail) at the foot of the bed. We live on acreage and don't have close neighbors. For our circumstances, we are pretty confident that we have the bases covered.

Yes, sir............that optic looks like it was just made to order for CQB. Just sayin"

MM

You shoot someone 80 yards outside your front door,
You got some splainin' to do.

Not that it couldnt be self defense, but you won't start with the benefit of the doubt.
Even with the castle doctrine.

dillonbuck, nobody starts with the benefit of the doubt anymore.

Too many blues around stealing oxygen just dying for the opportunity to hang you for just ownng a firearm and now you have the absolute gall to use it to defend yourself? How dare you.

It will work at 5 ft to 600 yds.